Negotiating is a learned skill that should be practiced just like any other skill
By Lynette Fry
Bartering is back!
Many people are finding themselves cash-strapped in these lean times and are resorting to the business of barter. Bartering enables you to save your hard earned cash – and more. According to James Hartley, an economics professor at Mount Holyoke College, in South Hadley, Massachusetts, “Bartering is about communities. It fosters human contact.” In the prepping community, the word is commonly used. Some prepper’s go to the extent of stocking piling goods; intended solely for barter in an emergency situation or they spend time learning a valuable skill to use for barter. But what about the skill of
bartering itself; do you have the skill set to barter effectively? Bartering is the basic sales and negotiation technique – it’s the same principle. One person has something another one wants or needs and an exchange agreement must be reached to satisfy both parties. The first thing you must do is decide what you will barter; will it be a service or goods and then decide on quantity, and price. In a barter deal, price relates to what you are getting in exchange for your goods or services, because no money exchanges hands. Negotiating the deal can be the most difficult or the most fun. One party will start the negotiation by
stating the terms of the trade. By watching the other party’s body language, you can tell if the terms are going to be readily accepted or if further negotiations will be needed. For example, if you make an offer and the other person flinches, rubs their forehead, or rolls their eyes – you are probably going to keep negotiating. A person’s body language will be a clear indication of their thoughts on the offer. Negotiating is a learned skill that should be practiced just like any other skill and flea market and yard sales are an excellent place to practice bartering. It’s an assumption these venues are strictly buy-and-sale, when actually they are great places to practice your negotiation skills. The next time you go to the flea market or local yard sale, take an item from your house with you, for trading purposes. As you peruse the items on display, locate one you feel would be a good trade and simply ask the vendor if they’d be interested in trading. You may get turned down, but you are developing your bartering skills. On the other hand, you may strike a deal and walk away with something you really need, with no monetary exchange.