Barter smarter with Joel Gibson

Utility bills got you feeling squeezed? Then this is for you! We spoke to Joel Gibson, author of Kills Bills, who offered us a slice of his juicy wisdom. Want to keep your juice where it belongs? Sometimes, as it turns out, easing the squeeze is only a phone call away…

Easing the Squeeze with Joel Gibson

The reality is, if you don’t ask, you won’t receive. Utility providers will usually fight to keep you if they know you’re prepared to switch to a competitor, but first you have to tell them you want a better deal.

Don’t worry if you’re not confident. Being a good negotiator is not about being loud and pushy: it’s really about having leverage. (As one of history’s greatest negotiators, Henry Kissinger, famously said, the secret to success is to “talk softly, and carry a big stick”.) The best leverage you can have is a really good offer from another provider, so before you pick up the phone, check what’s out there using comparison websites:

• For power bills, go to the government website EnergyMadeEasy.gov.au (or Compare.energy.vic.gov.au if you live in Victoria) and you can check the cheapest plans available in under 5 minutes.

• For telco bills, the most comprehensive comparison site is Whistleout.com.au.

• For financial products, you could try ratecity.com.au, finder.com.au or canstar.com.au. Once you know what the cheapest options are, you’ve got all the leverage you need to ring up your provider and demand a better deal.

If they can’t - or won’t - beat the other offers, maybe it’s time to switch! And remember – see if you can get some bonus cashback while doing so.

Check out Econnex Energy or Econnex Broadband to get cashback when you switch providers.

Here’s your basic script:

‘Hi there, my name is [Your Name Here]. I’ve been a loyal customer of yours for __ years and I’d like to stay on, but I’ve just received two really good offers from other providers and I think they might be better than the one I’m on.’

‘[Provider X] has offered me __ and [Provider Y] has offered me __. I wondered whether you can beat them?’

‘If you can, I’ll lock it in right now. Perhaps you could put me through to someone on your Retention Team to see if they can help?’

So, what are you waiting for? Follow Joel Gibson’s recommendation and turn bitter into better. Pick up the phone today and negotiate a lower rate with your providers. Yessiree, there really ain’t nothing quite like easing that squeeze; thanks for the juicy tip, Joel. Mmmm… delicious!