It’s sad that most of us are never taught how to negotiate. The truth is that most things CAN be negotiated…and we can save a ton of money doing it. What would it mean for you if you had $100 less to pay on your bills this month?
Your cell phone bill is the perfect place to start. Cell phone companies have this wildly curious business model of acquiring tons of customers through very expensive means (e.g., national advertising), then churning through them by treating them horribly. Yet even they know that it’s cheaper to retain an existing customer than to acquire a new one. You can use this “customer acquisition cost” in your favor. Here’s how:
Step 1: Find comparable plans for your usage on other cell phone networks. For example, I’m with AT&T, so I’ll investigate Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint by going to their websites. Write down how much they each cost, how many minutes you get, and any other benefits.
Step 2: Call your current cellphone company. To make it easy, here are the phone numbers:
AT&T: 1-800-331-0500
Verizon: 1-800-922-0204
T-Mobile: 1-800-T-MOBILE
Sprint: 1-866-866-7509
Step 3: The key is be nice. Ask them what better plans they have to offer you.
You: “Hi, I was looking at my plan and it’s getting pretty expensive. Could you tell me what other plans you have that would save me money?”
Them: Blah blah same plans as on the website blah blah
You: “What about any plans not listed on the website?”
Them: No, what we have is listed on the website. Plus, you’re on a contract and have an early cancellation fee of $XXX
You: “Well, I understand that, but I’d be saving $XXX even with that cancellation fee. Look, you know times are tough so I’m thinking of switching to [COMPETITOR COMPANY]. Unless there are any other plans you have…? No? Ok, can you switch me to your cancellation department, please?”
Note: They won’t cancel without your final word! Plus, you’re in a much stronger position if you’re willing to walk away. What you really want is to be switched to their “customer retention” department, which is the group that has the ability to retain you by giving you a bunch of free deals. You can either ask to be switched directly to the customer retention department, or play a game and hope that by asking for “cancellation,” you’re actually transferred to retention. Play around with a few phone calls and see what works best.
When you get to the customer-retention department, ask for the same thing. This is when you pull out your competitive intel on the other services being offered. If Verizon is offering something for $10 less, tell them that. That’s $120 savings / year right there. But you can do more.
You: “Listen, you know times are tough and I need to get a better deal to stick with you guys. You know and I know that your customer acquisition cost is hundreds of dollars. It just makes sense to keep me as a customer, so what can you do to offer me this plan for less money?”
Notice that you didn’t say, “Can you give me a cheaper plan?” because yes/no questions always get a “no” answer when speaking to wireless customer-service reps. Ask leading questions. You also invoked the customer-acquisition cost, which is meaningful to retention reps. Finally, it really helps if you’re a valued customer who’s stuck around for a long time and actually deserves to be treated well. If you jump around from carrier to carrier, you’re not a worthwhile customer to carriers.
Option #2: Make money fast by selling on eBay
A few years ago, I was skeptical when it came to selling things on eBay. Can you really make money doing that? But then I tested selling a few things on eBay… and I made over $1,000. We ALL have things laying around the house that we can sell. Maybe…
There’s a pair of nice shoes in your closet that you never wear
In your attic, you have some old baseball cards collecting dust
You recently upgraded your laptop and don’t know what to do with your old one
All of these things — and thousands more — can make you money on eBay. I created an in-depth, step-by-step guide on how to make money off of eBay in just 37 minutes. I also include real life examples from my students who make $1,000+ selling on eBay EVERY MONTH. Click here for my free guide to making real money on eBay.
