Use Craigslist for Marketing Training

I recently had to sell some furniture on Craigslist. It turned out to be an eye-opening experience, and I'm thinking about setting up some kind of training program using Craigslist for marketing training.

Most of my clients have a lot of fears and misconceptions about The Marketplace. In The Marketplace, you actually have to buy and sell stuff. You can't sit in your office and theorize -- you have to get out there and mix it up. You may get rejected. You may have to argue about price. You also, however, are not going to make anything happen without dealing with The Marketplace, and that's where the most basic, valuable lessons in marketing are available. It's no accident that Richard Branson got his start, literally, selling sneakers in an open-air market. Craigslist is the same thing, except it's online, and it's colossal -- they get eight billion page views a month. Man.

So what happened on Craigslist? I got a hands-on lesson in marketing, advertising and sales. Let me describe what I was selling, item by item, what happened, and the lessons learned. I'm going to do this by posting the actual ad:

Item One: Smith & Hawken patio set
The Ad:
This is a Smith & Hawken teak patio set. This stuff is HEAVY -- we're moving, and that's why it's for sale. It's the exact opposite of the flimsy stuff you see today -- these pieces were built to last forever, and they have, and will. They were purchased for $2,000 about eight years ago, and consist of a round table, about 4' in diameter, and four chairs. These pieces have all weathered to a really nice silver/grey, and are in excellent condition. Again, this is very heavy, substantial outdoor furniture -- this will be the last patio set you ever have to buy, and since it's teak, it requires no maintenance at all. No image, but trust us, they're absolutely gorgeous. $475.

The Results:
A stampede. Something like a dozen calls in the first day, sold the thing instantly.

The Lesson:
This sold because a) it had a brand name connected with it; b) it was positioned as being scarce; c) it was in a market (California) where there's a lot of demand. Also, given the number of calls, there are a LOT of people using Craigslist, so awareness isn't a problem.

Item Two: A Pottery Barn Girls' Bed
The Ad:
This is a white Pottery Barn bed -- twin -- that has been completely repainted, and looks almost new. We're moving, and I don't have the space for it so it has to go. Includes a twin mattress. In excellent condition -- perfect for a little girl -- and at a price that's about a third of what this stuff cost.

The Results:
Nothing, until the ad was reposted with pictures. Then, it sold.

The Lesson:
Design and photography matter. People are not good at imagining things, and something is much more likely to happen if they can actually see it.

Items Three and Four: Bunk Beds and a Children's Desk
The Ads:
Bunk Beds:
This is a bunk bed purchased less than six months ago at Caesar's Unfinished Furniture in San Mateo. It was very carefully painted with a coat of primer and two coats of high-gloss enamel. It is EXTREMELY sturdy -- The beds are made of 2x6 lumber. There's no ladder -- the kids climb directly on the frame to get into the top bunk. My twin girls (5 years old) slept in these beds for a few months and loved them. Unfortunately, we're moving, and so this thing has to go. If you want you can disassemble it to remove it, but it's put together with heavy lag bolts, and it's going to take you at least an hour with a socket wrench to do it. The top bunk simply lifts off to create two single beds, and if you have a pickup or a van, that's the best way to move it. Plus, two twin mattresses. This is a major bargain, and the last bunk bed you'll ever have to buy. Very simple, very sturdy. The mattresses alone were $200, so you're getting a major bargain. Includes pillows and mattress covers, by the way.


Desk:
This is a very ingeniously designed children's work desk. It's very sturdy, nicely designed, well-made and looks great. It has a pull-out work surface, three drawers on the right, and two shelves, one of them adjustable, to hold a printer, computer, whatever. The entire unit is on large casters, so if you need to move it, you just unlock them, and it all rolls. My building has an elevator, so we can literally roll this thing right up to your car. It has an opening in the back for cables, and all-in-all, is a really well-designed piece -- perfect for a child doing homework or someone who needs an efficient, functional, good-looking work desk that can be tucked in a corner.

Approximate dimensions:
Depth: 21"
Height: 31"
Width: 40"

The Results: Nada. A couple of halfhearted inquiries about the bunk beds, absolutely nothing about the desk, which is puzzling. Both ads included pictures. The desk is a really nice piece. I worked at it myself for a while. And at $100, it's a steal. I am going to have to keep lowering the price on both of these items until they finally depart.

The Lesson: I live in San Carlos, California. It's a bedroom community with a lot of kids, and there are dozens of bunk bed sets and desks listed on craigslist. I am stuck selling big, awkward commodities -- it's going to require a pickup truck to get this stuff out of here. I have not differentiated my offering at all, and in the end, I'm going to wind up like Wal-Mart -- selling purely on price. Unfortunately, unlike Wal-Mart, I'm going to take a loss.

And hey, if you want some bunk beds, give me a call. I've got some great ones. And man, are they cheap.

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