It has taken me some time to get the idea of selling my merchandise on Ebay. I have been a member for over four years and have been selling for about one year. My selling experience was rather hit and miss until I stumbled upon, or should I say tripped over, a piece of common sense.

A good friend of mine suggested that since I like auctions on Ebay, I should go with her to an auction at a local auction house. I went and was floored by what I had previously overlooked. Professional auctioneers have been making a good living for years by using simple techniques  to encourage bidding. I will call these the big four. 1. Be professional. 2. Be personable. 3. Allow the buyer to examine the goods. and 4. Follow up.

A professional auctioneer keeps several things in mind. First he or she must be able to read the crowd. Are the bidders collectors, dealers, bargain hunters, or just looking for entertainment. Second, he must make the bidders aware that he knows what he is doing. While he may not be an expert on Turkish Rugs or Collectable Toys, he has sold enough of them to have some idea of what they are and what they are worth in order to suggest a starting place for bidding. Third he must realise that he is not only a seller but also an entertainer. Personality sells product by making people comfortable in their bidding and their value to the auctioneer. Fourth, he or she must allow the bidders to examine and question the items for sale. Usually auction halls open at least an hour before the auction to allow buyers to examine the merchandise for sale, and during the auction, most items will be pointed out or held up so that bidders can see exactly what they are bidding on. Finally, a successful auctioneer will make the bidding experience, the examining experience and even the paying experience smooth and enjoyable in order to encourage bidders to come to the next auction.

I believe that these 4 elements of succesful auctioneers can be applied to Ebay auctions. You can read your crowd by finding Ebay auctions for items similar to your own. Read the descriptions in order to learn what is important to buyers of those items. If you are selling an unfamiliar item, don't hesitate to indicate your ignorance and ask for information right in your description. When I do this I am usually inundated by helpful messages by more knowledgable Ebayers. Be sure to include their responses and your answers in your auction. (There is a box at the bottom of the message file which you can check to include this information). You can entertain your buyers further by including your own impressions of your item. "There is a big scary hook on the end of this fishing lure, I pity the fish that bites into this." Good pictures help the buyer to examine the goods. Include as many pictures as are necessary to show the buyer all aspects of your item. I personally won't buy an item which doesn't include a picture. To further allow buyers to see the item, I always include the phrase: "Please contact me if you have any questions." Many people are hesitant to ask a question unless you give them permission. Finally, be sure to follow up at the end of your sale. Thank the buyer for his or her purchase. Email them when you ship their merchandise, this is also a good time to tell them about other items you have for sale. Leave feedback. If you come across another item similar to the one your buyer purchased, email them and politely inform them that you have another one for sale.

While all of the above mentioned material may seem obvious to many of you, it will all help you to increase your sales. Which is, after all, one of the main reasons we all do this.