In late September of this year, I endured the 15-hour flight to Shanghai so that I could see my beautiful daughter Madeline, the 6’1” blonde college freshman (NYU Shanghai) who has herself become the subject of weekly marriage proposals and daily photo requests from the locals (stories for another time).
No doubt you have heard of the counterfeit trade that exists in China. Watches, clothing, electronics, cameras, and just about everything else you can think of, complete with brand names and labels, all for sale at bargain prices. Trust me, the untrained eye would not be able to differentiate fake from real. Even the packaging is dead to nuts perfect.
When Madi said she wanted to take me to see them, I envisioned a dark alley and nervous Chinese vendors looking left and right as I examined their wares in the suitcase that they held open. Instead, we boarded the train, road a few stops, and disembarked to find what looked like an endless kiosk mall in every direction and as far as the eye can see, brightly lit, guarded by security, and completely out in the open. It was all right there at the train stop!
It was here that I learned the finer points of Negotiation.
I knew going into that Saturday that there was plenty of room for improvement in my negotiating skills. My daughter read up on what to expect and told me the following, “They will give you a number. Give them a price for 1/10 of that. They will act as if you’ve taken food from their children but don’t back down. Keep saying no and walk away.”
It was that last part that made all the difference. The vendors were chatty, spoke passable English, and reacted exactly as Madeline predicted. Funny, they never actually spoke any prices. Instead, everything is done on a calculator that gets passed back and forth. Not quite sure what that practice is all about. But eventually, all transactions came to an impasse. They claimed that they were below cost and I told him that I didn’t really want or need the thing that I was looking at. The difference maker came when we turned and walked away.
In every occasion, we were quickly called back to the booth. We either got our price or very close to it. As a result, all of my nieces and nephews are getting Bose Bluetooth speakers for Christmas and my brother and sister are getting Ugg driving gloves. Madi and I had so much fun that we did it all again in Beijing a few days later.
I walked away with a suitcase of cheap counterfeits (hey, don’t judge me!) and a lesson on negotiation.
Since then, the opportunity to negotiate has popped up a few times and so far my record is perfect. No money has been involved, only requests from my daughters as they peck away at my wallet from various angles.
For reasons other than to learn to negotiate, China should be on everyone’s Bucket List. But if you go, do visit the so-called “Fake Markets” and sharpen your skills. You will leave with a lesson for life and a beautiful Rolex watch.
Bill Farquharson is a Vice President at NAPL. His training programs can drive the sales of printed reps and selling owners. Contact him at (781) 934-7036 or bfarquharson@napl.org.
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Bill Farquharson is a respected industry expert and highly sought after speaker known for his energetic and entertaining presentations. Bill engages his audiences with wit and wisdom earned as a 40-year print sales veteran while teaching new ideas for solving classic sales challenges. Email him at bill@salesvault.pro or call (781) 934-7036. Bill’s two books, The 25 Best Print Sales Tips Ever and Who’s Making Money at Digital/Inkjet Printing…and How? as well as information on his new subscription-based website, The Sales Vault, are available at salesvault.pro.