1. Research the product description. Use the original product title and sales descriptions to pull up in searches.
2. Research the product price. How much did it sell for new? How much is it selling for used now? There are different pricing strategies; I prefer to go with undercutting the lowest price for a comparable product. That method avoids wasted time in back and forth negotiation and gets my items sold faster. My time is more valuable than the time spent to negotiate $10 more or less for an old iPhone.
3. CLEAN THE ITEM. Non-negotiable. Just do it. You’re taking the time to list the product; you can take the time to clean it. Clean EVERYTHING from an iPod to a car (yes, wash the damn car, you can afford $5 at the car wash). P.S. Washing a car includes the vacuum.
4. Show the item in use. For example, if selling a tablet case, photograph the case with a tablet. Include a footnote clarifying that the tablet isn’t included. Anyone with a half-decent IQ will know it isn’t included but write the note just in case.
5. Photos. Oh, the fabulous photos of Craig’s List. Where do I begin? Center the product. Put it on a contrasting background. TAKE PHOTOS IN DECENT LIGHT. Do not allow other items to be in the background (big things like cars are obvious exceptions). Take A LOT OF PHOTOS. You can’t take too many. Consider every angle of your product.
6. Point out flaws. And photograph them too. Close-ups. People value honesty. If they see you are upfront, they are less likely to drill you with questions over email (again, wasting more of your time).
7. If people ask you questions in response to your ad, and the answer is NOT already in your listing, add the response to your listing. If one person wants to know, more want to know too.
8. Ok, I know this one isn’t for everybody, but it’s worth it! Learn some very basic HTML – paragraph, heading and bullet point list tags are all you need (that’s about three tags to learn) to turn a cluttered listing into a nicely organized, easy to read masterpiece. If yours looks better than everyone else’s, you’re more likely to attract the sale.
9. Spell things correctly. Use periods and commas. Did you make it past third grade in school? Good, make sure the listing proves the grammar and spelling skills you likely learned at eight years old. You’re not spelling onomatopoeia, people. And if you are, Google will tell you how (like it just told me) in less than 5 seconds.
10. Explain why you’re selling it. ESPECIALLY true if it’s in excellent condition. If it’s in such phenomenal shape as your listing describes, why are you getting rid of it? People are suspicious by nature, and justifiably so when perusing listings on Craig’s List. Alleviate their concern that you are hiding something by providing a brief rationale for why it is for sale. A desk could be for sale because your son grew out of it and it’s best for those under 5’5, or he went to college, and you no longer need it for him. A car because you upgraded, you get the gist.
Overall, keep three concepts in mind when selling on Craig’s List for success:
Perception is the reality. Create the correct perception of your listing quality.
Alleviate concern to gain buyer trust.
Take the time to be detailed, or do not bother to sell.
The post How to Sell On Craig’s List: Write a Good Product Ad appeared first on WideSmiler.
