Step 1: Find comparable plans for your usage on other cell phone networks. For example, I’m with AT&T, so I’ll investigate Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint by going to their websites. Write down how much they each cost, how many minutes you get, and any other benefits.
Step 2: Call your current cellphone company. To make it easy, here are the phone numbers:
Step 3: The key is be nice. Ask them what better plans they have to offer you.
You: “Hi, I was looking at my plan and it’s getting pretty expensive. Could you tell me what other plans you have that would save me money?”
Them: Blah blah same plans as on the website blah blah
You: “What about any plans not listed on the website?”
Them: No, what we have is listed on the website. Plus, you’re on a contract and have an early cancellation fee of $XXX
You: “Well, I understand that, but I’d be saving $XXX even with that cancellation fee. Look, you know times are tough so I’m thinking of switching to [COMPETITOR COMPANY]. Unless there are any other plans you have…? No? Ok, can you switch me to your cancellation department, please?”
Them: Blah blah same plans as on the website blah blah
You: “What about any plans not listed on the website?”
Them: No, what we have is listed on the website. Plus, you’re on a contract and have an early cancellation fee of $XXX
You: “Well, I understand that, but I’d be saving $XXX even with that cancellation fee. Look, you know times are tough so I’m thinking of switching to [COMPETITOR COMPANY]. Unless there are any other plans you have…? No? Ok, can you switch me to your cancellation department, please?”
When you get to the customer-retention department, ask for the same thing. This is when you pull out your competitive intel on the other services being offered. If Verizon is offering something for $10 less, tell them that. That’s $120 savings / year right there. But you can do more.
You: “Listen, you know times are tough and I need to get a better deal to stick with you guys. You know and I know that your customer acquisition cost is hundreds of dollars. It just makes sense to keep me as a customer, so what can you do to offer me this plan for less money?”
Notice that you didn’t say, “Can you give me a cheaper plan?” because yes/no questions always get a “no” answer when speaking to wireless customer-service reps. Ask leading questions. You also invoked the customer-acquisition cost, which is meaningful to retention reps. Finally, it really helps if you’re a valued customer who’s stuck around for a long time and actually deserves to be treated well. If you jump around from carrier to carrier, you’re not a worthwhile customer to carriers.
Option #2: Make money fast by selling on eBay
A few years ago, I was skeptical when it came to selling things on eBay. Can you really make money doing that? But then I tested selling a few things on eBay… and I made over $1,000. We ALL have things laying around the house that we can sell. Maybe…
- There’s a pair of nice shoes in your closet that you never wear
- In your attic, you have some old baseball cards collecting dust
- You recently upgraded your laptop and don’t know what to do with your old one
All of these things — and thousands more — can make you money on eBay. I created an in-depth, step-by-step guide on how to make money off of eBay in just 37 minutes. I also include real life examples from my students who make $1,000+ selling on eBay EVERY MONTH.
Click here for my free guide to making real money on eBay:
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“I need $1,000 in the next few weeks”
Option #3: Negotiate your salary and make thousands with one meeting
Ah, salary negotiation. When you ask people if they negotiated before joining their current company, they usually fall into one of two categories:
- Utter denial: “The economy is tough, and I didn’t want to be annoying. I’ll try some time in the future, you know?”
- Embarrassing failed attempt: “I didn’t know what to say, so I just asked if there was wiggle room, they said no…and then I didn’t ask again”
Salary negotiation is a HUGE missed opportunity for most people. We hate to negotiate — what if our boss says no? What we have scheduled reviews and ours isn’t for another 8 months? What if we’re just no good at that sort of thing? The key is that 80 percent of the work is done before you ever set foot in your bosses office. I can show you how. In this video, you’ll learn the exact phrases to use to negotiate your salary, even if your boss pushes back. Note the body language and tone of the conversation:
Just one $5,000 salary negotiation in your 20s can be worth more than $1 million over your lifetime. Isn’t that worth taking a little time to prepare?
Bonus: I collected years of my best articles on salary negotiation and getting paid what you're worth. It goes into even more detail on the strategies described here.
