Difference between revisions of "Online Sales Intro Class"
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*Brian Keefer - Online Sales Associate at Free Geek | *Brian Keefer - Online Sales Associate at Free Geek | ||
*Class members | *Class members | ||
− | **Name, online sales experience, plans& dreams, what you hope to get out of this class. | + | **Name, online sales experience, plans & dreams, what you hope to get out of this class. |
+ | |||
+ | =Topic Selection= | ||
+ | *Supplies: Show and tell | ||
+ | *Live demonstration of listing and fulfilling orders on amazon.com. | ||
+ | *Getting things to sell: ideas and discussion | ||
+ | *account setup considerations | ||
+ | *Ebay VS. Amazon: compare and contrast | ||
+ | *General advice about what it is like to sell online professionally. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
==Class Objectives - Students Will Be Exposed To:== | ==Class Objectives - Students Will Be Exposed To:== |
Latest revision as of 15:37, 25 September 2013
Draft class outline for online sales class Spring 2013
Introductions
- John Ashcraft - Amazon.com sales of ink and toner at Free Geek
- Brian Keefer - Online Sales Associate at Free Geek
- Class members
- Name, online sales experience, plans & dreams, what you hope to get out of this class.
Topic Selection
- Supplies: Show and tell
- Live demonstration of listing and fulfilling orders on amazon.com.
- Getting things to sell: ideas and discussion
- account setup considerations
- Ebay VS. Amazon: compare and contrast
- General advice about what it is like to sell online professionally.
Class Objectives - Students Will Be Exposed To:
- General information about selling items on Amazon.com and Ebay.com
- Setting up accounts
- Making listings
- Fulfilling orders
- Getting paid
- Open discussions with experienced and successful sellers
General information:
Supplies
- Printer
- Scale - John recommends: Accurate to .2oz with capacity up to 35lbs
- Packaging Tape - with convenient dispenser
- Tape measure
- Scissors
- Packaging material - Reduce/Reuse
- Digital camera - Important for Ebay but optional for amazon.com
Technical considerations
- Email access: reliable and regular
- Bank account
- Credit card
- Telephone #
- Computer/printer
- Storage space - Secure / separate.
Something to sell?
- Start with what you have
- Try going with what you know about
Useful skills and mindset
Patience
- List -> wait ->fulfil orders -> wait -> Get Paid!
- Sales may be slow
- Customers will be upset and the fault may or may not be yours
- There may be setbacks!
Be Self Motivated
- Work while you wait!
- Not every listing will turn into a sale.
- More listings generally means more sales.
Amazon.com vs. ebay:
- Listing
- Amazon.com: 1-5 minutes per listing
- Ebay 5-10 minutes per listing
- Fees:
- Amazon.com: about 10-15%+$2
- Ebay: 10% Final Value fee plus any optional services
- Payments
- Amazon.com: buyers pay Amazon. Direct deposits go to your bank after a 2 week hold.
- Ebay: Customer pays you directly, often immediately including shipping charges
- Customer Interactions
- Returns and refunds
- Amazon guarantees that buyers can return any item for any reason. You have to deal with it.
- Ebay: You decide to accept returns or not, refunds - flexible options
Amazon.com
- Online reasource: http://www.amazon.com/help/selling
Listing your item
- finding the exact product listing
- accurately choosing a condition
- composing description details
- Determining a price
- selecting shipping options
- Potential to lose money on shipping
Creating your account
- Standard Amazon.com account
- Amazon seller account
Making the sale
- Email: "Sold, ship now:"
- Logging in to seller account
- Print packaging slip
- Pack item
- Buy shipping
- Verify that the shipping label, packaging slip and item all match!
- Ship
After the sale
- Returns & Refunds
- In general the buyer can return anything for any reason
- Be helpful and polite your reputation is at stake
EBAY
Creating your Accounts
- Create accounts for Ebay and PayPal (suggested)
- Terapeak (optional)
Listing your item
- Ebay Basic Selling Skills - http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/howtosell/sellingbasics.html
- Research and evaluate your item to determine your selling price
- Prepare your item and photograph it - take lots of high quality, detailed pictures
- Decide on Auction Style or Buy it Now, opening bid/price
- Full & complete title - use keywords and accurate, technical descriptions
- Write a complete and accurate description noting any flaws or damaged areas
- Determine your return/refund policy
- Set a fair shipping price
During the sale
- Monitor all of your selling activity with My Ebay
- Respond to customers emails
Making the sale
- Your Item Sold! - send an invoice to the buyer
- Email from PayPal - You've Been Paid!
After the sale
- Pack your item well - bubble wrap, sturdy box, packing materials
- Print & Pay for the postage label (PayPal required)
- Ship your item as soon as you receive payment - encourages good feedback for you
- Leave good feeedback for your buyer
- Answer all emails promptly
- Resolve any problems ASAP
General Advice
- It is ok to lose money on some sales.
- Expect this and be sure that you are having an overall profitable experience.
- Feedback is worth money.
- Sellers with better feedback ratings can expect quicker sales and higher prices.
- New sellers can be devastated by a single negative feedback.
- Half of the negative feedback that John sees is probably undeserved.
- Communicate with buyers early and quickly to resolve issues.
- Be emotionally resilient
- When negative feedback comes in, or large orders are refunded, it is common for a seller to feel demoralized.
Open discussion
Bonus topics:
Where to get things to sell
- This can be what makes your business special!
- Start at home: low risk, your old stuff may have value online.
- Research before investing. Use a computer or phone to check prices.
Craigslist
- something