Sales Prospecting Tips » online

Making “Real Money” on eBay!

Gordie Allen — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:25:41 +0000

While you know me as author of this sales prospecting tips blog, you probably aren’t aware I’m also an eBay enthusiast and eBay Consignment Seller who achieved eBay Power Seller status in 2003-2007 by successfully mining a neglected niche market.

Like many eBay consignment sellers, after selling their miscellaneous household items, I was stumped with where to get inventory to fuel my weekly online auctions. Exhausting and frustrating visits to weekly garage sales and consignment shops annoyed me. My peers told me of their nightmare experiences with Drop Shippers. Nope, not for me!

FACT: Where can I get stuff to sell online? Is one of the most popular questions queried online Search Engines. Many of the unemployed, who once poked fun at eBay, are now giving it a serious second look as their day job, especially with Corporate America’s daily announcements of huge layoffs and hiring freezes.

Never one to let a challenge stump me, answering this question became my battle cry. One 2003 February Sunday, while sitting in church, the answer (answers) came to me.

The answers were sitting all around me. The answers were the retired seniors in my church family. Just suppose, I could figure out how to mine the real antiques and collectibles seniors stored in their attics, cellars and garages? I bet some of them could even use the cash!

I did it and I was very successful at it! So, I wrote an ebook about my detailed marketing plan with all the fixings. Everything that worked for me, why it worked and, how to duplicate my success including free prospect list URLs and working forms are included in this 4 chapter ebook. I held nothing back!

The title of this week’s blog: Making “Real Money” on eBay is the title of the first reader review given my new ebook. I’m thrilled the reviewer saw fit to grade it 5 of 5 possible stars. Also, he placed it in the must-read category for anyone seeking to earn big bucks on eBay as a Consignment Seller.

This is the subject of this blog for these 3 reasons:

The ebook is a near-perfect example of the marketing maxim: Find a Need and Fill It!
My patriotic contribution for getting America’s Unemployed back to work.
Unashamedly, I’d like to sell some ebooks at $18.95 each.

At hundreds of workshops I conducted around this country for 17 years, I always said: finding a need and filling it was the Number 1 Rule of Successful Marketing. Add the right timing of marketplace introduction, a product which solves a contentious problem; and, make it affordable. This is the secret sauce for a marketing success recipe.

Wouldn’t it be great if eBay once again became an American Success Story by putting Unemployed Americans back to work? Like the mythical, Phoenix bird rising from the ashes! What a hoot, if my little ebook had something to do with this happy ending.

To get your FREE Preview peek, downloadable to your PC, cell phone, smart phone, electronic ebook reader or PDA, go to: www.mobipocket.com and type: Gordie into the Search box at the top of the page.

It’s appropriately titled: How to Get Stuff* to Sell on eBay (*an Endless Supply of Real Antiques and Collectibles, NOT Drop Ship) and I think it does the Number 1 Rule of Marketing proud. Do you agree?

Be Remembered When Prospects are Ready to Buy

Gordie Allen — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 09:21:22 +0000

One of my best ever sales prospecting tips for b2b selling professionals, shared 21 years ago with a sales audience of software marketers, paid off again, for me last week.

This 4-line, self-inking, rubber stamp, ordered online, has repeatedly gotten me an invitation into a new account to bid on training projects plus sold more of my new eBooks than I can recall! Here is my version of this remember-me-when-you-are-ready-to-buy, marketing tool:

· Compliments of Gordie Allen

· Your Sales Prospecting Trainer

· 1.800.548.4571

· eurekaman43@hotmail.com

Every time an article catches my eye that I know would make it easier for my training clients and/or prospective clients to:

· Gain the competitive edge against their competition

· Sell more, more cost-efficiently

· Warm up their sales teams’ cold calls

· Enhance their status with their new prospects

· Remember-them-when-their-prospects-are-ready-to-buy

I photocopy it or download and print an electronic version. At the top of page one, I firmly apply my rubber stamp with a bright, fire-engine red ink since it really jumps off the page.

I fold and insert the article into a #10 business envelope; address it to my decision-making contact and add a 42 cents stamp. It takes one of us about an hour per month to execute this process for 70 mailings. Sometimes, our ROI takes years to work its magic but, it does and it keeps on working.

One prospective client, a sales agent, referred me to 8 of his line-card manufacturers who were looking to hire a sales trainer for an upcoming regional meeting. Two of them hired me and they are still great clients. Another referred me to several of his OEMs. This was 23 years ago and this simple, thoughtful marketing tool still draws thanks and kudos.

I know, who has the time? Hire one of your kids or your neighbor’s kids to do it, monthly. They will appreciate the extra money and you will feel good paying them. Just get it done.

This demonstrates you care. It is living proof you are not just another vendor but a sales professional who cares enough to be remembered-when-they-are-ready-to-buy. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!