Satellite television has the best prices in the television services market. Cable’s 60 channel packages usually run about $40, whereas Dish Network often runs 60 channel special at half that price, around $20, and DirecTV usually has a similar plan at around $30 per month. Competition is always good for the customer. In satellite television, competition is fierce. That means that within the television services industry, there is a ripe market for the customer to play hardball and get a great deal.

First step, go to each website for satellite services, visit the various authorized dealers, and find the packages that look best. Make notes of the price, channel selection, any premium channels offered, and the number of TVs each package supports, usually 2 or 4, as well as any other features from the respective companies.

After figuring out which company is offering the better deal, it’s good to give the competition a call. Mention the price, premium channels, or anything else missing from their package, that the competitor is offering. Ask them to beat their offer, not just match it. It may depend on which customer service representative answers.

Both DirecTV and Dish Network offer great rates that obliterate regular cable’s prices. But between the two, Dish Network seems to be cheaper on average usually by around $10. At the same time DirecTV is highly rated for customer service and other features. By negotiating a price match by DirecTV, it might be possible to get the best of both worlds.

At any rate, to get the best deal for the customer, it will take a hardball approach in which the company feels they may lose the customer to the competition. Sometimes the sales rep who answers the phone might not want to play game, that’s fine, the customer can always try again tomorrow or for a different rep, but don’t overdo it. Yet don’t be afraid to get the best deal either. As with anything in life, if you call two plumbers or merchanics out to fix something, and tell them only one is going to get the job, prices seem to magically drop to a fraction of what they originally were.

Some might call it unfair, or not be up for that level of negotiations. That’s fine too, after all satellite tv is still drastically cheaper than cable, with a wider selection of channels. The price per channel is often half that of cable, depending on the promotions.