Dorinda Medley’s Pajamas on WWHL

Watch What Happens Live Fashion April 30, 2020

Andy Cohen started off last night’s episode of Watch What Happens Live by saying “just jump out of bed-y and you’re fashion show ready!” and that seriously could not have been more true for Dorinda Medley with her super chic designer pajamas (also seen on Dorit Kemsley). Now if only Sonja had given Leah something similar to wear to her Sonja By Sonja Morgan fashion show, we have a feeling she would have no problem showing up looking ready for bed-y.  

Fashionably,

Faryn

Also Seen on Dorit Kemsley in Black:

Click Here to Shop Her Louis Vuitton x Grace Coddington Pajama Top on eBay

Photo #2: @DoritKemsley

Originally posted at: Dorinda Medley’s Pajamas on WWHL

In a previous article, I gave a simple example of how learning how to negotiate could help you to save an additional $44,500 for retirement. In fact, I argued that learning to negotiate is one of the fastest and most effective ways to boost your retirement account.

What I didn’t have time to do was explain how to actually negotiate. So, in this article, I want to share some of the negotiation techniques that I have learned over the years.

You won’t find any academic studies or theory here… just from the streets techniques that I learned in my 40+ years in the business world, working with some of the top negotiators on the planet.

More importantly, these are the techniques that I personally used to pay down over $100,000 in debt and build a comfortable retirement that I would have never dreamt of just 10 years ago.

Just Do it!

Nike was right. Success in life (and in negotiating) starts with action. If you want to be a writer, stop talking about your book idea and start writing. If you want to learn how to negotiate, start negotiating. It sounds simple… and it is.

The problem is that most of us don’t know where to start. Or, we are so afraid of rejection (yes, failing to persuade someone feels like a rejection) that we just shut up and take what the world offers us.

So, if you are looking for a simple way to start negotiating… here’s a simple tip. Every time you purchase something over $200 in value, ask one of the following…

“[Frowning] That’s a bit more expensive than I would have expected. What kind of a deal can you give me on this?”

Or…

“[Looking Thoughtful] You know, I’d love to take this home with me… but, I just don’t think I can justify the price to my [wife/partner/goldfish]. Is there is anything you can do to help me get the price down a bit?”

Sometimes, you’ll get lucky and the sales rep will just knock 10% off of the price. Other times, they may give you an inside tip that a big sale is coming up. Or, they may tell you that you can get 5% off by signing up for their newsletter (you can always unsubscribe). But, regardless, you’ll never know until you try.

Not in the market for any big-ticket items but still want to work on your negotiating skills? No problem! Just head down to the local flea market or look for garage sales in your area. Don’t leave until you have negotiated on at least 10 items. Repeat this once a month for a year and you’ll soon feel like a master negotiator.

Master Your “I Want it Now!” Mentality

One of the biggest advantages that many older adults have when it comes to negotiating is… time! So, it always surprises me how many of us still feel like we need things *right now!*

There are several reasons that learning to walk away from transactions will make you a better negotiator.

First, salespeople hear people say that they will have to walk away all the time… most people don’t. So, it’s not enough to tell someone that you’re going to leave a deal on the table… you need to be prepared to actually do it.

Second, learning to walk away forces you to look at your alternatives. And, as we will discuss in the next section, you should never enter a negotiation without knowing what your backup options are – or, as they say in negotiation speak, your “BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement.)

Here’s a simple exercise that you can use to combat your “I want it now” mentality. Pick one big ticket item (over $200 works for most people) that you want to negotiate on. Then, go out and negotiate for the same item at 3 different stores. Keep track of who gives you the best price, but, don’t actually buy the item.

Do this once a month. It’s a fun game that’s free to play!

Have a Backup Plan

This is the only academic term that I will use in this entire article, but, it is such an important one that I just couldn’t resist including it. The term that I want to introduce here is “BATNA” or Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement. In other words, it represents your backup plan or “what you will do if the negotiation fails.”

Before you go into any negotiation – from asking for a decrease on your credit card interest rate to arguing for a reduction on your cable bill – you should know your BATNA.

For example, let’s say that you are in the market for a new car. The monthly lease payment that you have been offered is $400, but, you feel like you can’t afford more than $350. In this case, you might right your BATNA(s) as:

• Find another dealer who can offer a lower interest rate
• Wait for a seasonal sale on this model
• Buy a used car of the same type, but, from an earlier year
• Use public transportation
• Ride your bike to work
• Buy a different car

Sometimes you can use these points directly in a negotiation. For example, “Look, I really do like this car, but, here’s the thing… I was just talking to XYZ motors across the street and the new Mustang is $2,000 cheaper. Plus, with the 1% interest deal they have going on right now, I could walk away with one for $330 a month. I’d love to work with you to find a solution here. Do you have any ideas on how we can make this work?”

But, beyond the direct benefit of having alternatives to fall back on, there is a psychological power that comes from knowing that you have options.

Just knowing that you have a backup plan will help you to fight the tendency to just accept someone’s offer for fear of missing out on the emotional benefit of a potential purchase.

Learn to Love Silence

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can say in a negotiation is *nothing at all*!

I’m not sure why we hate silence. Maybe it has something to do with our innate desire to please others. Or, perhaps it’s our lack of patience that makes us want to jump in and fill any gap in the conversation. But, for whatever reason, silence is a powerful negotiating tool.

I’m not kidding when I say that I have seen people get 20% discounts just by not instantly responding to a salesperson’s first offer. It goes something like this…

Customer: So, how much does that TV cost?

Sales Person: This one? It’s $999.

Customer: [Silence, looking unimpressed]

Sales Person: [After about 5 seconds] Well, actually, I could probably get my boss to let me go down to $899 for this one.

Another related technique is just to repeat the price that you are given and then shut the heck up. It goes something like this…

Customer: So, how much does that TV cost?

Sales Person: This one? It’s $999.

Customer: [Raising eyebrows] $999?

Sales Person: [After about 5 seconds] Well, actually, I could probably get my boss to let me go down to $899 for this one.

It doesn’t really matter how you introduce the silence into the conversation. The main point is to not be afraid of letting the conversation go quiet.

You may be surprised by how easy your negotiations become when your partner is doing all the work!

Be Bold – Dig for Gold and Shoot for the Moon

One final piece of advice that I want to leave you with is to be bold with your offers. Whether you are a buyer or a seller, it often makes sense to give an offer that you know will be rejected.

This technique worked especially well for me when I was in the market for a used car. I simply watched the online listings of 10 cars that I was interested in. Somewhat inevitably, 3 of these cars were still on the market, 2 months after I first saw them.

Once I checked the Blue Book value, I reached out to see if any of the owners would be willing to accept a price well below the market value of their vehicle. And, of course, I made my offers contingent on a full inspection and clean title check.

This technique allowed me to get a used Land Rover for $5,000 below the initial listed price, which was already a tad below market.

After running the car through the necessary checks, I paid cash and everyone was happy. I went on to drive the car for 3 years before selling it for almost the same amount that I purchased it for!

Another time to use the “shoot for the moon” technique is when someone refuses to be the first person to name a price. This is a somewhat unpleasant game that some people try to play and I go around it completely by naming a price that I know to be too high.

Most of the time, this forces the other party to make their own, more reasonable, offer.

Don’t Waste Your Savings

One risk that comes with negotiating is that we will end up spending our winnings.

Especially when big-ticket items are involved, I try hard to transfer any savings from the transaction to my investment account right away. This prevents me from sticking my hand in the cookie jar and ending up no better off than I was before the negotiation.

For an example of just how far a little negotiating can go, please check out my article, “Save $44,500 More For Retirement By Developing This One Simple Habit”

At the end of the day, you don’t need to be a master negotiator to save some extra money for retirement. Even if you just get in the habit of asking for discounts on all big-ticket items, you will save $100s if not $1,000s a year.

Now, get out there and make some money!

Do you regularly negotiate prices on your big purchases? Do you feel like you are a successful negotiator in your everyday life? What negotiating tips would you like to share?

Teddi Mellencamp’s Pink Aviator Sunglasses With Erika

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 10 Episode 3 Fashion

Although Sutton Stracke may not exactly be Teddi Mellencamp’s cup of sweet tea, there’s apparently another Southern blonde on Bravo (besides Erika Jayne obvs) who is; Southern Charm’s Cameran Eubanks, who is responsible for the super cute pink aviator sunglasses that Teddi wore on this week’s episode. Which lucky for ya’ll are still in stock and on sale, so there’s really no need to throw us any southern shade as you go get yours.

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to Shop Her Cameran Eubanks X DIFF Eyewear Sunglasses in Pink or Black on Sale

Photo #2: DIFFEyewear.com

Originally posted at: Teddi Mellencamp’s Pink Aviator Sunglasses

Life during the Coronavirus quarantine can be lonely and monotonous for women who normally use their local senior center as a hub for socializing.

But Sharon Abell, a regular at the Fox Valley Community Services Senior Center in Sandwich, Illinois, is doing her best to relieve some of that loneliness and boredom by modeling fashions every day on social media.

The initiative was the brainchild of the center’s activities director, Becky Lueken, who is determined to maintain some level of programming during this unusual time.

For example, the center’s parking lot served as an Easter Driving Parade, and the seniors regularly sit in their cars and play bingo as Lueken calls out lucky numbers.

Sharon Abell is among the first to jump into participating, so when Lueken asked her whether she’d be interested in posting a daily “quarantine fashion show,” Sharon responded enthusiastically.

“I’m kind of known as the center’s fashionista,” says Sharon, who has five bursting clothes closets and some experience modeling for a nearby women’s boutique. Add her great attitude, and Sharon felt ready for the challenge.

The Daily Virtual Fashion Show

She was able to start immediately with photos that were already on her phone. She’d been keeping a visual record of how she would style an outfit with jewelry, shoes, and other accessories in case she ever wanted to repeat it exactly – even though she tends to mix it up each time.

Sharon’s husband, Leonard, has been her reliable photographer, and when her backlog of photos ran out she asked for his help with a few new photo sessions.

In each session, she changes into enough outfits to cover another week. Although at home she’s been going light on makeup during the quarantine, for her fashion shoots she does her hair and makeup to the fullest.

Sharon started with Facebook, accompanying each fashion image with a brief description of the outfit and, often, some background about where she purchased it or why it holds a place in her heart.

Many of the outfits bring back memories of travel, since shopping at boutiques and vintage shops is one of Sharon’s favorite vacation activities.

More recently, she created an Instagram account to expand her online presence. Soon people were sharing her posts, and her circle of admirers grew. That’s how I became aware of this endeavor and wanted to let the Sixty and Me community know about it.

Youthful Taste

I called Sharon and asked her to describe her fashion taste, which I found particularly inspiring because of the youthful flair. At 77, Sharon wears even off-the-shoulder tops confidently.

She told me that her inner fashionista came out only later in life, but once it did, she let it flourish. Not a big fan of her own ankles, Sharon sticks mostly to leggings, pantsuits, and maxi dresses. Then she always adds her own touch to an outfit.

“If a top is meant to be loose, I’ll probably belt it,” Sharon explains. She can match at least one jacket or kimono duster to every outfit, which not only adds panache but also adapts the outfit for different weather conditions and levels of formality.

She adds, “I’m almost always in a pair of heels – just a chunky heel or wedge – even with jeans. That dresses up an outfit. And I have a lot of jewelry! I used to wear only gold or silver, but lately I’ve been liking some color in my jewelry.”

Color also plays a major role in her clothing selection. She wears harvest hues in fall and pastels in spring. “At Christmastime, I have ivory pants and boots that I wear with an ivory and gold sweater,” she says. “I like that monochromatic look, because it’s dramatic. If I’m very dressed up, I’m probably in all black.”

People Love It!

The plan was to run the virtual fashion show throughout the month of April, but Sharon’s “fans” convinced her to extend it into May. Sharon has been having a ball doing it, and the continuing comments on social media show that people appreciate her effort.

“That one deserves a WOW,” a friend commented about an outfit. “Fun to see how you can change an outfit to look totally different,” wrote another. One friend summed it up: “Your fashion puts a smile on my face, so keep it going, Sharon!”

Helping her senior center friends feel connected and inspired makes the isolation a little easier for Sharon, too, who never expected to receive such attention at this stage of her life.

Do you follow a fashionista at this time of Coronavirus isolation? Whom do you follow and why? How do they inspire you? Please share with our community!

Stephanie Hollman’s More Love Tee on Instastories / TikTok

Real Housewives of Dallas Instagram Fashion 2020

If you’ve been wondering what Real Housewives of Dallas’ Stephanie Hollman has been up to these days during the Q, she’s apparently been keeping busy by filming cute TikToks with her family and still getting dressed up in cute outfits (that even include jeans apparently) like with this “More Love” tee. Which I think it’s safe to say we’ve fallen for harder than Stephanie & Co. did while filming the bed flip challenge (well, maybe). 

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to See Her Sold Out Sub_Urban Riot Tee

Photo: @StephHollman

Originally posted at: Stephanie Hollman’s More Love Tee