So I thump around on Craigslist occasionally… browsing for the fun of it, mostly, but I have bought a few things.  Recently I searched for a ’52 Reissue Fender Telecaster (guitar) at length—it took a while (months) to find the right one, but finally I did.  Like any other goof prowling Craigslist, I expected a deal… and got one. 

Everything Craigslist is not created equal:  There’s an art to listing your stuff so that it will sell every time (virtually nobody does it, or knows how to do it) and there’s also an art to noticing which sellers are vulnerable to taking a lower offer than what they have listed.  

True, I’m the guy who’s usually giving you the lowdown on how to tell if someone is lying to you… so what do I know about marketing on Craigslist?  Well, I know about words, and here’s the hard reality:  Everything you do depends on ‘em.  And if it’s done with words (and everything is), there’s always a more powerful way to do it:  And that means at lying, selling, and buying.

So I thought I’d share a few lessons from Craigslist with you.  Be sure to notice the underlying principles of what I’m about to tell you, what makes this all work, and consider how some of these ideas might help you write an ad, detect deception, or allow you to get greater results in the next conversation you have with someone.  Words… whatever the context or situation, you must master them… or be mastered.  

Maybe because it’s free to post items on Craigslist, people seem to get a little reckless with their listings, and they miss sales… and money.  But with a little word strategy, success can be yours every time:

1-Research the Competition:  See what else is out there.  You’ll get a sense of how many similar items you have to compete with, the lingo being used to describe them (particularly if it’s an item you don’t know much about) and market pricing.  The market might be flooded with what you have (see Differentiation below) or you may find yours will be the only option for someone in the market for what you have… in which case you might be able to command a higher price.  Try it; you can always go lower with another ad in a couple weeks (just be sure to delete the first one). 

Whether it’s Craigslist or anywhere else, if you’re entering the marketplace you need to know your competition.  An educated seller is one who can choose his buyer.

2-Include a Picture—a GOOD One:  This is a must.  People want to see the item, and many would-be buyers won’t even click on your listing if it doesn’t have the little yellow ‘pic’ next to it.  Make sure your photo is close enough to show detail, and doesn’t include your lawn mower in the background.  Or worse yet, other items like the one you have for sale… that aren’t for sale. 

3-Use Good Grammar and Complete Sentences:    Everybody wants a deal, but nobody wants to deal with a goober.  Or have what a goober doesn’t want any more!  The best copy of any sort reads as if the writer is merely speaking to you.  So write like you speak; make it conversational, informative, casual, even enter- taining.  To make the sale, you need the reader of your listing to have confidence in you… and that develops through what you write. 

4-Establish a Value Proposition:  On more expensive items, consider noting the retail price… or even better:  What you paid for the thing.  Psychologically, there IS a difference.  The idea that YOU paid $800 for it new, and they can buy it for $200 from YOU creates a great sense of value… even greed, and the lure of opportunism.  Deep down, people want to get what you have for less than it’s worth (that’s why they’re gonna low-ball you when they come to see your item, it’s called “haggling”). People always want the best end of any deal, that’s what makes it a deal.  It’s to your advantage to encourage this emotion in them.  

5-Differentiate:  This is important when your item will be going up against many others of the same kind.  Why should they pick your item over the next one?  You have to tell them why… in subtle ways.  Cite its great condition, that it’s a limited addition, that costly improvements have been made to it (with specific amounts, think Value Proposition).

6-Don’t Forget, You’re SELLING:  Sure, Craigslist is free, but do you want to get rid of this thing or not!?  If you’re going to take the time to list something, make it count; do it to win, to close the sale.  

What you’re writing is nothing less than an advertisement, and you have to make it compelling.  Don’t be afraid of writing too much; that’s not possible, so long as what you write is relevant.  Hey, they can quit reading if they want to—but a true prospect will stick with you, and that’s the only person you care about anyway, right?  

You’ve seen long-copy sales letters on the internet?  Ever seen one that went on too long?  Well, that’s because it was on a subject that you had no interest in buying at the moment.  The world’s best copywriters know that long copy sells… when the right person is reading it.

7-State Your Offer with Strategy:   This may be the most important ingredient, and the one that most fail to appreciate.  Look at a few Craigslist ads and notice how the price is presented.  Some will state a fixed price, they’ll say ”$500 FIRM”.  Others say, “$500 OBO” (or best offer).

Which is better to use if you’re selling?  Remember, people want a deal.  Even more so than Ebay, Craigslist is the closest thing the internet has to a yard sale… I’ll say it again:  People want a deal.  So I’m suggesting that you never use FIRM in an add on Craigslist.  You’ll chase  a good prospect right on to the next listing.

The photo at the right is from the listing of a standard American-made Fender Telecaster (the most sought-after country of origin, and so the most valuable of this line) that started at “$750 FIRM”, then a month later went to “$700 FIRM”, then eventually to “$650 FIRM”.  By this point the guy’s frustrated that no one’s biting, and he’s taking it out on the next person that even thinks about calling.

This guitar is at least worth the $650—that’s not a bad price.  But the FIRM kills it.  Psychologically, people interpret this as “no deal to be had here,” and they keep truckin’.  This guy probably still has this Tele in his closest, waiting for the guitar market to recover.

Here’s what I’d like you to consider:  If this seller had put his first ad out, “$750 obo” he’d have sold it with the first listing.  He wouldn’t have gotten $750, of course, but I’ll wager he would have gotten more than the $650 he eventually came down to… still marked FIRM and bringing no calls. 

So here’s a little tip if you’re BUYING on Craigslist:  You can judge the eagerness—or the weakness, really—of a seller by looking at the way the price is presented.  Here’s the text of the ‘52 Reissue Telecaster I eventually bought through Craigslist… read it and see if anything jumps out at you:

——–

Have a 52 Tele Re-issue in excellent shape. The only scratches I can find are on the pickguard. Of course its butterscotch with a black pickguard. I bought it new I think it is an 02 or 03 model. These guitars are up to $1850 or so new. It plays awesome. Great tone. I replaced the stock pups with Lindy Fralin Vintage blues. If you’ve heard of Lindy Fralin you know what im talking about….. The guitar comes with the fender tweed case as well as a fender fitted hardshell case. Including ashtray bridge pickup cover.
I’m asking $1100 obo. Shoot me an email if interested or give me a call. 
Rick xxx.763.4032 

——–

Okay, these guitars are routinely listed coast-to-coast on Craigslist in the $1100 to $1500 range, so his price wasn’t out of line.  Notice he does a nice job selling the guitar, he has the Value Proposition (what they are new), he tells about improvements made (Lindy Fralin pickups - $200) and it’s all in a good conversational tone.  But what caught my attention was the end, what I always look for, the statement of the price:  “I’m asking $1100 obo”.

It’s not just the “obo” that struck me, it was that he said, ”I’m asking”.  When it comes to bargaining, the process of selling/buying is really just negotiation.  The weakest way to present an offer is to “ask” the other person if they’re willing to give your price. 

If you’ve listened to my audio How to Lie and Get Away with It (get your copy for Free above) you already know that confidence is a key tool the deceptive use to accomplish their goals.  Confidence is a powerful device that can work for you… or against you, and few people really know how to make it work for them. 

So I went to see Rick’s guitar, looked it over, played it a little, and chatted with him for a while.  In any negotiation, I want my first offer refused, so I offered him $750.  I knew this was WAY low, but it was a start, right?  Then he blew my mind:  In keeping with the mindset of his ad, he said, “Could you do $800?”

Never ask a person if they’ll give you a particular price.  It’s a weak way to negotiate, and even the untrained will read your weakness.  You have to tell them what you’ll accept… and do it with confidence.

So next time you sell or buy on Craigslist, keep these simple ideas in mind.  Make some money, or get a deal… the choice is yours, it’s all possible when you pay just a little attention to the words you hear, speak, read, or write.

Enjoy your day, and let me know if you have thoughts/suggestions of your own, there’s more to learn for all of us.

-jef

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