April 29 , 2008

In This Issue:
* All Our CDs Are On Sale & We Have New Products!
* Problems: Their Value (Believe It Or Not!) And Solving Them ...
* Do You Understand What eBay Is?
* eBay Tidbits ...
* Kid Logic: True (& Funny!) Stories From The Peanut Gallery

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All Our CDs Are On Sale & We Have New Products!

All our CDs are on sale:

* Auction Genius Course 8 CD-ROM Set :: $397 - $299
This is our main course and teaches students how to sell on eBay

* Auction Genius Wealth Plan 4 CD-ROM Set :: $499 - $399
This is the plan we developed for ourselves for creating passive income using eBay and search engines

* Auction Leads Machine 6 CD-ROM Set :: $499 - $299
This is a series done with marketer Jim Edwards where Sydney shows Jim how to use eBay to sell affiliate products

* Auction Genius Tools & Tactics CD-ROM :: $99 - $69
This CD covers a multitude of auction issues like what to do when your goodies don't sell, and includes software

* Auction Genius Bootstrap CD :: $149 - $119
This is the Auction Genius Course "lite" version - it includes only one CD and doesn't cover anything about locating products {Can be found at checkout}

 

If you're interested in any of our products, NOW is the time!

 

New Video Products:

* BEGINNER: "Is eBay The Right Home Business For Me?" :: $19.95
eBay has one critical advantage that makes it THE most powerful home business in existence. Leverage this powerful edge to create cash flow for your family.

* INTERMEDIATE: "The 4 Step System For Abundant eBay Cash Flow" :: $24.95
Success on eBay isn't an accident. It's the result of a repeatable, duplicatable system that can be used for every single product line you ever build on eBay.

* ADVANCED: "Virtually Unknown Ways Of Making Money With eBay" :: $29.95
Learn how to make long term, passive income with the help of eBay, or understand how to sell products that you don't even list on eBay!

 

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Problems: Their Value (Believe It Or Not!) And Solving Them

Problems. We all hate 'em. We don't want them, if we have them we want to get rid of them as quickly as possible and we even feel we can't be happy as long as they exist!

I would like to share something with you. It's from a man who was walking with his girlfriend when both of them were hit by a car that was decelerating from 70 MPH. The girl was killed and he was thrown a long way through the air and landed on the concrete. He spent the next two decades in often-agonizing pain. This is what he writes ...

"Who would imagine that your particular problems could be the very guides to your success? That your problems literally light the way, like lampposts along a walkway, and that without this light you wouldn't be able to find your unique way. All the people I've met who are unbelievably successful also used their unique personal problems to develop themselves more fully, to repair and reinvent themselves, to become much more accomplished, vibrant and alive."

I really respect his attitude - BUT I would personally find it difficult to be grateful for an experience like his. I'm sure you agree? Still, the wisdom here is powerful ... since we're stuck with out darn problems anyway, we might as well look for the gift. Who knows where it might lead us?

 

The Problem Solving Method That NEVER Fails

1. "What do I want?" 2. Make the best plan you can for where you are now 3. Take action on your plan 4. Evaluate the results of your action Repeat steps 3 & 4 until you get what you want or change your mind and decide you prefer something different.

Of course, we must begin by saying that we must use some sanity in out goals. I seriously doubt that I will be a pro quarterback for the NHL by fall or beat out Hillary, Obama or McCain for president. But, the starting point is to decide what we want. Always. Without a destination, we won't get anywhere - and we won't know when we've arrived.

Step two is about making a plan. This stops many people because we feel that we don't know enough. I'm personally sympathetic because I always think I don't know enough and if I just learn one more thing ... and one more thing ... and just one more little thing ... then FINALLY I might know enough to make my plan. And it's true that often we don't know enough. But sometimes that's just an excuse for inaction. The tricky part, of course, is finding that line between knowing-enough-to-get-started and paralysis. That's pretty much an individual decision.

Step three is about the really frightening part - actually doing something. And it's always wise to limit our risk when we're new to something. Example: in my Auction Genius Course I teach that the way to succeed on eBay is to build one small income stream, get it up and running on (mostly) autopilot, and then build Income Stream #2, Income Stream #3 and Income Stream #4. Now Income Stream #1 should be, (MUST be, if you're wise) created around an inexpensive product. It's much better to learn on a $10 wallet than a $1,000 TV. The "Home Run", the income stream that produces $20,000/month is great - but unnecessary. Of course, when those come along we don't turn them down! :-)

Step four is where most people derail themselves. They take some small actions - and then usually see small, if any, results. So they conclude PREMATURALLY that they've "failed". A better word for our results is "feedback". We take an action -----> and get a result. That result is feedback, not failure. It calls for experimentation, not defeat. Creating something wonderful requires patience. What if you till a garden in your yard and plant some tomato seeds and one week later baby plants have poked out of the ground. Would you stand over the plants screaming, "You stupid plants! I'm having company for dinner tonight and I need you on the table now! What is wrong with you, you #@!~ things?"

All we need to do is be guided by our feedback (Step 4) and adjust our actions accordingly (Step 3) until we get what we want - or change our minds entirely and not want it anymore.

Simple, although not always easy.

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Do You Understand What eBay Is?

Do you understand what eBay is? Most people don't. And in fact, it sounds like an odd question. "Say what???"

When I go to seminars I sometimes ask the audience what eBay is. They always give me an "Aren't-YOU-stupid?" look and finally someone will say that eBay is an 'auction site'. But it isn't. eBay itself doesn't auction anything. Instead, eBay is an advertising medium. And that's all it is. Folks talk about having an "eBay business", and of course it's a convenient way to speak about the subject. But it's no different from saying "I have an organic search engine business" or "I have a Google AdSense business". You have a product and you use eBay to find buyers for that product.

So who cares? Isn't this just a word game? No, not really. Understanding that eBay is simply an advertising venue helps us put eBay prices in perspective. In fact, eBay is THE biggest advertising bargain anywhere. I have looked and looked but I can't find any site, anywhere, with eBay's kind of traffic and such bargain prices.

Example: you can list an item on eBay for $.15 - and that ad remains for up to one week and 50 million people might click on your auction {if that happens, please let me know ASAP!}. The minimum price on Google AdWords is $.25 - and that's per click, not by the week.

So, yes, eBay is aggravating, annoying, indifferent, etc. - but it's still the best advertising bargain in town!

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eBay Tidbits ...

3,000,000th Vehicle Sold on eBay Motors!

A passenger vehicle sells every 56 seconds on eBay Motors. So, amazingly, the 3,000,000th vehicle recently sold on eBay Motors.

The landmark vehicle is a 2002 Ford F-250 pickup purchased by Patricia Weidler of Otego, NY, which will be used to help her husband Dan start his own construction business. The couple bought the car from David Pelis of Pelis Auto Sales in Northampton, Mass., who has been selling on eBay Motors since April of 2000. As part of eBay's celebration of this momentous occasion, they reimbursed the Weidlers' for the cost of the pickup, and included $3,000 in parts and accessories.

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"Best In Stores" Contest

Every year eBay has a 'Best In Store' contest and eBay members can vote. The categories are:

* Best Shopping Experience
* Best Store Marketing
* Best Looking Store
* Best Simple Store

Voting is open through April 30th, and the winners will be announced in Mid-May. If you want to vote, go here:

http://ebay.promotionexpert.com/bestinstores2008/vote/index.html

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Trusted Selling with Identity Confirmation Began April 14

One of the ways criminals attempt to defraud people on eBay is by gaining access to member accounts with well-established reputations which they then use to set up listings in that person’s name. They gain this access often through a phishing email that convinces an unsuspecting member to click a link and enter their User ID and password.

To protect the Community against this type of fraud, eBay will start noting which computers members typically use to conduct their buying and selling activity. After the data collection phase, sometime in June eBay will begin verifying sellers when they list an item to ensure they are logging in from the same machines they have successfully used previously – usually a home or business computer.

If you are a seller, and you attempt to list an item from a different computer – for example, from a PC you are borrowing in a hotel or library – eBay will make an automated call to the phone number you have registered with them to confirm it is really you. They may also prompt you to verify your identity in other ways.

Initially, this identity confirmation process will only be applied to selling, although eBay may be extending this to other high-visibility activity in the future.

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eBay Category Changes Coming In May

BUSINESS & INDUSTRIAL
Restoring brand-specific categories for Antique Tractors & Equipment.

COLLECTIBLES
In accordance with new company policy, the Bullets & Grenades category is being removed from US WWII Militaria.

COMPUTERS & NETWORKING
The Digital, Downloadable Software category is being eliminated.

CRAFTS
The category structure will present a cleaner look with these new high-level groupings:

* Art Supplies contains ACEO/Art Card, Airbrushing, Drawing & Painting, Screen Printing & Sculpture supplies.
* Beads, Glass & Jewelry Making contains all materials needed for jewelry & beadwork.
* Handcrafted & Finished Pieces is the place to go for great finished crafts!
* Home Arts & Crafts contains materials for making Baskets, Rugs, Candles & Soap, Ceramics, Leathercrafts, Weavings, and more.
* Kids' Crafts is still the spot for children's craft supplies.
* Multi-Purpose Craft Supplies contains Adhesives, Displays, Ribbon, and Craft Pieces like feathers, gourds & pine cones.
* Needlecrafts & Yarn brings together items for Crocheting, Knitting, Embroidery, Needlepoint, Tatting, etc.
* Scrapbooking & Paper Crafts has everything for the scrapbooker, plus Stamping & Embossing, Origami, Card Making and more.
* Sewing & Fabric brings items for Quilting, Fabric and Sewing together.

DOLLS & BEARS
Look for lots of new categories, including Miniature Bears, Baby Dolls, Mod-Era Barbies, and Interactive Dolls.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Restoring brand-specific categories for Guitars.

POTTERY & GLASS
Adding several new categories, including Maltese/Mdina Art Glass, Bordallo Pinheiro and Nemadji Art Pottery, and ES Prussia China & Dinnerware.

SPORTING GOODS
eBay is restoring brand-specific categories in Golf Balls and Vintage Fishing Lures, returning specific gun types under Airsoft, and increasing visibility for Baseball Gloves & Mitts. They're also adding an Antique & Vintage Lanterns category under Camping & Hiking, and creating spots for BMX Old School Bikes & Parts. Equestrian will get a category for Tack-Endurance and Fishing will see a category for Lines, Leaders & Tippets and a whole section for Rod Building & Repair.

TOYS & HOBBIES
eBay is restoring the section for Radio Control Engines, and Radio Control Aircraft will be separated into gas-powered and battery-powered types. Theye're also replacing the eBay Item Specifics for "Type of Toy" and replacing them with seller-defined item specifics.

VIDEO GAMES
Categories that duplicate item specifics in Video Game Accessories will be removed, to match the look & feel of Video Games & Video Game Systems.

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I'd say eBay knows a little something about converting their prospects to buyers!

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Kid Logic: True (And Funny!)
Stories From The Peanut Gallery

1)  NUDITY
I was driving with my three young children one warm summer evening when a woman in the convertible ahead of us stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As I was reeling from the shock, I heard my 5-year-old shout from the back seat, "Mom! That lady isn't wearing a seat belt!"

2)  OPINIONS
On the first day of school, a first-grader handed his teacher a note from his mother. The note read, "The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parents."

3)  KETCHUP
A woman was trying hard to get the ketchup out of the jar. During her struggle the phone rang so she asked her 4-year-old daughter to answer the phone. "Mommy can't come to the phone to talk to you right now. She's  
hitting the bottle."

4)  MORE NUDITY
A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himsel f in the women's  locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with  ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in  amazement and then asked, "What's the matter, haven't you ever seen a  little boy before?"

5)  POLICE # 1
While taking a routine vandalism report at an elementary school, I was  interrupted by a little girl about 6 years old. Looking up and down at my  uniform, she asked, "Are you a cop?" "Yes," I answered and continued  writing the report. "My mother said if I ever needed help I should ask  the police. Is that right?" "Yes, that's right," I told her. "Well,  then," she said as she extended her foot toward me, "would you please  tie my shoe?"

6)  POLICE # 2
It was the end of the day when I parked my police van in front of the station. As I gathered my equipment, my K-9 partner, Jake, was barking,  and I saw a little boy staring in at me "Is that a dog you got back  there?" he asked. "It sure is," I replied. Puzzled, the boy looked at me  and then towards the back of the van. Finally he said, "What did he do?"

8)  DRESS-UP
A little girl was watching her parents dress for a party. When she saw  her dad donning his tuxedo, she warned, "Daddy, you shouldn't wear that  suit." "And why not, darling?" "You know that it always gives you a  headache the next morning. "

9)  SCHOOL
A little girl had just finished her first week of school. "I'm just  wasting my time," she said to her mother. "I can't read, I can't write  and they won't let me talk!"