yes for sure.. bin makes it all very different from makeoffer.. but that does not really conclusively say if you'd be getting higher price from offer or bin... one excludes the other.. so if you sell domainx.com at bin.. yuou will just never ever know what you'd get for it if you negotiated the final price
I choose the both depending on my price expectation:
Domains under 2k - 10k >>>> BIN
Domains above 2k - 10k >>>> Make offer or auction.
As to the original question, usually I decline all offers, with no counter. Serious buyer always makes another offer after a few weeks, then another offer, then another. I had and still have such potential buyers who have been after some of my domains since years. They don't get rid of making offers. I don't set a minimum offer too. Because minimum offer = BIN or very close to BIN.
Counter offer = BIN.
If I counter, I am telling the potential buyer "I have a BIN in my mind. I just don't want reveal it publicly." But on the other hand if I had a BIN in my mind, I would set a BIN. I am conflicting with myself and this weakens my decision making process, makes me hesitant. If I had a BIN in my mind, why do I want to spend time in negotations and lose some potential buyers under the uncertainity of negotations?
I am telling the potential buyer one more thing about the conflict in me: "I didn't have a BIN in mind until receiving your offer, I countered you a number based on your offer, as you see the difference between your offer my counter offer is not big. My counter offer looks very reasonable compared to your initial offer. Please accept my counter offer". Actually I am telling the buyer: "You are the boss here, I own this domain but I have no idea on what to do with, why did I buy it, please help me, take this trouble from me. I don't know what I am doing. You know the market better than me, I believe your offer is fair. I appreciate your help, my lord".
Making counter offer makes me conflicting with myself. An experienced buyer/seller is always good negotiator, leaves such negotiations or takes the control easily to take advantage of the weakness in his opponent. Never conflict with yourself in a decision making process even if your oponent doesn't notice. Stay integrated and in harmony with yourself.
If you really want to rule the "make offer" game, decline all the offers until you don't want to decline. Don't be affraid of losing buyers if your domain is valuable. They will knock your door again and again. If you have an idea about the price, always set a BIN, a little more than what you think to prevent possible regret after the sale. Possibility of leaving money on the table with BIN is correct only for high priced domains. Low priced, low quality domains don't receive any offer and are not sold if there is no BIN. Be realistic about the quality of your domains. It must be worth to negotiate for you and for your potential buyer.
Low priced domains rarely receive offer. Because potential buyers usually think these in seconds:
- "I like this domain. But it has no price. The asking price must be high. Because spending days in lengthy negotiations to get a few hundred more wouldn't be a right thing to do for the seller. If I make an offer this seller will negotiate with me at least to get a few thousands more from me or will decline my offer, I will lose time in both scenarios. I am ready to pay now for this lovely domain if it had 500-1k price tag. What a luck! I want to offer 500 for this but I know it will be declined. Who would spend time with me to get a few hundred more? If I offer 1k in the first place, the seller will likely to ask for more. I have only 1k. If I offer 500 and raise it to 1k gradually it will not be worth the time of the seller as he likely owns thousands of domains. If the asking price was really under 1k, negotiation wouldn't be needed, there would be a price tag. I should look at the other domains with prices around 500-1k"