The eBay Powersellers Toolbox

The eBay Powersellers Toolbox
"I really must get round to selling on eBay" Sound
familiar? It's a fact that starting out selling on ebay is
daunting. It's a huge site with lots of hoops to jump
through - so it seems anyway.

But as a full time Powerseller I can tell you, that it's
easy once you master a few basics and have your standard
set of tools and resources sorted out.

In this article series I'm going to list and explain the
tools and services you need to get in order to operate
effectively as a seller on ebay.

**Why aim at Powerseller level?**

A Powerseller is an ebay seller who has sold above a
certain number of items/value over a 3 month rolling
period. It is an indication of success so therefore you
what to be there as if you're not then you're by definition
not selling very much and only making a bit of spare cash.

**How long to become a Powerseller?**

A minimum of 3 months. You need to sell over a certain
number of sales/value and maintain a good feedback rating
over a 3 month rolling period. So even if you sell $100,000
in month you won't be upgraded. That's because eBay define
Powerseller's as their most experienced "pillars of the
community" So you have to prove yourself to eBay and that
takes a little while.

It's possible to do it in 3 months but unlikely. You'd be
pushing very hard and taking some risks because of your
unfamiliarity with the system. Better I suggest to aim at 4
months with month one being the test and learn phase.

**What do you need? My Powerseller Toolbox**

Some of these steps and tools you can do or get before you
start. Some you need to be aware of and ready to fire at
the right time. I've indicated this on each step.

**Verified Paypal Premier or Business account - Right away.

Free and essential. Lets you receive and send any amount of
money. Premier if selling as a private individual. Business
if you're a business.

**Good digital camera - Right away.

Essential. Make sure it has a good macro mode for close up
shots. Photos are a key to your success. When you're
selling products where you can get manufacturer shots I
still find it good to take my own shots in a natural
setting for the product. This adds extra differentiation
and you'll come across as more of an authority on the
product.

**Image Edit software - Right away.

If you're a whiz with Photoshop or other image software
great. If not then you'll need image editing software for
resizing and touch up. I use Irfanview which is free.

**Image hosting account - Right away.

eBay's Picture Manager is pricey. An alternative is an
image hosting account. You simply upload your pictures and
copy and paste the codes they give you into your auctions.
I use villagephotos.com where I get a 5000 image limit for
$6 a month. Their cool image gallery feature allows you to
use many photos in your auctions for free.

**Answertool - As soon as you start listing

I can't praise this enough. As you do eBay you'll find that
you get many repetitive questions. E.g., postage queries,
requests for your address, common questions on core
products. It's a PAIN to type a reply each time for the
same thing.

With Answertool you build up a custom database of common
answers and access them through a really fast easy tree
structure that comes up at the click of a button.

It's one of those "can't live without" tools.

I estimate it's saved me 30 minutes a day since I got it a
year and half ago = 11 days of repetitive tapping
terminated!

**Roboform - Right away

As you develop your business you'll find yourself needing
to log in to allsorts of places, ebay, supplier websites,
membership sites etc. Roboform stores and automates all
your login and password operations. Once you have it you'll
wonder how you ever lived without it. A massive time and
hassle saver that is also great for filling in online
forms, e,g, anything with name, address ' Get it.

**Turbolister - Right away

Free. eBays auction listing and management tool. Create and
manage your listings on your computer and upload them en
masse to eBay. It's faster and easier than creating
auctions on eBay's online interface, has loads of design
templates and requires no HTML or techie skills. A vast
time saver. Get it and take a few hours to learn it.

**Selling Manager Pro - Right away

Automates your business processes through the sales cycle -
from customer emails and listing management to leaving
feedback. Get the Pro version. It's free for 30 days.
Indispensable.

**Open an eBay shop - After 10 positive feedbacks

Your own eCommerce website within eBay. All your auctions
can be organised by categories you define. You can put your
own custom pages on there, run sales on your fixed price
items, manage cross sell promotions, build and market to
your own email list. You even have a Vacation feature to
freeze things if you go on holiday. If you want to do a bit
of SEO (Search engine optimization) this is where you
target it.

There are 3 levels: Basic, Featured and Anchor. Go for
Featured. Anchor is hugely expensive so ignore that until
you're at least a Gold level Powerseller.

Right away - Look at other sellers to get ideas for things
you. Write pages up in advance for fast set up later.

**About Me page - As soon as you get auctions running

Free. A basic thing you must do. People buy form people and
this where you get to tell people who you are and what you
do. Write for your target audience in the context of your
situation. So if you're starting out tell who and where you
are and that you're doing a big old house clearance this
month so keep checking back! Later you can put info like
buyers guides, FAQs and technical info ' stuff you don't
want cluttering up your auctions.

**Buy some stuff on eBay - Right away

Get some positive feedbacks and learn how eBay works from
the buyers angle. Maybe things for your hobbies or some
supplies you'll need like scales and bubble wrap.

**Define Terms and Conditions - Right away

See my sites and feel free to lift and adapt mine if you.
No matter what your situation you need to have these just
in case. Key things you might put in an auction are places
you can't or won't ship to. Types of payment accepted.
Whether or not people can call round to collect. Refund &
Guarantee policy.

**Define Refund and Guarantee policy - Right away

You wouldn't buy a most things without one so why should
people buy from some person on ebay if you don't offer one?
I offer a 30 day money back, no questions asked. I get
about a 1% return rate which is a mix of defective product
(it happens) and ones where I suspect the person needed the
money back as they'd overspent. Regardless I do the refund.

**Check email 3x7

Check morning, noon and evening at least. Potential
customers will sometimes ask the daftest questions or ask
about things that are clearly written in the auction. Just
be polite and answer and don't say anything sarcastic!
Replay too late and someone might not bid and that can mean
a bidding war never starts and the auction bombs.

**Skype or phone communication

If you don't mind taking calls then I suggest a phone with
answer machine and published hours when it will be answered
or you'll never get any peace. The same goes for Skype.

**Mailing stuff - Right away:

*Big sharp scissors.

*Scales that measure from 1 gram up as high as possible.

*Brown packing tape.

*Wide clear cellotape.

*Brown paper wrap.

*Bubble wrap rolls.

*Padded mailing bags, I use MailLite.

You can find suppliers for all this on eBay though I prefer
office supplies company Viking Direct where I buy mailing
supplies in bulk monthly.

**Think about the future - All the time!

Think about product you'll source to resell. Make a list of
hobbies and interests past, present or thing you want to
start and go scout online for manufacturers and wholesalers
and make a spreadsheet contact hit list.

**Summary

Time spent in preparation is time well spent. Take care not
to get caught in this phase ' analysis paralysis as it's
called. Get your tools done fast. Be focused and determined
and move onto action stations ' selling your first items.

----------------------------------------------------
Nick started selling on ebay UK in 2002 to make some extra
cash and clear clutter. 6 years on he is a full time
Powerseller specialising in hunting optics and lasers. Now
living in Sweden yet still selling from the UK he's decided
to share his publish his experiences and tips on his site
at http://www.ebayservices.info where he'll teach you how
to be an ebay Powerseller too.

What Is A Cash Cow?

What Is A Cash Cow?
If you hang around the business world long enough, you will
eventually hear the term cash cow come up. This is a phrase
that worked its way into Internet marketing as well.

In this article we want to look at the question, what is a
cash cow?, and why that could be important to you as a home
business owner.

One definition of a cash cow is that it is a moneymaker and
or a project that generates a continuous flow of money.
Another one would be a it is a a product or a business unit
that generates unusually high profit margins.

Many people that first start out with a home business have
a goal of someday quitting their job. They're not sure
exactly how they're going to get to that, but they do know
that they need to start generating profit eventually from
their home business.

Sadly, many home business owners turn into nothing more
than people who work at home. They trade time for wages and
that they very rarely earn a decent hourly rate.

One reason for this is they are not operating a home
business as a real business. The other thing is they are
not really offering products that give them the best chance
to make a profitable business.

A couple of other things are important when it comes to
succeeding with your own home business. Those two things
would be having a mentor that can personally work with you,
and having a system in place that anyone can follow to be
successful.

This is harder than it sounds because there are many
so-called mentors on the Internet who are really not
helpful. The reason they are not helpful is because they
are teaching theory as opposed to actual practical
experience.

The other thing is there are so many different ways to
market a product and make Money on the Internet that it's
tough to boil it down to one system. However for a home
business to be a real cash cow it must have a system that
can become self-sustaining eventually.

It will be important that whatever home business you
choose, you are able to profitably advertise it on the
Internet. It will also be important that you learn as many
free, or nearly free, ways to do this until you have money
coming and can reinvest it back in your business.

In conclusion, this should give you some ideas about what
is a cash cow, and how that can apply to you. When running
your own home business finding the right business, mentor,
and system, all come into play.

----------------------------------------------------
Mark Molina is a husband and father of two who never gave
up on his dream to find the perfect home based business of
Time Freedom. Now he can show you how to work at home on
the internet too! To see the business that Mark found after
three years of research, go to http://snipurl.com/23dww

Info Product Ideas: 5 Hot Topics For Big Profits

Info Product Ideas: 5 Hot Topics For Big Profits
So, you want to write an info product to sell online?
Great idea! There is a lot of money to be made by selling
small reports and ebooks online.

But, what do you write about? What are the hot topics
people want to read? And more importantly, what are the
topics people will whip out there credit cards and BUY?

I've put together some timeless classic topics people want
to learn more about, and are willing to purchase.

The Top 10 Info Product Ideas For Big Profits Are...

Making Money

Who couldn't use some extra cash? No matter what, this
topic will always be hot. Everybody wants to make more
money. If you can show people how to make more money, or
how to get more for the money they have, people will spend
money to find out how!

There are endless topics related to making money. Write a
small report about one tip or trick you know. Or write a
full ebook on a system you use to put more money in your
pocket, and odds are people will buy it.

Self Help / Personal Growth

People want to improve their lives. They want to live
better. They want to feel better. They want to overcome
adversity and free themselves from the grip of depression.

If you know how to help, you have a great topic for your
info product!

Weight Loss / Fitness

Whether it's dropping 10 pounds of ugly fat or adding 10
pounds of rock solid muscle, people want to change the way
their bodies look, feel and perform. They want to reclaim
their youth and create a slim, athletic, head-turning body.

Yes, there is already a lot of information out there on
this topic. But until everyone has the body that looks,
feels and performs the way they want (not likely to
happen), there is always room for more! This is a
multi-billion dollar a year industry, so if you have
knowledge in this area, go for it!

Dating / Relationships.

Lots of great ideas here.

The topics start before the relationship even starts...

How to be more attractive. How to get the man/woman of your
dreams. How to make a great first impression. How to
overcome shyness.

Or during the relationship...

How to be a better lover. How to please my man/woman. How
to be a better husband/wife. How to resist temptation.

And even after the relationship...

How to survive being dumped. How to meet someone new. How
to find a great divorce lawyer. How to deal with the death
of a loved one.

You see, there are lots of great topics here, and a lot of
people waiting to buy those info products that can help
them solve their problems.

Embarrassing Problems

Let's be honest. There are some problems people just don't
want to talk about. Not even with their best friends.
But, buying a small report or ebook over the Internet
looking for the solution will get the wallet out fast!

This could be financial topics like having your credit card
cancelled, avoiding foreclosure or keeping your car from
being reposed. Or, they could be more personal problems
like bad breath, acne or gas. If someone has these
problems, do you think they would buy your info product
with the solution? You bet they would!

In closing I want to make one thing absolutely clear. The
best information product ideas stem from problems most
people have. If you can provide a SOLUTION to a common
problem, then you most likely have a winner. And don't
worry, you don't have to write a 300 page novel here.
Sometimes just a small report with the solution is all you
need.

So, what are YOU going to write about?

----------------------------------------------------
Edward Lomax invites you to take his Free eCourse, "How To
Build A Six-Figure Information Empire Without Ever Writing
More Than 7-15 Pages At A Time!"
http://www.infoempireecourse.com
Check out his Internet Marketing small reports at:
http://www.smallreportsbullseye.com

The Ultimate Marketing Secret - People Buy on Emotions, Not Logic

The Ultimate Marketing Secret - People Buy on Emotions, Not Logic
Emotions are the gateway to making a buying decision.
People buy on emotion and then they justify it with logic.

Even people who insist they buy logically or based on
features do so because that's what makes them feel better.
Therefore, appeal to their emotions first and foremost.
Benefits are the language of emotion; Features are the
language of logic.

I often meet people who will insist that they only ever buy
on logic. There's a big difference in what people say and
what they do! If it was true that everyone only bought
using logic, they would all be driving Skoda's!

One of the common problems many companies have translating
their product or service features into benefits is that
they are "looking at the label from the inside of the
bottle," in the words of best-selling author and ad guru
Roy H. Williams. "In other words, because they know too
much about their businesses, they often assume that others,
too, not only want to know them but also should know them.
These companies all their spend time (and money) "assuming."

Sell the Sizzle, Not the Steak

The Steak: Here's another example to illustrate my point:

"This ring features a 1.4 carat, pear-shaped cut white
diamond with an SI1 clarity grade and an H colour
rating....."..... What ?

Unless you're a gemologist that's just complete nonsense

The Sizzle: Here is what will sell diamonds better:

"Imagine that special evening when you gently slip this on
her finger and stare intensely into her eyes. She peers at
this symbol of your devotion, the promise of your future
together, and tears begin to glisten. An adoring smile
spreads across her face, and at that moment your love is
sealed forever."

Ok, I know I'm pushing it here but you get the point!

Every ad, email, website, sales letter must pull one or
more of the 7 main emotional strings that make people buy.

1. Love
2. Hate
3. Greed
4. Guilt
5. Pride
6. Fear
7. Envy

Use these emotions to weave around your sales pitch and tap
into the thoughts and feelings that are going on inside
peoples head and guts. The things that irritate them, keeps
them awake at night, makes them angry, happy, proud or sad.

This applies to EVERY business, industry, product or
service. It doesn't matter if you are selling diamond
rings, plumbing service, carpet cleaning, toilet cleaning,
engineering equipment or what ever.

Sell the Sizzle, Not the Steak, sit back and let them beat
a path to your door.

----------------------------------------------------
Jimmy Krangol is becoming quite a buzz in the marketing
world. You can sign up to Jimmy's Free 7 day marketing
course "How You Can Make £4,297 Per Day Sitting at Your
Computer In Your Underwear" at
http://www.topsecretmarketing.com