Meet A Successful eBay Entrepreneur

Brad Auernig, Head of eBay Sales, NPS

National Product Sales (NPS) is a family-run business that helps its partners find solutions for their inventory. The company began its eBay operations in 1999 with one person listing 15 to 20 “hard-to-sell” items each month. Today, NPS boasts 14,000 listings a month – everything from orange juice to aircraft parts – and an internal eBay sales team of 60-plus people.

Brad Auernig, who leads the division, sat down with eBay recently to share his company’s secrets to success – which he sums up as “good people, good tools, and honesty.” Read on to see how you, too, can “make the leap” to grow your eBay business.

What is your selling philosophy?


We believe the best people are honest, which echoes eBay founder Pierre Omidyar’s famous quote:

“ All people are basically good.” NPS doesn’t have a marketing department, so we rely on word of mouth. Our reputation for transparency and honesty is what brings customers to us.

Your division has experienced phenomenal growth. What have been the keys to your success?


First, work with good people. Don’t be afraid to hire – it is the only way to grow. You have to decide whether to keep doing everything yourself, whether to stay comfortable or grow. Today we have people dedicated to customer service, listings, shipping, slotting, picking and warehouse management. We even have listers who concentrate on one category, like automotive or plumbing.

Second, commit to customer service. If you take care of the eBay buyer, it will pay dividends. If you look at any of the largest eBay sellers, they are the most transparent, with ironclad policy pages – you’re going to get an answer to any question you have. We take care of our buyer every step of the way.

Finally, invest in the right tools. We are continually trying new tools and programs from eBay and third parties. It is important to become educated on what tools are available and try them out to see what works.

How has eBay changed NPS’ business?


The eBay team is NPS’ largest growth driver. Sales through eBay comprise 12 percent of the total inventory and 30 percent of total sales volume. eBay has solved our inventory issues and maximized the dollar per sale because of its huge audience base. Our listings have a 95 percent sell-through rate.

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