AW Daily - Tips & Tactics - Before the Auction: Timesaving Strategies

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We live in an age of acceleration. Without a doubt, we have become "a quick-reflexed, multitasking, channel-flipping, fast-forwarding citizenry," according to science writer James Gleick. Of course, this isn't exactly news to online auction sellers, who always are looking for ways to save time regarding their auctions. We've compiled the following hints and suggestions for making the most of that precious commodity: time.

Post Office Blues
One of online auction sellers' most common complaints about wasting time involves trips to the post office. To be sure, multiple and unexpected visits to your local PO can be a real time suck. With that in mind, don't make several jaunts to the post office every week. Rather, designate a particular day (or two days) for all your postal needs. As you sell more and more at online auction, you won't want to keep running off to mail a package, thinking that it's only one trip--those trips will quickly add up if you don't have a set PO schedule.

Those who are frustrated with long lines and the hassle of driving or taking the bus should consider signing up with companies such as Stamps.com or Estamps. Personal postage providers offer software programs that are installed on your computer so that you can print out postage right from your computer. Your account is then credited the appropriate amount. All you need is a PC, laser or ink-jet printer, and an Internet connection, and you can gain access to postage whenever you want. But remember: You'll also have to pay extra for the added convenience via fees and charges. Yes, it's true: time is money.

The Loneliest Number
Don't go it alone. In order to make their online selling more efficient and less time consuming, many sellers turn to software assistants, bulk-loading tools, and personalized pages. This is an avenue you should explore, especially if you're making the crossover from casual seller to serious seller. By using such services, you won't have to laboriously list items one by one or individually track the status of your current auctions. Make the selling process--from listing to closing the deal--as easy and fluid as possible. Use the various tools that are available for sellers.

Also, take advantage of the auction community (for instance, AW's own Message Center). If you have questions, don't isolate yourself and waste time by trying to figure everything out for yourself--ask people. Online auction users are a friendly bunch, and they're always willing to help and offer advice.

Organize It
Here's one we can't stress enough: Get organized. As the amount of items you sell increases, so too should you further systematize your selling procedures. Here a few key suggestions:

Come up with a weekly schedule and designate certain days for certain tasks (listings on Sundays, post office on Fridays, packaging on Thursdays, leaving feedback on Wednesdays, writing auction descriptions on Tuesdays). Some sellers like to use the analogy of an assembly line when describing how they go about improving their selling efficiency.

Create templates for your auctions and emails (end-of-auction notices, payment reminders, item sent notifications). You'll reuse them again and again and therefore avoid repeat writing and typing. And save all your auction descriptions. You'll likely wind up selling the same exact item, if not something similar, and thus be able to reuse all or part of the text.

Develop a database (using a program such as FileMaker) so that you can maintain a record of your customers. This will not only help you track and better serve repeat customers, but also allow you to print out labels so that you don't have to write out customer addresses by hand.

Make sure you have a proper amount of space to conduct your online auction activities (a stable, quiet place for your computer, a place to pack items, a place to store your packaging materials), and make sure that your work space (or spaces) doesn't get inundated with clutter and mess. Also, come up with an organized filing system--both in your designated auction space and on your computer--of all your auction-related paperwork. Avoid the time vacuum of sifting through stacks of paper and having to hunt all over your hard drive.

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