Negotiate Everything June 15, 2010My MoneyOff

While some women consider “haggling” overtly improper, businesswomen, like Ivanka Trump, say they see nothing wrong with it. Believe it or not, just about everything can be negotiated, from credit card interest rates and legal bills to real estate, postage and medical bills.

“I’m seeking simply the courtesy of being given the same terms extended to others – and preferably better,” Trump writes in her book The Trump Card. The vice president of real estate development and acquisitions for the Trump Organization and Wharton School of Finance grad says she’d renegotiate her cable bill if she heard a friend in her building was paying less.

Want to negotiate a better deal?

Research the value of the product and its competitors, be polite, make an aggressive first offer and work your way up, suggests WiseBread.com.

Before you begin negotiating, determine exactly what you want. Make sure you’re dealing with the person who actually has the power to decide. Read those sitting across the table and put yourself in their shoes.

Perception is more important than reality, says Trump. Make sure any concessions you make, even little ones, are acknowledged. Know when to walk away and never negotiate by e-mail.

Bonus PINK Link: Find out how Ivanka became the female player in the Trump’s family empire in this exclusive interview.

By Cynthia Good

“This is not personal, this is business.” Madeleine Albright

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