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During the Auction: Working With Newbies

by Dennis Prince

It's something that all online auction sellers must face: On the one hand, they want to actively attract the interest and bids of online auction newcomers, while on the other, they know that there's the more than likely possibility they'll have to work harder with these uninitiated patrons of the cybermarket.

Of course, not all of these auction "newbies" are problematic, but many sellers agree that working a sale with a first-timer can require some extra effort, extra explanation, and occasionally extra patience. However, if you are prepared to assist a neophyte through the sometimes perplexing world of online auctions, you'll find yourself in prime position to adopt a long-term customer for your efforts.

After all, new users are the lifeblood that keeps the auction venues alive and ever expanding. Here are some things you can do to make a newbie's entrance into online auctions a smashing success for both you and your newly found beginning bidder.

Get to Know Your Newbie
One look at a bidder's feedback rating and you'll quickly determine whether he or she is new in town. Barring that the low rating is the result of a bunch of negs, identify who your newbie bidders are and mentally prepare yourself to help them through a process that might be quite foreign and even intimidating to them.

Initiate prompt contact once an auction has closed (as you would with any other bidder), but be prepared to answer additional questions regarding your auction terms, methods, and policies. Remember that some of these new bidders are new not only to bidding but also green to conducting long-distance business with complete strangers (yes, you). Your punctual responses and polite answers to their questions will assure them you are there to assist with their purchase. Who knows--you might even ease their fears and tensions, which are often fed by incriminating reports of rampant online auction crooks, creeps, and scam artists.

Then again, it's possible your newbie bidder is simply new to the venue though quite seasoned in this sort of horse-trading. If you're dealing with a veteran of person-to-person exchanges, you'll likely expend little extra effort in making the deal come off smoothly. Still, be prepared to offer a helping hand, especially when this brand of newbie clearly might be ill at ease with the whole computer and Internet aspect of this sort of transaction.

And, of course, watch out for the occasional dark cloud--you know, the bidder who's looking to scam and scamper or bid and bolt. The undesirable elements are out there, and if your newbie turns out to be this sort of ninny, be sure your terms of service (TOS) cover your expectations of timely payment and so on. If the newbie ne'er-do-well is trying to be clever, cut that one loose and move on.

Most of all, when sizing up and making first contact with newbie bidders, remember that you're going to make an early impression upon them about how this online auction stuff works.

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