negotiation skills

[BarryAllen]

I hate the offer auto-denial function. Many times I will bid within 10% of their asking prices and it will get auto denied as they wont accept anything other than full price it seems. They are gaming the system under the guise of "make an offer." It is really frustrating.

 

I also dislike it when someone won't negotiate at all, but says "offers are welcome." I offer 90 day GPA or 10% off GPA high as a starting point versus their price of 30% over GPA and I just get a flat decline. No negotiation, no back and forth, no counter-offer. I expect a little give and take to come to an agreeable price, but they have no intention of accepting anything less than full price (even though they acted otherwise). These disengenous people suck.

[DavidTheDavid]

I don't always offer GPA or in range of it, not if it's out of line or an anomaly price. But usually the books I pursue are actively traded, so there's plenty of data to make a decent guess at.

[Red84]

Few days ago an ebay seller had a book listed for $1550. I offered $700. He countered at $800 and I accepted. You don't know if you don't ask.

[kav]

THIS

[SquareChaos]

Few days ago an ebay seller had a book listed for $1550. I offered $700. He countered at $800 and I accepted. You don't know if you don't ask.

 

Basically what I said a page or two ago - just from the other side. I'm serious, I've sold many items on eBay by responding to low ball offers with a reasonable counter. You can't make a sell without engaging the buyer.

 

[oldmilwaukee6er]

Figure at least 10-20% discount if paying cash & start at 20% (because it costs them 3-4% more for a card)... Always offer "the best I could offer is... ” versus “what's your lowest price?” Always. If I ask after the best price, I am already buying it and hoping for a nibble.

 

Sometimes I'll put my smalls in my right pocket & my bigs in my left & respectfully play the “I have $10 left...”

 

Play the game.

[RockMyAmadeus]

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.

 

 

I once offered $2,000 in trade...seller's choice...for a Cry For Dawn #3 HorrorCon....

 

I didn't get any bites.

[RockMyAmadeus]

I typically ignore questions like what is the lowest you will take. I will negotiate with people if they sub an offer. If I want something I throw out an offer and start from there.

What is the lowest price you'll take for this post?

[ttfitz]

If people could remain professional and not get huffy about offers they might be better salesmen-why get huffy at someone offering 50%? I've had such offers accepted before. Just remain detached and counteroffer. Hell you might sell some other items too or build up a rapport and have a repeat customer.

Getting huffy has never accomplished anything good-ever.

 

I usually send counter-offers after waiting a while to see if it sells at full price first. I think I've only declined an offer once - I had a cheap book listed with free shipping, and I got an offer of $2.50. I declined along with a note saying after shipping and fees, I'd lose money on that offer.

 

 

[kav]

Yeah I had one of those too-with shipping I would break even-I messaged that I could throw the book away and I would be in the same exact spot, minus a trip to the post office.....

[Anfield Fox]

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.

 

My negotiation skills are lacking.

 

ME. This book is seriously undergraded.

YOU. True

ME. So what's the best price you can do

 

[kav]

Turn things around-ask him what's the lowest his $100 will go for in exchange for books....

[thirdgreenham]

Figure at least 10-20% discount if paying cash & start at 20% (because it costs them 3-4% more for a card)... Always offer "the best I could offer is... ” versus “what's your lowest price?” Always. If I ask after the best price, I am already buying it and hoping for a nibble.

 

Sometimes I'll put my smalls in my right pocket & my bigs in my left & respectfully play the “I have $10 left...”

 

Play the game.

 

I think we may have met before.

[Dr Chaos]

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?

 

No, offensive is when a buyer asks for your lowest price, gets that number from you, and offers even less.

[Dr Chaos]

If people could remain professional and not get huffy about offers they might be better salesmen-why get huffy at someone offering 50%? I've had such offers accepted before. Just remain detached and counteroffer. Hell you might sell some other items too or build up a rapport and have a repeat customer.

Getting huffy has never accomplished anything good-ever.

 

If a book is fairly priced, 50% is more of an insult than an offer.

 

If I have a consignment listing I just outright reject offers of 50% or less instead of bothering with a counter offer.

 

A lot of buyers see a counter offer and seem to think that a seller will split the difference and meet them half way between the asking price and the offer.

 

I can be flexible on some prices but handing out 25+% discounts like candy is just not possible without seriously overpricing the books to begin with.

[oldmilwaukee6er]

I would add this too... Be prepared to walk away. Sometimes the less you want it, the more they want to sell it to you.

[G.A.tor]

This year I am going to take the "best price is on the book already" approach...

 

I know it buck's the established "negotiating" system that's been in place since comics were bought and sold on the secondary market, but I find it to "make sense"...

 

I know some folks put "loftier" than necessary prices on their books they sell, maybe hoping to find that one person that "needs" that copy and will pay their price, but my experience is that most all dealers have some built in margin to play with...

 

I'm going to eliminate that need to "play"....starting at megacon, I will have all my inventory priced at "the price I need" at that moment....hopefully will make shopping with me easier for all...

 

I believe it is human nature for folks to want to "maximize" their profit... my philosophy is that as long as I get on an elevator and get off on a higher floor, I'm good...I don't have to ride to the top every time...

 

 

 

I'm even making little signs that communicate this to folks that enter my booth....I'm sure I will still have a ton of "talking" to do, but folks that know me, know that is not a weak skill, so I am prepared

 

[comix4fun]

Few days ago an ebay seller had a book listed for $1550. I offered $700. He countered at $800 and I accepted. You don't know if you don't ask.

 

I guess the caveat and the key variable in this discussion is how the book is priced compared to market initially. If it's a fair price then 50% offers are insulting. If it's starting 3 times too high then 50% is still a great number for the seller.

 

[Jeffro.]

If people could remain professional and not get huffy about offers they might be better salesmen-why get huffy at someone offering 50%? I've had such offers accepted before. Just remain detached and counteroffer. Hell you might sell some other items too or build up a rapport and have a repeat customer.

Getting huffy has never accomplished anything good-ever.

 

 

I once made an offer to a guy on the stipulation that he work the word "huffy" into a post at least three times.

 

Bicycle listing?

[comix4fun]

If people could remain professional and not get huffy about offers they might be better salesmen-why get huffy at someone offering 50%? I've had such offers accepted before. Just remain detached and counteroffer. Hell you might sell some other items too or build up a rapport and have a repeat customer.

Getting huffy has never accomplished anything good-ever.

 

 

I once made an offer to a guy on the stipulation that he work the word "huffy" into a post at least three times.

 

Bicycle listing?

 

 

I prefer unicycles....and balloon animals.