One thing I overlooked was asking the seller to clarify why his boat was worth $270,000 from an objective standpoint; his reasoning was primarily subjective. If I had discovered that there was no real data to support the price of the boat, I could have used that to set my opening bid even lower. Ultimately, we closed negotiations with my first counteroffer of $239,300. Looking back on this week's negotiations, I think I was a lot more confident this week. Creating an outline of how I wanted to frame my questions and establishing my cadence made me feel more in control of the negotiations. I've learned that with the right planning and structure, I can drastically improve my negotiation skills. One area where I could improve, however, is investigating the seller on how he determined his data (e.g., asking price). This information could help me determine how to change my tactics. If pricing was from a subjective point of view, I would use a more personal approach to reach an agreed upon middle ground on price. If the price came from an objective data point, I would need to make some concessions to lower the price so the seller doesn't feel like they're losing money or