You'd Be Surprised What You Can Just By Asking

Years ago I attended a seminar at a former job about selling. The speaker gave the attendees a piece of advice that has never left me and I haven't been shy about utilizing it either. I'm ecstatic to report that this single tactic saved over $12,000 on my last vehicle purchase alone!

As the picture above states, "Ask and you shall receive," it's the practice I follow in every day life!

Asking for a discount or something free does come with a downfall too! You must be prepared to receive a negative response with a "no" answer. At this point it's good to remember that it doesn't hurt to ask, even if the answer is no. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Here are a few real examples from my experiences:

• During my recent vehicle purchase I purchased a fully loaded model from the lot with a only few kilometres on it. I was happy with the price but it didn't hurt to ask what my bottom line price was. To my surprise the salesman offered $12,000 off MSRP. This was a whopping savings of 18.8%. On average car salespersons will drop roughly 8%-12%; so this was an extremely valuable use of "Ask And You Shall Receive."
• Today during a trip to the big city, my hubby and I stopped at a farmers market for some great produce and fresh goodies. During checkout my husband asked "is there anything free today?" While I expected the answer to be negative, the cashier replied for him to take a bunch of 6 fresh cut tulips. They're on the dining room table right now and looking nice!
• A while back I was looking at a fridge but the store (Costco) was not ordering the model anymore and only had the floor model left in stock. The floor model was great but had a scratch on it. I asked the department manager if they would consider discounting the price if I were to buy it and was offered 20% off. The deal was great for me and I ended up buying the fridge.
• My husband has a AM Mastercard which has an annual fee, but the issuing company allows their customers to ask for one perk per year. Lower rate, waived annual fee, or another added benefit service as available. My husband calls once per year to ask if they can waive the annual fee and voila, it's done! We get the extra Air Miles rewards without the added cost.
• During a summer shop at Walmart, with only 1 register open, I waited 10 minutes in line when the manager cut in front of me and told the cashier to process a return without saying a word to me. Needless to say the return took 15 minutes and I waited patiently for my turn (there was nobody behind me in line). When I got to the cash register I asked if I could speak to the manager and explained how I felt having to wait for this return when I already waited so long. I really just wanted my feelings to be acknowledged; and the manager apologize profusely and gave me 50% off my 2 lawn chairs that I was purchasing. An "Ask And You Shall Receive" discount at Walmart felt triumphant!

Other ways to utilize "Ask And You Shall Receive"

• Cellular phone subscribers can ask for the "Retention Department" to see if there is anything that they will offer rather than switching to a new carrier. This has also worked for television programming.
• Received poor service at a restaurant? Let the management know in a calm and polite manner. Sometimes you will get a condolence for the troubles and sometimes they may offer you a free meal or a gift card for your next meal.
• If you see a lower price at another retailer but the one where you are shopping doesn't offer a formal price matching policy, it doesn't hurt to ask if they would match the price (if you can prove it). Some small retailers will gladly do this to retain your business.

Sharing ideas with one another can shed light on ways that we can all save money. Have you ever used the "Ask And You Shall Receive" tip for getting discounts and/or free stuff? Tell us, we love hearing from our readers!