Thinking like a power seller

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. You've probably seen
these people around - and to succeed on eBay, you want to think the way they do.
How to People Get the Right to Call Themselves PowerSellers?

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.

The Shop and the Marketplace
This is the most important part of understanding how PowerSellers think. They don't see
what they're doing as being some random bazaar, or a hobby - instead, they see themselves
as a business.Guide to Cashing in on eBay
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 I can give you on thinking like a PowerSeller is this: don't 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?