PowerSellers are some of the most well-respected and busiest eBayers. By definition they sell a lot, that’s what makes them PowerSellers. Consistent volume sales, positive feedback, and eBay policy compliance are what qualifies an eBayer for PowerSeller status.
But just because a seller sells a lot and follows the rules does not a successful entrepreneur make. For instance consider a PowerSeller who sells clothing:
- She would have to sell plenty of blouses to reach even $1000 in sales per month for three consecutive months (a requirement to become a PowerSeller).
- Her margins selling low priced items of clothing would no doubt be razor thin. There would be many pressures pushing down profit margins: competition, eBay fees, shipping costs, etc.
- She would have to spend a good portion of her time on customer service: listing items for sale, answering questions, and shipping merchandise.
- Her feedback score would be vulnerable because of the sheer number of transactions she completes.
Is this a good business model? I don’t think it is. And I would argue that there are many more PowerSellers struggling to make a profit, let alone a living, than you think.
Many too many PowerSellers struggle under the conditions I just mentioned. Even under these conditions there are substantial profits to be had when a comprehensive strategy is implemented. Unfortunately far too many PowerSellers:
- Do not have a comprehensive business strategy.
- Have no back end sales program.
- Do not leverage the About Me page. In fact many PowerSellers do not even have an About Me page. (Too busy shipping blouses no doubt.)
- Do not properly optimize many of the tools and opportunities made available on eBay.
- Do not maximize selling opportunities with current customers.
- Do not make the most of auction visitors who decide not to bid.
Now, this is where you come in. With a solid understanding of business strategy, marketing, and eBay you can bring a new, more profitable point of view to struggling PowerSellers. You can provide consulting to hardworking entrepreneurs who would greatly benefit from simple adjustments to their business plans.
You do not have to be an expert in all things eBay to provide valuable help to PowerSellers. You only need to be able to implement and execute specific techniques well: techniques that will complement and enhance what the PowerSeller already does.
If you have already engineered a successful business model on eBay or elsewhere, consider offering to help eBayers implement your approach. If you are not yet capitalizing on a successful and/or unique business model, I strongly urge you to learn effective techniques and begin putting them to work for you and others.
THE eBay REPORT provides tips, tricks, and techniques for people looking to make the most of their eBay experience. We provide a healthy dose of resources, news, humor… and we do a little something with eBay feedback that gets the kids talking.
Tags: auction, business model, consulting, ebay, marketing, powerseller, sales, sell, strategy
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