Negotiating·6 min read
Countering well without killing the deal
A counter is a reply, not a slap. The goal is to keep the other person on the thread long enough to find a number you can both live with.
Answer the offer that was made
If they offered £180 and a cable, do not reply as if they offered £80 and a shrug. Quote what you heard, then move it.
“I can do £210 if you still want to throw in the cable” is a conversation. “No, £240 firm” is a closed door with no handle.
Move in steps they can follow
A jump from £240 to £90 reads as a different trade, not a counter. People walk when the gap looks insulting, even if your number is fair in your head.
Halve the remaining distance, or change the mix. Price, extras, and timing are three levers. Use a second one before you grind the first into the floor.
- Drop £20 and keep the ask otherwise the same
- Hold the price and add something you already own
- Hold the price and offer a sooner handover
Give a reason they can use
A reason is not a speech. One line is enough: the tyre is new, you already have a buyer at that number, Saturday is the only window you can do.
The other person needs something to take back to themselves. “Because that’s what I want” gives them nothing to work with.
A final offer is a door, not a threat
Use it when you have actually reached your floor, not as a tactic on the first reply. If you say “final” and then move again, the next number is noise.
Write it like a choice: “£200 collected Saturday is as low as I can go. If that does not work I will leave the trade open.” They can take it, leave it, or come back later without losing face.
When to stop
If the replies get shorter, the number stops moving, or they start asking you to leave MYAO, the deal is already cooling. Close the thread politely and keep the listing up.
Walking away is still a good negotiation. It leaves the trade clean for the next offer.