Negotiation – Ghana Style | How To Barter, Haggle Like A Local

Something I am learning very fast here in Ghana is that this a country where bartering is common place.

I was told this when I arrived, but to be honest, I felt a bit mean trying to haggle someone down from say 50 cents to 25 cents – especially when there is a lot of poverty.

But I am learning fast – and in many respects, what I am discovering here is equally applicable anywhere in the world.

So here goes – My 5 ways to get the price down when bartering – stuff you can use in day to day business dealings

>>>> Let someone else do the negotiations for you. In Ghana if you area tourist or foreigner the price is at least triple so if you have a local friend to negotiate you will get a better price. This rule applies to most things in business, if they know your rich they will charge you more.

>>>> When offered a price, walk away straight away and they will start shouting lower prices.

>>>> When getting a taxi home they will quote more than is the “local” rate – say around $20. I will instantly tell them that my taxi driver yesterday charged me only $6, they tend to charge around $7.

>>>> Let sellers complete for your business, if two people offer you a taxi, ask for a price from each and let them bid each other day. This works well when trying to find a programmer or designer.

>>>> When they won’t budge on a price ask for more (lets say the price is $20 – but now you want two Tee Shirts instead of one)