Flirting women get better deals on cars: study

Researchers from UK and US carried out a series of experiments on the merits and drawbacks of feminine charm defined as combining warmth and friendliness with playfulness, flattery and sexiness, the Daily Mail reported.

In one experiment, around 100 men and women were told to imagine they were selling a car worth 750 British pounds. They were then given written details of a possible female buyer.

Half received a description of a woman who flirted through the negotiation. Her tactics included looking the seller up and down, leaning forward and touching the seller's arm, flattering the seller and, finally, winking when asking for his or her best price.

The other half read a description of a much more business-like transaction.

The results showed that only male sellers offered discounted deals to flirtatious buyers.

On average, those descriptions produced a price almost 20 per cent lower than the no-nonsense ones, the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin reports.

It is thought that the combination of flirting and friendliness may help women disarm men in negotiations