Auction

Team Building – 7 Steps to Success

“We are going to build a team”. Replace the word “team” with the word “house” – or any other noun that can be built and will take more than just a few minutes – and most sensible people will want to adopt a structured approach.
Plans will be drawn up and approved. People will receive copies of the plan and efforts will be made to ensure everyone understands it. Progress will be monitored against the plan. Lessons will be learned along the way that will be used to improve the next phase. Anything less will lead at best to mediocrity and underachievement.
So why is team building so often treated in an ad hoc manner? You wouldn’t take bricks and mortar out, show them a good time and expect them to rearrange themselves into something better just because they had a nice break. So why expect a group of people to do any better?
The only answer to that question with any merit is that bricks can’t think and people can. Which sounds like management by abdication. Or perhaps management by trusting to luck. It certainly doesn’t sound like a structured approach.
So if taking people off for some fun is not team building – what is it?
Traditional away day options are team bonding exercises – and that is different. Take a group quad-biking, paint-balling etc and it will help bond the participants through a shared experience. You can even justify its use of some of the training budget if you like by claiming it has helped them develop as a team. Just don’t believe it – or you’ll be disappointed to discover that while the group is closer it is no more effective.
No – if you want to build a team rather than just bond the individuals closer, you need a structured process. You need to decide before you start what improvements you want and can realistically expect the team to achieve. Next you can decide how long it will take to achieve those results.
Often, fun remains a key objective for such a session. If it is the only one – or is only combined with a desire to get the team to become closer – organising a team bonding session is an ideal solution. If, however, your expectations are set higher than that – then you need something more structured.
So what are the key characteristics of a genuine team building session? I suggest the following 7 steps will lead to success:
1) Have definite session and longer-term goals and know how the session goals lead to the longer term ones.
2) Use an engaging and varied base activity that involves each participant in something that he or she enjoys doing.
3) Use an activity that achieves that engagement while having genuine parallels to the workplace and has relevance with the session goals.
4) Select an activity that requires the same kind of skill sets and team approaches that are needed at work – albeit one that is removed from the work itself.
5) Consider using an independent (internal or external) facilitator – to allow all levels to join in as equals and to avoid it feeling like a “sermon from above”.
6) Debrief using a predefined process that highlights the workplace parallels and allows the participants to extract their own learning rather than be preached to.
7) Use a proven mechanism to transfer the learning back to the workplace, ideally integrated within the debriefing process itself.
If none of these seem important, you are probably looking at a pure fun bonding session. Whether that is a trip to the nearest (or furthest!) bar or something that offers the group an experience that all of its members will enjoy doesn’t matter too much.
But if any of them do seem important, then I’d suggest that they all are. If one or more are missing then your team building session will be compromised. And that’s a word that sits well alongside mediocrity and underachievement.
Copyright 2005 Sandstone Limited

Alan is Managing Director of Sandstone, a leading UK team building company. He enjoys creating innovative activities that combine fun with genuine team development. In his spare time, he does voluntary work for the RNIB.

http://www.sandstone.co.uk

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eBay Explained: Non Paying Bidders

As with all auction sites, eBay gets it’s fair share of non paying bidders. These are users that bid and win your auction, or even use the Buy-It-Now option but then simply disappear without paying.
Time Wasters, Competitors, & Users who forget they’ve even bidded all make up their share of non paying bidders. As eBay charges you a final sales fee on each item sold you really need to do all you can to minimize these sales.
Although if a member fails to pay for a product, you can follow eBays procedure to reclaim the final sales fee it still takes time – even then you will not be able to claim back the listing fee & will have to relist the items again to resell them.
So what can be done to prevent a large number of Non Paying Bidders?
Well eBay has a number of options you can use when listing goods to help prevent these incidents.
One of these options is “Immediate Payment Required”, which means anyone using the Buy-It-Now feature has to pay immediately otherwise the item is not sold and remains on eBay. If for some reason payment is not sent, the transaction is cancelled as if it never happened.
The second option you can use is called “Paypal account required”.
Most delays in payment happen because the winning bidder is new to eBay & has not yet opened a paypal account. So, by using this option unless the eBay member has a paypal account linked to their eBay account they are not able to bid.
Most importantly, you should use your listing to explain when payment is required, normally within a few days & how you expect users to pay. If like most users you only accept payment though paypal ask your bidders to ensure they have a paypal account open before bidding.
Hopefully these tips will reduce the number of Non Paying Bidders you receive to your auctions.

Mark Kenny operates an ad-revenue sharing independent eBay forum at http://ebusinessebooks.com/forum. For any eBay related comments or queries just visit our forum for support.

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eBay Explained: Keyword Spamming

eBay sees Keyword spamming as a minor violation. However repeated warnings over this policy will eventually have your account suspended or even terminated.
So, what exactly is Keyword spamming?
Firstly you need to release how eBay users works. The majority of users on eBay search for keywords – they do not browse though the relevant categories.
For example if I was looking for a new car, I would type “HONDA” into the search box rather than browse to the Honda category of the vehicle section.
Secondly you need to be aware that eBay’s system only searches for these keywords in the title – It will not scan the description for the keywords I specify.
eBay would then present me with a list of items with the keyword “honda” in the title. Any item such as Honda CRX or Honda keyring will be shown to me as the search results.
So, some sellers will fill their item title with keywords that they expect will be searched for more. If the keywords are relevant to the item they’re listing then it’s within eBay policy.
If the keywords they use are not relevant to what they’re listing, it is known as Keyword spamming.
One example of Keyword spamming would be “Honda CRX for sale – not nissan or toyota” Anyone searching for the keyword “nissan” will be shown this item and it’s fairly obvious the words are not relevant.
Apart from being against eBay policy, using techniques like this is likely to irritate most users as they’re presented with unexpected results.

Mark Kenny runs an eBay forum where you get rewarded for contributing your point of view.

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eBay Explained: Trading Assistant

Trading Assistants are registered eBayers who sell on behalf of others. A Trading Assistant (also known as a consignment seller) is an experienced eBay member who will list goods on behalf of friends, colleagues, or the general public.
Trading Assistants (T.A) normally charge a commission for every successful auction as well as a fixed fee for their services.
In return for their fee a T.A will normally carry out the following as part of their services.
1) Research the item including history & value.
2) Create a professional eBay listing.
3) Photograph the items & upload the photos to eBay.
4) Accept payment from the bidder.
5) Pack & Dispatch the item to the winning bidder.
eBay will only allow members with those of feedback greater than fifty to qualify as a registered T.A. Obviously to become a T.A you must have complete knowledge of how eBay works & be able to complete a transaction successfully, overriding any problems encountered on the way.
eBays T.A scheme is ideal for anyone looking towards the internet for a part time or full time income, mainly because it is such a low cost operation to start. Initially friends and family should be able to offer items for you to auction – after all many people have unwanted items lying around the house.
Other options available include you buying an existing franchise such as i-soldit or BidwayGlobal. If you follow this method, your franchise manager will be able to assist you should you encounter difficulties with your business.
So eBays T.A program really is an undiscovered gold mine. Get involved today before the masses discover it.

Mark Kenny runs an independent auctions forum. To discuss any aspect of eBay or online auctions visit the site at: http://www.ebusinessebooks.com/forum or see Marks turnkey websites here.

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eBay Explained: Paypal Coupons

Paying for your eBay purchases is normally a straight forward process. It’s made easy, though eBays checkout feature which is fully intergated with paypal.
This enables you to pay with existing funds which you may have in your paypal account, or via your own credit or debit card that is linked to the account.
However like many online & offline businesses eBay & paypal regularly have new offers to try & tempt new users to signup for their services. One of these methods which they use is via the use of electronic coupons which are sent out via email.
Think of these coupons, like discount coupons which may be issued by your local supermarket – something alone the lines of 20% off when you purchase goods over £20.00
So if your lucky enough to receive a paypal coupon it’s simply a matter of entering the paypal coupon code on the final confirmation page when purchasing goods from eBay sellers. The discount will be applied immediately.
If you haven’t yet received any coupons there are two tips that you can use. Firstly, register a new eBay account & never use it.
It shouldn’t be long before eBay send you an email inviting you to bid for your first item – along with a paypal coupon to use should you win the item.
Secondly, & a lot easier just google for “paypal coupons”. These coupons are issued to all of eBay members at some stage & there are many website which exist purely to share all kinds of these electronic coupons. Just copy & paste the number & hopefully it should work.

Mark Kenny runs an independent eBay forum where you can discuss any aspects of eBay & get rewarded for your contribution to the forum. For any advise or eBay problems, visit the forum at: http://AuctionCUT.com

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eBay Explained: Shill Bidding

Shill Bidding is a term you may not be familiar with if your new to eBay. Mostly used by newer eBayers who think they will not be caught, Shill Bidding is the term used when you bid on your own item – against other genuine bidders to increase the end auction price.
Simply by creating a second eBay identity in a different address you can easily bid on your own item with no questions asked. You can push the price higher and create the impression there’s a lot more interest in your item.
So, why does eBay and other auction sites frown so highly on shill bidding?
Well firstly it’s unfair on genuine bidders who are interested in the items. Secondly & more importantly in most states it’s illegal and there have been many high profile cases of users successfully prosecuted for shill bidding. It amounts to fraud.
Many savy eBayers can spot shill bidding easily, especially where the auction in not private. A simple search of bidders & sellers activity will show patterns will show suspicious activity. Many shill bidders use the same email provider as a hint.
Other things to look out are bid retraction which are shown within the members information box, & where one bidder has shown an interest in many items from a member. It’s not always the case, as some users only deal with sellers who they feel confident with but if you think someone is shill bidding they probably are.
Shill Bidding is seen as a serious violation to eBay who will normally suspend your account for thirty days initially, if you are caught shill bidding on a second occasion your eBay account is normally closed permanently.

Mark Kenny runs an independent eBay forum where you can discuss any aspects of eBay & get rewarded for your contribution to the forum. For any advise or eBay problems, visit the forum at: http://eBusinesseBooks.com/forum

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eBay Explained: What is the About Me Page

Your eBay About Me Page is one of the most important aspects of your eBay identity. If your familiar with eBay you may have noticed a little blue & red “me” icon within your Seller information box or within the My eBay area.
The about me page is your only chance to let the world know about yourself, your products & policies though eBay.
As a seller you can use your eBay About Me page to help make a sale, use it to build trust between you and your buyers, you can even use it to sell affiliate products & built up a list of interested buyers for your products.
eBay has a few guidelines about what you can’t have on your about me page, however these are rarely enforced. Specifically eBay guidelines mention that “page may not promote outside-of-eBay sales or prohibited items”.
So, start making the most of your About Me page today. Even a few short paragraph about your listings, or refund policy will do wonders for your sales.
You don’t need to worry about complicated html either. eBay has put together an easy to use template which completely guides you though the process of creating an About Me page from scratch.
Create yours today & watch your bids & sales rise. Good luck.

Mark Kenny runs an independent eBay forum where you can discuss any aspects of eBay & get rewarded for your contribution to the forum. For any advise or eBay problems, visit the forum at: http://eBusinesseBooks.com/forum

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Online Auction Sites – Should You Look at Alternatives to eBay?

If you are new to the world of online auctions, you might have the impression that there is nothing but eBay. While eBay is massive and constantly advertises the fact that you can find “it” on eBay, there are other services available. Whether you are just setting out as an online seller, want to switch sites, or diversify your sales channel, it might be worthwhile to look at alternatives.
You should be aware, though, that using eBay has its advantages. It is much larger than its competitors (see http://www.powersellersunite.com/auctionsitewatch.php), which translates into an anormous amount of traffic. And it is a recognized brand that spends a lot on marketing.
However, eBay also has its disadvantages. The fees for sellers are relatively high, many categories have fierce price competition, and there are recurring technical glitches and dubious “improvements” (such as giving sellers overly optimistic arrival dates during the holiday shipping season).
Where can you find alternatives? Here are some URLs to get you started:

http://auctionbytes.com/cab/pages/sitepricing

http://theauctionboard.com/onlineauctions.html

http://www.powersellersunite.com/about7.html

As you can see, there are numerous other sites out there. Before signing up with one (or several) of them, you should ask a few questions:

How long has the site been in business? Who stands behind it?
What is its fee structure, both for listing and final value fees?
Which forms of payment can you accept on this site?
How much activity is there in your product category?
The last question is particularly important. A low-cost or even free auction site will be useless for you, if there is little traffic in your category. Even a free listing costs you the time you need to create it!
Once you have answered these questions, you may decide to go with one of the established competitors (yahoo.com, overstock.com), choose a smaller site (bluejay.com, ecrater.com) or go for a niche site that specializes in such items as pinball machines (pinballmachines.com) or bead jewelry (justbeads.com). Of course there is always the option of building your own web store to sell your items.

Pamela Bruce lives in Austin, TX. She is the owner of Love Beads Unlimited and sells the sterling silver and Swarovski crystal bead jewelry she designs and creates both in her eBay store (http://stores.ebay.com/LOVE-BEADS-UNLIMITED) and on her website at http://www.lovebeadsunlimited.com, where you can also download the free e-book “A Consumer’s Guide to Buying Bead Jewelry Online”.

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How To Find Business Opportunities For eBay Trading Assistants

There are a select group of sellers who are known as eBay Trading Assistants. They belong to a special program, which allows eBay sellers to offer items provided by others. For example, if you are familiar with the concept of a consignment shop, then you will understand the responsibilities of a trading assistant. A friend, family member or acquaintance may have one or more items to sell, but no computer or internet access. So, they would contact an eBay trading assistant who would offer their items for sale. Most eBay trading assistants charge a fee for their service, but it should be a reasonable one in order to provide quality service at an affordable price.
There are a number of ways to find people who are in need of an eBay trading assistant. Word of mouth, of course, is very popular as is the eBay directory listing every trading assistant and their location. But, what if you want even more business? For the serious entrepreneur, there are a few more ways to drum up some new customers.
1. Place an advertisement in the local newspaper’s classified section. It should go under the ‘Notice’ or ‘Services’ section. Because the cost of classifieds are usually determined by the number of words, keep it short while remaining informative. For example, “eBay Trading Assistant now accepting new items on consignment. Excellent reputation and reasonable rates.” Be sure to include a telephone number or e-mail address, or both, at the end of the advertisement.
2. Buy airtime on a local radio station. Record your own message or ask the DJ to create a commercial with pizzazz. Don’t worry – you should get final approval before anything is released on radio, so be sure to let them know you want to hear the commercial before it airs.
3. Post flyers in your community, on bulletin boards and anywhere else that will allow flyers to be posted. At the bottom of your flyer, print your telephone number diagonally as many times as you can. Cut strips, which will separate each telephone entry. This will allow interested parties to take a telephone number and stick it in their pocket without having to find a pen and paper to write your information down.
4. Ask local businesses and retail stores if you can leave flyers in their window or at their counters. Consumers passing through the store may have some old clothes or other collectibles that they would like to get rid of, so a store is a good place for your flyers.
5. Talk with local business owners and inquire if they have any merchandise they would like to have sold, but aren’t having any luck moving it out themselves. Tell them that you believe you can help, explain that you sell on the internet and ask if they would be interested in letting you sell their items in exchange for a small commission. Many businesses, especially the small ones, would be interested in reaching a broad international market. The appeal of the internet may be just what they need to free up inventory and bring in some extra cash.

Mark Kenny runs an independent eBay forum where you can discuss any aspects of eBay & get rewarded for your contribution to the forum. For any advise or eBay problems, visit the forum at: http://eBusinesseBooks.com/forum

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Quick Cash Selling Your College Textbooks on eBay

There is a ravenous online market for college textbooks. Putting up a textbook or any book for sale on Ebay is a snap. Simply enter the ISBN number, which is located on the inside cover of most books. The ISBN number can also be located on the back of many books.
The International Standard Book Number, or ISBN (sometimes pronounced “is-ben”), is a unique identifier for books, intended to be used commercially.
Ebay recognizes the ISBN number, and will automatically enter all the relevant data about the book, and in most cases add a picture as well.
Non Fiction Books with copyright dates of 1999 and newer normally command top dollar on Ebay.
There are people who look exclusively for valuable books in their communities. The book scout will scour thrift stores, local auctions and estate sales for books that may at most cost a dollar and resell for $40 and up per book. They are known in the book industry as book scouts. Book scouts are able to pick the cherries from stacks of books in just a few minutes, earning hundreds of dollars for a small amount of work.
If you are book scouting at thrift stores or local auctions keep this tip in mind. A good rule of thumb is anything that you cannot understand technically would be a good idea to purchase. There is virtually no downside to buying used books; the worst-case scenario is the book you purchased for 50 cents is worth that amount. Quite often the books will average $25 and up with and occasional $80 or $90 textbook.
Get paid handsomely and become a book detective selling used books on Ebay.

Tim Gilberg is able to provide information and insight from a unique
perspective – that of someone who is actually doing what others just
talk about. Ebay Power Seller Platinum Status was Attained by Tim Gilberg, which is one of the highest sales levels attained selling on eBay. Tim is active on Ebay and liquidation.com as well as consulting
and working with other Top ebay Power Seller’s to give you real life
in use insight, not theories. Visit Tim Gilberg at his website online college degree.

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