eBay-Basics-Course

8. Don’t be afraid to sell low. Let the occasional item go for a really low price to a good buyer.

You might only just break even on the item, but the person who got that bargain will be back again and again.

# posted by benkhoo @ 4:24 PM

7. Accept odd payment methods. Sooner or later you’re going to get a buyer who wants to pay by sending cash in an envelope, or something equally unusual.

Why not let them ? Be flexible.

# posted by benkhoo @ 4:19 PM

6. Say how you got the item. Don’t be afraid to go off on a tangent and give all sorts of fun details of how you got hold of what you’re selling – it gives your auction character and, again, builds trust.

# posted by benkhoo @ 9:04 PM

5. Mention every defect your item has. Now why would you do that, you might ask ?

The answer is that it builds credibility: the small hit you take from the slight flaws is nothing compared to the big boost in trust you get for admitting it.

People bid more when they trust the seller.

# posted by benkhoo @ 9:02 AM

4. Encourage an auction mentality. Don’t have a Buy it Now price, and make it very clear when it’s the last or only stock you’ll be getting in. Always refer to winning bidders as ‘winners’.

# posted by benkhoo @ 9:00 AM

3. Post every day. Once you start shifting a high volume of items, go and post them every day – again, they’ll get there more quickly, making your customers very happy.

The best way to do this is if you have items small enough to drop in a postbox.

# posted by benkhoo @ 9:54 PM

2. Post without payment. Don’t even wait for payment to clear !

That might sound risky, but it’ll mean that the buyers get their items more quickly – for small items, you might find it worth the occasional loss to give such quick service.

# posted by benkhoo @ 9:47 PM