Managing the negotiation

When making an offer, make it complete.

A useful structure is:

• my item;
• your item;
• accessories included by both parties;
• any cash adjustment;
• who pays the adjustment;
• delivery method;
• any conditions still to be verified.

This avoids later discovering that a case was not included, the cash difference was understood differently, or one party had included shipping in the value.

If the proposal does not work for you, identify what you want to change.

You can adjust:

• the cash difference;
• included accessories;
• delivery method;
• timing;
• one of the items in a multi-item trade.

Avoid changing everything at once, because the new equivalence becomes difficult to understand.

An effective counteroffer lets the other person compare it immediately with the previous proposal.

If both parties say “mine is listed at 1,000”, that does not automatically mean the two items have the same value.

Asking prices may include:

• negotiation room;
• personal expectations;
• valuation errors;
• different condition;
• different accessories.

When the valuation gap matters, return to multiple comparables and the actual condition of the two specific units.

You can stop the negotiation when:

• the valuation gap remains too large;
• information keeps changing;
• undisclosed defects emerge;
• the cash adjustment exceeds your limit;
• the process becomes unclear;
• you are no longer convinced by the item you would receive.

A trade is worthwhile only if both parties prefer it to their alternatives.

There is no need to reach an agreement at any cost.