Know What, You can be an eBay Powerseller

What is an eBay powerseller?  It is is an official designation bestowed by eBay upon those sellers who have reached a certain sales performance AND have a high level of total feedback. For you to be named as an eBay powerseller, you have to achieve at least a 98% positive rating by other eBay users.

A good example of an eBay powerseller is Ted Corriher, a home, garden and farm equipment dealer in Newton, North Carolina. When Ted started out years ago, he didn't know much about computers or the internet. He was so out of touch that he didn't even have a personal e-mail account.

Turns out that all of his friends were buying on eBay, and he soon figured out that he didn't want to be left out.  So he asked one of his employees to research eBay and find out how he could sell his equipment on eBay. Today he sells about $100,000 worth of equipment on eBay every month. His business has grown from $4 million to $10 million according to his annual sales. 

Since joining and becoming part of the millions registered users on eBay, Corriher says that being an eBay powerseller has been a rewarding and enlightening experience for him. Being a eBay powerseller has also helped in reviving his grandfather’s business. Ted has also started on business expansions.

So if you want to be inspired, and become an eBay powerseller like Corriher, know that it’s not impossible for a startup seller to reach the eBay powerseller level of achievement in a short amount of time, like Corriher did.

So, as you aim for the recognition of being an eBay powerseller, you must first start focusing your energies on being a better eBay seller. Here are tips that can help you to transform into a better seller. Remember it's all about positive feedback!

For you to get this far, you already understand the basics of eBay. However, there are several simple, but significant things left that you may not have thought of trying yet.

Some of these tips may go against other advice you've heard or are being given for eBay selling. Some are even a little risky and others are just odd. But, there’s no harm in trying, though. Feel free to discard the things you don’t agree with.  But be sure you apply those you want to keep using.

1. Keep good records – it sounds time consuming, but it will probably make it easier in the long run to help track down checks, delivery and shipping receipts and other such paper work.

2. Ship without payment – this might sound risky, but it means that the buyers get their items more quickly than the usual process of waiting for payments to clear and be received. We don't suggest you do this for large ticket items, but try to do this for small items, you might find it worth the occasional loss to give such quick service. Buyers would remember you for it and they are likely to leave you positive feedback in return.

3. Ship every day – if you have started shifting on high volume items, shipping them every day might help you satisfy your customers. By shipping everyday, your customers will get them quickly enough and thereby make them very happy, indeed. If you have items that are small enough to drop in a postbox, you might consider doing this - use the PO one rate if possible.

4. Encourage auctions. Entice bidders to place a bid on the product and avoid the buy now option. Be sure that you make it very clear when it's the last or only stock you'll be getting in. Use the word "winners" or "winning bid" in your ad. Makes buyers feel better if they think of themselves as "winners".

5. In you add be sure to list every defect your item has. By doing this, you give the buyer that you have credibility and buyers will trust you. In general people bid more when they trust the seller.

6. Mention how you got the item. This should also be part the detailed description about your item.  Mention the fun details of how you got acquired what you're selling. Providing this bit of information gives your auction character and, again, builds trust, promotes bidding.

7. Accept any payment method. Be sure to be flexible on whatever forms of payment your buyer may suggest.

8. Sell low once in a while.  By occasionally letting an item go for a really great price to a good buyer, you might be able to brake even on it. But just thik, you have secured a buyer who’ll come back again and again.

9. Provide free shipping for a certain number of orders, or orders over a certain amount. Sometimes people buy something they don't want, just because of the free shipping. Try it, it is an Amazon.com tactic that really works.

10. Ship worldwide! Sell to international customers and get more market share by doing so. Be sure you take time to investigate the prices though. Just imagine how much your market will expand if you do worldwide shipping.

Try using some of the many eBay tools available. If you just are more open-minded and look at the long term effect of several of the tips we mentioned, then in no time at all, you might just be the next eBay powerseller.