If you sell on eBay there are three things you can be certain of - death, taxes, and the dreaded eBay summer slow-down.
Within the last week there have been several posts on eBay related forums and news groups complaining about falling sales. Whenever this happens there are always plenty of other sellers who eagerly jump on the bandwagon by adding their sales woes to the conversation and then offering reasons why it’s to be expected.
High of the list of reasons for slow sales this time of year is the annual eBay summer slow-down.
Other reasons why buyers don’t buy I’ve seen put forth include:
- Rising gas prices
- Taxes
- Graduations
- Vacations
- Visits from family members
- Weddings
- Increased competition
- eBay policy changes
- Worries about the war in Iraq
- Golf and other sports
- And more
I’ve been selling full time on eBay for seven years and I’ve never experienced a summer, fall, winter, or spring slow-down. Do I have dips in sales? Of course I do. Just like everyone else.
The difference is that when I experience a dip in eBay sales volume I understand the cause of the problem - INVENTORY!!
If my sell-through rate decreases dramatically, it’s not because someone in the middle of Oklahoma got a visit from their mother-in-law. It’s because I’m not offering the kind of inventory people are looking for. If my gross sales go down by half for three or four weeks in a row, it’s not because the price of gas has gone up $.15 a galleon. It’s because I’m listing fewer auctions each week than normal.
It doesn’t matter what time of the year it is. If you are seeing a significant decline in sales volume, gross sales, net profits, or sell-through rates you have two options.
- Let the problem continue by picking one, or more, of the excuses shown above and whine about it
- Fix the problem by realizing that no matter what direction you come at it from, ultimately the reason is inventory
The only place the eBay summer slow-down exists is in people’s minds because they aren’t willing to face the reality of the situation. Those that understand that the real cause is inventory, never experience the eBay summer slow-down.
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