If you sell on eBay, chances are you are already familiar with the ‘best offer’ option.  If not, allow me to explain.  When you list an item for sale, you have two options – auction and fixed-price.  If you select fixed price, you can set your asking price but also choose to accept ‘best offers’.  Potential buyers each get 3 chances to make you an offer. 

Of course we hope that offers are ones we can’t refuse, but that is not always the case.  Then what?  Well for each offer you receive, you then have the opportunity to accept, decline, or counter-offer.  The counteroffer is very similar to the negotiation of a house or car purchase – buyer and seller can go back and forth to negotiate a price that is mutually agreeable.

I would estimate that I use best offer on more than half of my listings, and I am very satisfied with the results it brings me.  For example, this morning alone I accepted 4 offers (and it’s only 10:30!) 

One common complaint that I hear about best offer is that people receive low-ball offers.  I understand that can be frustrating, but I think it is very important to remember that this is just part of our job.  The great thing about offers is that they are just that – you’re under no obligation to accept.  If someone offers you $1 for a $50 item, you can decline and move on.

You can also use those offers to gauge interest and your pricing.  If you recieve one low offer it may be a fluke, but if 7 different buyers offer you significantly less than your asking price, it might be time to consider a price drop.

Another way you can make best offer work for you is to turn on the ‘auto decline’ feature.  This is a great way to avoid potential frustration from low-ball offers.  Say I’m listing a cake pan for $50 – I might choose to set auto-decline to reject any offers below $40.  This saves you time in reviewing and responding to non-competitive offers, and it saves you mental anguish over low-ballers!  With auto-decline, you never even have to look at the offer – if it’s below the mark you set, eBay does the work for you.

One piece of advice I would give you – If you plan to use this option, I would use the counter-offer judiciously.  More often than not, I have seen my counteroffers ignored, even when they are not far off of the original offer.  Because of that, I rarely use this option, and tend to think of offers as a decline or accept situation.  Keep in mind that you can always leave a comment when you decline and offer, so you can easily say something like, “I’m sorry that I am unable to accept less than $42 at this time.  Thank you for your interest!”  I’ve found this tactic to work much better for me in terms of sales.

Would you like to know more?  You can read about Best Offer on eBay, or you can join HCTS!  We’re a community of thousands that would love to help you!

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques by BellaBuggy
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This week I have shared some things we can do to increase sales in our eBay stores.

Today’s topic:  Cross Promote

The idea of cross promoting is to get someone who is already looking at one of your listing to go and look at more of your listings.

How can you do that?  Make them want to and make it easy for them.

Make them Want to…

Offer them an incentive. An easy way to do this is to offer a shipping discount. You can have a very specific discount like “Buy 3 & Shipping is Free” or simply state something like “Discounted Shipping Offered for Multiple Purchases”.
A word of caution:  If you offer a specific discount like “Buy 3 & Shipping is Free”, you may want to state right below it “Shipping discount applies to clothing only” if you sell other things as well. You don’t want to eat up all your profits on a shipping mistake. (Ahem…speaking from experience here.)

Let’s take this a step further. We don’t want your customer to miss this! Here’s what it looks like on one of my listings:

Purchase 3 or More Clothing Items From My Store
and
SHIPPING IS FREE!

Plus, this is a clickable link directly to my eBay store! Which brings me to my next point…

Make It Easy for Them…

It is “eBay legal” for you to include a link in your listings to other eBay listings.  So, make it easy for your customer to find your other listings.  Again, here’s what it looks like in one of my listings:

Please check out my other listings!

But how do you make a clickable link? You need to put the html code in your description area of your eBay listing. Here’s the code for you:

<a href="YourStoreURLHere"><font size="6"><font color="#f3a7b6">
Your Clickable Words Here</font></font></a>

There should be no space between the top and bottom lines, I just couldn’t get it all on the same line.
You can make the font any size and/or color you want!

So there you go!  Enjoy customizing and driving more traffic to your listings!

I hope you have learned something new this week that will help increase your eBay sales.

There is so much to learn!  Want to learn more?
Consider a membership to

We are a community thousands strong of online selling success. Our members share tips and information daily as we grow together and help each other along the way.
Join us! We can never have too many friends!

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques, Ebay Listings, Tips and Tricks by Melisha
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When creating a stand alone web site, it is best to specialize in one thing. It’s easier to drive traffic to a web site and attract a specific kind of buyer. This is not exactly the case on eBay.

eBay is…different.  There is already lots of traffic. You have to get that traffic to your store.

How do you do that?

Diversify!

Let’s say you have a store selling Children’s clothing.  You keep adding more clothing, more brands, more sizes, etc.
Who is shopping in your store? Who is your customer? You have to think about this.

Your customer is a Mom.

So, think about what else a Mom might shop for and add those items to your store.

Let’s make it easy for this shopping Mom. She’s already shopping for her kids.
Think, think, think…
Kids have birthdays…they might need presents. Toys!
Kids also have brothers and sisters…sometimes baby ones.  This shopping Mom that is already in your store might have a baby as well.  Let’s add more things she might consider buying and get her to look around a little longer.

This strategy will also help attract NEW shoppers.  Someone searching for a toy or baby item will now be drawn into your store!  You would have missed this potential customer by offering only Children’s clothing.

Another bonus: Clothing sales are seasonal. Birthdays and babies happen all the time. Having these items in your store can also help keep sales steady during off-season selling time for clothes.

You can apply this strategy to anything you sell:

Selling jewelry?  Add jewelry cleaning items and storage containers or displays.
Selling dinnerware?  Add napkin rings, napkins, table decor, silverware.
Selling hair bows?  Add other hair accessories like headbands and some storage items for all those hair accessories.

So start really thinking about who your customer is and what they might be looking for.
It might be time to diversify!

Join me again tomorrow for another tip for improving your sales!

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques, Tips and Tricks by Melisha
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It happens to all of us…usually right when we could use the extra cash. Sales in your eBay store are going great and then all of the sudden NOTHING! Don’t panic! There are lots of things you can do to get the sales moving again.

Each day this week I will share a simple tip to help you increase sales in your eBay store.

It’s Monday. Let’s start out easy.

LISTING…

That’s right! Just list something. The more things you have listed, the more chances you have of someone buying your items.

HCTS members were challenged last month in our 280 Challenge. Over and over people were sharing how their sales were increasing by doing nothing else but listing more inventory into their eBay stores.

Do you think you have nothing to list?  Look around your house. Is there a gift you received but don’t use? Clothing you or your kids have outgrown or just don’t wear anymore?  Anything in the kitchen you don’t use?
What’s that under your bed?
Also, think about the season or event that is just around the corner. Easter is coming up. Any old Easter baskets or clothes from last year you need to get rid of?  Why not turn them into cash AND help drive business to your store?

OK…GO!

But come back tomorrow!
Happy Listing!

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques, Tips and Tricks by Melisha
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It’s Dr. Seuss’s birthday today.  Did you know that?

It’s a pretty big deal in our house, but I’m not sure if that’s universal or just my own little weirdness.

I love Dr. Seuss.  Love him.

I wrote about him on my personal blog today (with a giveaway!) and as I was doing so, I thought he was a great topic for the HCTS blog as well.

It might sound corny, but I find him to be very inspirational.  Perhaps the most obviously inspiring of his stories is Oh! The Places You’ll Go! It’s a book that I love to read to my girls, hoping they will take it to heart, yet I often fail to do so myself.

[Why are children so often smarter than their parents?]

Take this little gem, for example:

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

True for life, and true for our businesses.  Almost daily I hear from frustrated sellers who don’t like eBay’s policies, don’t like the way Amazon communicates, don’t like the system anywhere.  We have a choice – wallow in frustration or accept it and move on.  Being light on your feet and ready to course-correct is part of our job.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

Absolutely.  They happen to all of us.  You will have a hard-to-please customer, an unreasonable return, a lost package, a chargeback, negative feedback, and various annoyances.  Unfortunately those, too, are part of our job.  I wish I had a magic way to fix those problems, or avoid them altogether, but I don’t.  No one does.

And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

Just as mistakes and struggles in our personal life help us grow, difficulties in our businesses are part of the growing process as well.  From each bad experience there is a lesson to be learned.  Look for the learning and you’ll be better off for it.  Don’t wallow!  Giving in to frustration never equals success.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Don’t go to the Waiting Place!  If you learn to take setbacks in stride and keep moving forward, your business will grow.  You will be successful.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

If you’re FLYing with us, be sure to get yourself completely dressed (hair fixed, makeup and shoes on!) and check in on the forums.  And if you’re shopping today, keep an eye out for Dr. Seuss items.  Many are quite valuable!  Would you like to know which ones?  Log in, or if you’re not yet a member, join today – I’m discussing them in the General forum right now!

Have a productive day!

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques, Motivation by BellaBuggy
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Plush, stuffed animal, lovey….whatever name you want to call it, it is one of the best items to sell with a very low investment and maximum profit!

What’s that? Who would want this dirty, dusty, yucky, OLD plush?!? The answer to that is, lots, and lots, and lots of people. Not only will folks pay for older, less than perfect plush, they will pay GOOD money for them. I could think of hundreds of scenarios as to why people buy what they do, but I’ve decided not to question it and just go with it. The bottom line is, these guys are well worth the work!

When I first started buying plush for resale, I was afraid to wash them for fear of ruining them. I’ve probably sold hundreds of them to date and I am yet to ruin one. Here are some tips to make those dirty duds as spiffy as can be!

If a plush isn’t in bad shape and doesn’t smell funky, you can probably just get away with wiping it (I use a wipey). You could also dip the wipey or towel in oxyclean or another powdered detergent and get any stains it may have. Use a lint roller for those that attract lint and you can even try a vacuum to get that dust off.  Most ink can be removed with rubbing alcohol. That includes the writing some thrift stores put on tags.

If the plush looks clean and just has that “storage” smell, you could put it in a bag and put it in the freezer for a while. I usually only use this method if it still has tags and the value would decrease if I were to remove them and wash it.

If the plush is beyond any surface cleaning help, throw it in the washer. Gasp! I know it’s not recommended by manufacturers but like I said, I’ve yet to ruin one! Make sure you take out any music boxes, etc. If you want to take extra precautions, put it in a pillow case and wash it in a gentle cycle. I always let them air dry and skip the fabric softner.

When listing plush, remember to describe any flaws including a missing tag, a discoloration, loose thread, working lights/sounds etc. Also, be sure to include a size. Buyers can’t always tell the size from pictures. And believe it or not, buyers want to see different angles. I try to take a pic of the front, back, side and bottom.

Plush are a great profit maker! A few minutes of TLC really make a difference! Got any plush tips? Post them in your comment. Remember that for each day you comment, you are entered into a drawing for a $20 GC at the end of the week!

~Xochilt~

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques, Freebies, Giveaways and Prizes, Tips and Tricks by Xochilt
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Hello! You have a new blogger again this week! We’ve gotten some great info from the blog this month, haven’t we? This week, I will hopefully give you some useful tips on how to convert what might seem like junk, into profitable treasures! Sometimes a simple step that might take you a couple minutes will make all the difference in the profit you make!

The thrift store shoe department is where I, for one, could never seem to figure out what was actually good for re-sale. I mean, sure, there is a list of brands to look for, like the one in the recent shoe thread that was started in General last week. However, once you go shopping, you see so many different conditions that you aren’t sure those suckers would sell if they were made out of pure gold! I am here to tell you that there are certain easy steps you can take to make those shoes look great!

Leather shoes, in my opinion, are the easiest to spruce up. You want to find some shoe polish that comes pretty close to the color of the shoes and take a clean cloth and rub it on. Shoe polish is fairly inexpensive (shouldn’t cost more than a couple bucks). Take a wipey or a wet towel and rub the inside of the shoe as well as the sole to get dirt off of that part. If you have a really good brand with a worn out sole, you could consider taking them to a shoe repair shop and getting a new sole (disclose in the listing, of course).  I must say that very few shoes are worth that trouble, so choose carefully.

When taking your pictures,  stuff the shoe with paper so that it looks filled out. Also, make sure everything looks neat for the picture. In this picture below, I stuck a tooth pick in between the strap. Don’t mind the background, LOL!

If its tennis shoes you want to clean up, they take some more elbow grease but could be very well worth it! I also take a wipey to clean them up but I will dip it in oxyclean or any other powdered detergent. This definitely makes a huge difference! If they have Velcro straps with gunk in them, take a toothpick and pick the larger gunk out. Wash the shoelaces if there are any and don’t forget to clean the inside.
As a final tip, use rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover to take off any TS writing from the bottom or any ink on the actual shoe.

Remember that the difference between an ok profit and a great profit is just a little work! Got any other shoe tips?  Please share! For every day you leave a comment this week, you are entered  into a drawing for a $20 gift card at the end of the week!

~Xochilt~

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques, Freebies, Giveaways and Prizes, Tips and Tricks by Xochilt
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Did you know that professional photographers edit practically all their photos? I’m talking pros here! So, don’t be discouraged if after taking all the time to set up perfect shots they turn out…well, less than perfect.

Even if you don’t have expensive editing software, there are easy things you can to to tweak your pics to perfection (or at least close). I know what you’re thinking. You don’t want to have to purchase expensive software to edit your photos. Let me ask you…does FREE fit in your budget?

Meet Google’s Picasa. Picasa is a free download that packs an impressive amount of features. You can perform basic editing like rotating, cropping, straightening and brightening. Plus you can make collages, posters, movies and so much more!  It will also gather all the photos on your computer and organize them for you. You will enjoy playing around with Picasa not only for your eBay listing pics but your personal photos as well. (OK, commercial is over.)

If you’ve set up your photos as described earlier this week, you will only have basic editing to do. The purpose of setting up your photos is to minimize editing time. So today we will cover very basic editing: rotating, cropping and brightening.

Rotating

Haven’t you seen photos like this on eBay?

Actually, I’ve seen much worse. This is a good photo that just needs to be rotated. It is annoying to buyers to have to strain their necks to check out your pic. Don’t annoy your buyer from their first look at your item for sale.

Take a second to rotate…

There!  Much better!

Cropping

If your shot has distracting things in the background, get rid of them! Here’s a sample shot I just took. You can see my light, floor and my foot. At least my floor is clean, and I recently had a pedicure…but still no one wants to see that!

And after a quick rotate, crop and brightening (which took me about 15 seconds)…

Totally worth 15 seconds of “work”, don’t you think?

Brightening

A quick adjustment to the lighting can improve a shot as well. Picasa makes it very easy with a slide bar adjustment labeled “Fill Light”. You can see the changes to your photo while you are making them. Nothing becomes permanent until you click “apply”.

Here is a screenshot of Picasa’s basic editing tools.

This is the screen you work in to edit your photos.

Well, there you have only the basics. You can do so much more with editing. If you enjoy it, the best way to learn is to just play around with it.

I hope you have gained a few nuggets of photo knowledge this week.  Thanks to all who have commented! You have helped make my first blogging experience a positive one.

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques, Tips and Tricks by Melisha
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Yes! We really get to take photos today!
Now that our background and lighting are set up, it’s finally time to take some pics.

Here are a few guidelines to consider:

Posing Your Item
Take some time to arrange your object. If you are photographing an outfit, arrange it like an outfit. Position the sleeves and/or legs in a natural and fun pose. If you are photographing a toy, pose it in an attractive way. To get ideas of how to pose your items, look for similar items in catalogs, online stores or even eBay…check out your competition!

(Photos by Jaci. Visit her eBay store,  Miss Noodle’s Closet.)

Straight From Above

To photograph clothing or anything else lying flat, you must get directly above the object to achieve shots like those above. You can use a tripod with a horizontal arm attachment, or you can just lean directly over your object.  I place my foam core background directly on the floor and lean over it to take the photo.  (Tip: If you have long hair, you may want to put your hair up to take photos!)

Focus!

OK…this may seem like a no-brainer, but haven’t you seen terribly out of focus shots over and over again on eBay?  There is no excuse for this. It makes your listings seem very unprofessional. Get a focused shot. Period.

Fill the Frame
Get in close to take your shot. Fill the entire frame with the object. Remember, those gallery photos are small. Your buyers want to see as much detail as possible before handing over cash to you.

This photo is very nice, but there is a lot of white space around the object. This is going to look really tiny in a gallery shot.

This one shows much more detail. It fills the space much better and will be easier to see in a gallery shot.

Multiple Shots, Multiple Angles

Take several photos of your object and from different angles. This will allow the buyer to visualize your item better. Take close up photos of any details, flaws or damage. Your goal is to accurately depict the item, not make it look better than it actually is. The more details you provide, the more comfortable your customer will be to purchase an item from you.

A nice close up shot of the silver piece.

A detail shot of the silver piece.

Include a Point of Reference

This will not apply to everything, but if you are selling something small and taking great up-close shots there is a chance your buyer may think the object is larger than it actually is.  It is a good idea to include a common object such as a quarter, can of soda or even a ruler in the photo to help the buyer judge scale better.

How big do you think these are?  You really can’t tell from this photo.

This photo leaves no doubt as to the size of this silver piece.

I hope these tips will help you take better pictures for your listings!

Got some tips of your own?  Share them!  We’d love to hear from you!

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques, Tips and Tricks by Melisha
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I know you really want to pick up those cameras and start snapping shots, but taking the time to properly set up will produce much better results! Yesterday we talked about backgrounds. Today we will focus on lighting.

Lighting

You are not going to get a great photograph if your lighting is poor.  There are several lighting sources to consider.

This one will fit any budget!  Open up the blinds and let the sun shine in.  Your goal is to get even, indirect light not bright, harsh light.  If your sunlight is too direct your colors will be overexposed.  Try windows facing different directions all over your house until you find the right light.

These are my personal favorite.  These lights are cool burning and produce a light similar to natural light.  They come in a range of sizes and prices.  Joann’s (the craft store) carries a brand called the OttLite. (Right now they are running a 50% off sale on all their OttLites.) You will find these other places as well, just google “Full Spectrum Lamp” and many choices will come up.

I purchased one for my desk as well as one for my husband’s desk. When I’m ready to take photos, I use both lamps on opposite sides of my background to produce nice, even lighting.

The lighting of my dreams…If you’re like me, you’ll have to save up for this one.  Here is a professional lighting kit that belongs to one of our very own Storks (thanks, Jaci for letting me use this pic!) You will not find better lighting for your eBay listing photographs. This one from Table Top Studio is priced at $425. (I told you, you might have to save up!)  Consider how many items you photograph and how much time you spend editing those photos…it just might be worth it!

Speedlites and Diffusers

Another option to consider is an attachment to your camera in the form of a Speedlite or Diffuser (or both!).  Speedlites and Diffusers help “spread out” the light so it is more even over the entire object you are photographing and not so focused like a spotlight.  You will need to search for one designed especially for your camera.  Shop around for these…the prices vary a lot! Don’t forget to check eBay for used ones as well.

Now for some Stork examples…

This is from Kim. She uses foam core board for a background and a professional lighting kit. You can see more samples of her photos here and here.

Here is a photo by Shannon.  See what a lovely background a sea grass mat can make! You can see more of Shannon’s photos here. Shannon takes most of her photos at night (when those precious 5 kids are in bed) and uses a Speedlite.

And here is a recent photo I took using foam core as a background and full spectrum lamps for my lighting.

I’d love to hear more suggestions for lighting! What is working for you?

Filed under: Better Selling Techniques, Tips and Tricks by Melisha
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