Marketing Tip - (for Ebayers) How You Communicate Within Your Listings

This tip is specifically written for those who sell on Ebay, but can apply to other situations as well:

Communicating in a decent manner within your listing and in your terms is just as important as communicating with buyers in a professional, kind and courteous way via email.

Buyers turn away from auctions with words written such as this: I DON’T TAKE PAYPAL SO DON’T EVEN ASK!!!!!!!!! Even such comments as this are taken as rudeness: “DUE TO THE INCREASE OF NON PAYING BIDDERS IF PAYMENT IS NOT RECEIVED IN 10 DAYS, NEGATIVE FEEDBACK WILL BE POSTED AND ITEM RELISTED!!!” Once you become a seasoned seller, you understand that this type of statement makes no difference – if someone is going to be a non-paying bidder, they're going to anyway, whether you said anything about it or not.

I did a search for “non paying bidders” in sellers' description text – can you guess how many listings came up which use those words? Not 1,000 – not 2,000, not even only 3,000 – are you ready for this? In 2002, the search for those words yielded 59,315 items found which included the words "non paying bidders" within the text. A new search performed today yielded 354,539 listings. Phew.

Is it just me, or do others see those words as being a turn-off? It has always been a turn-off for me, and still is. It just puts a negative "taste" into the whole thing.

Now not all of the comments are quite as bold as the one above – and some are actually quite worse! But the point is, it doesn't matter. These people are made aware of the rules when they sign onto Ebay – if they don’t care about it then, they won’t care about it when they get to your auction. The point is, those words and others can turn off potential GOOD bidders. I never, ever, ever bid on any auction where the seller comes across as being nasty.

Basically, if you just state in your terms what you WILL do, and leave out the comments about what you WON’T do (or about how you're going to make their life so miserable if they "disobey" you), you’ll be in fine shape. Save your details about what you do as far as non-payment for your invoice, rather than placing them in your auction listing, and you’ll get more bids. If you insist on putting something in the auction itself regarding non-payment, it can be worded in a very nice way – simple and sweet: “Payment reminders are automatically sent from Ebay on the 8th day if payment has not been received, and we are under no obligation to hold your item for you after that time - however, if there are special circumstances, and you communicate with us, we always try to oblige!”

InJoy,

Jai

Author of Marketing Miracle Phrases

Marketing Tip - How You Communicate Can Improve Your Sales

Paying attention to how you communicate with potential customers who write you with questions can definitely affect the outcome of your sales.

First, use complete sentences in your reply, with your name signed at the bottom of every response. This indicates a professionalism which puts you above John Q. Seller on the next website the customer may visit.

Second, always, always, always be friendly - and always say thank you. It's easy to say thank you when a visitor to our website writes expressing a compliment. However, even if a potential buyer emails you a question, be SURE to tell them “thank you for writing” at the end of your response.

Third, answer all buyer questions, no matter how silly they might seem. I get questions frequently about the measurements of an item, when the measurements are clearly in the ad for the item. This can be frustrating, but in the end it pays to just answer the questions – it shows you are there, online, available and corresponding in a nice way. Many times buyers will write just to see if they'll get a response – they don’t want to deal with someone who is going to disappear next week! They'll write with a small question just to see if and when you will reply. (I've done this myself!)

Fourth, when you do reply to a customer’s question, always include the item link within your reply email…this makes it easy for them to “click and buy” your product or service right away.

InJoy,
Jai
Author of Marketing Miracle Phrases

Web Design Tip - How to run buyers off of your website

Fancy backgrounds. Simply put - leave out fancy backgrounds – these are very distracting. Busy, cluttered backgrounds take away from the images of the item you are selling and the text describing your product or service. Also, leave out music and moving graphics, and forget about those cutesy “cursor” graphics, you know the kind which have butterflies or something that moves around with your mouse? These often can cause a browser crash. It’s a good way to turn off buyers. You want to bring buyers in, and you certainly don’t want some music or moving graphics to crash their browser before they can even LOOK, do you?

These things might be fine for personal pages, but for websites intending to sell a product or service, they can actually hurt your business.

Also, huge fonts and fonts in neon bright colors are hard on the eyes. And red backgrounds...sigh. I've seen at least 5 websites in the last day which had these bright red backgrounds. Red is a high energy color. It's too high energy to be THAT prevelant on the page (as an entire background). It will make your potential customers get up to move around...red creates energy. So if you want them to stay on your site, limit your use of red to a few accents when you want something to stand out.

InJoy,
Jai
Author of Marketing Miracle Phrases

Marketing Tip - Share testimonials about your product/service

Share testimonials about your product or service if you have them. (if you don't have them, ask your customers for feedback!) Ebay sellers have the feedback area which shares customer responses and testimonials. If you're selling on Ebay, it's a good idea to place some testimonials within your listing. If you're selling something from your own website, it's good to place some testimonials in key places throughout your website. It's a known fact, people make decisions based on what others before them have done. If your potential customer sees what others think of your product or service, they feel safer in completing a transaction with you. Reading a testimonial can often get a customer off the fence when they really like what you're offering, but aren't sure whether they're ready to make the ultimate decision to buy.

InJoy,
Jai
Author of Marketing Miracle Phrases

The books are here!

Woohoo! My copies of the print version of my book Marketing Miracle Phrases are now in my hands! I LOVE IT! The book is the perfect size (5.5x8.5) and the spiral binding was the perfect choice for ease of use. It's on my desk and ready to go! There's nothing like this little book out there - and now it can be yours, to assist in writing stellar ads for your product and/or service. Marketing Miracle Phrases will awaken your creativity, create more interest in what you're selling, and make your ads stand out from the millions of others out there. It is a book you will use time and time again, and it's a book that will help those who are short on time but still need to create fabulous ads. See for yourself today - go to http://www.marketingmiraclephrases.com/ to order your personal copy.

Injoy,

Jai

P.S. Marketing Tips will resume being posted on Wed, Dec 26.

Marketing Tip - Get & Keep Your Reader's Attention

One of the best ways you can get and keep your reader’s attention is to speak directly to them. Use words such as YOU and YOUR, rather than we, me or I. If you want to explain your personal experience with your product or service, then that’s fine – but remember, you have to get your potential customers to imagine your item in THEIR hands, in THEIR lives.

InJoy,
Jai
Author of Marketing Miracle Phrases

Marketing Tip - Making Your Description More Powerful

After you’ve written a description of your product or service, re-read it, take the most powerful and effective thing you said about it, and move it to the beginning. Make it the first sentence. Also, when ending your description, try to end it with an equally powerful and exciting statement – something that will make the viewer want to buy immediately. A line I used frequently when ending a description for the vintage jewelry I used to sell went something like this: “A very beautiful piece of vintage jewelry, destined to draw attention – designed to enhance and complete your collection.”

InJoy,
Jai
Author of Marketing Miracle Phrases

Free Holiday Marketing Calendar (PDF)

Everyone is invited to download our Free Holiday Marketing Calendar (PDF file - right click to save on your computer). Every month there are one or more occasions to celebrate. If you get in the habit of sending your customers a postcard, newsletter, or email each month around favorite or most celebrated holidays, you can keep your name in front of them year-round! This basic calendar is a PDF file and can be printed on 8 1/2" x 11" paper. I have mine printed and keep it right on my desk at all times. I use this calendar to keep up with my marketing activities and plan ahead for each month with postcard and newsletter designs. I hope you will find it useful for your business as well!

InJoy,

Jai

Author of Marketing Miracle Phrases

Marketing Tip - Seduce Your Buyer Within Your Item Description

In today’s busy world, customers seldom pay attention to ads. She or he is busy thinking about other things – things such as “what’s for dinner?” and “did I pay that electric bill?” and “what time is my appointment tomorrow?”. In order to get a customer’s attention, you have to offer a thought which is more interesting than the one the customer is currently thinking.

Bright colors, exclamation points, capital letters (shouting on the internet), and false claims are beginners’ ways of getting attention within an ad. Rather than shouting a bunch of unsubstantiated claims in bright glaring red letters at your customer, consider the skillful use of WORDS. Words can create the thought which can overrule your customer's current thought.

The way words are used is an impressive human power. Words start wars and end them, create love and choke it, bring us to laughter, joy and even tears. By using words that are majestic in your ads, and using them in a skillful way, you have the power to snatch up the interest of your potential buyer. It is art…an art that can be learned.

Don’t shout at your customer. Gently guide him or her into the description of your product with your words. Don’t give a bunch of unsubstantiated claims in your ad. Instead, state the truth at every turn. Put the item in your buyer’s hands with your words. Use your words to make them feel they already own your item. Getting a customer to mentally claim ownership is a huge step toward making your sale!

InJoy,
Jai
Author of Marketing Miracle Phrases

Marketing Tip - Use Creative Buzz Words in Your Title or Subject Line

Usually when selling on the internet, we have a title line or subject line with which to catch a potential customer's interest. That title line is the first thing someone sees - so it had better be good!

In addition to keeping my book Marketing Miracle Phrases handy, I have a list of what I call BUZZ WORDS which I use to put a little more hooplah in my title lines. Buzz words are adjectives that dress up an otherwise blah and mediocre text. I have my buzz words printed and in my drawer right beside me while I’m doing listings on Ebay or any other site which requires a title line. If I get stuck on what word I wish to use that accurately describes what I am listing, I’ll just pull out my list and find one or two that apply. Don’t over do it with the buzz words – one or two per title line is sufficient.

Here’s a list of a few of my favorite buzz words – add your own to it and keep it handy when creating the title lines for the items you sell online: Wonderful, sensational, fabulous, extraordinary, fantastic, unique, exceptional, distinctive, rare, unusual, vivid, bright, glowing, vibrant, stunning, dramatic, striking, dazzling, gorgeous, beautiful, spectacular, impressive, extravagant, tremendous, magnificent, splendid, grand, elegant, chic, lovely, marvelous, great, remarkable, amazing, superb, breathtaking, astonishing, brilliant, unbelievable, incredible.

InJoy,
Jai
Author of Marketing Miracle Phrases

Marketing Tip - for those who sell on Ebay and other websites

This is something I learned during my years of selling on Ebay. When I take this tip to heart, my auction sales are much better. When I don't, I don't do as well.

When describing your item, talk to your buyer as if they're sitting across the table from you and you're telling them about the item. Write complete sentences and check your spelling. This presents a professional image that, as a buyer, helps me to not only bid in the first place, but also bid higher as well. And never, ever, ever write listings up when you are feeling negative, blue, or ticked off at the world! It will show through – I tested this and I learned it the hard way. It has been proven to me over and over again if I write listings when feeling a bit “blah” – my mood shows through, and my overall bids are lower. When I am positive, and feeling UP and excited about the item I’m selling, this shows and my bids go higher as a result. So if you aren’t feeling quite so cheery, wait to write up those listings until you’re feeling better!

InJoy,
Jai
Author of Marketing Miracle Phrases

Marketing Tip - Lose the exclamation!!!!

When writing ad copy, keep your use of exclamation points to a minimum. Too many exclamation points in your ad look "overly excited". Too many at the end of one sentence look unprofessional. (look at my title line of this post for an example) I've seen at least five websites this week that have this problem...and one is a major automotive dealership. I've grown to kind of expect it with newbie websites - but a major business? It's a real turn off!

Instead of exclamation points, try getting your point across using the right words. Marketing Miracle Phrases can help you dress up your ads and obtain the results you're looking for, without the use of eccentric punctuation.

InJoy,
Jai

P.S. Here's an example ad I prepared for someone using my book, Marketing Miracle Phrases. While I normally use my book to fix boring ads, this ad came to mind after simply skimming through the book and reading one phrase. I wrote it for a local auto dealership sales consultant who was having minimal results from his emails he was sending customers. I'm happy to report his responses have tripled due to this ad.

Who will you be in the next 24 hours? Will you be the same person you were yesterday? The one who keeps talking to your friends and family about that new vehicle you want, but doesn't have the time to go do something about it?

Because a vehicle purchase is a big decision, it does take some time - I understand. Here at Mathews Auto Mall, I specialize in saving you some of your valuable time. I make it easier for you to fit a vehicle selection and purchase process into your busy schedule. When you let me know what you're looking for by email or by phone, I'll take care of the most time-consuming part of the process - finding what meets your needs and desires - before you ever arrive. So when you get here, your time is well-spent and shorter. It won't even put a dent in your schedule.

So who will you be in the next 24 hours? The one who's still talking about what you want - or the one who's driving home in it?

Marketing Miracle Phrases is now available

Wow, the process happened much sooner than I thought it would. But that's a good thing! You can now order Marketing Miracle Phrases. It's a print publication (no more ebook!), with 1,400 phrases (as opposed to the original 777 phrases), spiral bound (for ease of use on your desk) and 92 pages long. Click here to order your copy.

This is very exciting! And it's been a long time in the making. The ebook has sold well for 5 years, and I'm confident this new, revised print version will be more well-received.

This has to be the best Christmas present I've ever had! :)

InJoy,
Jai

Book Cover is Done!

The covers are done for the print version of Marketing Miracle Phrases! Woohoo! Click on them to see the larger versions.

The book will be released on January 1, 2008. I'm so excited - this has been 5 years in the making. The ebook version has sold thousands of copies over those 5 years. But I always dreamed of this book being in print, and now my dream is coming true.

What a great New Year's gift this will make for you and your business! The amount of phrases included has DOUBLED from the original version, there are many examples sprinkled throughout the book, and there is an entire bonus section on the use of color in your advertisements.

To be put on my special, private email notification list, drop me a note, and I'll send you the link where you can purchase Marketing Miracle Phrases when it's released. Be sure to put "Marketing Miracle Phrases" in the subject line as I get a lot of email and don't want to miss you request.

Here's the text from the back cover:

Your marketing efforts have the ability to succeed...or to fail...based on the words you choose to represent your products, services, and yourself in your ads.

You have the ability to choose any words you desire. But sometimes we draw a blank. Our mind seems amiss of anything creative to say. Which is where this diverse collection of phrases comes in handy.

This book offers a lot of magic, a good deal of choices, and an incredible journey through words which develop warmth, color, and add texture to your ads.

Within moments of beginning to use this book, your ads will obtain a fresh new look using my revolutionary way of impacting your buyers with words and phrases designed to bypass the mind, and get your product deep into their heart and soul, reaching the core of their deepest desires.

"Everyone selling a product or service - and their staff members - should own a copy of this book! It's easy to use, and your ads will be renewed, recharged, and revitalized, all by the power of the right words." -- Rachel Dickson, The Dickson Gallery of Fine Art, Jackson, Tennessee

Thousands of salespeople worldwide have found this book to be one of their most valuable and widely used resources.

From the small business owner to the corporate professional copywriter, this book is one you won't want to be without!

Jai Johnson

P.S. The website for this book is http://www.marketingmiraclephrases.com/ - Currently the ebook is still offered there, but as soon as this print book is released, the ebook will no longer be available.

P.S.S. This book is being spiral-bound, which is FANTASTIC because you can flip it open to a page you like and keep it there! It works much better on your desk this way than a perfect-bound book would.

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