Episode Six: How to Barter- if a Chinese Vendor isn't dragging you by the arm, you're doing it wrong!

I had a unique opportunity a few months ago to visit Beijing and Tianjin, China for a class.  At the time I was filled with a thousand stories, sights, and adventures.  However, my return from the trip was marked by the death of a friend and after the initial out pour of adventures I more-or-less stopped talking about Beijing. 

Like all triggers of my memory, it all began with a tangent.  I was doing the internet hotel rate report for work and my eyes were locked on the Priceline Mascot William Shatner's ridiculous "negotiation" pose, which triggered a memory...Bartering in Beijing. 

Magically a Photo becomes a work of art...courtesy of Window's Photo Editor

Bargaining in China is completely different from the rules we've adapted in the US.  Previous to this trip I had been the worst person in my MBA level Negotiation class.  According to in-class role plays I stunk like a skunk at negotiation.  That was until I walked through the crowded silk market in Beijing.  I discovered there that I am the unholy terror that plagues the vendors- the shrewdest damn harpy that ever boiled up from the bowels of America. 

Ok, so I wasn't -that-, good, but it should be noted that I went from being the WORST negotiator in mock sessions to out pricing all of my classmates in Beijing.  I felt a hint of Schadenfreude as my classmate boasted a 200 RMB deal on a silk scarf, which I had purchased for 20 RMB. 

I'm not a Communist- I just thought the Mao Pins to Be Really Novel. 

So how did I do it?

Well, the Chinese street vendors have a very different set of rules when it comes to bargaining than Americans.  Also, keep the mentality that everything in the markets is a very lovely fake.  Many Americans forget the things that make them gullible marks when shopping in China.  Keep in mind that Chinese vendors are very conscientious of the clothing you are wearing and your body language.  The true game of bartering in Beijing is not about the words you use- many vendors may have limited English- the way to play the game is all about non-verbal. 

I had one unfair advantage over the classmates I was traveling with.  I was, in short, poorer than my peers.  I was dressed in Walmart duds with a pair of sneakers that had seen better days.  If you should ever have the good fortune to go to Beijing put on your grungiest clothing.  Whipping out an iPhone is, in case you are dense, also a bad way to go about.   

The biggest asset to bartering in Beijing is being able to walk away from any, and I mean, ANY potential purchase.  This is where this blog gets interesting.  The vendors in the silk market have some of the most ridiculous ploys and lines to try to win you to a horrid deal- and everyone knows they are bad lines.  Always the first offer was started with "Normally 500, but for you 250 RMB, very good deal!"  Then there was the flattery- my male classmates received plenty of "you are a very good looking man!".  I even received the famous line used car salesmen everywhere adore "Please Lady, my boss is watching me, she's going to get mad at me if I don't make this sale!" 

The real sight is watching yours truly walking through the market with a vendor- literally- hanging off of my arm.  Huge warning- if you are adverse to strangers touching you then you should avoid the Silk Market- Vendors grab.  By the end of the trip I was somewhat forlorn that I did not have Vendor-weight on my arm.  It was like having your own special friend who was shouting out increasingly lower prices as you walked.  -Sigh-

The bottom line to bartering in Beijing is really apathy.  The more you present that you could care less about the merchandise and the price, the better the deals become.

Note, however that while this blog is a decent source of tips on bartering abroad, it is NOT to be construed as the way to negotiate certain deals in the US.  Which brings us to the origin of my tangent...  Mr. Shatner.   

My profession (await big reveal...) is as a Hotel Clerk, not necessarily appealing to most until you realize that my particular position is actually a Quasi-Accountant of sorts. No matter what Priceline and spokesman William Shatner may lead you to believe- tough love negotiations seldom lead to cheaper hotel rooms.  In reality most hotel clerks do not earn any commission or other incentive for sales.  We are required to quote the highest price first... however we're not going to haggle tooth and nail.  Kindly ask for the lowest rate the clerk can give you that night.  If you walk out the door- well I guarantee you that I for one will not be clinging to your arm shouting out lower rates... sorry.