Many direct sales companies prohibit the practice of selling their company product line on eBay or other online auctions. Yet why not use that auction vehicle to sell your non-direct sales items and then include a company catalog and sample along with the winning item?
You never know where your next customer is going to come from. You already know that anyone who wins your eBay auction is already comfortable making purchases online. It’s not going to cost you anything extra to include some of your business marketing collateral with the package that contains the red leather boots or Laverne and Shirley DVD that you just sold.
You can also create an About Me page at eBay to tell the world about yourself and your interests. You can use this page to:
· Let the eBay community know who you are.
· Show off your fabulous finds.
· Display your items up for bid.
· Describe your favorite hobby.
Keep in mind that while you may include links to your About Me page in your listings, you may not include language within those links that promotes items or other Web sites. You can link in your auction listing “Check out my About Me page” but your About Me page cannot have a “Click here to go to my Direct Sales Web Store” link.
eBay allows only a few links from a listing page because the primary purpose of the listing page is to describe the item for sale. The About Me page is a permitted link because it lets others in the eBay community learn more about the seller, helping the buyer to make a more informed decision prior to purchase.
Now that you know the rules as far as eBay is concerned with regard to linking; and hopefully you fully understand your direct sales company policies and procedures as far as selling on eBay is concerned. Since you know what you can’t do – that should also mean that you know what you can do.
Think outside the box to get to your target market. If you sell candles through your direct sales company, then find a non-DS candle either from your own closet or from the thrift store, and list that for sale with a $.99 opening bid. Why? Because anyone who bids on and wins that candle will most likely already enjoy candles. True you may not make much of a profit on that auction item after considering fees, yet it’s given you a free opportunity to include a catalog and sample of your direct sales candles.
I wouldn’t invest too much time using this method of advertising your direct sales business. Yet if you already have a possession that you’re going to list on eBay then take full advantage of the sale and legally promote your direct sales business.
About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a Michigan work from home mom and a Superstar Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. She enjoys helping men and women start and maintain a home based business in the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Germany, Ireland, France, Spain and the UK. To download a FREE Start Up Guide which provides more details about how to start a home business as well as to learn about our compensation plan go to www.thrivingcandlebusiness.com/how-to-start-a-candle-business/ or for updates on Facebook LIKE www.facebook.com/ThrivingCandleBusiness and twitter @directsalesblog
Leave a Reply