Making Your Auction Business Stand Out From The Crowd

When my sons were growing up they started playing hockey when they were 6 years old. Each of them, in their first year, scored more goals than the rest of their team combined. How did they do this?

Have you ever seen a hockey game between two teams of 6 year olds? The puck is like a magnet to them. Where ever the puck goes they follow like a swarm of bees. The game is one mass of young kids all clustered around the puck, pushing and shoving each other. It's like a rugby scrum.

The result of this is that usually the puck squirts out of the mass of bodies, slides 10 or 15 feet down the ice, and stops. A few seconds later the mass of bodies descends on it and the process starts all over again.

So how did both my sons score so many goals?

It wasn't hard to score in those games - if you could get the puck near the net. The goalie was just one of the kids, and he or she was just waiting their turn to join in the scrum.

On the way to the rink for each game I reminded my sons to stay away from all the other players. I would tell them when everyone gets in a clump around the puck, don't go near them. Be different. Stay about 10-15 feet away from everyone else and when the puck pops out, go get it, skate to the net and shoot.

Many times my son's team would win by a score like 12 to 0 and he'd scored all 12 goals. Actually, in one game the score ended up 9 to 1 and my son scored all 10 goals (at age 6 it's pretty easy to get turned around and go in the wrong direction at times).

That same advice can help you become more successful in your auction business - BE DIFFERENT!!

As eBay and the other auction sites grow, it becomes easier and easier to become lost in the crowd. Where there used to be 13 Elvis Presley "Blue Hawaii" 45's available at any given time, now there are 78. That hard to find Doric depression glass covered serving dish the used to appear once every 4-5 weeks now goes looking for bidders. Not that long ago there were just a few sellers offering digital cameras. Now it seems as if everyone is getting into the act.

If you are going to survive and succeed on eBay you need to stand out from the rest of the auction crowd. How do you do that?

1. Be more knowledgeable than your competition

If you want to stand out, seek more knowledge. Actually this applies to all areas of your life, not just your auction business.

There are all kinds of great sources of information floating around - both on-line and offline. All it takes is just a little time and effort, and you can get a lot of useful information.

If you sell pottery, it's not hard to become more knowledgeable about Rosemeade Pottery than 99% of the other people selling it. Let that knowledge show in your item descriptions and you will soon have a devoted following of bidders looking for your auctions.

The more knowledge you acquire, the more successful you will be.

2. Look down the road

Obviously, we all want and need to make money this week, this month. But, to insure your continued success, it's just as important to be continually building your business for tomorrow.

Build a list and use it. At the very minimum, your About Me Page (you do have one, right?)should have a way for buyers and potential buyers to add their name to your list. I collect aspirin tins. I also sell a lot of them on eBay. Over time, I've built a list of other aspirin tin collectors. Every two months or so, I send out a newsletter with 1 or 2 articled about these little tins along with a recap of the harder to find ones that have appeared on eBay and the prices they sold for.

This is just one of 11 different lists of buyers I maintain. With a little thought you can come up with a way to use your list, in an unobtrusive manner, that will benefit both you and your customers.

3. Blow your own horn

Don't be shy. Look for ways to place your name in front of as many customers and potential customers as possible. You will find this is probably the most beneficial step you can take to insure your success.

If you sell antique windup toys, write a monthly or bimonthly newsletter about them (you're building a list, remember?). If you offer a quality newsletter about windup toys, your name will become associated with them.

If I sold used children's clothing I'd do a little research and come up with the three most effective ways to get grass stains out of clothing. Then, with every package I shipped I'd include an insert with this information on it along with my name, address, eBay user name, web site address, and a link where they could add their name to my list.

If you were a young mother looking for good buys on clothing for your children would they remember me? Would you seek out my auctions in the future?

There are numerous ways you can promote yourself. Write articles for collector ezines, a quality newsletter and web site with valuable information, develop a e-mail course, No matter what you sell, you should be able to come up with several different ways to put your name in front of your buyers and keep it there.

4. Follow the Golden Rule

The auction process should be fun - a win/win situation for both the buyer and the seller.

Unfortunately, way too many sellers look at each of their auctions as individual battles to be won. They treat every bidder as if he or she were the enemy.

It may seem like there are an unlimited supply of bidders out there, but there isn't. Believe me, bidders do communicate among themselves. I communicate with several groups of bidders (some several hundred people strong) with similar interests.

Be obnoxious or rude with one of these and you haven't just lost one potential customer in the future, you've lost several hundred. You can't do that too many times and remain in business.

Conduct your business with class. Have fun. Enjoy the people you deal with. Your life and their will be enriched many fold. It takes time and work to build a good reputation. Putting your name in a bad light can tarnish or ruin that reputation forever.

Treat every customer with honesty, respect, and friendliness. Isn't that the way you'd want to be treated?

Gary Hendrickson has been making his living selling on eBay for more than six years. He's the author of two eBay related ebooks, has a blog for eBay sellers, and is the owner of ColdItems.Com.

ColdItems.Com The Auction Rebel Blog

---

Google News Updated : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:51:44 GMT Karadzic lived the good life with wine, song - Reuters ABC News Karadzic lived the good life with wine, song Reuters - 2 hours ago By Ivana Sekularac BELGRADE (Reuters) - Radovan Karadzic lived the good life while hiding from justice for 11 years: he watched his diet, fell in love and hung out in a small bar where hardliners gathered to sing about his wartime exploits. Video: Karadzic's arrest sparks clashes - 23 Jul 08 AlJazeeraEnglish Karadzic's secret life enthralls his fellow Serbs The Associated Press Reuters UK - euronews - New York Times - Voice of America all 5,771 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:05:33 GMT Rapper 50 Cent sues Taco Bell over ad - New York Daily News ABC News Rapper 50 Cent sues Taco Bell over ad New York Daily News - 36 minutes ago BY THOMAS ZAMBITO The rapper - real name Curtis Jackson - is suing the fast-food chain for using his hip-hop persona to tout its tacos. 50 Cent sues Taco Bell over ad campaign The Associated Press Rapper 50 Cent says Taco Bell stole his endorsement Reuters E! Online - MTV.com - CNNMoney.com - KWCH all 187 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:15:09 GMT Favre's heir? With backing from mates, Rodgers waits patiently - USA Today Bleacher Report Favre's heir? With backing from mates, Rodgers waits patiently USA Today - 4 hours ago By Matt Ludtke, AP By Larry Weisman, USA TODAY He no longer sounds like a retired player after seemingly passing on the opportunity to lead a talent-laden Packers squad. Video: The Rift Between Favre and the Packers AssociatedPress Finding new home for Brett Favre won't be easy Chicago Tribune Minneapolis Star Tribune - Kansas City Star - The Canadian Press - Tampa Tribune all 512 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:06:18 GMT Billionaires Back Antismoking Effort - New York Times Boston Globe Billionaires Back Antismoking Effort New York Times - 27 minutes ago Bill Gates and New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced their antismoking initiative on Wednesday in New York. By DONALD G. MCNEIL JR Bill Gates and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced on Wednesday that they would spend $500 million to stop ... Video: Gates, Bloomberg Pool Riches to Fight Smoking AssociatedPress The $500 million war on smoking Minneapolis Star Tribune BusinessWeek - eFluxMedia - Bizjournals.com - FOXBusiness all 471 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:23:48 GMT Discovery may boost statin safety - BBC News InjuryBoard.com Discovery may boost statin safety BBC News - 7 hours ago Scientists have pinpointed a gene mutation as a major cause of a rare side effect of the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins. They hope the discovery could lead to a simple test to identify patients at increased risk of myopathy - severe muscle pain and ... Gene May Predict Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Risk, Study Says Bloomberg Genetic Cause of Statin-Related Muscle Pain Found Washington Post U.S. News & World Report - Reuters - The Associated Press - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com all 172 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:14:24 GMT Christian Bale's lady sidekick: Sibi Bale - Los Angeles Times ABC News Christian Bale's lady sidekick: Sibi Bale Los Angeles Times - 4 hours ago Like the Dark Knight/Bruce Wayne, Christian Bale is a real-life man of mystery. Averse to personal publicity, he is well-known for not wanting to discuss his private life. Christian Bale, Wife "Solid" at Knight's Spain Premiere E! Online Bale's family feud led to scuffle The Star-Ledger - NJ.com People Magazine - New York Daily News - Boston Herald - Variety all 2,386 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:10:31 GMT Zimbabwe Parties May Sign Unity Deal Soon, Business Day Reports - Bloomberg ABC News Zimbabwe Parties May Sign Unity Deal Soon, Business Day Reports Bloomberg - 28 minutes ago By Carli Lourens July 24 (Bloomberg) -- Zimbabwe's ruling and opposition parties may sign a power-sharing agreement soon as they have already agreed on a wide range of issues, Business Day reported, citing people it didn't identify. Fearsome Zimbabwe militias are afraid Los Angeles Times Delayed Zimbabwe Power-Sharing Talks Seen Beginning Thursday Voice of America BBC News - guardian.co.uk - AFP all 3,609 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:23:06 GMT Make Money From Home Increase Website Traffic

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) Sell Well On eBay

ATV auctions are healthy markets on eBay. All terrain vehicles... Read More

Online Auctions: How To Generate Fast Traffic From Online Auctions

Have you ever participated in any online auctions?Yes, people are... Read More

When It Comes To eBay, Don?t Follow The Herd

Q: I want to start an online business. Since I... Read More

Finding Products to Sell on eBay

Do you know how many people in US are earning... Read More

Low Cost, High Profit Dream Products To Sell on eBay and Amazon

Finding quality products to sell is the key to continuing... Read More

Can You Really Make Money Selling New Release CDs & DVDs On eBay?

Being an active eBayer, I am often being asked about... Read More

eBays Latest Fee Increases--Is this the beginning of the end?

On January 13, eBay sellers received an unwelcome announcement from... Read More

Rent A Coder & Other Service Auctions

You may be in the market for a new website.... Read More

The Top Ten Tips For Auction Success!

If you were to look through eBay, or any other... Read More

Make BIG MONEY on eBay - Your Unlimited Cash Cow

Let me be brutally honest; until recently, I had never... Read More

An eBay Computer Purchase

An eBay purchase that turned sour.A story of fraud, deceit,... Read More

Four Huge Mistakes Ebay Sellers Make (Even Some Moderately Successful Ones)

No matter how many times I see it happening, I'mconstantly... Read More

Dont Be A Victim Of Online Auction Fraud

The Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) reported that last year... Read More

Used Cars For Sale On EBay

There are thousands of used cars for sale on eBay... Read More

A Picture Paints a Thousand Words and Creates Auction Euphoria on eBay

Ever since I sold my first item on ebay I... Read More

How I Was Nearly Conned On Ebay

I am not sure how many people have had bad... Read More

City Police Auctions of Personal Property and Autos

About City Police Departments AuctionsThe City Police Departments handle and... Read More

eBay - Profiting With Books By Janette Oke

Janette Oke is a Christian writer whose books about life,... Read More

Auction and Its Benefits

An auction is basically a public sale wherein any object... Read More

Selling Effectively on Ebay Motors

Remember back when selling online was a new experience? Dealers... Read More

What Ebay Can Teach Us About Success

I flew back to New York from Atlanta a few... Read More

Bananas - Your Source of eBay Packing Materials!

This is the most boring stage of the process and... Read More

The Ins and Outs of Dropshipping on eBay

Dropshipping is an attractive marketing technique, but when you take... Read More

Maria?s New Lifestyle: Short Story About The Benefits Shopping On The Net Has Given

I've got this strange friend; her name is Maria. Maria's... Read More

How To Sell On Ebay: Using Store Policies To Cement Your Credibility

In your quest to build credibility as an Ebay seller,... Read More