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Old 05-25-2013, 11:13 AM
1project2many 1project2many is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Lakes Region, NH
Posts: 179
qwerty writes:
Quote:
Make me an offer that I can't refuse.
I honestly hope that offer doesn't exist. Only fools and desperate men can't say "No." But if you ever wonder if you can successfully buy and sell without getting the most out of every deal, I can give insights as to how and why it works.

Quote:
Being the first to name a price doesn't guarantee that you will lose, but it absolutely creates the opportunity to do so. Any time a seller names a price that it less than the buyer is willing to pay, he loses. No doubt about it. Any time a buyer names a price that is more than the seller would take, he loses. No doubt about it.
So if you don't get the most for yourself in every transaction, you lose? That's greed. It's accompanied by the fear that you could have gotten a better deal or that you got taken, and conflict when you view the other party as an opponent.

It's rare that I negotiate after a very brief exchange. I definitely don't approach it with that type of "win" and "lose" attitude. When buying I know how I value an item and I know what I can afford. I set an amount of money aside before I start buying and that's what I'll pay. I generally only look at items priced at or below what I am willing to pay. But if a seller tries to make me pay more, I say that I can only pay what I've offered. They will choose to accept or end the discussion. Financially, I care nothing about what they get, how they look at the deal, the hard times they've fallen upon, or what the item's worth to them. If I pay more than I can afford, then I lose.

When selling I've already named my price because items I have for sale have a price associated with them. I price the item fairly because I'm not interested in negotiating and wasting time. If someone offers a lower number, it will be acceptable or below my lowest figure and my answer is "yes" or "no" as appropriate. When asked to name a price in any way, I mention that I've already named a price, and it's on the sign / ad. Financially I care nothing of how much they can afford, how their sick grandmother is faring, or what they think of me as a seller. If I accept less than my minimum, I lose.

I absolutely won't negotiate with a person I have no respect for but when wheelin' n dealin' is the game, I have no problem naming a price. It signifies time to "git down to business." Damn foolish to spend excess time trying to outwit or out angle the other guy when the point is pretty clearly to buy / sell an item. It's rare that I enjoy that game but I can and will play it. I know I'm human and I have entertaining stories both on the "win" and "lose" sides.

I completely agree with whunter and others who feel no need to put up with insults and poor attitude in order to make a sale. There is far more at stake than money when people approach me that way. If a person chooses to insult me or my sense of value in the pursuit of better pricing he is invited to go elsewhere. I have also raised my asking price (or lowered my offer) when pressured to negotiate and like others, have found interesting successes after very entertaining reactions.

Here's a story. I have a '67 Chevelle. The body and frame have very little rust and are in fair shape. There's no engine or trans, the interior is minimal, and the hood is missing. I have plans for it that do not include selling it. When asked if it's for sale, I say something like this: "I want a '67 Chevelle. Since I already own one that I can build I'd be foolish to sell it and buy another project. If I sell it, I'm going to get enough to buy a finished version. With that in mind, my selling price is $25k." Including the logic allows people to understand what would otherwise be an outlandish price. It sounds like whunter's reasoning behind his "sell for" price is similar. Very understandable.

Last edited by 1project2many; 05-25-2013 at 11:23 AM.
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