Negotiations: The art, science, & sport of online deals

Written by Donald Lee


Negotiations can seem as complex as physics, and in fact, people go to college to studyrepparttar science of negotiating just as they wouldrepparttar 101298 laws of nature. Atrepparttar 101299 same time, negotiation is like an ancient art form, some sort of Zen mental jujitsu. When neitherrepparttar 101300 Zen norrepparttar 101301 science works, though, no one wins.

Just ask any hockey fan out there. The recent lockout and cancellation ofrepparttar 101302 2004-2005 NHL season is a perfect example of poor negotiating. Bothrepparttar 101303 players’ union andrepparttar 101304 league owners broke all ofrepparttar 101305 rules when it came to brokering an agreement on player contracts. The result are hockey rinks across North America that are so quiet that you can hear a pin drop—unfortunately, not a puck. In dollar terms, professional hockey is missing out on television contracts, advertising fees, and tons of ticket sales.

Of course, you won’t lose billions in revenue if you fail atrepparttar 101306 latest negotiation at your favorite online classified or auction site. But you could let a treasure slip through your fingers. Success in deal making, onrepparttar 101307 other hand, could land you that rookie Bobby Orr card, signed Stanley Cup puck, or whatever other fantastic item you’re bidding on.

Plus, proper negotiations and compromise can ensure that you getrepparttar 101308 item for its fair value, including a good price on shipping and taxes. This increasesrepparttar 101309 profitability ofrepparttar 101310 trade for both you andrepparttar 101311 seller. The deal gets closed without nasty disputes, blow-ups, or hip checks. And both of you are left to do business again inrepparttar 101312 future.

To score all of these benefits, and avoid your own mini lockout, follow these simple tips on negotiating that will net results at online classified sites. As you’ll see, victory isn’t so much an exact science or a mystic sixth sense. It’s more about simple know-how and common sense.

Warm up. Don’t jump into a negotiation cold. Before you even face off with your opponent, figure out for yourself what would count as a victory. What do you exactly want out ofrepparttar 101313 trade—and at what price?

Consider a truce. It may not even be worth droppingrepparttar 101314 puck at all. In other words, negotiations, like hockey games, can end in a loss forrepparttar 101315 home team, you. So weigh this risk before you start. Ifrepparttar 101316 item at hand is a dream buy, you may not want to endanger your purchase with a drawn-out negotiation.

Know when to pass. Onrepparttar 101317 other hand, ifrepparttar 101318 item is far from dreamy—and you’re pretty sure something better may come along later—you could pass on negotiations. Or go forrepparttar 101319 score. Offer a lowball price. If you win, you won’t be out too much, and if you lose, it won’t leave a mark either. But be certain if you play this game. You could miss this opportunity without a guarantee of future prospects.

Terrible At Choosing Gifts?

Written by A Heath


Need help with gifts? Not everyone is good at choosing them. But there's more to gift giving than getting gift ideas from someone else.

This is why we'd like to share our gift giving philosophy: Focus on "The Who". No, no, no... notrepparttar band. Don't go giving someone a "the who" t-shirt. (Unless, of course, they are a fan of Pete Townhsend.) What we mean is... who isrepparttar 101297 recipient? Who are you giving to? And we don't mean their name. You need to know about this person. You can't give a great gift without knowing that. It's helpful to have a general idea of what they like, and better to know some specifics details about their life and personality. It's also useful to know what they dislike (to avoidrepparttar 101298 "wrong" gift).

For your own, self-made help with gifts, ask yourself: Where do they work? Do they like what they do for a living? How do they spend their day? Their night? Their free time? Do they have any hobbies? Where do they live? What kind of car do they drive? Are they married? Do they have any kids? What about pets?

These are all questions whose answers can give yourepparttar 101299 information you need to chooserepparttar 101300 perfect gift. People notice and appreciate it when you takerepparttar 101301 time and effort to pick out a gift that reflects WHO they are. It's an especially thoughtful gift when you can give something that relates to a person, pet, cause, or idea that is important to your recipient.

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