Despite what my prose my suggest, verbal human communications are not my strong suit, especially when trying to sell something or get a deal for myself. I suppose this is the reason why I never worked in retail (except for my brief stint as the mistress of the towels at Bed, Bath, and Beyond), and why I have such a hard time convincing a fellow Craigslister that they should pay $100 for a Tv they really feel is only worth $80. I am content to continue on my current course, which sometimes means eating cold food at a restaurant (if I get my food at all), selling a stack of old paperback books for a cheeseburger, or buying a timeshare I have absolutely no use for, but as far as Butterfinger is concerned, the power of negotiation is not to be overlooked and I really need to make an effort to work on my communication skills.
I can appreciate that Butterfinger wants to help me improve my social and professional interaction skills, and I know there is plenty of room for improvement, but the thought of discussing the price of my iMac on Craigslist in a business manner, with a steady tone, sticking to my asking price, and not giggling, makes my stomach turn. It really makes no sense to me why I would have such an anxious reaction to an interaction with someone I do not know, but that framework is robustly in place and I know that re-wiring these synapses is going to be arduous process similar to building an Egyptian pyramid without alien assistance.
As with most learning processes the key is to start small, and I plan to do that by using the Craigslist experience to build my confidence. The next time I get a telephone call from a low-baller (i.e., someone offering you a used bike seat for an emerald medallion worn by King Charles) I am going to stick to my guns and remember the following mantra spoken by a true, hardened, negotiation professional – “all they want is to take your money”. I will try to keep my giggles to a minimum to indicate seriousness, and employ the use of a feel good tactic such as, “you know… we did have that listed at $15o last week” to instill value in the item and a feeling of savings for the buyer.
In all seriousness, Butterfinger does have a valid point – people will always try to take advantage of you if you are too friendly and do not stand your ground. I know he says these things because he wants to help me become a stronger, more confident person, but I worry that if I follow these guidelines verbatim, I will end up like all the other miserable, rude, and inconsiderate people I have come to despise. There has to be a happy medium in there somewhere, between the person who will not deviate a penny from their asking price, to the person that will accept a golf club for a VW Golf. I am sure the next few days will bring many deal-seeking Craigslist flakes for me to practice my new skills on and find that happy medium.
As a “professional communicator” aka “marketing bull*&^er”, communication is a learned skill, not god-given talent. It takes practice. If you feel you are asking a reasonable price, stick to your guns. You don’t need to be rude or nasty, just honest. The need to please and be liked is great, but luckily most people are the same way and would much rather deal with a pleasant person than “Used-Car Willy”. If they’re not going to negotiate and be reasonable pass them by, there will be another to take their place shortly. Let them chisel the next guy. Remember….(as the old adage goes)….there’s a sucker born every minute…..and you’re a Snickers – not a lollipop.
I agree with Big Sis you don’t need to be rude, just firm in your response. If you are not willing to negotiate the price, just say so up front, they will either take your price or go somewhere else. Maybe you should price everything higher, then when they try to “jew” you down, you’ll get the price you want. Happy listing.
love ya