| "Objection" is a term taken directly from sales and | | | | payment processors, like Nochex. It might just be |
| marketing training, and it is important you understand | | | | that your interested buyer only has a Nochex |
| the significance of objections to your eBay sales | | | | account.Opening accounts is free. Paying anyone via |
| process.Objections are those points, sometimes small | | | | PayPal or Nochex is also free - which is why so many |
| issues, which make a bidder or a buyer think again | | | | auction bidders and buyers use them.There are |
| about going for your offering.In your auction | | | | charges for you as a seller, however, and these are |
| description you need to remove as many of these | | | | incurred when you receive money and/or when you |
| objections as you can.These are the kind of | | | | transfer money from/to your PayPal or Nochex |
| objections which your prospective buyers will | | | | accounts from/to your own bank account. Check out |
| have.Objection 1 | | | | the respective fees via their web sites.In my |
| Is the seller trustworthy?The buyer usually doesn't | | | | experience, the rates of charges are reasonable for |
| know you. If they're serious bidders they will check | | | | giving you the significant advantage of being able to |
| you out. How will they do this?a) A good Feedback | | | | accept credit/debit card payments on your auctions.If |
| Rating will be one way they assess you. Be | | | | you are selling low value items, say less than £3 |
| determined in getting your feedback up, and making | | | | ($6), it may be prudent to add a small sum or |
| it all positive.b) They might also click through to your | | | | percentage to the final sale value to cover |
| About Me page. This page gives you the opportunity | | | | this.Speaking personally, I never ask the buyer to |
| to convey your personality and your honesty.One of | | | | incur additional charges for using PayPal or Nochex. |
| eBay's standard About Me page formats lets you | | | | By now, you should have realized why - it's called |
| display your recent feedbacks - always useful - and | | | | removing an objection! I take the view that buyers |
| also your other auctions, again useful. This is in | | | | who wish to pay by credit/debit card should not be |
| addition to anything about yourself which helps to | | | | discouraged in any way - and a surcharge of this |
| show what a sincere and genuine person you are.And | | | | nature might just prevent them from bidding or |
| finally, if you have a web site from which you sell | | | | buying.If you don't have PayPal account and you'd |
| products or services, you are allowed to place a | | | | like to create one, go here: |
| direct link to it from the About Me page. (This is in | | | | you don't have Nochex account and you'd like to |
| marked contrast to your auction description page, | | | | create one, go here: |
| where eBay does not allow direct links to web | | | | I mentioned, they're free to set up.Objection 3 |
| pages.) So, create an About Me page and incorporate | | | | Is delivery expensive?Always fully describe your |
| the points mentioned.c) A prospective bidder may | | | | delivery details within your auction description. Be up |
| wish to ask you a question. As you will know, there | | | | front about shipping costs.If bidders or buyers aren't |
| is a standard eBay facility whereby a bidder can ask | | | | given this detail within the auction description, they |
| a seller a question. You should really welcome | | | | may become suspicious that the seller is hiding |
| questions.Why do I say this?Well, if a bidder asks | | | | something, and therefore decide not to bid.There is |
| you a question, first of all you know they are | | | | no reason why you cannot say up front how much |
| interested in your offering. They wouldn't have | | | | P&P will be. You can find out the real delivery costs |
| wasted their time on typing out their question to you | | | | of the company you plan to use. You can get these |
| if they weren't. Also, by asking you a question they | | | | details from their website.Once you have the postal |
| are qualifying themselves in as a real prospect. And | | | | costs you can add the appropriate handling and |
| you now have the chance in your reply to directly | | | | packaging costs, and there you have the figure to let |
| influence them. Depending on the nature of their | | | | your buyers know in advance that you're not hiding |
| enquiry, you have the opportunity to convey your | | | | anything.You have just removed another doubt in |
| integrity, honesty, credibility, fair mindedness, | | | | your prospective buyer's mind.Incidentally, there have |
| helpfulness, expertise, knowledge, other appropriate | | | | also been occasions where sellers have sold items at |
| products etc.So, if questions are such good things, | | | | what appear to be cheap prices, but have inflated |
| why not make it easy for the bidder to ask one? | | | | delivery costs to compensate, or even over |
| Always have some text in your auction description | | | | compensate. Never do this!Objection 4 |
| offering to answer any questions, with a link to your | | | | What happens if the item arrives damaged?In your |
| email address. If you have a little knowledge of | | | | auction description you should cover your policy in |
| HTML coding you will know how easy this is to do. It | | | | relation to damages and insurance.If you're selling |
| is far better than simply relying on buyers finding the | | | | higher value items you may wish to consider using a |
| standard "Ask the seller a question" link provided by | | | | delivery service which includes insurance. Remember, |
| eBay.d) You might consider a moneyback guarantee, | | | | even though the buyer has paid for it, the item is |
| if it's appropriate and you can "afford" it.Why would | | | | your property until it is accepted by the buyer. So if |
| you or should you do this?Well, when you think | | | | it is damaged in transit, this is your responsibility. You |
| about it, in online auctions, the buyer is normally | | | | will have to arrange a replacement or a refund, and |
| asked to take all the risk. They usually pay the seller | | | | claim your costs back via your insurance.Don't forget, |
| up front - before the item is delivered to them. The | | | | if you do need to have enhanced insurance cover, it |
| risk is all theirs that the seller doesn't perform.To | | | | is perfectly reasonable to include this is in your |
| some buyers, particularly on higher value items, this | | | | delivery costs as shown in your auction |
| risk is so high that it can cause them to have second | | | | description.Objection 5 |
| thoughts about bidding. You know you are | | | | How professional is someone who has multiple |
| trustworthy, but they don't. By offering a | | | | spelling errors?You might consider it to be very |
| moneyback guarantee you are offering what is | | | | unreasonable for any bidder to pass by your auction |
| known as "risk reversal". You are taking the risk off | | | | just because you have spelling errors.However, they |
| your buyer. In effect you shoulder the risk.I know | | | | may believe someone who won't take the trouble to |
| this works, because I use it myself. In thousands of | | | | get their spelling correct might be equally |
| auctions I've run, I can count on one hand the | | | | unprofessional elsewhere.You and I might feel their |
| number of people who have invoked my moneyback | | | | stance to be unreasonable. With spell checkers |
| guarantee.If you can practice "risk reversal", it will | | | | available, however, there's no reason to have any |
| help your auction success rate, and it is vital on Dutch | | | | spelling errors creeping through on your auction |
| auctions.Objection 2 | | | | page.So, spell check your auction description page - |
| How do I pay?Always maximize the number of | | | | please.Objection 6 |
| payment options you will accept.You should provide | | | | What do I do now?It's all very well describing your |
| different types of payment options for your | | | | auction in full detail, but you should always "ask for |
| buyers:PayPal | | | | the order". Tell them what to do now. In other |
| Nochex | | | | words, don't forget to suggest to your prospective |
| Check | | | | buyer that they make a bid today for this valuable, |
| Postal Order | | | | rare, stunning, limited edition item!And remind them |
| Banker's Draft | | | | that when they win the item they will be enriched by |
| Bank Transfer | | | | the strongest benefit you have already identified to |
| CashYou can accept credit/debit cards on your | | | | them in your auction description.Objections - |
| auctions if you open accounts with relevant payment | | | | SummaryDon't leave these points hanging in your |
| processors like PayPal and Nochex. These enable | | | | auction for the bidder to ponder and make |
| buyers to pay you with a credit/debit card even | | | | assumptions.If you spend time removing these |
| though you aren't a business, and you don't have | | | | objections, you will be repaid handsomely. I can |
| what is known as a Merchant Account.As you | | | | guarantee you will receive more genuine bids on your |
| probably know, PayPal is owned by eBay. Therefore | | | | eBay auctions.Brian McGregor is an eBay and internet |
| eBay make it really easy for you to take PayPal | | | | entrepreneur. He recently created the 'eBay Master |
| payments from your buyers. But don't forget other | | | | Class' for eBay sellers. |