How to Haggle Like Your Old Man

Art of Manliness, 2011

5 min read

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The skill of negotiation is a muscle that you can exercise and strengthen each day.

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Chronic hagglers get a bad rap. Some cultures consider hagglers to be cheapskates, rabble-rousers and time-wasters. Tyler Tervooren, the founder of e-learning platform Riskology, refutes these stereotypes. He argues that negotiating is in fact a core function of everyday life and that people shouldn’t shy away from hashing out the best deals for themselves. Reluctant hagglers can get started on the right foot with a few simple reminders from Tervooren. While the article addresses a male audience, anyone can look beyond the baseball metaphors and gender assumptions to find some helpful negotiating tips.

Summary

Though many shy away from it, haggling is a part of everyday life.

In many parts of the world, haggling is a dying art form, yet it is a critical skill. In fact, almost every human interaction involves a negotiation.

Many people are uncomfortable with the idea of haggling, which has negative connotations in many cultures. In the West, the art of bargaining is commonly viewed as uncouth, aggressive, stingy, improper or a waste of time. If you’re willing to accept that negotiation is embedded in everyday life, you’ll become more accustomed to the idea of haggling to get a favorable deal. But if you balk at the notion of haggling, your only option is to accept routinely whatever deal is on the table and hope that the terms are agreeable to you.

Don’t get hung up on winning the negotiation. Be flexible to find a solution that works for all parties.

Don’t enter a negotiation insistent that you will settle only for what you want. Be ...

About the Author

Tyler Tervooren is the founder of Riskology, an e-learning platform that guides introverts to take calculated risks to succeed.

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