Summary: Pushing a counterpart to provide his best offer by implying that the offer “on the table” is unsatisfactory.
A great way to practice your negotiation skills is to simply get in the habit of asking salespeople, “Is That your Best Offer?” You would be amazed how many times they will lower their price or throw in an extra benefit in response to this simple question.
Example
A buyer is purchasing a new laptop and asks the salesperson, “Is $499 your best price?” The computer salesperson replies, “This laptop is going on sale for $450 in a week. Let me see if I can get my manager to approve the sale price for you today.” Simply by asking, the buyer saves forty-nine dollars.
Counter
In this example, the salesperson is honest and does the right thing. The effective counter to this tactic is to build up the value of the benefits that the product or service has to support the price. The salesperson could respond, “That is our best price on this model, but if you do not need a 17 inch screen, we can sell you that model over there for a hundred dollars less. Which would be better for you?”
I love these tactics, however, I don’t think lowering the price from $499 to $450 saves “one hundred dollars”
Thanks, Jeff. Just making sure you’re paying attention! We’ve updated it in the text above.