In most places in Benin, a set price does not exist. Most prices, for everything are just a suggestion. Thus one of the daily skills you will use is your ability to negotiate. It took me quite a while to hone this skill. I was often to quick to settle for a price and couldn’t hold my ground. But negotiating in Benin is all about the long pauses and supposed indifference or lack of interest.
Example #1
I was looking at a pretty leather woven handbag. I needed a new one since my small travel velcro over your shoulder wallet was a little worse for wear. Once my students started to make fun of the dirty little bag I always wear across my body carrying keys, money, and cellphone, I knew it was time to go shopping. Since I’m living on a poor Peace Corps budget, to get me shopping is a really big deal. The vendor was asking for 10,000 cfa (about 20 dollars). And remember, I receive an allowance every month of about 100,000 cfa (200 dollars).
1. The first step to negotiating is stand strong with a confident steady voice and say you’ll give him half the price. The vendor will always say no to this response, but still hold your ground.
2. Next take off the handbag, stare at the handbag. Turn it over in your hands. Shrug your shoulders with indifference. Think “Eh, this bag is not that big of a deal.”
3. Disinterested stare and silence
4. He will then ask you again what price do you want?
5. You augment only by 500 cfa (roughly one dollar)
6. He will probably say no again. And he swears that he is giving you a good price. 8000 cfa.
7. More Silence, silence, silence. Stay strong, do not budge. Keep that disinterested stare going.
8. Put the bag down as if you’re going to walk away. The vendor stops you and now offers a price of 7500 cfa.
9. Turn around look mildly interested but not quite.
10. Give your price again, you can decide to add another 500 cfa or not, your call… I added another 500 cfa. Now we are at 6000 cfa. Now that you’ve changed the price twice, you should definitely hold your ground.
11. He says 7500 cfa
12. You say nope 6000cfa, that’s all you have.
13. Stare down
14. Stare down
15. Don’t budge, I know you feel it. Stay steady.
16. Stare down
17. Alright, 6000 cfa, the vendor says. Yay! You got your price. 6000 cfa is quite a good price for a woven leather bag.
18. Now be content with your purchase (no more indifference) and tell your vendor thank you and that you will send all your friends to his business.
Yes, a tad exhausting, considing that these stare downs can go on for 15 minutes or longer, but as a Peace Corps volunteer, you will develop your negotiating stamina. Since there is often no set prices, negotiating is part of the culture especially in the South where the Fon are a little more aggressive. Also in addition to the negotiating culture, we cannot escape our white skin which is a big flashing sign of affluence. Many Beninese think all white people are rich. Well certainly as a Peace Corps volunteer this is not a case. With these two elements in play, Peace Corps volunteers must haggle for food, consumer products, fabric for clothing, and zemi-johns (moto taxis). Negotiating with Zems is quite different from the indifference in the prior example. With Zems, you are often more aggressive. I sometimes say, “You can’t pull one over on me. I live here and I know the prices.”
At the end of a day of negotiating, I come back to my nice cement house with tin roof in the tranquility of Toucountouna and sit in front of my beloved fan eating a mango.
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