Abominog
Well-known member
Marketing and advertising properly is the key to getting the most out of a sale.
Go on a dating website. See that they have a "show those only with photos." Wonder why? Because people want to SEE what they are getting into.
Pick up a product brochure. Any brochure. See- there are photos! Some have nothing to do with the product. Others are of the product. The former are designed to make you dream, and the latter fulfill you dreams.
The classic example is Omaha Steaks. They don't show a slab of frozen meat in a vacuum-wrapped bag, they show a steaming, rare premium steak with potatoes on a fine piece of china. They don't say "we ship you six steaks frozen in time in a foam container" they tell you how fabulous it will taste when it hits your face. People don't buy a slab of frozen meat, they buy the mental image of how much they are going to enjoy that baby all salted and grilled to perfection.
So here's some rules on advertising:
1. Be truthful. Have to start with that. Otherwise you PO people, and it gets around. If there is a flaw, describe it accurately. Don't over-do it, just state it. Don't get all melodramatic (e.g., "oh, there's a chunk out of the stock near the buttplate, oh what a shame otherwise it would be perfect and I would have used it, and...") No. "Chip on underside of buttplate" is fine.
2. Just the facts, ma'am: nobody cares if it came with a beat up stock or you're selling it to fund the divorce. It has a nice stock now, so talk about that. Don't discuss how you had to fix anything, if the friggin' thing works now, say it!
3. PHOTOS. That is really #1, but I place it after being truthful. But good photos are absolutely imperative. No phone camera garbage- good, clear photos. If numbers match, put them all together in one photo so prospective buyers can SEE the matching numbers parts all together. A picture is really worth 1000 words. Oh, and don't link to the photos, put them in the friggin' post- 90% of people won't follow the link.
4. Differentiation. Why should I buy your BGS build instead of a DSA or Century? Describe what makes your offer unique and special. "Original FN metric wood handguards" beats "see pics" all day long.
5. Sex appeal. Some things are sexier than others. Type I receivers, matching numbers, great finishes, rare parts/ stamps, nice bores, original or properly refinished wood, Type A lowers, built by known experts, etc. Some things get the blood flowing- concentrate on those.
6. Pricing. Believe it or not, underpriced stuff doesn't sell well. Potential buyers are subconsciously suspicious. Why is it underpriced? What's wrong with it? And there is the human factor: oh, that must be all it's worth. At one show I had a rare item (actually I had a boatload of them) and I put one up for $60. For a day, nobody bought! So I bumped the price to $85 - and it sold instantly on day two; in fact, I had people come screaming looking for another. The perception is that things are worth what you pay, and if you pay little, it's worth little. So price it where it belongs so people can respect themselves.
7. NO NEGATIVITY. That's not the same as "not truthful." Don't expound on faults, mention them. If it's too heavy for you, that's fine, but STFU. If you don't know about something, state it, but don't go overboard or conjecture (e.g., "I never shot it so it probably doesn't work" vs. "unfired by me.")
8. Don't offer conjecture. "Probably carried by Erwin Rommel" is garbage. And everybody knows it. "Exhibits paint typical of the African Campaign" is correct and the extent of the truth.
9. Research what you are selling. God knows how many "T48s" have been for sale over the last decade. I saw one T48 for sale fifteen years ago. You don't have a T48. If you're selling something that is not what you advertise, you run the risk of false advertising or being low-balled by somebody that knows what you have. So figure out what you have. This will also maximize your sale price.
BAD AD:
Pre-ban Brazilian FAL better than FN. Have to sell it to fund my bail because I was caught stealing from a liquor store. I don't actually have the rifle, my brother has it, but it was made by IMBEL before the ban. Trigger and stuff replaced by US-made parts so you're legal. Super sniper flash hider so you can't be seen. This thing is super cool. At the last match I shot 1/2" groups with it. More accurate than a real FN, which is actually made with cheap cast receiver. It was brand new unfired then I shot something like 20 rounds. If you want pictures email me, but I only check email on Sundays when there's no church service.
GOOD AD:
IAI FAL. 100% Brazilian IMBEL parts except US muzzle break. Assembled by IAI in Texas, which is a quality build. All parts S/N match. A true all-IMBEL FAL at 20% less than a SAR-48. Parkerized finish is 99%. Made from all licensed parts, this is not a cheap kit gun or home build, it was assembled from factory parts in USA. Less than 20 LC rounds fired, functioned flawlessly. Sights are straight with no correction on rear sight. All metric mags tested fit fine. Looks just like an FN 50.00 but with an FN-license forged reciever. Photos below.
Before you post, write your ad. First, take out the crap that doesn't matter to anyone other than you. Then look at the defects- can you describe them accurately with less? Then look at the highlights of your offer- can you do something more to emphasize them (without lying?) Can potential buyers see in the photos how awesome this thing is?
Yeah, some long-time sellers like Larry F/N can post a photo that looks like a tomato can and say it's an original T48 handguard. You can't. You need to describe your offer accurately, sexily, and with photographic proof. That's how you maximize your sale.
Go on a dating website. See that they have a "show those only with photos." Wonder why? Because people want to SEE what they are getting into.
Pick up a product brochure. Any brochure. See- there are photos! Some have nothing to do with the product. Others are of the product. The former are designed to make you dream, and the latter fulfill you dreams.
The classic example is Omaha Steaks. They don't show a slab of frozen meat in a vacuum-wrapped bag, they show a steaming, rare premium steak with potatoes on a fine piece of china. They don't say "we ship you six steaks frozen in time in a foam container" they tell you how fabulous it will taste when it hits your face. People don't buy a slab of frozen meat, they buy the mental image of how much they are going to enjoy that baby all salted and grilled to perfection.
So here's some rules on advertising:
1. Be truthful. Have to start with that. Otherwise you PO people, and it gets around. If there is a flaw, describe it accurately. Don't over-do it, just state it. Don't get all melodramatic (e.g., "oh, there's a chunk out of the stock near the buttplate, oh what a shame otherwise it would be perfect and I would have used it, and...") No. "Chip on underside of buttplate" is fine.
2. Just the facts, ma'am: nobody cares if it came with a beat up stock or you're selling it to fund the divorce. It has a nice stock now, so talk about that. Don't discuss how you had to fix anything, if the friggin' thing works now, say it!
3. PHOTOS. That is really #1, but I place it after being truthful. But good photos are absolutely imperative. No phone camera garbage- good, clear photos. If numbers match, put them all together in one photo so prospective buyers can SEE the matching numbers parts all together. A picture is really worth 1000 words. Oh, and don't link to the photos, put them in the friggin' post- 90% of people won't follow the link.
4. Differentiation. Why should I buy your BGS build instead of a DSA or Century? Describe what makes your offer unique and special. "Original FN metric wood handguards" beats "see pics" all day long.
5. Sex appeal. Some things are sexier than others. Type I receivers, matching numbers, great finishes, rare parts/ stamps, nice bores, original or properly refinished wood, Type A lowers, built by known experts, etc. Some things get the blood flowing- concentrate on those.
6. Pricing. Believe it or not, underpriced stuff doesn't sell well. Potential buyers are subconsciously suspicious. Why is it underpriced? What's wrong with it? And there is the human factor: oh, that must be all it's worth. At one show I had a rare item (actually I had a boatload of them) and I put one up for $60. For a day, nobody bought! So I bumped the price to $85 - and it sold instantly on day two; in fact, I had people come screaming looking for another. The perception is that things are worth what you pay, and if you pay little, it's worth little. So price it where it belongs so people can respect themselves.
7. NO NEGATIVITY. That's not the same as "not truthful." Don't expound on faults, mention them. If it's too heavy for you, that's fine, but STFU. If you don't know about something, state it, but don't go overboard or conjecture (e.g., "I never shot it so it probably doesn't work" vs. "unfired by me.")
8. Don't offer conjecture. "Probably carried by Erwin Rommel" is garbage. And everybody knows it. "Exhibits paint typical of the African Campaign" is correct and the extent of the truth.
9. Research what you are selling. God knows how many "T48s" have been for sale over the last decade. I saw one T48 for sale fifteen years ago. You don't have a T48. If you're selling something that is not what you advertise, you run the risk of false advertising or being low-balled by somebody that knows what you have. So figure out what you have. This will also maximize your sale price.
BAD AD:
Pre-ban Brazilian FAL better than FN. Have to sell it to fund my bail because I was caught stealing from a liquor store. I don't actually have the rifle, my brother has it, but it was made by IMBEL before the ban. Trigger and stuff replaced by US-made parts so you're legal. Super sniper flash hider so you can't be seen. This thing is super cool. At the last match I shot 1/2" groups with it. More accurate than a real FN, which is actually made with cheap cast receiver. It was brand new unfired then I shot something like 20 rounds. If you want pictures email me, but I only check email on Sundays when there's no church service.
GOOD AD:
IAI FAL. 100% Brazilian IMBEL parts except US muzzle break. Assembled by IAI in Texas, which is a quality build. All parts S/N match. A true all-IMBEL FAL at 20% less than a SAR-48. Parkerized finish is 99%. Made from all licensed parts, this is not a cheap kit gun or home build, it was assembled from factory parts in USA. Less than 20 LC rounds fired, functioned flawlessly. Sights are straight with no correction on rear sight. All metric mags tested fit fine. Looks just like an FN 50.00 but with an FN-license forged reciever. Photos below.
Before you post, write your ad. First, take out the crap that doesn't matter to anyone other than you. Then look at the defects- can you describe them accurately with less? Then look at the highlights of your offer- can you do something more to emphasize them (without lying?) Can potential buyers see in the photos how awesome this thing is?
Yeah, some long-time sellers like Larry F/N can post a photo that looks like a tomato can and say it's an original T48 handguard. You can't. You need to describe your offer accurately, sexily, and with photographic proof. That's how you maximize your sale.
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