See Grower Sells His Product On eBay

2004 - Volume #28, Issue #2, Page #06

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According to seed producer Mark Keating of Russell, Manitoba, on-line marketing via eBay is a very efficient sales method.
  Last spring, Keating offered several hundred tons of malting barley seed for sale on the internet auction site and sold two lots, totaling 85 tons for $4.50 per bushel. He has since sold several other lots of seed this way as well.
  Because he is breaking new ground with regard to seed marketing, Keating himself places an opening bid to establish the lowest figure he would consider acceptable.
  "Most business people haven't yet become comfortable with using eBay as a means of conducting business," he notes. "But the same could have been said a few years ago about email or faxes."
  Keating says eBay is certainly a different method of determining price and he feels it has strong potential for the future.
  He is most excited about the fact that, by using a combination of eBay and e-mail, he can promote and sell his product at a negligible cost to his time and finances.
  His strategy involves sending advance email notification to 80 to 100 potential customers, specifically targeting other seed retailers, rather than ordinary farmers. With email, there's no limit to the number of contacts he can make with great speed and ease. And eBay only charges $15 for him to post a product for sale, regardless of product amount or value.
  Although on-line payment for such a transaction is possible, Keating handles the exchange of money the old fashioned way. Buyers send him a check. Delivery is arranged through a trucking company.
  "The worst case scenario using my method is that, even if my seed didn't sell, there are 80 or 100 seed retailers out there, and at least I have alerted them to what I have and what price I need for it, so it gets me some exposure," Keating says. "It's very low cost advertising."
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mark Keating, Box 820, Russell, Manitoba, Canada R0J 1W0 (email: keating@mts.net; website: www.ineedseed.com).

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See Grower Sells His Product On eBay COMPUTERS Computers 28-2-6 According to seed producer Mark Keating of Russell, Manitoba, on-line marketing via eBay is a very efficient sales method. Last spring, Keating offered several hundred tons of malting barley seed for sale on the internet auction site and sold two lots, totaling 85 tons for $4.50 per bushel. He has since sold several other lots of seed this way as well. Because he is breaking new ground with regard to seed marketing, Keating himself places an opening bid to establish the lowest figure he would consider acceptable. "Most business people haven't yet become comfortable with using eBay as a means of conducting business," he notes. "But the same could have been said a few years ago about email or faxes." Keating says eBay is certainly a different method of determining price and he feels it has strong potential for the future. He is most excited about the fact that, by using a combination of eBay and e-mail, he can promote and sell his product at a negligible cost to his time and finances. His strategy involves sending advance email notification to 80 to 100 potential customers, specifically targeting other seed retailers, rather than ordinary farmers. With email, there's no limit to the number of contacts he can make with great speed and ease. And eBay only charges $15 for him to post a product for sale, regardless of product amount or value. Although on-line payment for such a transaction is possible, Keating handles the exchange of money the old fashioned way. Buyers send him a check. Delivery is arranged through a trucking company. "The worst case scenario using my method is that, even if my seed didn't sell, there are 80 or 100 seed retailers out there, and at least I have alerted them to what I have and what price I need for it, so it gets me some exposure," Keating says. "It's very low cost advertising." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mark Keating, Box 820, Russell, Manitoba, Canada R0J 1W0 (email: keating@mts.net; website: www.ineedseed.com).

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