So I’ve been using Craigslist to look for a new car, and a new pad.

Craigslist is great; you can get bargains.

Wheels, tires, cars, children, furniture—you name it.

People post ads.

They post the ads and you can see the date that they posted it.

They don’t often give their phone number because they don’t want the phone ringing off the hook.

So the responses go to their e-mail.

But what is up with people and their crappy follow-up skills?

I saw a car that was posted last week—a beautiful Porsche Cayenne. You figure somebody wants to sell it, right?

So I e-mailed them immediately and asked if I could come check it out.

Guess what?

I haven’t gotten an e-mail back from them yet!

I’ve had this happen with other cars too. I’ve actually e-mailed people or texted them about their car and I’ll say, “Hi, is the car still for sale?”

Four days later they’ll write, “yes.”

Four days later.

And then you ask them if the price is negotiable and they write, “no.”

And all I keep thinking is that if you have really crappy sales skills, the price should be negotiable because at the rate that you get back to people, the person has already bought a car.

I even told that to somebody directly.

I said, “Hey, I’m looking to buy a car today, can we talk and deal?”

“Sure.”

And he never got back to me after that.  So I just made him an offer. It was pretty close to what he was asking, with a little added to it.

Nothing. Radio silence.

Then, four days later, he writes, “sounds good.”

I said, “Wow, it took you four days to say that? Sorry bud, but you just lost money.”

Here’s the deal, if you’re going to post an ad, be there to respond to the people that are looking.  Because the people who are looking and sending you messages about your ad want to buy something right away.

You see, they have money in their hands that they want to spend and they want to buy what you are putting up there.  And if you don’t get back to them quickly, they’ll go buy somebody else’s car; rent someone else’s apartment; go buy someone else’s bed—whatever it might be.

Don’t place classified ads unless you have the time to go get back to people, because it’s frustrating being on the other end.  It’s stressful.

When we’re looking to buy something, we want to buy it now.  There are other options and we may want yours but we don’t want to wait for you. So get with it.

Don’t put anything out there if you’re not ready for what’s going to come back to you.

Can you see how this relates to how you move through the world and what your dating life looks like?

Think about it.