Sellers in China and four other countries are already showing their "Skype Me" buttons.

Skype boosts sales. It's an old truism: sell where, how and when your buyer wants to buy. Skype is another touchpoint, another communication channel that better fits some users. Skype users love the convenience of clicking to call and the immediacy and intimacy of conversation. Your Skype button invites a chat (it's polite to chat before calling). Are you ready to answer? To close?

Skype boost repeat sales. The Skype software keeps a history of all your conversations. Your buyers can easily add you to their "buddy list." Your name in their contact book reminds them you're in their circle of trusted friends. If you believe in branding your business, being in a buyer's contacts should increase your chances of their calling you again. There's also nothing to say you can't notify your customers of upcoming sales. PowerSellers of mid- to high-ticket items who actively use Skype should see Skype both boost repeat sales and lower the cost of selling.

Skype boosts referrals. Your being in a customer's buddy list also makes it easy for them to pass your "Skype card" around to other buddies. You'll hear the term "social capital," the power of deeper relationships. Word of mouth sure worked for Skype. It should work for you.

Skype conferencing saves staff time. When giving product tours or demos over Skype, consider the value of conferencing a handful of customers at the same time. Aside from time savings, small group dynamics often provoke better questions and enthusiasm for your product. Don't forget Skypecasts, freeconferencecall.com and highspeedconferencing.com; they let you host free conference calls for dozens or hundreds of buyers.

Skype video shows your goods. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video call is priceless. Especially when the product is complex and the value is in its appearance. Third party software even lets you have multiparty videoconferencing with Skype handling voice and chat.

Skype ties up staff. Someone has to answer the phone. And you're paying their salary. This could add up. One power seller I met at the eBay DevCon said he's getting 100 emails a day related to his 700 auctions. What happens, he asked, when the phone rings all day long? Smart PowerSellers will choose which auctions will feature Skype, and which ones won't. What's your close rate on Skypers vs. email inquiry? PowerSellers will master managing an in-house or outsourced call center.

eBay will charge for Skype leads. Again, few things are free. eBay believes your ability to close a Skype lead is much higher and will lead to more Buy It Now sales. So they've told the analysts to expect income as they charge sellers (how much to be determined) to show their Skype button.

Proof one way or another will be coming soon to an auction near you.