posted on November 6, 2000 03:36:51 AM new
What is the unique part of your eBay business that sets you apart from all the other Sellers?
Do you sell a unique product? Is your cost structure such that you compete on price? Are you reknown for your customer servuce? Friendly and flexible TOS? Accurate descriptions? What?
Why would I bid on your items? Or why would you get me as a repeat customer?
My feedback has lots of "GREAT PACKAGING, FAST SHIPPING." I pride my self on both. So far nothing has arrived damaged and items are shipped the day the check arrives over 90% of the time.
posted on November 6, 2000 05:01:16 AM new
I don't know. Do people buy from me and give others the pass? I assume they buy from me if I have something they want and the bidding looks good.
But once they do buy, I knock myself out to deliver. I send friendly email, reply promptly, ship ASAP once payment arrives, pack well, and answer problems.
I guess I'd say, if I was a buyer, I'd want me for a seller. : - )
posted on November 6, 2000 05:03:36 AM new
I find like items being sold by others on ebay and go in and bid them up, WAY UP, under 2 or 3 different ID's........this way MY item at the MUCH lower price gets all the bids.. of course i never honor those high bids, i am a seller not a buyer so why should I?........Thats how i do it, how about you????
posted on November 6, 2000 05:07:59 AM new
I'm not sure if what I do helps my sales, but I keep my TOS short, sweet and to the point. No outrageous terms, I never charge for payment (Paypal, credit card - I feel these are MY business expenses). I email promptly upon end of auction, payment received and item shipped. I pack very well, so good in fact, some have told me an atomic bomb could've gone off in the truck and their item would have arrived safely. Plus, I try as hard as reasonably possible to assume all of my customer's are right and do whatever it takes to make them happy. You never want to burn all your bridges. I've only had one non paying bidder in 3 years on eBay and that was just last week. I hope it's not an omen!
posted on November 6, 2000 05:11:16 AM new
for the past three months I have done better with items I have created myself than with the vintage stuff I used to sell. So for the time being, my days of thrift stores, yard sales, and flea markets are on hold. I'm spending much more time in my workshop/atelier.
why does my stuff sell? I would say for mainly 2 reasons. 1) I am creative. I spend a LOT of time inventing new designs and refining the ones that are out there now. I do this by choice, not necessity. I could make decent money with the same old ones, but my creative spirit doesn't sit well with doing the same thing over and over. 2) I have taken the less professional, more folksy route of marketing my auctions. There is a competitor who takes the professional route and some people like her and her beautiful backgrounds, and highly polished/standardized info about her products. Then there is me, and I take the individual, humorous, this-is-little-old-me-and-I-sell-out-of-my-back-bedroom approach, simply because that feels more natural to me than pretending to be a store. We both do well, probably because we attract different segments of the same audience. Some people like professional, some people like folksy. Different strokes for different folks. But this works for me, and many people have complimented me on it----they like buying from a "real person"----and this is one more reason why I'll never go to an automated end-of-auction letter, although it would be sooooo much easier....my customers, I think, would be jarred by that contrast.
posted on November 6, 2000 05:27:51 AM new
Like others here, I package extremely well.
A lot of my stock is used photographic and audio equipment. I check websites that deal exclusively in these areas and try to set my prices below theirs. I also grade my items extremely conservatively, i.e., I try to point out ALL of the flaws both in the description and in the photos. And, although I may rattle at the mouth (or keyboard), I try to be knowledgeable about what I sell.
I try to contact the buyers quickly and try to be flexible on payment options. For would-be international buyers, I try to get accurate shipping costs for them before they bid.
Although it has become overused in the feedback, the words "good communication" really do mean something. I've had several buyers maintain contact with me for months after a transaction, and I've been glad to respond, even though it may be time-consuming.
posted on November 6, 2000 06:35:49 AM new
Our customers say, that our ads and pictures are elegant - we try to provide unique items, photographed in elegant settings like you would like to envision them in your hom;, we sell at very reasonable prices, offer a multitude of ways to pay, (NEVER CHARGE FOR CREDIT CARDS OF PAYPAL), try to immediately develop a "personal" relationship with every customers, pack extremely well, and send e-mail regarding actions after every step of the after auction process. My packer does an outstanding job, and our customers are also highly impressed with her quality of packing. We have many repeat customers.
We hold to the old saying regarding "1st impressions." One doesn't have a second chance to make a first impression, therefore we work hard to create very elegant ads, and to present all products in the best possible, most inciting setting.
I believe our classy ads, combined with our unique products, reasonable prices, and our high positive feedback makes our auctions successful.
We have 5 years of experience on eBay and almost a year now on Yahoo. Have used some of the lesser auctions, but not very often.
posted on November 6, 2000 07:47:05 AM new
WEll as far as selling on Ebay Since I only have about a 7 for feed back I would say my
Competitive Advantage is being in the Right place with the Right thing at a lower then most price.
so I guess I will say my advantage is im willing to wait my turn and the fact that I like to make a profit but dont mind at times just makeing a few cents over what it cost to run the listing and ship it.
posted on November 6, 2000 08:46:46 AM new
I have written several "How-To" computer guides that I practically give away on eBay and Yahoo. It is not my intention to make any real money on these guides.
What I do is sell them in dutch auctions. I then send a flyer advertising my other products along with the guides to all of the winning bidders. I make my money on follow-up sales.
posted on November 6, 2000 08:51:46 AM new
I don't worry about being competitive other than watching the relative starting price of what I offer.
I compete with myself. I am always looking for a better way to do my auctions. I don't have a set strategy for implementing improvements because some would mean temporarily reducing my customer service or not running auctions, but I try to make at least one or two changes every month.
[ edited by mballai on Nov 6, 2000 09:06 AM ]
posted on November 6, 2000 09:25:56 AM new
hi cdnbooks....just wanted to say that my listings always have good pictures and always are double-checked for proper spelling and syntax. Where I'm different from the "professional style" listings, I think, is in tone. in professional listings the tone will be a little more removed and probably more of a "we" instead of an "I" ("we have been carrying this product...." "we are proud to present...". there will probably not be any emoticons. one will get the impression that one is buying from a store, not an individual. with the more folksy tone I use, I joke around a bit, I might tell a brief anecdote about the item, I use the word "I" in the listing, and I basically address the reader like I'm talking to a friend. I use the occasional emoticon, ! marks, etc. So the difference is not between a badly spelled, badly presented item and a professionally presented one. the difference I am pointing out is the difference between coming off as a friend and coming off as a professional, but both having equally high quality listings. Both types of presentation can work equally well, although some work better for some products than the other does and vice versa. Maybe you could give a couple of your listings a folksy tone (can anyone come up with a better name? Maybe "personal touch"?) and see how they do, while leaving the other ones in your more professional style. Interesting to see what happens.
posted on November 6, 2000 09:56:59 AM new
One more way to be really good to your clients is to do a little research for you clients. I bought a book from Korea on eBay from a book dealer. During the course of the transaction, I asked the seller if she had other books on Korea, especially histories, that I might be interested in. This person went to the trouble of going to online directories and found several for me, which I subsequently purchased directly from them. This is good client relations.
On the flip-side of this thread, while all these things are good for the first sale, how many of our customers are repeat customers. I've gone to great lengths to sell items, including great scans, immense descriptions, etc, only to see a similar item with one picture and a one-sentence description sell for the same price!
posted on November 6, 2000 10:43:22 AM new
It may be more a survival technique than a competitive advantage but I've had to take more of a long term perspective.
Not being dependent on any sales/income from a particular time peroid of eBay auctions has let me stay more detached from daily/weekly crisis whether eBay problems or, as today, my image hosting site.
I cut back on overhead and diversified income sources (other sites than eBay and RL). It dose not maxinmize the ebay potential but it also does not leave me vulnerable to the endless problems becoming personal crisis.
I don't have much of a financial cushion and when I've tried to expand too far thru ebay auctions I've often encountered problems beyond my control that then impacted the entire process.
My attitude suffers, more mistakes start to happen, customer service falls off, inventory purchase decisions are not as good, research and presentation time is cut and less reserve exists to absorbe and properly deal with problems.
Finding that elusive combination of personal factors that allow us to continue, prosper and gain satisfaction is an individual process.
General business savvy and online selling techniques are important but long term success also requires long term survival.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention a sense of humor. While not easily quantified it seems to be a nearly universal charteristic of most successful independent sellers although often distorted almost beyond recognition.
posted on November 6, 2000 11:55:26 AM new
I try to write as descriptive and interesting as I can~tell little stories~make up funny provenances sometimes(of course, making sure the bidder knows I am making it up!)
I try to sell things that I would like to have so I can be excited for the winner in follow up emails~although my follow ups are form letters, they are pleasant, sincere and I try to throw in a comment about their purchase.
I have clear photos~and mention all the bad stuff in detail~
I throw in a tiny thank you gift attached to my card in the package~which is always carefully wrapped.
1000 things sent, three breakage problems.
Oh, and I trust the bidders totally~so far, not one bounced check and only a tiny number of NPBs. I never make them feel like criminals~
And I refund without question~shipping both ways too~so far, 3 returns.
Oh~and it helps that I really love selling stuff.
posted on November 6, 2000 12:20:37 PM new
I think my best competitive advantage is customer service. I employ the golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I work with my customers to the Nth degree if they want to work with me. If my customers need a penpal for a few days or weeks, I'm there for them. You can find very interesting & kind people on Ebay!
Communicate, communicate, communicate. I email customers with the EOA letter, and any correspondence (like "payment is on the way" ) gets a thank you. Receipt of payment will get them positive feedback & an email thanking them for payment & telling them when the item was shipped. My customers love the communication! Plus I can put links to my website or mention special sales, and it's not spam!!
My descriptions are thorough, and I try to include clear, cropped pix in crunched jpeg files that load quickly. I like to try & cross sell items, so my pix may have related items numbered 1-12 on them, and my auction states, "You are bidding on item #12. Please check my other auctions if interested in any of the other items shown." So each auction automatically advertises others.
The products I carry are wholesale products centered around a collectible theme, so if a person is interested in one item, there may be similar items they would like as well.
I used to throw in free thank you gifts for everyone, but I'm getting cheap in my old age. NOW I usually will have an "order of the day," where I throw in a freebie with the biggest order of stuff. For example, one repeat customer had purchased multiple items, and I knew from our correspondence that she liked cows and collected postcards. Being from Wisconsin I had a great cow postcard to send along as a special thank you. Other times I throw in a slow moving piece of inventory. Way, way back I gift wrapped each package (for free), but you can imagine the time involved!
[ edited by ksterni on Nov 6, 2000 12:21 PM ]
posted on November 6, 2000 12:28:15 PM new
Short complete descriptions, a TOS that is only 3 sentences with no "pay in X number of days", clear pictures that are kept small in size and only show the item for sale. No midi's, eye candy, or busy backgrounds. I take personal checks, money orders, and BidPay, ship quickly and package carefully, all of which is reflected in my good feedback.
I don't use threats in my auctions or in my emails. I am polite, professional, and very plain in my totals due etc.
posted on November 6, 2000 12:32:27 PM new
The things I auction are not unique. They can usually be found from another seller for about the same opening bid.
I try to get the competitive edge through repeat business. I include a personal note with each of the packages that includes my e-mail address and I ask them to contact me if there are any problems. I also keep a database of all my customers. If the winning bidder has won earlier auctions I always use their name in the EOA notice. The personal EOA e-mail is appreciated because they don't feel like another faceless customer.
posted on November 6, 2000 02:16:49 PM new
This is an interesting post that offers a lot of information on what different sellers are doing to attract potential customers and repeat customers.
I have recently been running a Dollar Day Sale where everything starts at 99 cents with no reserve. It has proven to be great fun - and it should be fun. A bit of a gamble, yes, but that's ok.
I think pictures are important and I try to take as many as I can of the item. I also always describe the item noting any flaws I find. This sometimes backfires on me as I can end up making the item sound worse than it is. We do offer a satisfaction guarantee, too.
I have a few repeat customers whom I love dealing with and I've started sticking a little something in the box for them - a few pieces of candy, etc. When their user id pops up on one of my auctions, it's like an old friend came to visit!
Last but not least - the old postage thing. We charge actual shipping charges with no handling fee and combine multiple auctions won to save the bidder on shipping costs.
Thanks to everyone for sharing - it's been a wealth of information.
posted on November 6, 2000 02:21:37 PM new
Yes - As Meya said - don't use threats in your auctions. I received a congratulations letter once that sounded more like a death threat if I didn't pay within a certain time frame. Personally, I was offended and never purchased from that person again - even though the transaction ended fine.
posted on November 6, 2000 03:15:56 PM new
Our competitive advantage is to NOT post in these type threads any info that would of any use to our competition. That goes double for teaching anyone in 'real life' about Ebay or 'how to be an antique dealer'. There are enough 'dabblers as there is.
Anyone can do it....its easy, but, is it cheap? We believe thats its 5.00 for the doing and 45.00 for knowing how.
posted on November 7, 2000 04:16:49 AM new
I don't know if it's a competitive advantage, but my wife and I publish a free email newsletter and web site for online auction users. (http://www.auctionbytes.com) Everytime I send out an item, I put a sample print copy of the newsletter in with the item. Gives tips on searching, how to take a proper picture of an item, reviews of auction management software, etc. I get a lot of great feedback for giving something value-added along with the auction item.
posted on November 7, 2000 01:46:03 PM new
Does Macy's tell Gimbel's?
My biggest advantage may be that I don't spend a lot of time reading these boards and getting alternately alarmed and depressed about online auctioning.
. there will probably not be any emoticons. one will get the impression that one is buying from a store, not an individual. with the more folksy tone I use, I joke around a bit, I might tell a brief anecdote about the item, I use the word "I" in the listing, and I basically address the reader like I'm talking to a friend. I use the occasional emoticon, ! marks, etc. So the difference is not between a badly spelled, badly presented item and a professionally presented one. the difference I am pointing out is the difference between coming off as a friend and coming off as a professional, but both having equally high quality listings. Both types of presentation can work equally well, although some work better for some products than the other does and vice versa. Maybe you could give a couple of your listings a folksy tone (can anyone come up with a better name? Maybe "personal touch"?) and see how they do, while leaving the other ones in your more professional style. Interesting to see what happens.