Rodney Dangerfield may not have gotten much respect but he sure made a lot of money. That's partly because he had his own "schtick" What's "shtick" you ask? Think of it as a distinct accent, or unusual birthmark. In other words, it's anything that makes you stand out from the crowd.

For our books eBay PowerSeller Secrets and eBay PowerSeller Million Dollar Ideas we spoke with hundreds of PowerSellers. Of course they knew a lot about how to find good products to sell,  managing their auctions, shipping  cost effectively, and a lot more.  But many of the best also knew how to stand out!

As an eBay seller that's so important because you have so many competitors. Add to that the fact that  eBay buyers don't have all that much loyalty--they're after the best deal from a seller who they can trust. Period.

So how do you stand out? Show some personality! Be creative! We talk about this in eBay PowerSeller Million Dollar Ideas, but here are some suggestions:

• Include pictures of yourself, your family, and your business on your About Me page.
• If you have a store, feature weekly specials just like other retailers do
  
• Come up with a distinctive, memorable User ID
  
• Brand yourself in a way that will appeal to YOUR market

Two of our favorite PowerSellers are harleyglasses and blueberryboutique. One sells sunglasses and the other mainly dress shirts and ties. Two different markets, two different approaches to their auctions and branding. If you click on the links you'll immediately see what we mean. Now that's smart marketing.

We'll all miss Rodney but his lesson lives on. You got to have Shtick!