It’s all about consumption, man!

Consumption. It means that we are talking about using up something. I mean, a picture frame is not a consumable item. A can of coke, on the other hand, is most certainly a consumable. I mean, once that can of coke has been consumed, it is all gone.  There ain’t no getting it back again!  If you want another coke, you are going to have to buy another one.

That’s the beauty of consumables.  If you treat your customer right, and you sell them a quality product that they like, then they will be back for more time and time again.  If possible, consumables are certainly the way to go when selling on eBay or anywhere else.

I have decided that I want to really focus in on consumables for my online auction business.  I want things that people will buy over and over and over again!

Coke, the ultimate consumable!

When you do this, though, there are two keys to keep in mind.

1. Super Customer Service
2. Super Quality Goods

Don’t take me wrong, I am not suggesting that you sell Coke on eBay.  I certainly won’t be doing that.  But, Coke is an example of something that is truly a consumable item.

Why Super Customer Service?

Well, I believe that especially when selling consumable items, customer service is a huge key to success.  This is because when you are selling a consumable, you are counting on your customer to come back again and again for more of the same product.  If you don’t treat your customer right, then they won’t be coming back!

I like to think that when it comes to customer service, I am as good as they come.  I mean, you can never say that you are the best, because there are always others who are good.  But, I don’t know that there are any people better than me at handling customers.  If there is anything at all wrong with something I sell, I go out of my way to make it right.  Did you know that sometimes, when you do something wrong, it is a perfect opportunity to make a good impression on the customer?  It’s true.  When people get a defective item, or a broken item, they automatically assume that it is going to be a hassle dealing with the person who sold it to them.  For me, no questions asked, I will do whatever it takes to take care of the customer.  When that happens, it makes such a favorable impression on the customer that they will remember you, and they will be back.  When you are selling consumables, and you need repeat business, this is very, very important.

Why Quality Products?

Again, if you sell quality merchandise, it will favorably impress the customer, and they will remember you when it is time for that “next can of coke” or whatever product you are selling.

So, good products, and treating your customer right.  If you combine these two things with the right consumable items, it is nearly impossible to go wrong.

Again, though, I think that selling a consumable item is really a big key to success!

Next time, I am going to tell you how to make something that really isn’t a consumable into a consumable item.  It’s true!  I’ll show you how next time.

About the Author:  Bob Martin is an Internet Entrepreneur living in Davao City, Philippines. Bob is an American, but has lived in the Philippines for about a decade now. Bob got started in the Online Auction business in the early days of the Internet, selling on eBay while it was still in it's infancy.