domain sale tips

My experience falls along these lines:

1. 99.99% of all "average folk" interested in acquiring a domains in the aftermarket are largely clueless concerning values and how to go about the business of making a buy. So I proceed with low expectations and a second-grade teacher mentality: Be nice, explain the basics, keep things simple, build trust by being open and honest, etc.
2. About 33.33% of the inquiries you may receive about a given domain are likely from "non-average folk". That would include domainers looking for bargains, opportunistic feeders, cranks, etc.
3. Pure dishonesty, scamming and the like is rare but one always has to be vigilent. Escrow services address most of the problem.
4. International transactions offer added opportunities for transactions to run aground, so it pays to keep things simple.

My #1 remedy for smoking out bona fide offers early is to ask for a land line to a business where I can talk with whomever is in charge of the deal. No land line ~ low confidence. I know we're in the mobile age but most businesses of any size will still have a physical location with a fax, phones, answering machines, a street address, etc.