| Shopping
in Mainland China: |
| Twelve
Steps Across the Cultural Gap |
| By Eva Lynne |
| Many years
ago I volunteered at a refugee project for orphans that were baby-lifted
out of Vietnam. The pearls of wisdom that were imparted to me by
these little spirits have always stayed with me. “Always bargain.”
Sam Li would tell me. “If you don’t people will think you are crazy
in your head.” It was difficult to explain why the ice-cream man would
not trade his sturdy sandals for an ice-cream cone, but as time passed
and he acculturated to the USA, I think it sunk in. This experience taught
me many things. Now I am living in China and make use of the many skills
that seemed out of place in the culture I was raised in. Much like Sam
Li had to learn the American custom of paying what is on the price tag,
I have had to learn to bargain for the best possible price. Here
are some of the tools I have learned about the art of negotiation. |
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First, you
must negotiate for everything from paperclips to bananas because negotiation
is expected. This means the price on the item is never what they expect
you to pay. It is always more. If you pay the ticket price, you have paid
too much. In fact, if you pay the ticket price you are a fool, and they
will certainly think this.
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Your merchant
will never go lower than he can. If he takes a loss on a product it is
because he needs the money or has chosen to move the product. Always bargain,
but once you have settled on a price, pay it!
The word negotiation
tends to scare people off. It is just a word. |
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| Some people
prefer the word bargaining because it sounds nicer. Whatever you
call it, you should develop your skill at it. It is empowering and promotes
respect with those you are negotiating with. This word does not mean you
are demanding or unpleasant. It means you are getting the item you want
at the best price possible. This is respectable. It is even an art.
Here are
a few tips to help you along:
1. Always
be polite.
Being rude or condescending or suspicious will not get you far in negotiation.
It is far more effective just to be polite. Remember that the person you
are negotiating with is just a person. If you are nice to them, they will
be more inclined to help you. This is true in every culture.
2. Look
at it from the salesperson's point of view. The salesperson has a job
to do. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| Their job
is to sell it to you at the highest possible price. Their livelihood depends
upon it. But their job is also to make the sale. They would rather sell
it to you for the lowest price than have you walk away.
3. Let them
know you are serious. Let them know that you are serious and that you
will buy this product if they offer you the right deal. Take your time
looking before you open the bidding. They will often speak right up and
tell you what price they want before you ask. Keep your eyes down.
Do not look them in the face until you bargain and they arrive at a price
you will consider. If the salesperson is not sure whether you will buy,
they will not put everything into getting your wallet.
4. Don't
act too interested. Just standing in front of the counter and
looking will be enough to attract their attention. Maintain a “poker
face”. If you act too interested, the merchant will think you are ready
to pay any price and will refuse to go lower. They will not offer you the
best possible deal. Just let them know that you are in the market and will
buy, if they offer the right deal. This then makes it their job to sell
it, which is what they are trained to do. |
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| 5. Do not
begin with an offer unless you really know the market you are shopping.
If the merchant agrees to your first offer, you can be sure he could have
gone much lower. Never say things like “I only have $20.00”. You
can say things like “I cannot /will not buy it at that price.” If
you are still standing at their stall, they know you are still interested.
Let them find ways to bargain down. If it is not your culture- you
can never be sure what they can offer in the way of a reduction. It is
their job to find an answer that you can afford… not yours. You can also
say, “That is above my budget”, but keep a smile on your face. Start
by asking what price the merchant wants for something. Immediately cut
it by two thirds. You will then be settling on a price between 1/3 and
½ of what they first quoted you. This is in general a good formula.
6. Bargaining
is not a direct art and not expected to be done in a hurry. If
you have to hurry- you do not have time to bargain properly. Bargaining
is the art of being indirect. |
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| Never lock
a merchant into a price because this will stop them from going any lower.
This is why the direct approach does not work. Never just walk in and say
"what is the lowest price you can give me on this." This is far
too direct they most often will not get you to the price you want. They
might say, "I can't go lower than $1000." As soon as they say this
it is fixed. You have now stopped negotiations. Even if it could be sold
for less, they won't go lower because they have given you their word. The
best thing is not to ask directly for the lowest price. Keep it general
by saying, "This seems a little high." This leaves everything still
in the negotiating phase. They will most likely then reduce it by 20% and
can probably bargain down another 20% to 30% without problems depending
on several factors. (Are they the shop owner? Is it the end of
the day, end of the month, overstocked? etc…)
7. Asking
questions will also develop rapport and allow you to squeeze in more bargaining
power. “Why is it this price?” and “Why is this 30%
less at the other store?” The first price is often a “feeler”
price. They are trying to determine if you are a resident or a tourist?
If you are a tourist they know you have holiday money to spend. If
the price can be much lower than their quote, the merchant knows that.
Be very gentle with your questions and remain smiling. Remember everything
is indirect. A question can seem like you are questioning the integrity
of the shop, and you do not want to be insulting- even inadvertently.
8. Watch
closely and take not of their body language. If they are not
interested in selling, you will get that feeling. Also watch what
body language you are portraying. Are you wearing expensive jewelry?
Are you acting interested or casual? Are you shifting from foot to
foot? Good salespeople will get more from your body language than
from what you say. Especially if your common language of “shopping
and bargaining” is limited. Do not be afraid to react to a price
if it is too high (and the first quote or two is always too high).
Purse your lips. Tilt your head. If the price is too high you
can react to it. Lower your eyebrows. You do not always have to verbally
respond. If you are not happy with the price, they will start lowering
it without you asking.
9. Have
patience. The general rule is that the longer you wait the cheaper
it gets. Competition is fierce. Salespeople need the sale and have
little incentives available to them. This may be an extra little gift or
a final mark down. Let them tell you what it is. They wait until the end
to really offer the deal breaker.
10. You
have bargaining power and deal breakers of your own as well.
After you get low prices on several things you can put them all together
in a pile and say , “How about _xx__ dollars for the whole thing?”
11. Do not
be afraid to walk away. You are the customer and need to comparison
shop! You can always come back. Thank them for their time and walk away.
They will often make a deal before you reach the door, rather than see
you leave the shop because in tourist places the same thing is offered
just up the street and your merchant knows this. Their competitor may be
willing to bargain lower. Their job is to make a sale at that moment. Even
if it is at the lowest possible price. Money in your hand today is better
than a promise of money tomorrow. This is your goal, to get to the lowest
possible price. Lowest possible price can also mean the lowest probable.
It all depends on what position the merchant is in and what he can do.
Another merchant may be in a position to do better or you can return to
the original shop and agree on a price.
12. Remember
that everything in China is negotiable as long as it is not in a state
owned or chain store. You can negotiate almost anything. The bigger
the item, the more you are expected to negotiate. But even small items
like clothes, tools, groceries, and jewelry can be negotiated. If you are
not sure, it never hurts to ask. Just be polite, ask with a smile and see
what they say. Also ask the locals where to go to bargain the best prices.
This resource can cut your costs up to 50% before you even begin bargaining. |
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Article
Index ~ China
Index ~ |
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