Lately there seems to be an excessive amount of really bad advice being passed around on this board. I'm not in the habit of responding to each and every idiotic bit of information as I just don’t have the time. I’m actually busy running a successful business here. However, I will offer the following lessons I have learned through years of experience here on ebay (and a rather expensive business education) for those who are interested in developing a successful ebay business operating from Canada.
Do I know it all? Nope! Still happily learning and most of what I do know about ebay selling I have learned from these very boards and the experience and generous advice of those who were successful ahead of me.
1. First and foremost…shipping and the Canadian Seller. I realized a short time into this venture that Canada Post just wasn't going to work. You can not rely on their delivery times to the U.S. nor their shoddy custom's clearance. In addition, you simply can not ship small items (<1 kg)...even at CP's lowest rates...for the same amount a comparative seller in the U.S. can. Even for larger items USPS provides a much cheaper service AND they provide free packing supplies. Unless you are using last nights Kraft dinner box (really unprofessional looking) you just can’t come close to competing price-wise with the U.S. vendor. Therefore you have to take steps to overcome those restrictions. Over the years I’ve seen all sorts of advice in this area on this board…some good, some bad, some just downright unethical. Many of the work-arounds suggested are just not viable as your business grows. There ARE, however, ways to be successful using ethical business practices:
- If you are close to the U.S. border and are so inclined you may choose to travel to the U.S. a few times a week and ship via USPS. Many sellers of small items have been doing this for a while and can provide much better feedback on the benefits and pitfalls than I, so I will leave this recommendation to them to explain further.
- You can build your business based upon unique, non-commercially produced items that can command a price that will allow you to incorporate the higher shipping charges and still make a decent profit. Can you sell a DVD for three times as much as a U.S. seller and expect sales…no. So why fight that frustrating battle? Find a viable product.
- You can choose to sell products over 1 kg in weight or cube and build your business to the point where you can utilize the services of UPS (or another courier company) and receive rates that are actually CHEAPER to the U.S. than Canada Post. A Silver Level Canadian PSer can get 45% off UPS ground rates to the States. Have a look and compare. With that discount anything over 1.5 lbs can be shipped for LESS than Canada Post Expedited WITH …
* guaranteed delivery times (2 to 6 business days for ground service)
* tracking with signature (all important for PayPal claims)
* free pick-up
* free software, thermal printer, labels and document sleeves.
* an insurance process that doesn’t take 3 months to complete.
‘nuf said.
2. In a word…MARKETING. Provided you are not offering a commercially produced, widely distributed item for sale (and sometimes even if you are), you do not have to offer the lowest price in order to have sales. I can tell you from personal business experience that when you are offered two similar products on the department store’s shelf, there is often little difference between the bargain product and the higher priced product, other than the appearance of the box. Usually they are made by the same company. Do you honestly think that the people producing these items can’t make a pretty box for the lower priced items too? Of course they can. They don’t because they are trying to up-sell you to the pretty box with the same product inside on which you are paying a 30% premium. They suck us in more often than you think. Great packaging can inspire confidence in your target market. Learn to take and edit good pictures, write clear descriptions and package your listings in a professional looking template. Why not sell half as many items as your competitor for the same overall profit he is making? Much less overhead cost and effort involved given order processing, shipping, storage and inventory investment. Work smarter…not harder.
3. Customer Service…treat your customer like you want to be treated. eBay has this wonderful little system called FB. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than nothing. It weeds out the worst of the worst if a buyer is smart enough to review it. Make sure yours projects the standards that you want to aspire too. Happy customers come back AND they recommend you to friends and family. You do not need 100% positive. Often that will just target you for black-mail. You do, however, need to display that your customers are having consistently positive experiences with your service and product. Should you get an undeserved neg…wear it with pride and respond with the details in a strictly business like manner. If you have 99%, the neg alone isn’t going to turn off your potential customer, but an emotional, unprofessional tirade in the response area will.
4. Display some integrity. Fess up if a problem arises. Don’t wait for the customer to contact you if a family emergency resulted in delayed shipping. Contact them…apologize and move forward. They can see the shipping date on the package if they care to look…you really aren’t fooling anyone with half a brain. In addition, don’t lie to your customers within your listings…it’s just going to piss them off. Don’t pull the 1 cent auction with the ridiculous shipping charge. Do you think it’s really fools anyone anymore? Does that inspire confidence in you as a seller? What you are putting out there is all the information this stranger has to make their purchasing decision on. They don’t know you personally and they are taking a leap of faith blindly sending you money. Give them the grounds to believe that leap will not be in vain.
5. If you are serious about building your business invest some time and learn to do it right. It doesn’t have to happen all at once but the information required is available from INTELLEGENT, EXPERIENCED sources. The eBay boards are the BEST place for info. I’ve learned a ton of valuable stuff and been greatly inspired by others on these boards over the years…but not everyone knows what they are talking about. Don’t substitute some arrogant, narcissistic poster’s judgment for your own. If the recommendations don’t sound kosher and the large majority of experienced sellers are disagreeing…PAY ATTENTION. Here are just a few of the many valuable places you can go to learn valuable information about furthering your success on ebay:
ebay Site Map, all the links you’ll ever need:
http://pages.ebay.com/sitemap.html
Photos/HTML Discussion Board, learn to take good photos and make custom templates:
http://forums.ebay.com/db2/forum.jspa?forumID=99
ebay Seller Best Practices:
http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/bestpractices.html
ebay community Answer Center:
http://pages.ebay.com/community/answercenter
U.S. PSer Board…great information but I recommend lurking more than participating unless you have a thick skin ;):
http://forums.ebay.com/db1/forum.jspa?forumID=76
Monique
Do I know it all? Nope! Still happily learning and most of what I do know about ebay selling I have learned from these very boards and the experience and generous advice of those who were successful ahead of me.
1. First and foremost…shipping and the Canadian Seller. I realized a short time into this venture that Canada Post just wasn't going to work. You can not rely on their delivery times to the U.S. nor their shoddy custom's clearance. In addition, you simply can not ship small items (<1 kg)...even at CP's lowest rates...for the same amount a comparative seller in the U.S. can. Even for larger items USPS provides a much cheaper service AND they provide free packing supplies. Unless you are using last nights Kraft dinner box (really unprofessional looking) you just can’t come close to competing price-wise with the U.S. vendor. Therefore you have to take steps to overcome those restrictions. Over the years I’ve seen all sorts of advice in this area on this board…some good, some bad, some just downright unethical. Many of the work-arounds suggested are just not viable as your business grows. There ARE, however, ways to be successful using ethical business practices:
- If you are close to the U.S. border and are so inclined you may choose to travel to the U.S. a few times a week and ship via USPS. Many sellers of small items have been doing this for a while and can provide much better feedback on the benefits and pitfalls than I, so I will leave this recommendation to them to explain further.
- You can build your business based upon unique, non-commercially produced items that can command a price that will allow you to incorporate the higher shipping charges and still make a decent profit. Can you sell a DVD for three times as much as a U.S. seller and expect sales…no. So why fight that frustrating battle? Find a viable product.
- You can choose to sell products over 1 kg in weight or cube and build your business to the point where you can utilize the services of UPS (or another courier company) and receive rates that are actually CHEAPER to the U.S. than Canada Post. A Silver Level Canadian PSer can get 45% off UPS ground rates to the States. Have a look and compare. With that discount anything over 1.5 lbs can be shipped for LESS than Canada Post Expedited WITH …
* guaranteed delivery times (2 to 6 business days for ground service)
* tracking with signature (all important for PayPal claims)
* free pick-up
* free software, thermal printer, labels and document sleeves.
* an insurance process that doesn’t take 3 months to complete.
‘nuf said.
2. In a word…MARKETING. Provided you are not offering a commercially produced, widely distributed item for sale (and sometimes even if you are), you do not have to offer the lowest price in order to have sales. I can tell you from personal business experience that when you are offered two similar products on the department store’s shelf, there is often little difference between the bargain product and the higher priced product, other than the appearance of the box. Usually they are made by the same company. Do you honestly think that the people producing these items can’t make a pretty box for the lower priced items too? Of course they can. They don’t because they are trying to up-sell you to the pretty box with the same product inside on which you are paying a 30% premium. They suck us in more often than you think. Great packaging can inspire confidence in your target market. Learn to take and edit good pictures, write clear descriptions and package your listings in a professional looking template. Why not sell half as many items as your competitor for the same overall profit he is making? Much less overhead cost and effort involved given order processing, shipping, storage and inventory investment. Work smarter…not harder.
3. Customer Service…treat your customer like you want to be treated. eBay has this wonderful little system called FB. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than nothing. It weeds out the worst of the worst if a buyer is smart enough to review it. Make sure yours projects the standards that you want to aspire too. Happy customers come back AND they recommend you to friends and family. You do not need 100% positive. Often that will just target you for black-mail. You do, however, need to display that your customers are having consistently positive experiences with your service and product. Should you get an undeserved neg…wear it with pride and respond with the details in a strictly business like manner. If you have 99%, the neg alone isn’t going to turn off your potential customer, but an emotional, unprofessional tirade in the response area will.
4. Display some integrity. Fess up if a problem arises. Don’t wait for the customer to contact you if a family emergency resulted in delayed shipping. Contact them…apologize and move forward. They can see the shipping date on the package if they care to look…you really aren’t fooling anyone with half a brain. In addition, don’t lie to your customers within your listings…it’s just going to piss them off. Don’t pull the 1 cent auction with the ridiculous shipping charge. Do you think it’s really fools anyone anymore? Does that inspire confidence in you as a seller? What you are putting out there is all the information this stranger has to make their purchasing decision on. They don’t know you personally and they are taking a leap of faith blindly sending you money. Give them the grounds to believe that leap will not be in vain.
5. If you are serious about building your business invest some time and learn to do it right. It doesn’t have to happen all at once but the information required is available from INTELLEGENT, EXPERIENCED sources. The eBay boards are the BEST place for info. I’ve learned a ton of valuable stuff and been greatly inspired by others on these boards over the years…but not everyone knows what they are talking about. Don’t substitute some arrogant, narcissistic poster’s judgment for your own. If the recommendations don’t sound kosher and the large majority of experienced sellers are disagreeing…PAY ATTENTION. Here are just a few of the many valuable places you can go to learn valuable information about furthering your success on ebay:
ebay Site Map, all the links you’ll ever need:
http://pages.ebay.com/sitemap.html
Photos/HTML Discussion Board, learn to take good photos and make custom templates:
http://forums.ebay.com/db2/forum.jspa?forumID=99
ebay Seller Best Practices:
http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/bestpractices.html
ebay community Answer Center:
http://pages.ebay.com/community/answercenter
U.S. PSer Board…great information but I recommend lurking more than participating unless you have a thick skin ;):
http://forums.ebay.com/db1/forum.jspa?forumID=76
Monique
Probably time for a bump so that the new PSers realize they CAN actually get some good advice here. 😉
Always a pleasure to read :)
Thanks.
Sukh
(Dream About Comics)
Sukh
(Dream About Comics)
Hey Glenda.... still beating the heck outta those little white balls?:-)
Bill
treasure-pot
Co-Author of
They have been gone from the board for a long time. So has Malcolm who, I guess, packed it in.
Am I getting old????
As your hubby John probably would, thats a question that I would prefer to avoid answering. Or I could just make reference to fine wines, lol.
Am I getting old????
As your hubby John probably would, thats a question that I would prefer to avoid answering. Or I could just make reference to fine wines, lol.
Bill
treasure-pot
Co-Author of
