SUBTEXToffer forty, and, after negotiation, you get it to thirty-five—which
you can afford—you still won't have a firm commitment. If you
ask them how long they can hold that price, they'll tell you they
aren't sure. You get a lot of ifs and buts. If I tell them I can't
have an open contract, they'll ask me how many pieces I want
I'll tell them fifty thousand, and they'll come back with 'We can
probably hold it for fifty thousand.'
"Probably?
" 'Well, we can't be sure.'
"No matter how you try to pin them down, they always slip
away, and even with a firm commitment, the next shipment can
come through with an invoice a few cents above the agreed price.
They only tell you the probabilities, which you can be sure will
change. Oh, you can do business there, as long as you understand
the subtext behind the contract: 'Somehow or other we're going
to up the price!' "THE ITALIAN WAY
Samantha, a woman in her fifties who travels through Europe
buying products for a chain of stores in the States, has had a lot
of experience in Italy. "They do make beautiful things, but the
Italians south of Milan, I must tell you, are almost naive in their
business dealings. They fully intend to stick to what they promise,
and their subtext seems to be transparent honesty and a deep
desire to accommodate you. You have to know that.
"You find an item you want, and they'll promise you delivery
in three months. Just what your schedule needs. The trouble is,
you won't get the delivery then. They promise you anything to
get the order because they know, if they get it, they'll get some