Every likes to be liked but when it comes to barter there is extra incentive to be lovable. As we’ve discussed in the past, everyone has a limit as to how much barter they should engage in. That’s even true for us barter fanatics. What I’ve learned however is that when folks have to cut back on barter, they will often times still trade with their “favorites.” So my advice for you is to be one of those favorites.
Contrary to what you may think, being a “best customer” does NOT mean spending the most money with that vendor. Usually it simply means that you have a relationship beyond a financial transaction. It’s as easy as asking how somebody’s kids are doing. Being a best customer means showing up for appointments. It means not grinding vendors on price. It means valuing and following the advice of consultants that you hire. It means being flexible about the product/service you are interested in. It means understanding that your deals need to be advantageous to both parties.
Of course it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to live your life like this every day, however, as I mentioned earlier, there are extra perks in the barter world for being a favorite customer.
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