Selling goods is considered easier and cheaper nowadays. When you want to sell one or many items, you can reach consumers easily. There are several proven ways that will help you to be more successful at selling things, both online and offline.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Understanding the Sales Process
Step 1. Understand how people make decisions to buy products
Many studies show that people make emotional decisions when they buy things. Therefore, pay attention to what kind of emotional triggers that can make someone buy your product, then include it in the ads that are placed.
- Realize that people often respond to stories told by others, not just by listening to written facts. For example, if you can include a description of someone who has used your product, that testimonial can evoke an emotional reaction from potential buyers.
- However, people still need facts to rationalize purchases. Therefore, keep listing the specific facts of the product, such as its condition and manufacturer.
- People often respond to other people's statements, because many people go with the flow.
Step 2. Define a unique sales plan
Determine how your product differs from competitors' products. The product may be cheaper, better, or function better than other products.
- You can include words or slogans in your ad to explain your unique values so that you can differentiate your product from the competition.
- People need to be told how your product can meet their needs (or wants). What benefits do they get? How is this product different from other products?
Step 3. Determine the price of the product
You need to be careful in determining prices and need to understand the prevailing market prices.
- Determine the profit limit you want to get. This means you will subtract the cost of the product from the selling price. You can use an online calculator to determine the selling price based on the gross profit margin you want to earn.
- You need research to find the profit. You need to know how many competitors are selling their products, so you can price them competitively and still make a profit. If you sell used products, make sure you find out the new prices through the seller's website. If you sell a product on an online site, look for prices used by other people selling similar products. Find out the prices used by business competitors.
- Do not sell products at prices that are too low or too high. Both ways can hurt your business in the long run. For example, if you're trying to sell a used car for cheap, people will suspect that something is wrong with the car. Write down expenses before setting prices. Take notes in detail.
- Cnet is a website that can be used to compare the prices of electronic goods.
Step 4. Know the target consumer/market
Understanding potential customers is considered important. Don't try to generalize to potential customers. Don't try to sell something common to the world. Limiting the people who are your target consumers can help you determine the advertising language.
- Selling something to a young person can be very different from selling something to an adult. Young people often want to buy products online and the language used in selling products has to be more informal. For example, adults are judged to use Facebook so rarely that they don't care about advertising, or they don't use it at all.
- Some questions to ask yourself when determining your target market are who has bought the product from you, whose problem the product can solve, are you willing to take risks in determining your target market or whether you are making assumptions or have done research on your interests. and consumer needs.
- Once you understand the market, you need to relate the benefits of the product to the results the market is interested in.
- Do homework. Know your target market as best you can. Do research on demographic aspects, buying patterns etc. Know the product as best you can.
Step 5. Close the transaction
Make sure you actually get consumers to buy your product. This is called "closing" which is an important part of the sale.
- You can close the transaction by getting the customer's signature. Assumptive selling is when the seller assumes that the customer is ready to buy and tells the customer how to complete the purchase.
- Be patient. You often don't need to close the deal right away because you're trying to keep the customer from rushing. People will be suspicious of high-pressure sales tactics.
- Ask and listen when talking to target consumers. Find out what they are looking for and try to find out what they are looking for.
- After closing the transaction, be sure to deliver the product according to the agreement.
Method 2 of 3: Selling Products Online
Step 1. Sell something on eBay
Selling on eBay is easy and a great way to sell your products online. You can get instant access to multiple buyers.
- Sign up for the eBay site and create an account. Hit sell at the top of the website homepage and then log in or register a new account. Then, specify the items you want to sell and add a product image. eBay allows you to post up to 10 photos.
- If you know the market value of the product, choose a predefined price format and include the price. If the item is truly unique or you are unsure of its value, you can use the auction style pricing format. eBay has a quick listing manager that lets you compare prices for similar products.
- Choose a shipping option. There are many shipping options available on eBay. You can order basic rate boxes and envelopes for free, schedule pick-up at home or offer other delivery options.
- Hit list it, and shoppers will start seeing your product.
- Ship the goods after the buyer pays for the goods sold. You must leave a positive impression on your buyers if you plan to sell again. This can form loyal consumers.
- Get paid. Many sellers use PayPal as a payment mechanism on eBay. Joining PayPal is considered easy. This site allows you to transfer money electronically to a bank account or to a check.
- To increase sales success on eBay, be sure to include specific headlines containing product names that people might search for. You need to omit adjectives like amazing or great.
- Include a photo. Photos will help with product sales. Post a photo at the top so potential buyers can see it first.
Step 2. Sell something on Craigslist
Many people find buyers who purchased their products on Craigslist. You just need to go to the Craigslist website. You can choose a site in another geographic area or in another sales area, although you can only post ads in one of them. You don't have to pay to post on Craigslist.
- Enter a photo. People are very suspicious of people selling things especially online. Therefore, you will have better luck if they can see what it has to offer. Arrange the photos to make them look good. For example, you need to clean the product before shooting it.
- Include a time limit. If you attach urgency to the item, such as saying that the item must be purchased on Friday, you will increase sales.
- Be careful when meeting buyers outside of Craigslist. Be aware of safety when meeting people in public places. If you can't meet in a public place (such as when you're selling a large household appliance), make sure there's one or more people when you meet the buyer. Only accepting payments straight away is a good idea.
- A strong title is considered important to attract people because your product is likely to compete with other products. Use keywords related to products that buyers are often looking for. In addition, include the brand name and condition of the item. You will need to provide product details such as color, size and any problems, such as rips or other issues in the ad.
- Be sure to include contact information in the ad. You can use Craigs List anonymous email to protect your privacy and increase security.
Step 3. Sell something on Amazon
Amazon.com is a mover of goods to online products. However, not only can you buy products from available companies, but you can also sell your own. However, unlike eBay and Craigslist, you can only sell products that have been listed on the Amazon site. For example, you can't sell old antiques if Amazon doesn't sell the same products.
- Choose a category. There are many categories in selling on Amazon. For example, you can choose the professional sales category. You need a professional sales account to sell in the same category but not in others. Amazon provides a graph to help figure out which category the product belongs to and whether you need approval to sell items on a professional account.
- Find a sales plan that you can afford. If you sell more than 40 items in a month, Amazon recommends a professional account which is more expensive than an individual account. For individual accounts and sellers selling multiple products, Amazon charges 99 cents (Rp13,167 as of 2016-25-02) for each item of sale and other associated costs. Amazon also cut sales commissions by about 6 to 15 percent.
- You need to create an account on the Amazon site to sell as a professional or as an individual. You'll need to include your name if you're selling as an individual and include a credit card to pay for each fee. You will also be asked to create a name that is shown.
- Once registered, make a list of products. Choose the conditions, prices and shipping methods. Tap manage orders to view all sales. You can only sell products that have been registered on the Amazon site. Therefore, search for your product on the site like typing the ISBN number in a book that is for sale. Most products have a “sell on Amazon” button on the page. You have to press it if you want to sell your own version.
Step 4. Make your product searchable
One of the most important suggestions for increasing sales on Amazon is to make sure people can find a product when they search for such a product. Most people find products on Amazon by typing keywords in the search field.
- Include keywords in your product titles. Include the words people are likely to search for when they search for your product in the title.
- You can add five search terms to your product and you must add all of those terms. For example, Nokia-branded phones may be at the bottom of the search results for Nokia phones with bluetooth because the second term contains more keywords.
Method 3 of 3: Selling Products via Offline
Step 1. Have social interactions
When you sell offline, you need to take advantage of social interactions. You need to hold product demonstrations at home and take advantage of networking opportunities.
- Find meeting points for your target consumers, such as fruit and vegetable markets or nearby exhibitions.
- Build trust within your product brand by sponsoring nearby events.
- Try to give some products as gifts. People respond to gifts because if they like your product, they will buy it.
Step 2. Network with other people
People who sell goods often have established networks. They have lunch with a lot of people and they are quick to issue and obtain business cards. Word of mouth begins with relationships with other people.
- Listening to consumers and understanding their needs is an important key in the sales process.
- Promoting without understanding that your product can meet consumer needs is rarely considered successful. On the other hand, developing long-term relationships with people will make you a good salesperson because consumers will come back for more and will tell their friends to buy from you too.
- Selling something can be time consuming. Salespeople say that selling something can be described as a marathon, not a sprint. It takes a process to sell something.
- Try to be direct when you talk to potential customers rather than sounding like a rehearsal. If you sound too like a rehearsal, they won't really trust you.
Step 3. Develop a marketing plan
You need to figure out the costs of advertising and marketing and think of ways you can reach your customers more cheaply, such as through social media.
- Decide whether you want to advertise via radio, television and in newspapers and in new media. What is the best medium to reach your target consumers?
- For the company, determine the minimum and maximum costs for advertising taking 10 and 12 percent of the projected annual sales profit. Add up the price increase of your average transaction. Then, subtract the fixed expenses. The remaining funds represent the minimum and maximum advertising costs.
Step 4. Try to hold a secondhand sale
If you're just trying to get rid of various household appliances, try doing a secondhand sale.
- Place ads for secondhand sales in newspapers or online via social media sites or sites like Craigslist. Make a list of the items you sell and the unique items you have.
- Portable items are considered the most suitable for selling second hand goods. Therefore, think about what clothes or household appliances you can sell that people can carry easily.
- Determine the best day to hold a secondhand sale. For example, people are considered less interested in visiting used goods sales on weekdays during the day.
- Contact your city or village government to find out if you need a permit to sell used goods. This policy will vary depending on each community.
Tips
- Keep in mind that you usually have to pay a fee to sell products online.
- Always tell the truth when selling products. If you misrepresent your product, people will remember it and will tell others.
- Be serious and be friendly. Having a good personality can help people in getting rid of people's fear of buying products.
