Persuasion in Chinese
Bargaining Strategies in Mandarin
Practical Ideas & Resources
Resources in this section curated by: Hanna LaPointe, Emma Rollo
Tips and Phrases for Bargaining - 讲价 jiǎng jià | web page
This page provides general tips for bargaining in China. There is a description of appropriate locations to bargain - it is acceptable in most places except when there is a sign that says 不讲价 (bù jiǎnɡ jià) or in department stores. The author includes four steps to properly bargain. First, try to visit multiple stores to get an idea of the pricing. Next, do not show interest in an item, because once you show interest, you have less bargaining power. Third, you can ask for anywhere from 30% to 50% off the price in small markets near tourist areas. Finally, if you want an item but can’t reach an agreement, walk away. Most of the time, the seller will call you back with a new offer. The article also offers some key vocabulary for bargaining.
The Mandarin Learner’s Guide to Haggling | blog post
This blog is a good introduction to the vocabulary and behavior to adopt when bargaining in China. It offers learners “10 keys to success” when haggling in China. The first two are about using correct vocabulary; specifically, emotive language such as “It’s so…!”. Befriending the seller is a good way to get a better discount. If you strike up a conversation with them or become a regular at their shop, they are more likely to give you a better discount. Additionally, the key to bargaining in China is to be polite, such as using the polite form “您” to address the seller.
UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF ‘GUANXI’ | WEB PAGE
This web page is about the concept of 关系 or relationships in China. The author states that 关系 is the key factor to successful negotiation, which may seem overdone to westerners. The key to cultivating 关系 relevant to bargaining is having a general knowledge of China and making a conscious effort. If you show the seller respect and make an effort to get to know them and their product, thus cultivating a positive 关系, they will be more likely to lower the price for you, and you could even become a regular at their shop. This would benefit learners because 关系 is different from simply being polite; they may have trouble getting the hang of it at first. Also, since it is key to bargaining, if learners know how to cultivate 关系, they will have an easier time bargaining.
Lesson: Beginner Mandarin Chinese Phrase "Give Me A Discount" | YouTube video
This video on beginning phrases for bargaining would be helpful to show learners.
In addition to introducing vocabulary, the instructor does two role-plays that show the phrases in action. Learners can observe exactly how they can use the vocabulary. They can also follow along with the dialogue at the bottom of the screen throughout the roleplay.
SURVIVAL GUIDE TO CHINA: HOW TO BARGAIN // 怎么在中国市场讲价 | YOUTUBE VIDEO
Lena, who has lived in China for 5 years, describes her experience bargaining as a foreigner. This video would be especially helpful for learners to watch because they could be in a similar position. She mentions a few tips for bargaining better, such as establishing the 关系 or relationship with the seller, being polite, and using even a little bit of Mandarin. She suggests thinking about bargaining as a mission where you pick a price that you are not willing to go over. Mentioning that you are a student is also helpful - use that as the reason you do not have the money to pay full price. However, if the seller asks for 170Yuan and your “goal” is 150Yuan from an 800Yuan item, go ahead and accept. That way both of you win and you still get a steep discount.
Beginner Chinese EP11: How to Bargain in China | YouTube video
This video introduces money, basic bargaining phrases in Chinese, and some grammar points that would be useful when bargaining.
This video would be helpful for learning or reviewing the different denominations of Chinese money. It could also be a good video to show learners as a way to review basic phrases that they may already know and connect them to bargaining.
the Art of Bargaining in China - Strategies & Tips | blog post
In his blog post, Mike, who has been to China multiple times, writes about enjoying bargaining. He writes about many aspects of bargaining, including whether or not it is ethical. Many foreigners are too scared to bargain and might even feel as though it is useless. Mike labels this as “first-world guilt”. This might be a useful tool for learners because there are not many discussions about the ethical aspect of bargaining. It is likely that learners already have certain opinions on bargaining. Mike also lays out bargaining in a multi-step list, which could be a useful template for learners.
Four Negotiation Tips for Bargaining in China | Harvard blog post
Although it is not directly focused on bargaining, negotiation skills in China are explored in this blog post. Two relevant suggestions for bargaining well are: putting a strong emphasis on relationships (this is known as 关系) and being prepared for a long negotiation process. In order to be able to bargain, first try to relate to the seller so that they will favor you. In order to get the best deal, it is important to know that there is a set order to bargaining that often involves 5 or more steps.
BARGAINING IN CHINESE? | ONLINE FORUM
This is a forum where one user is asking how they should bargain when they go to China. This resource is an example of both vocabulary and of people explaining their experiences bargaining. This would be a good resource to show learners, who will find different points of view on bargaining and learn about bargaining in different Chinese cities.
Bargaining for fakes in Beijing, China: it doesn't end well | YouTube video
This video by the South China Morning Post shows the Beijing Silk Street Market. It focuses on the sellers, who are often aggressive in their selling and unwilling to give discounts. The video also features fake products like knockoff Jordans being sold for the same price as real ones. The person who is bargaining realizes this and tries to get the seller to give them a large discount. This video would be good for learners who are interested in going to China to see what they might encounter when shopping. It also would help learners get familiar with the types of sellers that they may interact with.
Silk Street Market 秀水街市场 | YouTube video
In this video, Bohan, a Polish Youtuber in China, goes to the Beijing silk market and bargains for various items. This would be a good video to show learners as an example of someone bargaining. Bohan focuses on the actual transaction rather than vocabulary and suggestions. He first asks the price of each item, then makes an evaluation, typically saying “too expensive!” Then, he proceeds to bargain with the seller. He is friendly and is even laughing with the second seller. This video shows that it is possible to have fun while getting the best price, which should be the goal for learners.
China It Out | Buying Fruits & Bargaining Tips | YouTube video
This is a video about buying fruits and how to bargain for them. This is an example of how there are many things that can be bargained for besides clothing or accessories. The woman in the video, Rachel, introduces us to different types of fruits that are typically available and then bargains for them.
Academic Resources on Bargaining in China
Resources in this section curated by: Hanna LaPointe, Emma Rollo
Ackerman, D., & Tellis, G. (2001). Can culture affect prices? A cross-cultural study of shopping and retail prices. Journal of retailing, 77(1), 57-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-4359(00)00046-4
This article describes the differences between buyer culture in China and America. China is a buyer-oriented market; Chinese people are typically more frugal than Americans. This partly explains why bargaining is so prevalent in Chinese society and why some American learners may have difficulty assimilating into the culture. This article can be beneficial in introducing learners to the idea of bargaining and how ingrained it is in Chinese culture. The authors of this article also describe how culture can drive down market prices. Since Chinese culture is more frugal, prices have gone down, yet the culture of bargaining still remains.
Fang, T. (2006). Negotiation: the Chinese style. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 21(1), 50-60. https://doi.org/10.1108/08858620610643175
This article focuses on the strategies of Chinese business negotiation. Although not directly related, bargaining is still a type of business transaction that has similar rules and codes of conduct. The author introduces “The 36 Chinese Stratagems”, and although not all of them are relevant, many of them give insight into how and why bargaining is a large part of the markets in China. Two that might be beneficial to learners learning how to bargain are: “Take advantage of opportunities as they appear” and “Hide one’s ambition in order to win by total surprise”. Both of these are key to bargaining, especially the second. It is easier to bargain in the market when the seller does not know your intentions or motivations for buying.
Myers, D. (1993). Teaching Chinese Negotiating Style through Examination of Key Chinese Categories. [Conference paper]. Annual Eastern Michigan University Conference on Languages and Communication for World Business and the Professions, Ypsilanti, MI, United States. https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Ffiles.eric.ed.gov%2Ffulltext%2FED404846.pdf&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw2sN8tcJOsYHUKD-PWSzvwR
This paper focuses on the semantic meanings and polysemy of many Chinese words - the same word can have multiple definitions in a given context. The author connects this to the Chinese idea of time in relation to negotiations. He mentions that in China, time is seen as cyclical and since time is always coming back around, there is no such thing as wasting time. This is crucial to negotiations because people in China are willing to spend much more time negotiating, while many Westerners are not. It is important that learners understand this concept because if they know how to use these multi-meaning words and are able to withstand the long bargaining ritual, they will be able to bargain more effectively in a Chinese market.
Orr, W. W. F. (2007). The bargaining genre: A study of retail encounters in traditional Chinese local markets. Language in Society, 36(1), 73-103. doi:10.1017/S0047404507070042
Four essential acts to bargaining in a Chinese market are discussed in this article. First, it is acceptable to counteroffer by simply responding with a different price. Second, it is acceptable to exaggerate feelings about the price by using expressions like “Wow!” or “So expensive!”. Third, silence can be seen as a rejection of the offer and a new offer will often be presented. Fourth, face-threatening acts, such as commenting on quality often receive more negotiation. It is important to note that salespeople play a minimal role and most of the bargaining will come from the buyer's offers or comments. These acts are based on both social distance and power. They will be beneficial to introduce the learner to bargaining because they are simple, yet specific examples of how a native speaker of Chinese would bargain.
Pang, C. L., Sterling, S., & Long, D. (2015). ‘Mei nu, mei nu, tai gui le!’: to use or not to use Chinese language in Beijing's Silk Market. Language and Intercultural Communication, 15(2), 267-284. https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2014.993323
The authors of this article focus on the social aspect of bargaining in a Chinese market and how learners can be perceived during the bargaining process. There is a certain ritual to bargaining, so learners should understand specific communicative practices to participate. Many learners mention that you must be aware of how you are perceived in order to be able to bargain better. In other words, recognize how the seller will see you and use it to your advantage. They also mention that speaking Chinese is essential and you should avoid using English, even when the seller tries to speak to you in English.
PS Fong, C. (2013). Retail bargaining in China. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 25(4), 674-694. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-08-2012-0086
This article can be useful when creating activities centered around bargaining. It focuses on the relationship of power between the buyer and seller. The author identifies four sources of power in the marketplace: the motivational investment, familiarity, the presence of shopping companions, and bargaining disposition. Each source of power could have a different outcome when the learner is bargaining.
Motivational investment is the value that the consumer attaches to the target transaction. The more motivation they have to close the deal, the less power they have over the seller. If consumers have familiarity with the product and believe that they can find a better alternative, they are less dependent on the seller and likely to demand a greater discount. In this case, the buyer has more power than the seller. The presence of shopping companions typically means the consumer spends more time and money, however, they have more power than the seller because they are able to form a team against the seller. Finally, individuals have different views of bargaining. Those with favorable views will have more power over the seller and those with negative views will have less power.
Seng Woo, H., Wilson, D., & Liu, J. (2001). Gender impact on Chinese negotiation:“some key issues for Western negotiators”. Women in management review, 16(7), 349-356. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000006116
This article discusses the differences in negotiation styles between women and men in China. The study found that women were often covertly in command, and when they were, they shared the power with their male counterparts. However, when the men were in power, they had sole control over the negotiation process. This might be useful for learners to know so that they can find a way around this gender imbalance. It also gives a more realistic outlook on the bargaining process, and may particularly help women to look out for this situation when they are bargaining in China.
Sternquist, B., Byun, S. E., & Jin, B. (2004). The dimensionality of price perceptions: a cross-cultural comparison of Asian consumers. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 14(1), 83-100. https://doi.org/10.1080/0959396032000154310
These authors studied and compared Korean and Chinese shoppers and their shopping perceptions. Most relevant to bargaining are two values: price consciousness and sales proneness. Price consciousness describes how strongly a consumer wants to pay the lowest price possible for an item, while sales proneness is how strongly a consumer will buy a product based on its price. Korean shoppers tend to be more price-conscious and prefer sales that can be achieved via their bargaining skills. This article sheds light on the motivations behind Korean shoppers’ bargaining behavior, rather than simply explaining that it is a common pragmatic function.
Uchendu, V. C. (1967). Some principles of haggling in peasant markets. Economic development and cultural change, 16(1), 37-50. https://doi.org/10.1086/450268
This article focuses on the general ideas of when it is acceptable to haggle in markets and how to do it. Haggling is a structural behavior system and the more you follow it, the more likely you are to be successful at it. There are two key principles that are mentioned in this article: there is a set range of prices that are acceptable to offer and one should know where to haggle. Learners must know the set range of prices to haggle and if they exceed this range, the seller may react with frustration, anger, or even amusement. This is a representation of the power and social distance that the buyer and seller have. Knowing where to haggle is also essential; if the place has a small number of customers, it is acceptable, if it is a chain or large-scale store, it is not acceptable to haggle.
