| Imagine having top companies invent, design and buy | | | | know the other person, determine how serious they |
| products, test the market, employ world class | | | | are about their business, how approachable they are. |
| copywriters to describe their products, hire top-notch | | | | Those I have chosen for my business talked more |
| graphic designers and photographers - and give you | | | | about customers and products than money, they were |
| the whole lot FREE OF CHARGE! Well, that's exactly | | | | considerate and caring, keen to please. That first |
| what you can do when you start using dropshipping as | | | | impression has always served me well. Do the same, |
| part of your eBay business. | | | | you won't be disappointed. |
| This article reveals the inside strategies for getting this | | | | * If problems ensue, don't blame the dropshipper |
| to work for you. | | | | without checking first. It could be you haven't explained |
| 'Dropshipping' describes a process whereby a | | | | your requirements properly, they may have serious |
| manufacturer or supplier delivers products directly to | | | | business or personal problems, it could be coincidence |
| your customers without you ever needing to stock or | | | | or a batch of particularly difficult customers to blame |
| pre-purchase goods. | | | | for those negatives. Be careful, check thoroughly, and |
| Typically you list products on eBay, using your own or | | | | have an emergency plan for major problems. Have |
| supplying companies' graphics and descriptions; you | | | | plenty of eggs in your basket: use several |
| take payment, give the supplying company your | | | | dropshippers, not just one, and have quality |
| buyers' names and addresses, and they send the | | | | replacements waiting in line. |
| product. | | | | * Sales materials and graphics are normally provided |
| That's your part done; now you can go back to selling. | | | | by larger suppliers or can be downloaded from their |
| That's the theory, in practice it can be so different. | | | | web sites. Some have printed catalogues from which |
| Dropshipping is a wonderful way to make big money | | | | you can scan product pictures, others have CDs |
| fast, and about the best way to lose money, too. | | | | containing digital pictures. Using their pictures and |
| Sadly, it's a fact that many business owners - including | | | | descriptions makes life a lot easier for you; you won't |
| dropshipping companies - care more about money | | | | spend time and money buying products, taking pictures, |
| than customer care and this can reflect badly for you, | | | | creating descriptions. But typically, the bigger the |
| in the form of buyer complaints, poor quality products, | | | | company, the more aggressive their marketing, and the |
| long delays between customers paying and receiving | | | | more likely their products are known to other eBay |
| their goods. | | | | sellers. The moral is to not rely solely on these bigger |
| The onus is on you to take care of your business, and | | | | companies. Very often firms without sales materials |
| your customers, so be as careful picking dropshipping | | | | and graphics are small companies, probably unknown |
| partners as you are planning all other aspects of your | | | | to most other resellers, with fabulous products, and |
| business. | | | | closer control over quality and communications. Of |
| MORE ABOUT DROPSHIPPING | | | | three companies providing my entire dog jewelry |
| * Some so-called dropshipping offers border on | | | | stock, two are one man set ups, the other a father |
| scams, asking a high fee to access a site, where you'll | | | | and son business. |
| find more firms offering dropshipping information who in | | | | * Good organizational and communications skills are |
| turn ask payment to access their sites, and so on, and | | | | needed, especially where you sell hundreds of different |
| so on. Where products are accessible with graphics | | | | products from numerous dropshipping and supplying |
| and sales materials for your eBay listings, oftentimes | | | | companies. I've seen PowerSellers listing hundreds of |
| the goods are rubbish, sometimes they're grossly | | | | thousands of products at one time, all totally different, |
| overpriced. They might be seconds, end of line, | | | | and obviously from lots of individual suppliers. Imagine |
| customer returns, damaged... you get the picture! | | | | taking just one thousand orders a month (many |
| * That said, there are many excellent paid-for | | | | eBayers take tens of thousands), where you must |
| membership sites offering sound contact details for | | | | ensure each order reaches the correct fulfilment |
| worldwide dropshipping companies. Some membership | | | | company, with accurate customer details, and proper |
| sites continuously scrutinise their recommended | | | | payment. Complicated and very time-consuming! Far |
| suppliers, and score entries 1 to 5, acceptable to | | | | better sell a smaller range of highprofit items from a |
| excellent, based on member feedback. The best we | | | | few select suppliers. |
| found, Worldwide Brands, is eBay acknowledged and | | | | * Check competition on eBay for your dropshipping |
| operated by Chris Malta, Product Sourcing Editor of | | | | company and their products before planning to sell. I |
| eBay Radio. The company has a team of researchers | | | | found a wonderful dropship firm for CDs, there were |
| on constant lookout for new dropshipping and | | | | hundreds of different titles, their graphics were bright |
| wholesale suppliers to add to their directory. | | | | and colorful, a more professional organization was |
| * Find dropshipping companies yourself via their own | | | | difficult to find. I joined their program, downloaded their |
| advertisements in local newspapers (not national; too | | | | graphics and sales materials, created and uploaded my |
| competitive), at trade shows, by word of mouth from | | | | listings, and waited, and waited, and nothing happened. |
| sellers of non-competing products. Search for them | | | | Soon afterwards I checked for others selling similar |
| online via search engines such as (our preference); use | | | | products on eBay and found dozens of them. I should |
| appropriate keywords like 'manufacturers dolls (or | | | | have checked first as in the next tip. |
| other product) New York (or other location)'. | | | | * Search competition for your product by keying the |
| * Look for firms selling lots of different products, on a | | | | name, title or maker's name into the search box top |
| related or unrelated theme. Within hours of deciding to | | | | right on eBay's home page. No entries for similar |
| sell dog featured jewelry, we searched and found two | | | | products might be good news for you, might because |
| firms willing to dropship their wide ranging products to | | | | others might still be selling these products, just not right |
| our customers, with no minimum order, and a CD of | | | | now. Bad news too because others might have tried |
| graphics and sales materials arriving next day. Another | | | | selling similar products with little success. Lots of entries |
| firm, based a few miles from us, has more than | | | | signals lots of competition, but view listings first to |
| twelve different products for over 100 breeds of dog, | | | | check similarity to your product. Where you find just a |
| and no one currently selling their products on eBay! No | | | | few people selling similar products, see how much they |
| graphics either, so we checked their products, bought | | | | charge, check completed listings for how many sold |
| one of each, and created our own unique listings. | | | | and how many second chance offers were possible. |
| * Typically you pay the supplier an agreed amount per | | | | More than five firms selling similar products worldwide, |
| shipment upfront, although some will invoice you later. | | | | I'd say is one or two firms too many, except where |
| For local firms you can pop down, offer their share, | | | | they sell through auction and you choose shop only |
| hand over delivery labels. When you have a good | | | | listings. If overseas firms sell similar products, but not |
| supplier, ask permission to pack goods yourself at their | | | | internationally, consider selling in other countries. |
| premises so you can insert special offer flyers, | | | | NOT QUITE DROPSHIPPING BUT EVERY BIT AS |
| money-off vouchers. For distant suppliers keep close | | | | GOOD |
| tabs on how well they serve your customers. See the | | | | * Artists and craftworkers are keen on making, not so |
| next paragraph. | | | | keen on marketing, and are my favorite source of |
| * Negative feedback is much more likely using | | | | quality products. I make a point of visiting local craft |
| dropshipping and other partner companies than where | | | | fairs at least once a month where I find exhibitors |
| you handle all customer transactions direct. With the | | | | selling stunning creations at a tiny fraction of eBay |
| wrong partners you could generate bad feeling, | | | | prices for similar items, if any exist. Many items are |
| requests for refund, negative feedback, dismissal from | | | | unique or limited edition and never get seen beyond a |
| eBay. Check partner companies by reading feedback | | | | few miles of their makers' homes. My eldest daughter |
| from your customers. Look for problem delivery times, | | | | obtains designer jewelry this way, my youngest opts |
| product quality concerns, poor customer service. | | | | for hand-made dolls and teddies, and I take watercolor |
| Mounting negatives with similar complaints signify | | | | paintings on hand-made paper from a young Chinese |
| problems you must correct or seek new suppliers. | | | | artist whose work I sell exclusively on eBay. She |
| * My experience of dropshipping has been | | | | dropships for me direct to my customers. Visit these |
| exceptionally good. I have companies posting products | | | | fairs once and you'll return time and again. You don't |
| to my customers minutes after they get my faxed | | | | have to buy items, most craftworkers and artists will |
| order and they always put my company details into | | | | work on commission, rather like a dropshipper who |
| the package, never their own. They don't poach my | | | | takes payment and delivers the product when you |
| customers, they've never asked payment from me up | | | | make a sale. Most will dropship to your customers. Find |
| front, they're better than I'd hoped for. Getting them | | | | craftwork fairs advertised in local weekend papers, |
| was remarkably easy and all down to good | | | | usually under 'Items for sale', 'Fairs and auctions', 'Days |
| communications. I telephone every potential | | | | out', or similar. |
| dropshipper before promoting their products. I get to | | | | |