ACE HAGGLER SHARES THE ART OF THE DEAL

KARA YORIOE-mail: yoriok@northjersey.com
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
05-10-2011
ACE HAGGLER SHARES THE ART OF THE DEAL
Byline: KARA YORIOE-mail: yoriok@northjersey.com
Section: BETTER LIVING
Type: News

This is Best Buy in Paramus, not a Turkish bazaar or neighborhood garage sale, but Teri Gault walks in ready to haggle.

"Haggling is just asking," says Gault, who is CEO and founder of thegrocerygame.com. When she's not looking for grocery bargains and coupons, she's making deals just about wherever she is.
The best place to haggle is what Gault calls "a mom-and-pop store," any place you can get to the proprietor, who knows the bottom line and needs to move merchandise. High-end couture shops, the Apple store or chain department stores are the least likely places to cut a deal.

Gault has haggled before at Best Buy and expects success here, despite its being a major chain. She enters the store knowing what she wants: a Sony 3-D Blu-ray player on sale for $199. In her purse is a printout of other prices for the same model. She wants to pay $176, which is the price from an Internet dealer.

Much to Gault's surprise, the salesman says the store will match competitors' prices. (That had not happened in her previous trips to Best Buy.) She pulls the printed list from her purse and hands it to him. Upon returning, he tells her they normally wouldn't match a random Internet seller, only brick-and-mortar competitors like Sears or B&H, but this time they will.

The only problem with this transaction is that Gault has not made her pitch directly to the manager. Instead, the salesperson has gone to the manager after saying he didn't have to. Also, Gault is unable to get them to drop the sales tax (like the Internet deal did), but she doesn't push that. Instead, she is grateful for the discount she got. ("You're too sweet!" is something Gault says frequently to salespeople.)

Personal chatter and excessive pleasantries seem like part of Gault's art of the deal, but soon it is clear this is just her.

Gault loves talking to people, learning about them and sharing bits and pieces of her personal life. When it comes to asking for discounts, her personality serves her well.

She leaves Best Buy and heads into the Garden State Plaza, where she's ready for more haggling.

First to a jewelry kiosk, where simply asking nicely once gets the woman to drop $2 and tax off the price of a bracelet. Gault tries for a bigger discount for buying three bracelets, but the saleswoman doesn't budge and begins to get irritated.

Gault diffuses the situation, pays for one bracelet (but not before asking if there is a discount for paying in cash), thanks the saleswoman and moves on.

Next stop, another kiosk, this one for a hair flatiron for her assistant. When Gault expresses surprise at the high price ($150 on sale from $250), the salesman asks what she wants to pay.

"Don't give [your] price," Gault says later. And she doesn't here, telling the man she doesn't know but can't spend $150.

At that point, he gets annoyed and says he doesn't want it to become a flea market. Once again, Gault finds a way to remove any confrontational atmosphere. She walks away with the iron for $100.

She was willing to pay $125, she says later, adding that people should always have a price in mind and be prepared to walk away if they don't get it and don't need the item.

Finally, to Lord & Taylor. Gault doesn't know how this will go. She finds a purse with a small scratch on the front and asks for a discount because of the damage.

The saleswoman tells Gault that Lord & Taylor's policy is to return damaged items, not to give a discount. Gault nicely asks for a manager. While the saleswoman is clearly annoyed, she gets the manager, who promptly gives Gault 10 percent off.

By the time the purse is in the bag, Gault has once again won over the saleswoman with some friendly chatter.

The shopping trip is a complete success -- no item purchased at full cost. Is there anything Gault pays full price for?

"Shoes that are comfortable," she says, using a recent purchase of Kenneth Cole sandals as an example. She asked for a discount and didn't get it but bought them anyway.

"Feet are important," she says.

And when you're not paying full price for anything else, a pair or two of good shoes -- at any price -- come guilt free.

E-mail: yoriok@northjersey.com

Sidebar:

Teri Gault's keys to bargaining:

* Be friendly and positive: There's no reason to be nasty or confrontational. It'll probably backfire anyway.

* Be prepared: Do your homework and know the competition and value of the item.

* Don't be afraid to ask: You're not asking for something stupid; get over any embarrassment and just ask.

* Go up the food chain: Deal with a manager or, where possible, the owner.

* Shop when stores aren't crowded: You want the full attention of the manager.

-- Kara Yorio

The shopping trip

BEST BUY

Item: Sony 3-D, Blu-ray player

Regular price: $229

On sale for: $199

Bought for: $176 plus tax (total: $188.32)

*

LORD & TAYLOR

Item: Purse

Regular price: $98

On sale for: $73.48

Bought for: $66.13 plus tax (total: $70.76)

*

MALL KIOSKS

Item: Hair flatiron

Regular price: $250

On sale for: $150

Bought for: $100 plus tax (total: $107)

Item: Bracelet

Regular price: $22

Bought for: $20 (no tax charged)

2011