negotiation skills

[PhoKing]

My negotiation skills are lacking

 

Does anybody find it offensive when a buyer ask what is the lowest price the seller is willing to let something go offensive versus putting in a low ball offer? Or is that the same?

[KPR Comics]

It's not offensive. Nor is it effective.

[Diamonddave]

There are various phrases that are less blunt that your original statement. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.

[Mijael.Levy]

Not offensive at all .. but you can change "lowest price" for "best price" for example..

[miraclemet]

I never understand asking "what's your best price?"

 

You're asking the guy to basically do both sides of the negotiating!

 

(I like what the Pickers guys say "Hey I cant buy it AND sell it here!"

 

If I was a dealer my answer would be "My best price at the moment is on the sticker, but I'll entertain offers..."

[wombat]

Sometimes it helps to have the seller throw out the first counter offer. You could ask something like "any wiggle room on the price" and see what they say.

[faster friends]

I never understand asking "what's your best price?"

 

You're asking the guy to basically do both sides of the negotiating!

 

(I like what the Pickers guys say "Hey I cant buy it AND sell it here!"

 

If I was a dealer my answer would be "My best price at the moment is on the sticker, but I'll entertain offers..."

 

I like this as well. If you are interested in the book, then make an Offer. Worst I can say is no and counter offer.

[KPR Comics]

Some folks are scared of not getting the absolute best deal, so they are afraid to give the first number.

Other folks know precisely what they're doing when they don't give the first number.

Knowing which one of the two you are dealing with is a skill worth perfecting.

[rjpb]

Getting the other side to start compromising first is a longstanding negotiating tactic. It's not always the most effective, sometimes lowballing as a start position can work equally as well, but manner counts a lot as well, and with some sellers, either can backfire. How badly you want something can also dictate how far you want to push things.

 

If you are easily upset by someone else's negotiating tactics, then you probably shouldn't be selling items folks are used to haggling over. You can always just firmly and politely tell someone the price is firm.

 

 

 

 

[comix4fun]

Not offensive at all .. but you can change "lowest price" for "best price" for example..

 

 

There's one dealer who always used to say, "When someone asks me for my best price I always quote him twice as much as the sticker was marked....for me that would really be the best price."

 

 

Usually, "best price" or "is that the best you can do?" comes after some back and forth.

 

Once a dealer or seller answers the questions with a "best price", at my request, I always take it as a "take it or leave it" number. I always considered it poor form to squeeze a best price out of someone and negotiate down off of that.

[gaz973]

Someone who asks for a best price, is given one and then proceeds to try to negotiate further reduction is very likely to pee off the seller.

[mikenyc]

I always preface my negotiations with "money is no object." 60% of the time it works everytime.

[comix4fun]

Someone who asks for a best price, is given one and then proceeds to try to negotiate further reduction is very likely to pee off the seller.

 

 

true.

 

 

Couple of guys on this board take that "best price" and try to chop that by half, and repeat that over and over again. Those same dudes then wonder why no one replies to their WTB requests.

[davedawgbg]

Not offensive at all .. but you can change "lowest price" for "best price" for example..

 

 

There's one dealer who always used to say, "When someone asks me for my best price I always quote him twice as much as the sticker was marked....for me that would really be the best price."

 

Not to the extreme of doubling the price, but I've done this (and continue to do this) as a first response to the "best"/"lowest" price question. Their response will give you an indication whether this is someone looking to do business or just another entitled person that believes they deserve special consideration for some reason.

 

Someone who asks for a best price, is given one and then proceeds to try to negotiate further reduction is very likely to pee off the seller.

 

 

true.

 

 

Couple of guys on this board take that "best price" and try to chop that by half, and repeat that over and over again. Those same dudes then wonder why no one replies to their WTB requests.

 

This is an excellent point as it is also a matter of personal sensibilities where you land on this notion, it may not be what is asked but the manner in which it is asked. The word "deal" is beginning to wear on me in certain context because this again means something favorable for the person saying it without coming out and saying the other party should bend over backwards, or perhaps forwards over a barrel-shaped object.

 

When I run a selling thread I will almost always list things below accepted market value because I want to move books and don't feel I'm entitled to a certain price or most money. Most buyers are appreciative of this and are fine to do business with. A few times I've gotten buyers claiming multiple items, then the PM saying "Give me a deal! I bought multiple items which is saving you money on shipping!" or something to that effect. I usually do this whether someone brings it up or not, but when it is phrased in such a way with the entitlement factor or that it is somehow my privilege to be selling to them, I am inclined to not give any additional discount just because F you and your crappy attitude.

[Diamonddave]

Cash is king and can sometimes help with the price. Save the seller some fees and they might be more inclined to chop a few bucks off the cost of a book. That is a MIGHT, however.

[FineCollector]

I think throwing out a lowball offer would be less annoying for the seller. He can straight up say "no" without wasting any more of his time. It's the give-me-a-price-no-you-give-me-a-price dance that I wouldn't be able to deal with, because there's the hope that the buyer will say something reasonable, and the disappointment in humanity when he doesn't.

[Artboy99]

My negotiation skills are lacking

 

Does anybody find it offensive when a buyer ask what is the lowest price the seller is willing to let something go offensive versus putting in a low ball offer? Or is that the same?

 

each has it's good points and bad.

Asking me what my lowest price is I can set my selling point. I am getting an amount I am still happy with. Maybe that price is less than you thought and as a buyer you are also happy.

 

Making a lowball offer: if it is so low it is ridiculous I am more inclined to get annoyed because it is my personal belief that you as the buyer should have an idea what the book is valued at and make an offer that is close. Offering me $50 for a $400 book is wasting my time. Asking me to hold a book until the end of the show without negotiating with me first says to me you planned ot buy the book at my full asking. I did not set aside my $400 book for you to return and offer me $100.00 ( true story )

[fastballspecial]

I never understand asking "what's your best price?"

 

You're asking the guy to basically do both sides of the negotiating!

 

(I like what the Pickers guys say "Hey I cant buy it AND sell it here!"

 

If I was a dealer my answer would be "My best price at the moment is on the sticker, but I'll entertain offers..."

 

I like this as well. If you are interested in the book, then make an Offer. Worst I can say is no and counter offer.

 

[fastballspecial]

I love auto decline. Its let me not have to deal with buyers who think a starting offer is 50% of asking price.

 

[valiantman]

I usually ask for "what is the best deal I could get" when I combine multiple books.

 

I'm a sucker for combined shipping, and a bigger sucker for free combined shipping.

 

So I might pick two extra books when I really only want one book.

The two extras probably aren't important to me, but I like that combined shipping bonus.

 

Quote me free shipping and 10% off the list price and I'm usually in.

It's probably not as good as I could get haggling, because 10% is not very much...

but I normally don't ask unless the listed price is already pretty good so any discount is great.