Part 1: Haggling & Negotiation skills.

I am one of those who do horribly at haggling. Not only do most Australians not haggle, its not in their cultural practice, or expectations to do so. So obviously, during my time in Australia, I totally lost ANY skills of haggling (if I ever had any) to about almost ZERO. I might be exaggerating, but as far as I know, I haven't seen any Australians doing that....

So imagine my surprise when I started my experience at the current workplace (where I have to do the dirty work of tele-selling exhibition space to very typical china-apek/ "chinaman" (a term for someone who is thrifty in spending money) managers. You could say that I was almost a "jakun" (malay term for equivalent in Australian terms for 'someone from the bush') in the haggling department.

Apparently most Malaysian china-man put up their initial price (which is HEAVILY marked up) and then start negotiations from there. Then when they give their sales pitch to customer, they waive this (and waive that), so that in the end, the customers feel like they were given a BIG discount. Not to mention, it is also a cultural practice of a lot of the business people to haggle & bargain on the printed price which is given.

A week or two after I started my venture into the world of tele-sales, I so happened to be in this shopping mall where there was a fitness club, FF. Since both my friend, Asta & I were in need of overhauling our image in terms of spring cleaning the "fats" area, we decided to just drop by the fitness club.

It was indeedly strange, as the salesperson showed us this placard which had the price of the joining fee & administration fee & monthly fee which came up to about RM600+. We were a bit shocked, as it was really a bit too much to even join. I remember rightly a few years back that I didn't even pay a single cent to pay any such thing... so we told the salesperson, Joanne, that we were previously members.

Joanne then proceeded to contact the Centre Manager for a while (supposedly had a discussion lar), and then she informed us that our joining fee & administration fee was *MAGICALLY* waived (with a wave of a hand)...... saying too that that offer was only GOOD FOR THAT DAY.. (which anyone with half-a-brain should know that that is a 'sales gimmick' to lure in naive customers like us to make a sale. hahahaha).

The end result was no, I ended up not enrolling for the fitness club membership of RM195 as it was just too much of a hassle to go a gym after work (traffic jam, blah blah blah). Instead, a week later, I headed to Fitness Concept to get a set of dumbbells weighing a good number of kilos to work out at home. (that came up to only RM35 and will last me for a very long time... ). ^^

Speaking of which, with the economy downturn, it seems that the Australians might be rethinking of haggling after all... till then, later!

The Author: About me

3rd February 2010.
I read this book on Wealth Accumulation, The Millionaire Next Door. Among the many tips it included was to change the way we look at how we spend, especially on high status objects and possessions.

Are all those high status objects really worth it?

Sure, spending on quality skincare is worth it. However, there is no need to try out everything (or chase freebies) and in the same time waste money (on petrol, parking and time).

I will stick to a skincare range that will work for me, and as for my lemming, I will wait for someone to sponsor me on it. I really don't have to budget to go along with all the spending that I have seen so far on my beauty blog so far this year... its free advertising for all these companies, who aren't actually paying me anything in return for my time and money to be really worth the free work for them anyways. >.<

18th December 2009
This blog has undergone so many changes-- I don't even know what to call it--

So it'll remain a blog about Money. Everything and anything about money-- it'll be.

21st February 2009:  It has been in my thoughts to commence work on this blog ever since I started on my "intern" work at the SME firm that I am currently in.

This blog will serve to be a note of insight to not only me, but also to the readers who walk up too along the path of this busy hectic circle of advertising cum event-management world.

As I have learnt from past experience, focusing one's writing helps one to think with clarity and will make a pleasant read for those who are on this blog too. It will also be able to pave the way to more deep, intense and creative entries as well as possible dialogues for future entries of such genre.

This blog will be informational, witty as well as focused in dissecting the different threads of inter-related mass-comm aspects that is to the fields of advertising and events management.

Although about events, I have included much entries in this blog on things financial, and from a global view, with events covered mostly in Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia.

I hope you will enjoy your stay as much as I will too! ^^