You’ve heard about it many times in recent months. Being the business-minded person that you are, you most probably got curious and did a few research of your own. But resources seem to be few, and what meager data you’ve found made you wonder even more…
Is drop shipping a fact or a myth?
I can’t blame you. There are quite a lot of reasons why information about drop shipping haven’t fully invaded the internet marketing scene. The few sites that promise to teach you about this novel concept are usually full of crap. Often, they don’t even know the difference between a drop ship and a mother ship. They’d rather capitalize on the growing curiosity about the subject, and make a quick buck at your expense. But don’t let this discourage you.
Drop shipping is real, and it’s here, and it has made a number of people rich.
Those who know speak of it in hushed tones because it is a rewarding secret that they would rather keep within their circles.
Case in point: Visit an internet marketing discussion board. Look for a thread about drop shipping. You will find many posts there, but none would reveal the contact information for any drop shipper.
Why is this so?
Drop shipping is a very lucrative option. You don’t have to make any financial investments. You don’t have to secure a warehouse to store your products. You don’t even have to worry about your buyer’s location and how to ship what you’re selling to his doorsteps. Drop shippers will take care of those problems.
All you have to do is to market the drop shipper’s products. Sell it for a retail price, with a markup of your choice. Then, once a customer buys what you offered, you’ll just simply pay the drop shipper the wholesale price of the product, and he’ll take care of the rest, including shipping. There will be no middleman, thus assuring you of maximum profit.
And yes, there’s no such thing as a minimum purchase.
The only problem really is: How do you find a drop shipper? Many offer their functions, but once you review their terms and conditions, you’d discover that their services hardly qualify as drop shipping.
So how do you find drop shippers? Better yet, how do you find the drop shipper that would be perfect for your needs? Here are some techniques that will surely help you in your crusade.
1. Try product sourcing first. The common mistake of people looking for drop shippers is that they’re not concerned about what products they’ll sell.
This shouldn’t be the case. Remember, we cannot sell what we don’t believe in. We just can’t rely solely on what the drop shipper, if ever we find one, has to offer. We should at least have an idea of what we want to sell. Such would most certainly narrow down our search.
2. Avoid an agent.
The purpose of establishing a direct contact with a drop shipper, aside from the convenience and the win-win situation it entails, is to keep the price as low as possible. An agent, or a middleman, who would offer you means of contacting a drop shipper, would be detrimental to keeping the cost low.
Most certainly, the agent would receive a commission from your sales. This would inflate your retail price, making your offers less attractive.
3. Penetrate the circle. As mentioned earlier, people who know about drop shippers operate like a secret fraternity of marketers. Squeezing information out of them would be impossible. Well, almost impossible.
Remember the saying “if you can’t beat them, join them?” This holds much truth in your search for the perfect drop shipper. Be on the lookout for someone who should know about drop shipping. Perhaps, he could be a drop shipper in disguise himself. Befriend him first before asking for his services. Chances are he’ll be the first one who’ll open up about his secret.
4. Know where to look. You can’t find any leads on drop shippers in an online dating site, that’s for sure. Try lurking in online discussion boards, particularly those which are dedicated to internet marketing.
It would be quite easy to distinguish the people who know what they’re talking about from mere loudmouths. Once you’ve pinpointed these people, send them a friendly private message where you’ll ask for help regarding a topic that is not related to drop shipping.
Thank them for their time once they reply, and assure them that you’ll be there when they would ever need help. You’ll be surprised how effective this method is!
5. Try credible online resources. There are indeed online sites that offer comprehensive directories of bona fide drop shippers worldwide.
This is an excellent recourse for anyone who wishes to engage such service. There is a downside, however. All, and I do mean ALL, of these reliable resources demand a membership fee. The rates range from $50 to $200. Yes, that’s a clear indication of the general interest on drop shipping these days.
Sean Felker is the publisher of the very successful and popular Work at Home and Making Money on the Internet blog: http://making-money-online.blogspot.com/
