How comfortable are you with negotiation when buying or selling on Gumtree and other online marketplaces?
Over the years, I have used online marketplaces to buy and sell.
I thought I’d show you some of my past purchases from Gumtree that I have styled on my desk.
I love reading Penguin classics and I managed to buy a beautiful collection of minty green and miniature Penguin novels from Gumtree.
Being a design lover, I’m always on the lookout for iconic pieces. I have been collecting Marimekko designs for as long as I can remember.
On my desk is a collection of Marimekko tins, again bought from Gumtree.
Aren’t they pretty? They are so collectible now.
Talking about online marketplaces, how comfortable are you with negotiating when buying or selling on these platforms?
Do you, like I, find it awkward talking about prices of itemswhen you’re either buying or selling face-to-face?
According to research from Gumtree, you could be experiencing a personal loss of £496.20 in annual savings because you don’t feel comfortable negotiating.
The rise of online marketplaces shows that people are starting to see the value in purchasing pre-loved items.
Gumtree is just one example of a trusted classified ads site used by 33% of UK’s digital population every month.
It’s a place where you can buy and sell second-hand goods and services.
There is definitely an art to negotiation that we need to master in order to get a good deal.
I was super excited to be offered the opportunity to learn from expert negotiator, Gavin Presman, at a recent event set up by Gumtree and the How to Academy.
I’ve recently caught the upcycling bug and can’t wait to revamp some of the vintage furniture I’ve collected throughout the years.
I think I may also try my luck (and new found negotiating skills) at selling these pieces on Gumtree.
Gavin let me in on his seven negotiation tips, from doing your homework before listing, to checking quality up close.
Confidence is key when executing each of the following: – Research, Advertise, Connect, Arrange to meet, Meet, Examine and The Negotiation.
My favourite part of the workshop was learning about the AIDA formula under the Advertise section. Anyone in marketing and selling should use AIDA. It’s so simple to use but totally effective.
The A in AIDA stands for Attention. At the workshop, Gavin helped us think through how we could make our ads stand out with attention-grabbing headlines.
My ‘hamster cage for sale’ soon became “Contemporary hamster Condo for sale. Let your hamster live the best two and a half years of its life.”
To set the record straight, I have not embellished on my description.
We really did have a stylish 3 storey hamster house and Nibbles had a wonderful 2.5 years of luxury.
The other thing I took away from my preview of the workshop was that many of the barriers we face during the negotiation process can be overcome when closing a deal face-to-face or online.
If we apply the stages in a handy guide created by Gumtree and the How to Academy, with every purchase – we’ll soon become expert negotiators.
With my new-found knowledge, I’ll be listing a few pieces of the furniture that I previously couldn’t sell. I’m now feeling quietly confident.
What’s exciting is that you too can now find out these secrets to successful and confident negotiation, as Gumtree will be running a consumer workshop on 4th September at Condé Nast College of Fashion and Design.
You can sign up for the free workshop here.
If you can’t attend the workshop, then fear not, as Gumtree has also made its guide on the ‘Etiquette of Buying and Selling Online’ available to download here.
Hope you will be as empowered as I am with buying and selling on Gumtree, by using Gavin’s seven simple steps to closing a deal.
( All photos are by me, and this is a sponsored post with Gumtree. All opinions are my own).