Messages should be short and to the point.
Many Instant Messaging services limit the amount of text that can be sent in a single message and thankfully so :). There's nothing worse that receiving a 500 word IM message where the writer could have consolidated it into couple of dozen words. Again, bear in mind that you don't know what's happening on the other end, nor the other person's reading abilities or attention span. Keep your messages brief and relevant.
Don't "SHOUT"
TYPING YOUR MESSAGES IN UPPERCASE is extremely rude - it's considered shouting and very aggressive. If you're a slow typist, stick with all lowercase.
Give people time to respond
"Machine gun" messaging is a really good way to get people to totally ignore you in future. Multiple questions sent to a recipient before they've had a chance to answer can seem more like an interrogation rather than a conversation. Pose a question, then give the other person the opportunity to respond - they may not be as fast a typist as you or may have been distracted. Most IM and live chat applications these days will show in the status bar if the other person is typing out a response. As a courtesy, you should also only ask a single question in each message and acknowledge the person's answer when they do respond.
Remain polite and non-judgemental
While you may spend the majority of your life on a keyboard, I'm told there's many people who don't :). Not only may these people be slow to respond, but their responses may seem too brief, curt or bordering on what appears to be illiteracy! Try not to judge the person based on your initial conversations. If a person seems to be abrupt, there's no need to match the abruptness; remain professional but polite. Just because someone else may not use the terms "please" and "thank you", it's no reason for you not to.
Pay attention
If a person has taken the time to request a live chat with you; give them your attention. You know what it's like at a store when the person is serving you and also speaking on the phone; it's just plain rude.
Wherever possible, give the person you are communicating with your undivided attention. It's not just a sign of respect, but if you have multiple conversations happening or are allowing other issues to distract you, you may miss an important point in the other person's messages or lose the gist of the conversation.
Jargon, slang and abbreviations
Jargon, abbreviations and slang used in live chat and instant messaging conversations can help reduce keystrokes, but may come across as being unprofessional to the person you are communicating with. Worse still, if the other person isn't familiar with the lingo, it may totally confuse. Until you get to know the person better, or you see them using the same lingo, best to steer clear of it.
Humor - be cautious
Just as with email communications, be very careful about the use of humor in live chat and instant messaging communications. In fact, in initial business conversations steer clear of jokes etc. unless the other party initiates them, and even then be careful as to how far you push it. There are all sorts of cultural and personal differences among the population, so what may seem funny to you may be considered weak or even offensive to others.
Use emoticons
Most IM and Live Chat programs include emoticon features. Emoticons are a good way to clarify the feeling attached to a message. If you are going to joke with the other party, a smiley :) is a good way to clarify that's exactly what it is.
Don't use custom fonts, text sizes and colors
You might think that your message texts look groovy in 22pt. hot pink, but think of the other person. I've had some conversations where the other person has decided to be "creative" and I've very nearly had to wear sunglasses :). Just stick with standard type/size/color messaging fonts.
Probing questions
It's quite amazing what types of information people will ask over IM - including very personal questions or questions relating to business that would be considered very confidential. Don't ask such probing questions unless you know the party very well or it's directly related to the service/product you are offering - start digging too deep with a new contact about their business or personal life and you may scare them off.
Be careful with confidential information
Instant messaging and live chat applications are not very secure by default. If you need to relay or receive confidential information, some applications will allow you to run secure IM sessions - check the application help file for that feature.
In regards to live chat software, it's always best to run it via an SSL (https://) connection. While this may slow down sending and receiving as the data will need be encrypted and decrypted, it will demonstrate to your clients that you take security seriously.
Using canned text
Many live chat software applications have features that allow for storing texts that are used often; such as a response to a commonly asked question - this is called "canned" text. You select the title of the text you want, click a button and it then appears in your message window ready to send.
Canned text is a great time saving feature, but one that is routinely abused. Canned text is fine if it applies 100% to the question that the person has asked, but in most instances it should be edited to suit the situation - use canned text with care.
Think before hitting the enter key
I've been in a number of IM conversations where things become a little heated, but I always try to stop and think before hitting the enter key.
With email, you may have a few minutes before your response is sent, but with IM and Live Chat, hit that button and it's out there. So much damage is done through people not taking a few more seconds to consider the effect what they have written may have on a situation.
If you're in a conversation that's getting a little too fiery, either break it off to reconvene a little later, or finish it face-to-face or via the phone. As with email, Instant Messaging conversations lack the advantages of physical signals such as body language and vocal intonation. In situations where emotions are running high, one wrong word can turn a difficult situation into explosive.
Unexpected events
Before sending a file, image or "pushing" the person you're messaging to a particular web page; warn them/ask their permission first. With so much nasty stuff happening on the web these days, people are understandably apprehensive when something occurs during a conversation that isn't expected.
Ending a conversation
It's important to properly end an IM conversation - you may think the chat is over, but the other person may not. While you're off doing other things, they may be sitting there staring at the screen waiting for further communication from you :).
At the end of the conversation, summarize the discussion and points to be actioned, ask the other person if they have any more questions and if not, thank them for their time.
Use availability status features wisely
All Instant Messaging applications allow you to set your status; e.g. "available", "away" etc. and you can also customize status messages - use these features (wisely). If you're set to "available" but you are in fact away from the computer you can really tick people off while they sit and wait for a response that will never come :).
With live chat software, there's usually 2 status settings - "online" or "offline". When in offline status, the live chat button on your site will usually invited the person to leave a message. As with instant messaging, be sure to set your software correctly, bearing in mind that the more often you are available for live chat, the better conversions you'll experience - it really is a great way to improve your online sales.
Monitoring live chat conversations
If you run an online business where multiple staff members are engaging in live conversations with clients, take the time to review conversations for quality control purposes. These people are representing your company and you need to ensure that they are relaying the type of image regarding your operations that you want. Most live chat software applications allow for the storage and retrieval of transcripts; some will even send the transcript to the software administrator automatically via email.
Finally, as with email, bear in mind that messaging sessions can be stored, then copied and pasted elsewhere. I've seen many IM/live chat conversations being posted up around the web on forums etc. much to the embarassment of the company or persons being targeted. The term "confidential" is somewhat rubbery these days, so again, think before you hit that enter key :).
Saturday, June 03, 2006
12 tips for online merchants for requesting support from providers
As webmasters and site owners, we are also consumers - we buy advertising and marketing services, software, hosting; in fact, as a group I'd say were are right up there in terms of average dollars spent online.
Even though we're familiar with the ways of the web, many of us still have challenges when requesting support via email from other merchants, suppliers and providers; particular in relation to software or other online services.
There's nothing worse than waiting hours for support request to be answered, only to receive a response that doesn't solve the problem. It's not always the merchant's fault - often it's a PEBCAK issue on your end (Problem Exists Between Chair and Keyboard) or it's a case of not describing accurately what the actual problem is. Take the time from the outset to get your initial support request right - it may save you much frustration.
1. What is the troublesome product/service?
Often I've seen one-line support requests such as "it doesn't work when I click the link", or "it's broken". Huh? What doesn't work and what link? Just because a web site advertises a single product, it doesn't mean the company behind the product doesn't have others - be specific in which product or service is affected, including the version number.
2. What operating system/browser are you using
It can be of great assistance to a support team to know what type of system you are running. For instance, in relation to web based applications, it's not unusual for certain apps not to work with specific browsers. Provide relevant details regarding any software that interacts with the service or application.
3. When did the problem start occurring
This is an important piece of information, especially when accompanied by a description of any changes you recently made to the system - regardless of whether you think it's related or not. During my servicing/hardware days, I would ask the question - "has anything changed on your system since just prior to this occurring", and get the response "No.". Hours later I'd find that something had changed, but the client didn't mention it because they thought it wouldn't have been related. In short, if you've found it necessary to have someone else try and fix your issue, answer any questions they ask - don't leave stuff out - they are the experts and will discern what's important and what isn't :).
4. How to reproduce the problem
Try to provide details of how the support team might be able to reproduce the error at their end. Computers and software are a little different to physical goods as there's so many more different combinations of things that can go wrong.
5. What have you done to try and fix the problem?
As we're mostly pretty resourceful people, we'll have a tendency to try and fix a problem ourselves before approaching support. It's a good idea to let the support team know exactly what you've done/checked already for two reasons:
a) It can save them time in trying the same possible solution or suggesting to you the same.
b) By trying to "fix" the problem, you may have actually dug yourself in deeper and they'll need to undo your work :).
6. What is your name/username?
Support teams don't solve issues by osmosis - they need basic information about you and your account. If you send a support request with an abbreviated name or just a first name and you're using a different email address from the one you registered with; you may have instantly created a hurdle that the support team has to jump through. If they can't find your account easily, they will write back to you asking for more details - more time wasted for both parties.
7. Quoting support replies in full
Many companies use support ticket systems which allow them to keep track of all the communications relating to a thread. That being the case, if you receive an autoresponse after initially submitting a ticket - read it. Quite often you'll find that the autoresponse specifically request that you don't reply with the full thread. The reason for this is that it can make a support thread in the merchants system unbelievably long. In instances where a ticketing system is used, you will also be provided with a password to view the full thread.
8. Send your request in plain text
As a security feature, many ticket systems don't allow for the display of HTML or scripting. While the system will strip out HTML code, it can still leave your request looking like a mess. This makes it more difficult for the support team to decipher the message. Wherever possible, just send your support request in plain text.
9. Don't send attachments initially
As another security measure, ticket systems may automatically strip off attachments - it's best to ask the support team that if they require screenshots etc; the email address of where you should send them to. Also, be considerate with your attachments when you do send them. A 30 megabtye screenshot won't win you any friends :).
10. Flagging things as urgent
Be really careful in flagging issues as being urgent - this should only be done when a problem is mission critical. If you continue to submit support requests with urgent flags and they really aren't, sooner or later the support team will give you less priority; usually around the time that you *really* need support urgently.
11. Keep it polite
Speak to a support team the way you would like to be addressed. They are human - by insulting and cursing, you're not setting up a very good environment to have your issues addressed in a timely manner. In many cases, your request will go to the bottom of the pile for a manager to review. That being the case, if the manager decides that your tone is way out of line - you may get a surprise and be told that your business is no longer appreciated. This is a stance that I take with people, and I encourage other managers to do the same. Life is too short to tolerate unnecessary abuse and your patronage will not be missed.
There's nothing wrong with expressing displeasure, just do so tactfully.
12. Lodging a complaint
Not everything will always go well even if you do follow all these guidelines and you're well within your rights to lodge a complaint. Complaints are a good thing as they give a company the opportunity to improve processes and alert management to a possible trend in support processes that can damage a company.
Probably the best way to lodge a complaint is in a response to the support team that you politely, but firmly, demand that the issue to be escalated to a manager, that the manager review the communication exchange to date and that you also be provided with the manager's contact details. If the manager is competent, he will soon identify that you're not just another loony customer threatening to sue, but that you're a logical, reasonable person who has a valid complaint. If he or she doesn't, then really, you don't want to be doing business with that company anyway - it's a sure sign of even worse things to come.
Special note - using "I'll sue"
I don't know how many times I've heard this in the last decade - and it's usually in connection with user error. I know in some parts of the world saying "I'll sue" is a little like saying hello, but my advice is to *never, ever* threaten to sue unless you fully intend to and have the means to. It's a little like the boy who cried wolf and will often backfire. I believe that in all my years online, I have only threatened legal action in regards to a supplier twice, and, yes, my lawyer was standing by ready to act on my behalf in each instance.
If you're finding yourself threatening to sue a provider every other day, you're either the most unluckiest person in the world or perhaps the attitude problem lies with you rather than the merchants you deal with :).
These tips may appear to be a lot to think about before submitting a support request; but if it decreases the amount of time you spend in back and forth overall, then surely the effort is worth it. Less time = less money lost.
As mentioned, following these tips won't ensure an excellent and speedy level of support in every instance and with every company, but they will definitely help towards that goal.
Think of your own online business and the frustrations you experience with clients - surely you don't wish to inflict the same upon a fellow merchant or provider? It just takes a little thought and a little extra time; but everyone wins and it helps to promote a more friendly online business environment.
Even though we're familiar with the ways of the web, many of us still have challenges when requesting support via email from other merchants, suppliers and providers; particular in relation to software or other online services.
There's nothing worse than waiting hours for support request to be answered, only to receive a response that doesn't solve the problem. It's not always the merchant's fault - often it's a PEBCAK issue on your end (Problem Exists Between Chair and Keyboard) or it's a case of not describing accurately what the actual problem is. Take the time from the outset to get your initial support request right - it may save you much frustration.
1. What is the troublesome product/service?
Often I've seen one-line support requests such as "it doesn't work when I click the link", or "it's broken". Huh? What doesn't work and what link? Just because a web site advertises a single product, it doesn't mean the company behind the product doesn't have others - be specific in which product or service is affected, including the version number.
2. What operating system/browser are you using
It can be of great assistance to a support team to know what type of system you are running. For instance, in relation to web based applications, it's not unusual for certain apps not to work with specific browsers. Provide relevant details regarding any software that interacts with the service or application.
3. When did the problem start occurring
This is an important piece of information, especially when accompanied by a description of any changes you recently made to the system - regardless of whether you think it's related or not. During my servicing/hardware days, I would ask the question - "has anything changed on your system since just prior to this occurring", and get the response "No.". Hours later I'd find that something had changed, but the client didn't mention it because they thought it wouldn't have been related. In short, if you've found it necessary to have someone else try and fix your issue, answer any questions they ask - don't leave stuff out - they are the experts and will discern what's important and what isn't :).
4. How to reproduce the problem
Try to provide details of how the support team might be able to reproduce the error at their end. Computers and software are a little different to physical goods as there's so many more different combinations of things that can go wrong.
5. What have you done to try and fix the problem?
As we're mostly pretty resourceful people, we'll have a tendency to try and fix a problem ourselves before approaching support. It's a good idea to let the support team know exactly what you've done/checked already for two reasons:
a) It can save them time in trying the same possible solution or suggesting to you the same.
b) By trying to "fix" the problem, you may have actually dug yourself in deeper and they'll need to undo your work :).
6. What is your name/username?
Support teams don't solve issues by osmosis - they need basic information about you and your account. If you send a support request with an abbreviated name or just a first name and you're using a different email address from the one you registered with; you may have instantly created a hurdle that the support team has to jump through. If they can't find your account easily, they will write back to you asking for more details - more time wasted for both parties.
7. Quoting support replies in full
Many companies use support ticket systems which allow them to keep track of all the communications relating to a thread. That being the case, if you receive an autoresponse after initially submitting a ticket - read it. Quite often you'll find that the autoresponse specifically request that you don't reply with the full thread. The reason for this is that it can make a support thread in the merchants system unbelievably long. In instances where a ticketing system is used, you will also be provided with a password to view the full thread.
8. Send your request in plain text
As a security feature, many ticket systems don't allow for the display of HTML or scripting. While the system will strip out HTML code, it can still leave your request looking like a mess. This makes it more difficult for the support team to decipher the message. Wherever possible, just send your support request in plain text.
9. Don't send attachments initially
As another security measure, ticket systems may automatically strip off attachments - it's best to ask the support team that if they require screenshots etc; the email address of where you should send them to. Also, be considerate with your attachments when you do send them. A 30 megabtye screenshot won't win you any friends :).
10. Flagging things as urgent
Be really careful in flagging issues as being urgent - this should only be done when a problem is mission critical. If you continue to submit support requests with urgent flags and they really aren't, sooner or later the support team will give you less priority; usually around the time that you *really* need support urgently.
11. Keep it polite
Speak to a support team the way you would like to be addressed. They are human - by insulting and cursing, you're not setting up a very good environment to have your issues addressed in a timely manner. In many cases, your request will go to the bottom of the pile for a manager to review. That being the case, if the manager decides that your tone is way out of line - you may get a surprise and be told that your business is no longer appreciated. This is a stance that I take with people, and I encourage other managers to do the same. Life is too short to tolerate unnecessary abuse and your patronage will not be missed.
There's nothing wrong with expressing displeasure, just do so tactfully.
12. Lodging a complaint
Not everything will always go well even if you do follow all these guidelines and you're well within your rights to lodge a complaint. Complaints are a good thing as they give a company the opportunity to improve processes and alert management to a possible trend in support processes that can damage a company.
Probably the best way to lodge a complaint is in a response to the support team that you politely, but firmly, demand that the issue to be escalated to a manager, that the manager review the communication exchange to date and that you also be provided with the manager's contact details. If the manager is competent, he will soon identify that you're not just another loony customer threatening to sue, but that you're a logical, reasonable person who has a valid complaint. If he or she doesn't, then really, you don't want to be doing business with that company anyway - it's a sure sign of even worse things to come.
Special note - using "I'll sue"
I don't know how many times I've heard this in the last decade - and it's usually in connection with user error. I know in some parts of the world saying "I'll sue" is a little like saying hello, but my advice is to *never, ever* threaten to sue unless you fully intend to and have the means to. It's a little like the boy who cried wolf and will often backfire. I believe that in all my years online, I have only threatened legal action in regards to a supplier twice, and, yes, my lawyer was standing by ready to act on my behalf in each instance.
If you're finding yourself threatening to sue a provider every other day, you're either the most unluckiest person in the world or perhaps the attitude problem lies with you rather than the merchants you deal with :).
These tips may appear to be a lot to think about before submitting a support request; but if it decreases the amount of time you spend in back and forth overall, then surely the effort is worth it. Less time = less money lost.
As mentioned, following these tips won't ensure an excellent and speedy level of support in every instance and with every company, but they will definitely help towards that goal.
Think of your own online business and the frustrations you experience with clients - surely you don't wish to inflict the same upon a fellow merchant or provider? It just takes a little thought and a little extra time; but everyone wins and it helps to promote a more friendly online business environment.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Review: 120 Top Tips
Running your own e-commerce site can be difficult. Keeping up with trends, security problems, increasing or decreasing sales and marketing tricks can overwhelm many business owners. Wouldn't it be nice to have a handy guide to help you out once in a while? Fortunately, the folks at Actinic have done just that with Over 120 Top Tips for Running an Ecommerce Web Site.
Based in the United Kingdom, Actinic is an e-commerce Web developer specializing in solutions for small-to-medium-sized businesses. CEO Chris Barling and sales manager Bruce Townsend compiled what they consider to be the basics of running a successful e-commerce site, whether you're a newbie or old hat. "Top Tips," while small and sometimes redundant, is an ideal guide for any e-commerce business owner who needs a quick refresher or a new idea.
"In this guide we share the basic steps to setting up shop on the Web, together with the key lessons we have learned that can make the difference between success and failure," they write.
"120 Top Tips" is comprised of six chapters: Introduction to Selling Online, Marketing Your Web Site, Security and the Law, Shipping, Customer Relationship Management and Last Thoughts.
The beginning of Chapter One takes the reader through a necessary reality check every budding entrepreneur should think about. For example, "Make sure that e-commerce is right for you." Just because you sell electronics doesn't mean it's a good idea to do so online, given there are literally hundreds or thousands of established sites selling the exact same products.
Other tips in this section are more obvious, like making sure you control your costs, use technology solutions that already work (don't re-invent the wheel!) and find a reliable host. Even the decision to do everything yourself or outsource your operations needs serious consideration.
The authors focus (rightly so) a lot on security. Con artists are coming up with new tricks every day and it's important that experienced and not-so-experienced businesses owners make security a top priority or risk losing thousands of dollars — or even their entire business. For example, the authors urge, "It is sensible for merchants to put anti-fraud policies in place such as phoning to confirm orders that are (of) a particularly high value or that come from parts of the world more prone to fraud."
While this guide contains plenty of tips, the authors are guilty of throwing in answers to frequently asked questions ("Is e-commerce profitable?") and giving their opinions. There's also a bit of redundancy throughout the guide - which, it can be argued, is a good thing given that certain basics need to be drilled into any e-commerce business owner's head (again, think security).
My favorite section of "120 Top Tips" contains marketing advice for attracting buyers to an online store. Many of the tips are basic - but important to get right from the very beginning. Such as "Ask the question, what's working?" and "Learn from the Success of Others."
"Keep an eye on your competitors, and on successful sites in other market sectors. Don't just copy them; but do learn from what they are doing , and think about how you can adapt good ideas in appropriate ways," say the authors on learning from others.
Other tips they mention go largely ignored by many business owners online. But if followed, might yield plenty of benefit. For example, "Use forums and newsgroups."
"Provided that you participate responsibly and provide genuinely helpful advice, you can get the chance to talk about your company, products and offerings. In fact, done skillfully, people will end up asking you for information on your products and services, and that is really powerful," the authors advise. This doesn't mean you should spam hundreds of online forums. In other words, establish yourself as an expert and reliable resource and people will turn to you when they're ready to buy.
Readers must keep in mind that Actinic is based in the UK and some of the language is British English. There are also numerous references to British Pounds and the Euro, as well as the European Value Added Tax (VAT). For non-European readers, some of the information may be irrelevant, but some of the lessons translate no matter where you are. For example, you better make sure your sales tax structure is correct.
Perhaps the most useful section in "120 Top Tips" is "Ways to Show Customers You Care." No matter what you are selling online, it's likely you will have several competitors fighting for the same dollars you're fighting for. So what can make you stand out? The obvious answer is superb customer service. If your competitors aren't treating their customers right, then that's where you can shine. The authors suggest "Look(ing) for every opportunity to personalize your service" and urge site owners to "Review your service continually." How right they are.
Based in the United Kingdom, Actinic is an e-commerce Web developer specializing in solutions for small-to-medium-sized businesses. CEO Chris Barling and sales manager Bruce Townsend compiled what they consider to be the basics of running a successful e-commerce site, whether you're a newbie or old hat. "Top Tips," while small and sometimes redundant, is an ideal guide for any e-commerce business owner who needs a quick refresher or a new idea.
"In this guide we share the basic steps to setting up shop on the Web, together with the key lessons we have learned that can make the difference between success and failure," they write.
"120 Top Tips" is comprised of six chapters: Introduction to Selling Online, Marketing Your Web Site, Security and the Law, Shipping, Customer Relationship Management and Last Thoughts.
The beginning of Chapter One takes the reader through a necessary reality check every budding entrepreneur should think about. For example, "Make sure that e-commerce is right for you." Just because you sell electronics doesn't mean it's a good idea to do so online, given there are literally hundreds or thousands of established sites selling the exact same products.
Other tips in this section are more obvious, like making sure you control your costs, use technology solutions that already work (don't re-invent the wheel!) and find a reliable host. Even the decision to do everything yourself or outsource your operations needs serious consideration.
The authors focus (rightly so) a lot on security. Con artists are coming up with new tricks every day and it's important that experienced and not-so-experienced businesses owners make security a top priority or risk losing thousands of dollars — or even their entire business. For example, the authors urge, "It is sensible for merchants to put anti-fraud policies in place such as phoning to confirm orders that are (of) a particularly high value or that come from parts of the world more prone to fraud."
While this guide contains plenty of tips, the authors are guilty of throwing in answers to frequently asked questions ("Is e-commerce profitable?") and giving their opinions. There's also a bit of redundancy throughout the guide - which, it can be argued, is a good thing given that certain basics need to be drilled into any e-commerce business owner's head (again, think security).
My favorite section of "120 Top Tips" contains marketing advice for attracting buyers to an online store. Many of the tips are basic - but important to get right from the very beginning. Such as "Ask the question, what's working?" and "Learn from the Success of Others."
"Keep an eye on your competitors, and on successful sites in other market sectors. Don't just copy them; but do learn from what they are doing , and think about how you can adapt good ideas in appropriate ways," say the authors on learning from others.
Other tips they mention go largely ignored by many business owners online. But if followed, might yield plenty of benefit. For example, "Use forums and newsgroups."
"Provided that you participate responsibly and provide genuinely helpful advice, you can get the chance to talk about your company, products and offerings. In fact, done skillfully, people will end up asking you for information on your products and services, and that is really powerful," the authors advise. This doesn't mean you should spam hundreds of online forums. In other words, establish yourself as an expert and reliable resource and people will turn to you when they're ready to buy.
Readers must keep in mind that Actinic is based in the UK and some of the language is British English. There are also numerous references to British Pounds and the Euro, as well as the European Value Added Tax (VAT). For non-European readers, some of the information may be irrelevant, but some of the lessons translate no matter where you are. For example, you better make sure your sales tax structure is correct.
Perhaps the most useful section in "120 Top Tips" is "Ways to Show Customers You Care." No matter what you are selling online, it's likely you will have several competitors fighting for the same dollars you're fighting for. So what can make you stand out? The obvious answer is superb customer service. If your competitors aren't treating their customers right, then that's where you can shine. The authors suggest "Look(ing) for every opportunity to personalize your service" and urge site owners to "Review your service continually." How right they are.
Going Back to School with eBay U
According to spokesmen James Griffith, in August of 1996 eBay had 5,400 registered users, listed on the site alphabetically by their email addresses. Today, email addresses are no longer user ID's, and listing all eBayers would be problematic — being as how eBay has grown to over 147 million registered users world wide, making it perhaps the seventh or eighth largest 'nation' on the planet. On top of this, according to A.C. Neilson research, there are over 700,000 American sellers who claim to make a part or full-time living on eBay. Is it possible to expand on this fantastic growth?
eBay thinks so. To grow its sellers and increase sales and revenue, eBay launched the latest version of its traveling road show known as eBay University in June 2005, teaching three courses on how to successfully sell on the site. Since then and through the remainder of 2005, eBay University will have visited 34 cities, and plans to continue the program in 2006.
eBay University is touted to registered eBay users through emails and a link on the eBay site. The three, day-long courses are "eBay Basics," "Beyond The Basics" and "eBay For Business," all taught by a group of eBay and general business specialists, many of whom have written how-to books on successful selling strategies for the site or their areas of expertise. The fees are moderate — $59 for each course, with a 'package' price of $89 for the 'Basics' and "Beyond the Basics' classes.
The moderate fees cannot begin to cover eBay's costs for running a program such as this, but then eBay's agenda here is to promote the site, and the eBay University program does just that. Besides the "eBay Basics" course — which is intended to segue eBay buyers and non-users into the seller mode — the two advanced courses heavily promote PayPal, optional features, encourage International selling, and offer strategies designed to propel small volume and occasional eBay sellers into Power Seller status.
This reporter caught up with eBay U. at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City in late October and sat in on the "eBay For Business" and "Beyond The Basics" courses. Though selling on the site since 1999, I expected to find cues and tips that were useful in future selling. These I found, along with much general business and mail order information and insights that would be useful for anyone selling online.
Each course is accompanied by a 100-plus page book covering in detail what the presenters discuss. Some course instructors can be exuberant, with presentations sprinkled with such adjectives as "awesome" and "very awesome" (whatever that might be), but they are all skilled speakers, and the presentation issues are accompanied by a 20 foot projection screen, emphasizing and summarizing each point.
eBay for Business
Unlike the other two courses, eBay for Business is offered once rather than twice over the three-day program, possibly due to the schedule of its tax/legal issue instructor, attorney Cliff Ennico, a nationally syndicated columnist and author on the subject.
Issues include selecting from the various forms of business entities, that which suit's the individual situation — such as sole proprietorship, partnerships, "C" and "S" corporations, and limited liability companies — each presented with the pros and cons in a clear, concise manner.
The presentation moves on to legal liabilities for selling on eBay — warranties, express and implied, legal disclaimers, refund and return policies, etc. Under dealing with deadbeat bidders, you can call and threaten to sue, but it is advised that you cannot imply that the debtor has committed a crime, call in the middle of the night, or threaten to attach a debtor's wages or property — unless you actually intend to do it!
The final suggestion is to consult an attorney before calling a deadbeat bidder.
Tax issues are complex and covered in detail, beginning with the basics of tax compliance such as Federal and local tax ID's, filing on time, tax payment schedules, requirements for sales tax collection, and the like. Deducting home office space used to automatically trigger an audit, but this is no longer the case, though home office space must be precisely measured, and a baby's stroller or any other non-business item in the space kills the deduction.
Accounting and bookkeeping issues are also covered at length, including what to look for in an accountant or bookkeeper. Also covered are the legal aspects and responsibilities of hiring and firing employees. Under the delicate topic of firing a worker, it is advised to lock the employee out of the computer before the meeting, fire on a Monday, not a Friday, have a witness present, keep emotions out of it, and, strongly emphasized — the less said, the better.
In all, Ennico's presentation should provide valuable information to all but the most experienced and savvy entrepreneurs.
The Business course then segues into operating an eBay business, starting with setting goals, and the first of several pitches touting Power Seller status and why and how to achieve it. (Power Seller status begins at 'Bronze' with sales of at least $1,000 a month, and extends into the stratosphere to 'Titanium,' at $150,000 a month.)
There are common sense suggestions, such as avoiding the use of music in listings and keeping image sizes reasonable (since 50 percent of the U.S. still uses slow dial-up connections,) knowing your competition, avoiding spelling mistakes and combative seller terms, and, in general, making an attractive presentation in your sales.
The section on Research Tools should be useful to many eBay sellers. Selling something without researching the item's past performance is a recipe for wasting time and, often, losing or leaving money on the table. eBay offers several services that provide insight into what moves on the site with a link in it's Marketplace Research page, accessed via web browser at http://solutions.ebay.com
The first of these is the "What's Hot" page linked through Seller Central. By clicking on "Sell By Category," then "In Demand," a seller can determine currently popular items in most categories.
Relatively new to the site is the "Want It Now" page linked through the eBay home page. There, buyers post items they want but cannot find on the site.
For those who wish to tie their sales to eBay's promotions, there is the "Merchandising Calendar" linked through Seller Central that gives advance notice of promotions — a tool particularly useful to Store sellers.
The course segues into common sense solutions for finding merchandise to sell on eBay, suggesting the usual suspects — garage and estate sales, flea markets, thrift shops, auctions and the like, as well as cueing sellers into the "Whole Sale Lots" category on the site, then using search words such as 'bulk,' 'pallet,' 'case,' 'lot.' The problem with this strategy is that many sellers are wholesaling goods for a reason and it is often because the item cannot be sold individually on the site. In the "Beyond The Basics" course, finding independent eBay certified wholesalers is dealt with in detail.
The afternoon sessions offers micro detail cues on how to start, maintain and grow an eBay business in the auction and Stores formats — from pricing, listing, keyword strategies to shipping advice and virtually every issue in between. Interspersed throughout are touts for eBay products such as PayPal, payments that are offered by a large majority of eBay sellers. eBay claims that sellers who offer PayPal average 6-7 percent higher sell-through prices than those who don't.
eBay — Beyond the Basics
There is a certain amount of redundancy between the 'Business' and 'Beyond the Basics' courses, but deeper detail and additional presentations, such as International Selling, add to the value of this course.
International Selling covers an untapped source of revenue for many eBay sellers. In fact, eBay claims that 46 percent of their sales are now international, and that cross-border sales average 6.3 percent more than domestic sell-through prices. The presentation whets the appetite of the audience with the fact that someone in Germany was willing to pay $77 for a $3.99 five-pack of Oreo cookies. Whether anyone else will ever again pay $77 for the same cookies on eBay is another matter, but the point that many American products can do well overseas, is fact.
The presentation covers the basics of how to fill out a customs form, legal issues including accurate and honest declarations, the most cost efficient shipping (generally USPS), language and money conversions, and foreign buyer-friendly ways to list. And, again, pushing sellers to use PayPal. eBay claims that foreign sellers who accept PayPal payments average 16.7 higher sell-through prices. This makes sense because transferring funds from overseas can be costly and difficult for international buyers who do not have an expedient such as PayPal, Bidpay or Western Union checks payable on U.S. banks. For anyone who sells mainly or exclusively to overseas buyers, PayPal is a requisite.
In the "Beyond the Basics" course, eBay screams the following: Give the buyers what they want! To that end, a number of sophisticated search and marketing report tools that aid in nailing down what's hot and when, are covered. One such pay-for, eBay certified site is Terapeak, which offers sophisticated data on category results, key ratios, listing features and successful duration times, among other features. Free and optional eBay features such as "Sales Report Plus," are also covered in considerable detail.
Under the topic of search engine marketing, there is also an interesting presentation on the necessity of getting a 'top-30' search result placing on Google and Yahoo!, as well as methods of getting into the top five results, or "before the fold," which yields the best results in search engine queries. This is accomplished by bidding on a pay per click (PPC) basis for top placement on the search engines. Bids or prices paid per click-through range from a few pennies to $100. Also covered in detail are important keyword cues for linking with buyers and many other aspects of search engine marketing. This should be a fascinating presentation for all those, who like myself, are semi- to totally clueless on the process and its value.
While many aspects of the "Beyond The Basics" course are covered elsewhere, here they are covered in greater detail. Under finding merchandise to sell, for instance, eBay certified but independent wholesalers who do not sell on the site (and thus do not, theoretically, compete against you) are offered, as are others. (The rub here is that often you have to buy BIG: one speaker contacted a wholesaler on the minimum order for an item and was told it was five shipping containers — for $160,000.)
eBay claims that it takes 20 minutes to manually list a sale, and if you list one-of-a-kind-items as I do, this can certainly be the case. eBay offers a variety of free and optional charge automation tools such as Turbo Lister, which can be useful for any seller who deals in bulk listings. File Exchange, a new eBay tool that is platform independent, allows medium to high volume sellers to list o eBay auctions, fixed-price or Stores with a single application from an MS Excel spreadsheet, MS Access or other software.
Cross-merchandising and promotions are covered, as well as linking to stores and external web pages with free and optional eBay tools.
The remainder of the course offers advanced suggestions and solutions for virtually every other aspect of eBay selling — from photography, headers and descriptions through packing and shipping to feedbacks and sales and inventory management. It's noted that the dreaded task of packaging is not thankless: well-packed goods give a sense of professionalism, and do lead to more positive feedback — not to mention that the item does not spin back because it broke in transit.
The presentations are lively and upbeat, interspersed with anecdotes and eBay success stories with examples that could incite greed in a hermit, such as the free box at a garage sale which contained a fish lure that sold for $32,000. (On the screen we see a rather silly looking lure, in our hearts we feel money lust.)
eBay University is also offered online, but the live presentations are recommended. For most people, the impact of the live presentations accompanied by a 20-foot square projection screen and frequent question and answer periods should enhance and ease the learning experience over merely reading a downloaded book or PC screen.
Overall, eBay University with its moderate fees constitutes a bargain in today's ecommerce solutions marketplace, and should prove itself valuable for many, if not most, eBay sellers.
eBay thinks so. To grow its sellers and increase sales and revenue, eBay launched the latest version of its traveling road show known as eBay University in June 2005, teaching three courses on how to successfully sell on the site. Since then and through the remainder of 2005, eBay University will have visited 34 cities, and plans to continue the program in 2006.
eBay University is touted to registered eBay users through emails and a link on the eBay site. The three, day-long courses are "eBay Basics," "Beyond The Basics" and "eBay For Business," all taught by a group of eBay and general business specialists, many of whom have written how-to books on successful selling strategies for the site or their areas of expertise. The fees are moderate — $59 for each course, with a 'package' price of $89 for the 'Basics' and "Beyond the Basics' classes.
The moderate fees cannot begin to cover eBay's costs for running a program such as this, but then eBay's agenda here is to promote the site, and the eBay University program does just that. Besides the "eBay Basics" course — which is intended to segue eBay buyers and non-users into the seller mode — the two advanced courses heavily promote PayPal, optional features, encourage International selling, and offer strategies designed to propel small volume and occasional eBay sellers into Power Seller status.
This reporter caught up with eBay U. at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City in late October and sat in on the "eBay For Business" and "Beyond The Basics" courses. Though selling on the site since 1999, I expected to find cues and tips that were useful in future selling. These I found, along with much general business and mail order information and insights that would be useful for anyone selling online.
Each course is accompanied by a 100-plus page book covering in detail what the presenters discuss. Some course instructors can be exuberant, with presentations sprinkled with such adjectives as "awesome" and "very awesome" (whatever that might be), but they are all skilled speakers, and the presentation issues are accompanied by a 20 foot projection screen, emphasizing and summarizing each point.
eBay for Business
Unlike the other two courses, eBay for Business is offered once rather than twice over the three-day program, possibly due to the schedule of its tax/legal issue instructor, attorney Cliff Ennico, a nationally syndicated columnist and author on the subject.
Issues include selecting from the various forms of business entities, that which suit's the individual situation — such as sole proprietorship, partnerships, "C" and "S" corporations, and limited liability companies — each presented with the pros and cons in a clear, concise manner.
The presentation moves on to legal liabilities for selling on eBay — warranties, express and implied, legal disclaimers, refund and return policies, etc. Under dealing with deadbeat bidders, you can call and threaten to sue, but it is advised that you cannot imply that the debtor has committed a crime, call in the middle of the night, or threaten to attach a debtor's wages or property — unless you actually intend to do it!
The final suggestion is to consult an attorney before calling a deadbeat bidder.
Tax issues are complex and covered in detail, beginning with the basics of tax compliance such as Federal and local tax ID's, filing on time, tax payment schedules, requirements for sales tax collection, and the like. Deducting home office space used to automatically trigger an audit, but this is no longer the case, though home office space must be precisely measured, and a baby's stroller or any other non-business item in the space kills the deduction.
Accounting and bookkeeping issues are also covered at length, including what to look for in an accountant or bookkeeper. Also covered are the legal aspects and responsibilities of hiring and firing employees. Under the delicate topic of firing a worker, it is advised to lock the employee out of the computer before the meeting, fire on a Monday, not a Friday, have a witness present, keep emotions out of it, and, strongly emphasized — the less said, the better.
In all, Ennico's presentation should provide valuable information to all but the most experienced and savvy entrepreneurs.
The Business course then segues into operating an eBay business, starting with setting goals, and the first of several pitches touting Power Seller status and why and how to achieve it. (Power Seller status begins at 'Bronze' with sales of at least $1,000 a month, and extends into the stratosphere to 'Titanium,' at $150,000 a month.)
There are common sense suggestions, such as avoiding the use of music in listings and keeping image sizes reasonable (since 50 percent of the U.S. still uses slow dial-up connections,) knowing your competition, avoiding spelling mistakes and combative seller terms, and, in general, making an attractive presentation in your sales.
The section on Research Tools should be useful to many eBay sellers. Selling something without researching the item's past performance is a recipe for wasting time and, often, losing or leaving money on the table. eBay offers several services that provide insight into what moves on the site with a link in it's Marketplace Research page, accessed via web browser at http://solutions.ebay.com
The first of these is the "What's Hot" page linked through Seller Central. By clicking on "Sell By Category," then "In Demand," a seller can determine currently popular items in most categories.
Relatively new to the site is the "Want It Now" page linked through the eBay home page. There, buyers post items they want but cannot find on the site.
For those who wish to tie their sales to eBay's promotions, there is the "Merchandising Calendar" linked through Seller Central that gives advance notice of promotions — a tool particularly useful to Store sellers.
The course segues into common sense solutions for finding merchandise to sell on eBay, suggesting the usual suspects — garage and estate sales, flea markets, thrift shops, auctions and the like, as well as cueing sellers into the "Whole Sale Lots" category on the site, then using search words such as 'bulk,' 'pallet,' 'case,' 'lot.' The problem with this strategy is that many sellers are wholesaling goods for a reason and it is often because the item cannot be sold individually on the site. In the "Beyond The Basics" course, finding independent eBay certified wholesalers is dealt with in detail.
The afternoon sessions offers micro detail cues on how to start, maintain and grow an eBay business in the auction and Stores formats — from pricing, listing, keyword strategies to shipping advice and virtually every issue in between. Interspersed throughout are touts for eBay products such as PayPal, payments that are offered by a large majority of eBay sellers. eBay claims that sellers who offer PayPal average 6-7 percent higher sell-through prices than those who don't.
eBay — Beyond the Basics
There is a certain amount of redundancy between the 'Business' and 'Beyond the Basics' courses, but deeper detail and additional presentations, such as International Selling, add to the value of this course.
International Selling covers an untapped source of revenue for many eBay sellers. In fact, eBay claims that 46 percent of their sales are now international, and that cross-border sales average 6.3 percent more than domestic sell-through prices. The presentation whets the appetite of the audience with the fact that someone in Germany was willing to pay $77 for a $3.99 five-pack of Oreo cookies. Whether anyone else will ever again pay $77 for the same cookies on eBay is another matter, but the point that many American products can do well overseas, is fact.
The presentation covers the basics of how to fill out a customs form, legal issues including accurate and honest declarations, the most cost efficient shipping (generally USPS), language and money conversions, and foreign buyer-friendly ways to list. And, again, pushing sellers to use PayPal. eBay claims that foreign sellers who accept PayPal payments average 16.7 higher sell-through prices. This makes sense because transferring funds from overseas can be costly and difficult for international buyers who do not have an expedient such as PayPal, Bidpay or Western Union checks payable on U.S. banks. For anyone who sells mainly or exclusively to overseas buyers, PayPal is a requisite.
In the "Beyond the Basics" course, eBay screams the following: Give the buyers what they want! To that end, a number of sophisticated search and marketing report tools that aid in nailing down what's hot and when, are covered. One such pay-for, eBay certified site is Terapeak, which offers sophisticated data on category results, key ratios, listing features and successful duration times, among other features. Free and optional eBay features such as "Sales Report Plus," are also covered in considerable detail.
Under the topic of search engine marketing, there is also an interesting presentation on the necessity of getting a 'top-30' search result placing on Google and Yahoo!, as well as methods of getting into the top five results, or "before the fold," which yields the best results in search engine queries. This is accomplished by bidding on a pay per click (PPC) basis for top placement on the search engines. Bids or prices paid per click-through range from a few pennies to $100. Also covered in detail are important keyword cues for linking with buyers and many other aspects of search engine marketing. This should be a fascinating presentation for all those, who like myself, are semi- to totally clueless on the process and its value.
While many aspects of the "Beyond The Basics" course are covered elsewhere, here they are covered in greater detail. Under finding merchandise to sell, for instance, eBay certified but independent wholesalers who do not sell on the site (and thus do not, theoretically, compete against you) are offered, as are others. (The rub here is that often you have to buy BIG: one speaker contacted a wholesaler on the minimum order for an item and was told it was five shipping containers — for $160,000.)
eBay claims that it takes 20 minutes to manually list a sale, and if you list one-of-a-kind-items as I do, this can certainly be the case. eBay offers a variety of free and optional charge automation tools such as Turbo Lister, which can be useful for any seller who deals in bulk listings. File Exchange, a new eBay tool that is platform independent, allows medium to high volume sellers to list o eBay auctions, fixed-price or Stores with a single application from an MS Excel spreadsheet, MS Access or other software.
Cross-merchandising and promotions are covered, as well as linking to stores and external web pages with free and optional eBay tools.
The remainder of the course offers advanced suggestions and solutions for virtually every other aspect of eBay selling — from photography, headers and descriptions through packing and shipping to feedbacks and sales and inventory management. It's noted that the dreaded task of packaging is not thankless: well-packed goods give a sense of professionalism, and do lead to more positive feedback — not to mention that the item does not spin back because it broke in transit.
The presentations are lively and upbeat, interspersed with anecdotes and eBay success stories with examples that could incite greed in a hermit, such as the free box at a garage sale which contained a fish lure that sold for $32,000. (On the screen we see a rather silly looking lure, in our hearts we feel money lust.)
eBay University is also offered online, but the live presentations are recommended. For most people, the impact of the live presentations accompanied by a 20-foot square projection screen and frequent question and answer periods should enhance and ease the learning experience over merely reading a downloaded book or PC screen.
Overall, eBay University with its moderate fees constitutes a bargain in today's ecommerce solutions marketplace, and should prove itself valuable for many, if not most, eBay sellers.
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