Online Sales Intro Class

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Revision as of 15:51, 25 March 2013 by Jashcraft (talk | contribs)
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Draft class outline for online sales class Spring 2013

Introduction

  • John Ashcraft - Amazon.com sales of ink and toner at Free Geek
  • Brian Keefer - Online Sales Associate at Free Geek

Class Objectives - Students Will Be Exposed To:

  • General information about selling items on Amazon.com and Ebay.com
  • Open discussions with experienced and sucessful sellers
  • Setting up accounts
  • Making listings
  • Fulfilling orders
  • Getting paid

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 / seperate.

Useful skills and mindset

Patience

  • List -> wait ->fulfill 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
  • Fees:
    • Amazon.com is about 15%+$2]
  • Payments
    • Amazon.com: buyers pay Amazon. Direct deposits gto your bank after a 2 week hold.
  • Customer Interactions
  • Returns and refunds
    • Amazon gurantees that buyers can return any item for any reason you have to deal with it.


Amazon.com

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

Other options

  • pro merchant subscription
  • Fullfillment by amazon.

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 common to become demoralized.

Open discussion

Bonus topics:

Where to get things to sell

  • This can be what makes your businesss 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