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eBay Selling Success—What to Avoid in Order to Succeed

How you can avoid the most common mistakes that cause eBay businesses to fail

This special guest article is by Jim Cockrum. Jim is a top eBay seller and author of popular ebooks "The Silent Sales Machine Hiding on eBay" and "Turn Your Auction Traffic into Cash"

In this article, Jim takes a different approach to eBay success. Instead of telling you what to do to achieve eBay selling sucess, he points out the seven biggest mistakes that cripple eBay businesses and reveals how to avoid them.

How to Fail on eBay - What NOT to Do

I believe eBay is the #1 small business opportunity of our time. I personally know of hundreds of people who make a great income from eBay and I indirectly know of THOUSANDS of others that do the same. The cost of start up is next to nothing and the risks are small if you do it right. There are a few land mines to avoid though. Based on my experience and observations I have the following advice for both 'newbie' eBay sellers and seasoned veteran sellers.

New sellers:You are risking failure if you...

• Provide bad customer service

You can't hide your feedback rating on eBay. As you get started on eBay you need to be very protective of your feedback rating. Every
transaction you are a part of on eBay is the chance to solidify your online reputation so take advantage of it and protect it. Bidding activity and final bids will go up once you establish your reputation.

• Use backwards marketing

Backwards marketing is when you start out with a product and then set about trying to find a way to sell it. Don't get so attached to a product that you lose the ability to abandon it if it isn't selling. Just like in any business, you make your money when you BUY your product, not when you sell it. Do your research first and find a product that you know will sell. Test before you leap. Look up 'closed auctions' values on any item you are considering buying and selling on eBay.

• Give up too soon

I goofed around on eBay for about a year and a half before I started taking it serious. I know other eBay super success stories that sound similar to mine. Don't try to build an empire over night and then give up in the second month. It takes time and patience, but the rewards are huge and you'll be glad you stuck it out.

• Get frustrated trying to find products to sell

As I talk to seasoned eBay sellers I hear all the time that the issue of 'finding products to sell' is hardly a problem. I know it seems tough when you are just getting started, but trust me, once you know the game you will have to TURN PRODUCT AWAY you'll be so busy. The next release of my 'Silent Sales Machine' book will list over 50 ways to get free or inexpensive products that you can sell for a great mark up on eBay. There are countless ways to find products - don't let this be the issue that stops you.

Experienced sellers:

You are risking failure if you...

• Are only working on eBay

At some point in your eBay lifecycle you'll realize that eBay is only a small part of your bigger online business strategy. Having your own website, an ezine or email mailing list, offering an information product or other 'off-eBay' service will start to make a lot of sense both financially and for the sake of diversification. You need to see eBay as a marketing tool and treat the eBay fees as marketing dollars. Get the most from your marketing. Not doing so will turn you into an 'eBay zombie' who can't take vacations because they have to shut down their entire business machine to leave town.

• Are not gathering a contact database

If you aren't growing your mailing list of customers daily you are losing literally MILLIONS. I can't state that in stronger terms. As great as eBay is are you willing to risk your financial future on eBay's ability to keep fees low and keep bringing you profits for the next 30 years? If not, you need a back up plan. If you have a list of 5,000 loyal customers you can let them know in minutes via email if you shift your entire business to another platform. That's just one of hundreds of reasons to make sure and keep a customer list.

• Are not developing/selling 'your own' product

You need to constantly be seeking or developing a unique product that only YOU can sell. If you are the ONLY one selling an in demand product on eBay or the Internet you can make a LOT of money very quickly. I've had the good fortune to have three such products in my 4 year eBay lifetime, and I know what I'm talking about here! To get the full story on one of those products check out my 'Silent Sales Machine' book.

Suggestion: Having trouble thinking of a unique product? Consider promoting some sort of eBay help or advice (book/video/phone training etc.) for eBay newbies. Keep in mind that there are 30,000 new members daily on eBay and as a respected seasoned eBay pro you have a lot to offer those new buyers and sellers! While there are a lot of eBay 'how to' books and education tools already floating around, you have the unique opportunity to get the ear of YOUR customers and tell them what YOU think.

Jim Cockrum

Author 'The Silent Sales Machine Hiding on eBay'

'Turn You Auction Traffic into Cash'

Editor 'Creative eBay Selling Newsletter'

THE most popular eBay success newsletter on the web!

http://www.OneStopWebSupport.com/ssm

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