Allan | sales manager | big-name electronics superstore | Consumer Reports

About once a week, he speaks to civic organizations about negotiating. One story he usually tells goes like this: He went to a big-name electronics superstore (which shall, for the purposes of this story, remain nameless) to buy a 60-inch flat-screen TV. He'd checked Consumer Reports; he'd settled on the model he wanted. He asked the price.

"$2,595," the salesperson said.

"I can't afford it," Allan replied.

The salesperson offered him the TV for $2,495. Allan said no. The salesperson went to a nearby computer station, keyed in a few commands, and returned with a price of $2,395. Allan asked for the sales manager - who offered it for $2,195. Allan said he'd think about it.

Allan went to Sears. He told the salesperson there he'd found the model he wanted for $2,195.

"I can let you have it for $1,995," the Sears guy said.

"You're getting close," said Allan, "but it's still more than I wanted to spend."

"Okay, how about $1,795?" said the Sears guy.

(By this point in the story, Allan says, his audiences are looking at him skeptically. "But may God strike me dead!" he says. "It's true!")

Allan told the Sears guy, "Hmmm."

The salesperson said, "This weekend, we're taking 10 percent off everything in the store. If you buy it now, I'll write it up for Saturday, and it'll cost you $1,540. And I'll give you this DVD player for free."

Just because he could, Allan then took his sales invoice from Sears back to the superstore. The sales manager swore the price Allan got was below the superstore's cost.

The moral of this story is you can negotiate anything, Allan says. "People have no idea you can go into these stores and negotiate. I tell people they can do it themselves. But most people are afraid to do it."