Any product sold in this capitalist country has its share of "cheap skate" customers. Different types of cheap skates are handled different ways.
Light, you are dealing with the "elite" cheap skate. This person wants the absolute best product....but wants a "deal" on it.
I am in sales, and I can tell you how I would handle the "elite" type cheap skate:
(You say) you have great taste in intruments....the guitar you have chosen is a fine hand crafted work of art and will last you a life time. The price is only $3000.
(him) $3000?!....man, is there any way you can come down on that? $3000 is just TOO MUCH!
(you) $3000 is too much? (feed it right back to him in the form of a question)
(pause and let him talk...this kind of tells him that you are surprized by his statement, and forces him to explain it)
(him) Well, I know you have fantastic guitars...thats why I want one of them...but I can't go $3000, I can get a hell of a nice Taylor for way less than that.
(you) Oh OK, I thought you were interested in one of our hand made instuments. By the way, how much... too much ...do you feel like it is?
(him) Well like I said, I can get a nice Tayler for ....probably...$2000. So, I guess your guitar would be about $1000 to much, for me anyway.
(you) Well, im assuming that you want our guitar...because you would have already bought the Taylor, if the Taylor is what you wanted...right?
(him) yeah right.
(you) Let me ask you a question, How long do you intend to keep the guitar...i mean, you wouldn't be looking at investing in a high end instrument like this, to keep 2 or 3 years, so, how long do you think you will own it....20 years?
(him) well, yeah....I would problay keep it from now on
(you) How much playing time do you put in each day?
(him) 3 or 4 hours probably
(you) OK, well lets just say that you keep in only 20 years. The $1000 that is standing in our way to make this happen would be around $50 a year....thats 13 cents a day...which would work out to be 4 cents an hour...if you play it only 3 hours a day.
Now isn't it true that if you do business with me, that you will not have the guitar you have to settle for...but the one you WANT. The genuine hand crafted guitar of your dreams...the last guitar you will have to buy, a guitar that will gain value and last a lifetime. In other words...........personal pride in owning what you want and deserve to have,
Is that worth 4 cents....your own personal pride?
(him) uhhhhhh...duhhhhhh...yeah I see what you mean
(you) I can arrange to have it delivered...or would you rather pick it up here?
He will have to ADMIT he is a cheap skate to say his pride isn't worth a penny
Anyone that can pay $2000 for a guitar can come up with $3000, its just a matter of asking the right questions that allow him to make that determination himself.
If you say something, he doubts you, but if he says it...ITS TRUE.