Watching Significant Other go through the process of buying her newest computer gave me some insights I’d like to share.

Give the person on the phone or in the chat some room to wiggle. By turning down the offer of the free printer, SO gave the Dell representative some space in which to find other, more meaningful ways to reduce the price of the entire transaction.

Don’t be fearful about expressing how much you want to spend. Because SO stated her price limit upfront, the rep could direct her to some practical computing options.

Figure out what’s most important in the purchase. In SO’s case it was that non-glare screen and a specific version of Office. Yes, she wants a machine with good performance. Yes, she wants some obvious equipment — a DVD burner, a large hard drive, a mouse, wireless. But those are almost foregone conclusions these days. By sticking to two items that were absolute requirements, she could reduce what she spent on the other components.

Accept the fact that you may make an impulse purchase or two. In her case, that was the pink case for the notebook computer and the webcam for me.

For each decision that pushes the price up, ask how the price might be brought down. Make it pleasant for the rep to help you.

Be mentally prepared to sign the deal if you get what you want. Otherwise, you’ll be starting from the ground floor in developing a relationship with a new rep on the phone or in the chat when you’re really ready to finalize the deal.

What have you learned about shopping for big ticket items lately? I’d like to hear your advice.

Posted on April 18th, 2008 by dian