Should you accept the first offer in a negotiation?

Sellers should accept the first offer in a negotiation as long as it’s an acceptable one. 

You should start by pricing your piece to sell from the beginning. This will increase the number of interested customers engaging with your merchandise. Then, if the first offer you receive is acceptable, you should absolutely accept it! No one likes a long back-and-forth negotiation, and our data shows that the likelihood of a sale closing diminishes with each exchange.

There are certain steps to take in order to help ensure that negotiations go smoothly when it comes to engaging interested buyers on e-commerce marketplaces such as 1stDibs. 

If that first offer is outside of your acceptable range, you should still respond. Reply promptly and professionally to all potential buyer inquiries. Due to the uniqueness and high value of most of the pieces on 1stDibs, buyers typically inquire about similar or complementary pieces from multiple sellers. It is helpful to be the first to respond and make the buyer feel confident purchasing your piece even if the first offer falls outside of your acceptable range. Provide the buyer with the details of your piece to help convey its value and respond with your absolute best counteroffer. If there is a large gap, switch tactics and recommend a similar piece in your collection that better fits their budget.

By bringing together some of the world’s best sellers and galleries from over 50 countries specializing in furniture, art, fine jewelry and fashion, 1stDibs offers a unique collection of inventory for buyers seeking the most beautiful things on earth. As a seller, you’ll reach millions of discerning collectors, sophisticated customers and top interior designers around the world.