reply email to get a reply?

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goodstudent

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I am a seller and sometimes a customer email me that he would offer $123 for product A.

I email to reply him "I am looking for $150."

After my email, there is no reply form the seller.

I think my email is ok, or is my tone not right or sound unfriendly? Is there a way to sound friendly while increasing my pricing so I can get a reply?

Thanks all.
 

Tullia

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Your phrasing is quite idiomatic and fairly neutral, so it might be that your customer simply doesn't want to pay that much! You could try adding a phrase that shows you would consider a different price. How about:

"I am looking for round about the $150 mark."

This shows you would accept a price in the region of $150 dollars and that you are prepared to be flexible, so maybe they would feel more confident writing back to offer perhaps $140 dollars?
 

BobSmith

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I am a seller and sometimes a customer emails me that he would offer $123 for product A.

I email to reply him "I am looking for $150."

After my email, there is no reply form the [STRIKE]seller[/STRIKE] buyer.

I think my email is ok, or is my tone not right or sound unfriendly? Is there a way to sound friendly while increasing my pricing so I can get a reply?

[AmE - not a teacher]

To me, "looking" may mean you will accept an amount lower than $150. And, it sounds perfectly friendly to me.
 

Barb_D

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You could always add something before it like "Thank you for your interest in purchasing my [whatever]."
 

goodstudent

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You could always add something before it like "Thank you for your interest in purchasing my [whatever]."

What is the purpose of adding "Thank you for your interest in purchasing my [whatever]."? To be courteous?

If I add a "Thanks" at the end of my message is it the same?
 

emsr2d2

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What is the purpose of adding "Thank you for your interest in purchasing my [whatever]."? To be courteous?

If I add a "Thanks" at the end of my message is it the same?

Putting "Thanks" on its own at the end of a message reads more like "Thanks for reading my message". It is accepted courtesy that you thank someone for the offer that they have made even if it was lower than you were hoping for. An exchange of emails might go like this:

Buyer: Hi. I am interested in the item you have for sale. I would like to offer $135 for it.
Seller: Thanks for your interest. However, I am looking for closer to $150 for the item.
Buyer: Thanks for your reply. I can't run to $150 but would you accept $140?
Seller: Hi again. Perhaps we can meet in the middle. If you could manage $142, then we have a deal.
Buyer: That's great. $142 it is. How would you like me to pay?
Seller: Please pay asap by PayPal.
Buyer: Thank you. I have paid by PayPal in the last five minutes.
Seller: Thank you. I can confirm that payment has been received and I will despatch the item tomorrow morning. Please let me know when it arrives.
Buyer: I will. Thank you.
Seller: Thank you for your custom.

As you can see, "please" and "thank you" appear several times. I am aware that many people think that the British are too polite but I personally think that it is entirely correct to be as polite as possible to your customers, even if you are simply selling one thing.
 

goodstudent

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Your phrasing is quite idiomatic and fairly neutral, so it might be that your customer simply doesn't want to pay that much! You could try adding a phrase that shows you would consider a different price. How about:

"I am looking for round about the $150 mark."

This shows you would accept a price in the region of $150 dollars and that you are prepared to be flexible, so maybe they would feel more confident writing back to offer perhaps $140 dollars?

Is there something wrong with the sentence: "I am looking for round about the $150 mark."

round about?
 

Tullia

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Is there something wrong with the sentence: "I am looking for round about the $150 mark."

round about?


There's an understood but not stated indirect indirect object - you could say "I am looking for [a price/an offer] round about the $150 mark." if you prefer. "Round about" means "in the region og" or "approximately".
 

goodstudent

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There's an understood but not stated indirect indirect object - you could say "I am looking for [a price/an offer] round about the $150 mark." if you prefer. "Round about" means "in the region og" or "approximately".

What is the difference between "round about" vs "about"

What is the difference between "round about" vs "around"
 

Tullia

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What is the difference between "round about" vs "about"

What is the difference between "round about" vs "around"

Not much, really! "Round about" is a little more vague, and a little more colloquial/casual.
 

BobSmith

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Not much, really! "Round about" is a little more vague, and a little more colloquial/casual.

This usage of "round" sounds very non-AmE to me. I would always prefer "around" 'less I'm singing "'Round Midnight" ;-) (I believe the apostrophe is included in the original title.)
 
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