Guest Author - Scott Prock
It's a common question, "How do I get started selling without any feedback?" and if you are new to eBay in the coming months, you may have a better chance at gaining trust faster. eBay is changing their "new user" and "recent ID change" icons that will be unrecognized by the average auction community, therefore you won?t have the typical shades that mark you as a "NEWBIE" this may work to your advantage.
http://pages.ebay.com/useridiconspreview.html
However, many sellers wait until their shades have expired before they start selling. During your first thirty days you will want to get a few sales under your ID. The goal is to start building your feedback rating.
A popular method is to buy many small dollar items from separate sellers in order to increase your feedback, but take caution with how you do this and consider how your feedback will look to your customers. You don't want 30 feedbacks all from cheap $1.00 products if you are trying to sell high dollar items. Your buyers will see how you got your feedback. ( this was talked about in the forums, thanks Gary)
It is always best to build your feedback one auction at a time, below you will see there are more ways to gain trust besides your feedback.
Create an about "Me" page.
I'll be the first to say that I had neglected this step and put it off for too long. There are people who will tell you that your "me" page will hardly get looked at, but if you are new and a buyer wants to know who they are dealing with, a well designed "me"? page will help ensure you are a good seller to buy from. Just don't fill your page up with a bunch of marketing hype.
Think about what you want to accomplish with your "me" page. Take a look at the page I created for Maagent.
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/maagent
My goal was to let people know what and who Maagent is. It's very simple and to the point, I even make reference to searching for me on Google which helps build trust in who I am. I wanted to show people why I claim to know the information. So if they visit that page and see what Maagent is about I hope to gain trust.
I have also read through the eBay guidelines and followed them to the letter when building that page.
Here is a link to help you in creating your about "me" page ...
... help/policies/listing-aboutme.html
Using Square Trade
http://www.squaretrade.com
Square trade can be a great way to tell your buyers that you are serious and in the business for the long haul, and with a thirty day trial I think it would make sense, especially if you deal with higher priced items.
Become ID verified,
Help with becoming ID verified - The user is crossed checked for accurate information, and allows you the ability to list with more eBay listing types.
You always want to reply to emails quickly, and in the beginning you want to send them yourself, not through an autoresponder. This will go a long way in building trust.
Ship FAST!
When a buyer gets their products quickly they are far more likely to leave you feedback, and this is an area that many will look for in your feedback.
One last place is the auction itself, let your buyers know what to expect from you, and don't be afraid to admit that you are new. As long as you assure them that the items are as described and if they are electronic that you guarantee against dead on arrival - if the product arrives not working they can ship it back for a refund - you're sure to gain the trust of your buyers
While using these tips may not guarantee you're going to gain every buyers trust, it will go a long way in helping you establish that trust, and start you on your way to Powerseller success.
. . . Scott D Prock
