EBay customer question: ‘hi I need better rate and more Sugilite pls’

 

Alright, so he did say “pls” (an abbreviation of ‘please’) at the end there – in a nod to the formality of civil dialog – but notice, no introduction, no:

“Hello…this is me, I’m from such-and-such…and I was hoping to converse with you about your item. Do you have any more pieces to choose from, and is there any way I might get a discount of any kind?”

Wouldn’t that have been a nicer way to start off the conversation? Especially since you’re making a big ask – for more to quantity – with quality and a discount!

So I responded thusly:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now maybe I could have responded differently – cajoled, begged for the business – but I have no idea who this person is, whether they’re a reseller, or just a hack trying to get something for nothing?!

You may not know that eBay allows you to list your items with a Best Offer option. People can low ball if they like – and sometimes I’ve accepted – or counter offered somewhere in between my starting price and their proposed ‘Best Offer.’

By the way – here’s the link to my eBay store – https://www.ebay.com/usr/PowerStoneCrystals

Sadly, many Best Offers are really not any good at all: a request for 73% off is ridiculous. They can’t seem to understand – why would I list an item for $100 if I had any intention of selling it for $27?! And also, if the standard markup in the business is two times the purchase price – if I hypothetically paid $50 for a $100 item – why would I sell it under cost. Rude. And I tell them so, but as nicely as possible. I’d like to think I’m educating them.

As Maya Angelou famously said though (I can’t find the exact quote): “once people show you who they are – believe them – the first time!” In other words, people don’t change. If they come across to you wrong, it’ll happen again, barring any particular apology for an anomalous situation.

Even so – I’m open to bouncing back, rolling with the situation – and I’ll go the extra mile to give you the benefit of the doubt. And if I can afford it, a discount as well. But you’ve got to stay in the conversation (this guy didn’t even bother to write back). And you have to put some cards down if you want to play.

I’ve been in dialog with a prospective customer recently – I even sent her a PayPal invoice – but she was too leery to even share her mailing address, which I’d need for the mailing anyhow. Later, she balked at my All Sales Final policy, which I would have waived…but if you can’t trust me (and I’m a renowned ‘leader’ in the industry) with your mailing address for an invoice of something you want to buy from me…why should I go out of my way to make an exception for you.

Anyhow, I’m on a new kick to make my Blogs shorter and more frequent – so I’m not gonna go down any rabbit holes – temping as that might be. My point here was to show you a sample bit of dialog in real time, as it happens on eBay. It was about a pricey (though not relatively, or inappropriately) Sugilite, but it could have been about any piece. You see the type of telegraphic communications people send me – like I’m some sort of algorhythm – that just by their blunt request, will spit out a positive outcome for them. It’s amazing!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kyle Russell is the founder of the Crystal Concentrics paradigm for understanding work with Crystals, and also has a storefront: Portal Crystal Gallery, in Arlington, Mass.

His Crystal Concentrics YouTube channel may be found (and Subscribed to) here:

https://www.YouTube.com/user/CrystalConcentrics

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A podcast is in the works for release THIS Fall (of 2019).