Have you ever been asked to play a game with your cousins after the Thanksgiving day dinner, and they pull out some game they love but you‘ve never heard of before?

You know the next few hours are going to suck and you won’t win unless you’re really much much better than them in the basics of the game as you understand. Or your only other strategy is to play several times and loose, and then over time catch up on the experiences needed to win, right? But even then you know you’ll probably loose for several games, or hands, or rounds, whatever.

Have you been in this situation where money is on the line? Big money? Imagine walking into a Casino and sitting down at a game you weren’t familiar with and plunking down a thousand bucks.

Hey, you are putting your bidders in this situation if you don’t clarify the rules and make them comfortable.

I’m sure there are many more, but here are a few “Seller Rules” that you should always add to the game, so your bidders are comfortable quickly. Quick comfort is the name of the game if you’re attracted potential bidders, and they’re glancing quickly, then moving on if they see something that concerns them. The more you clarify these ‘rules‘, the better your chances of having an outsized final bid price:

  1. Transparency about the item – The clear facts and figures. (represented in both words and pictures).
  2. Honestness – The true scarcity versus the abundance of the item, it’s condition, and what they get.
  3. Credibility as a seller – who are you and are lots of people happy with you.
  4. The external valuations of the item, and perspectives on the item, from third party endorsement or other social proof.
In addition to these subliminal rules, you should also have explicit selling rules, like your shipping time, return policy, guarantee, etc. These add meaning too of course.