Chapter 7: How to Think Like an eBay PowerSeller

As explained earlier in this guide, PowerSellers are the people on eBay who've
made it, recognisable by the little 'PowerSeller' badge next to their name.
I’m sure you’ve seen these people around - and to succeed on eBay, you want to
think the way they do.

Do I Have To Look Pretty To Be Called A PowerSeller?

Yeah, very much – in terms of sales. :-p
eBay gets to decide who can be a PowerSeller and who can't, and they have
strict requirements. To get in at the minimum PowerSeller level, you must have a
feedback rating of at least 100 (minimum 98% positive) and sell at least $1,000
worth of items every month for three months in a row.
There are different levels of PowerSeller membership as you sell items of
greater value: $1,000 total is bronze, $3,000 is silver, $10,000 is gold, $25,000
is platinum and $125,000 is titanium.
If PowerSellers ever fail to meet the required amount of sales, or their feedback
falls below 98% positive, then they lose their PowerSeller status.
In short, the only people who get to be PowerSellers on eBay are the people
who have been successful for a good while, and are on track to stay that way.

Shop and the Marketplace

Put it like this. If you run a stall in a marketplace, the chances are that you have
a general area of business, but you mostly just sell whatever you can get your
hands on that week.
If your dodgy buddy got his hands of a job lot of something at a discount, then
that's what you'll be selling. This might be fun - and when you have a good
week, you'll have a really good week - but it's no way to run a real business in
the long-term.
PowerSellers think far more like shops. They sell the same things again and
again, every week - regular stock for regular customers. They do 'boring'
business things like keep inventories and budgets.
They know what they're going to be selling, how much they buy it for and how
much they expect to sell for. Just like a real shop, there can be hard times
sometimes, but their income is stable and their business can grow slowly.

The best advice to think like a PowerSeller is

DO NOT take long-term risks for short-term gain.
Look after your reputation, manage your selling properly, provide good customer
service and the rewards will come to you in due course. And you'll get a little
badge next to your name that makes people trust you more!
One possibility that you might have realised so far is what eBay can do for any
other businesses you might have. Remember, millions of people visit eBay
every day - why keep everything separate when you're starting to tap into that
kind of power?