‘Tis The Season For Cause Marketing

If you haven't attended a workshop lately (they're free), take a peek at the workshop calendar to see what's in store for the current month. If you're too busy listing and bidding to attend a live session, check out the archives for some great late-night reading. Okay, don't list that novel just yet, but do give some thought to reading past workshops. They're great reference material and can be accessed 24/7.  Plus, there is no note taking or tests!

Here's a great example of a not-to-be-missed workshop from the archives.

Recently, Jennifer Ibarra of eBay Giving Works  and Ashley Gatewood from MissionFish, the non-profit organization that administers the eBay Giving Works program taught members how listing items with eBay Giving Works  to support a charitable cause can help their businesses stand out from the crowd this season!

Cause marketing is one of the most important and powerful marketing tools in existence today. It is the partnership between for-profits and not-for-profits that help both organizations elevate awareness and revenues. So why are companies doing this? A number of recent studies have documented that consumers carefully consider a company's reputation when making purchasing decisions and that a company's community involvement boosts employee morale and loyalty.

"Can you see the similar benefits to your business from incorporating cause marketing into your own business?" asked Jennifer Ibarra while co-hosting the ‘Tis The Season For Cause Marketing workshop. "Many sellers have already started dabbling in cause marketing by using eBay Giving Works and we've heard about some of the positive results they've seen - including more bids, higher ASPs (Average Sale Price), and higher sell-through rates."

Special guest and Community Hall of Fame award winner africadirect, a PowerSeller with over 13,000 Feedback, shared her cause-marketing success with workshop attendees. "I list at least 20 auctions a day for eBay Giving Works, and cause marketing is a big part of the way I position my business on eBay." Jennifer suggested that members think about using cause marketing while listing items that are more likely to be "giftable" during the holiday season, and "...with the eBay Giving Works feature to boot, will be even more irresistible to buyers."

Member fragranceforacause wanted to know how buyers are driven to cause marketing auctions. Ashley, from MissionFish, outlined the various areas of the eBay Giving Works hub page like the large graphics on the right side that let shoppers know about the various Spotlight on a Cause events happening. Additionally, non-profits often drive their constituents to shop for listings that benefit them. "For instance, the American Red Cross sent out an email this year letting constituents know they could shop for Father's Day gifts on their MissionFish nonprofit homepage."

At the end of the Q&A part of the workshop, africadirect shared the following, "Thanks for this program. It's my favorite part of eBay."

How to Increase Your Sales with Email Relationship Marketing

Okay, so I borrowed the title from the eBay Workhop on How to Increase Your Sales with Email Relationship Marketing that I attended last week. As I read through the workshop material presented by Lisa Suttora of whatdoisell.com, I came across a post from a member that reminded me of an auction that I recently won.

Member lingerieexposure4u posted, "My customers rarely take me up on my newsletter offers (both on eBay and off eBay). Sure, I get people to sign up, but they don't take me up on my offers (15% off next purchase, free shipping, etc.)." 

Getting people to sign up for your newsletters is a good start, but maybe some buyers just need an extra personal touch to wow them and turn them into repeat customers. Which brings me to my own experience with relationship marketing -- as a buyer.

Wowed by the extra step and the thoughtfulness
As I mentioned earlier, I recently won an auction on eBay, for a black and white blazer. When the package arrived, I could hardly wait to open it and try on my new blazer. WOW (and that's an understatement) was I pleasantly surprised when I finally removed the last piece of tape. First, I was delighted to find that the blazer I had bid on was just like it was described (and fit perfectly!). Then, adding to my delight was the fact that the seller had included a "Thank You" card. Inside the card was a free return shipping label to be used if the blazer didn't fit, a coupon for $10 off my next eBay purchase and a note from the seller, "Enjoy the $10 savings the next time you shop with us!" Can it get any better than this?

This was my first time bidding on an item from that seller, but let me tell you, I will definitely look at their auctions again when shopping on eBay. This seller's thoughtfulness and customer care will definitely turn me, the first time customer, into a repeat customer. So sellers,  keep offering 15% off the next purchase (or whatever amount you the seller deem necessary), the free shipping, return postage and other customer care specialties you can think of. There's always a bidder just like me out there, expecting nothing more than the item they bid on, who will be wowed by the little extras and thoughtfulness that is packaged with their purchase.

OK, more later, I have some shopping to do so I can put my $10 coupon to good use!

 

Upcoming Workshop: Increase your eBay Sales by Discovering the Best Time to List

Because the online marketplace is in constant flux, it is extremely valuable to have a close eye on seasonal activity. Did you know there are a variety of free and paid tools that eBay Sellers can use to find out how long to list an item, what time of the day or week to end an auction, or what times of year see big spikes in demand?  Using trend charts, members can discover up-and-coming markets, item seasonality, and determine the best times to list items and when to sell at a discount before the market calms down. Buyers: Did you know that using research is one of the best way to find the items you're looking for and understand how much those items are really worth?

Not sure what all this means or how one goes about accessing this valuable data? No worries. The Terapeak marketing team will be hosting the Increase your eBay Sales by Discovering the Best Time to List workshop on Tuesday, September 4 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time. to show you a few cool trends that illustrate the huge spikes in sales that occur over the upcoming holiday season. They will also introduce some tools that you can use to find the best times to end your auctions.

Sounds interesting doesn't it?!! I'll let Denise and Sara tell you a bit more about what's in store.

7 Essential Elements of Successful Product Sourcing Workshop

While at eBay Live! 2007 in Boston, I was fortunate enough to catch a Lisa Suttora sighting - and yes, even secure a live interview with her about the next whatdoisell.com workshop. Not only did we do a short workshop video, but Lisa conducted a mini-workshop in the hall of the convention center with member goldcoastdesigns. Almost every question Lisa responds to results in a mini-workshop, something you already know if you've attended any of Lisa's past workshops (click on one of the Archives links).

Back to the topic at hand. Lisa is hosting the 7 Essential Elements of Successful Product Sourcing workshop Tuesday (as in tomorrow) June 19 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on the Workshop Discussion board. Here's Lisa with an overview of what she will be discussing.

Listing Template Design & Layout Clinic

Many of our workshop attendees have asked during prior workshops, "How can I improve my listing(s)?" The good news is that we've heard you, and back by popular demand is the Listing Template Design & Layout Clinic coming to you live, June 4 at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time on the Workshop Discussion board.

During the hour-long session, Debbie Levitt, President of eBay Certified Provider As Was, will review some of the key elements eBay listing designs and templates should include. She'll then take questions, and look at one listing each from workshop attendees who would like to get feedback on their designs. 

Interested? Great - here's Debbie and her wonder-dog Rita to tell you about Monday's workshop.

"Using Research to Maximize your Profits" Workshop

Are your eBay sales needing a boost? Not sure which listing features will work best for a specific item? No worries - you can use research to gain a better sense of direction and an indication of which features will improve your sales. Reviewing what works and what doesn't for similar items can provide you with the necessary information you need to market your listings effectively.

Join Sara and Denise from Terapeak Marketplace Research on Friday, June 1 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time for the Using Research to Maximize your Profits workshop to learn how research can help you improve your eBay sales. Here's Sara and Denise with an overview of tomorrow's workshop.

"How to Compete in a Crowded Market" Workshop

Many eBay sellers ask how they can optimize their sales before and after they find a product to sell on eBay. Using multiple sourcing techniques is a key factor when maximizing your profit margins. Once you identify a product that sells well within your market, having renewable sources through a variety of methods puts you a step above the competition.

Please join Colette Marshall, Business Development Manager for Product Sourcing Experts WorldwideBrands.com, on Tuesday, May 22 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time for the How to Compete in a Crowded Market Using Multiple Product Sourcing Techniques workshop. During the workshop, Colette will show you how to use different Product Sourcing techniques to gain a competitive edge in any marketplace, and earn the highest profit margins possible. Here's Colette to tell you a bit more about tomorrow's workshop.

Listing Items with the Sell Your Item Form - Not Just your Ordinary Workshop

As many of you may have noticed, we've held several Sell Your Item (SYI) workshops over the last couple of months. Basically, these workshops are designed to help sellers transition to the new Sell Your Item form.

The latest SYI workshop was not only part of the regular workshop curriculum, but also serves as a testament to the dedication of the entire SYI team. On the day of the workshop, the SYI team interrupted a scheduled team offsite (those are where the entire team gathers all-day to go over everything related to SYI) to allow the entire team to participate and learn from the real-time interaction with members during the Listing Items with the Sell Your Item Form workshop on March 8.

Mike Maffeo, Senior Product Manager, shared the following, "As part of our offsite, we scheduled a lot of time to talk about the SYI. We incorporated the workshop into the agenda to help us reinforce the human component behind any change we were thinking about and how the seller experience should always be top of mind."

During the workshop, members were provided with an overview of some of the newer features - more specifically, the time-saving and powerful SYI templates. The SYI team responded to questions, comments, suggestions, and complaints during the workshop, and provided follow-up emails and phone calls to members requiring individualized attention.

After the workshop, I asked Mike to share his thoughts about how the team had benefited from incorporating the workshop into their SYI offsite. He responded, "Incorporating the workshop into our SYI offsite gave people from all of the team's functional areas (User Experience designers, QA Testers, Product Management, our coders, etc.) another chance to experience the SYI from the viewpoint of our sellers. It was great to have everyone exposed to the different ways that our sellers use SYI, and this led to some really great discussions and brainstorms after the workshop."

Everyone learning from each other - that's why we run the workshops program.

"How to Generate More Money per Sale – Exploring Potential Add-ons Using Market Research" Workshop

Do you have a closet full of stuff that has to go? Can't park your car in the garage anymore because of that stuff?  Put plainly (and pun-ly), are you 'over-stuffed'?  So what do you do with it?

The solution is simple - you can list all that stuff on eBay and go buy more stuff with the money you earn until you become 'over-stuffed' again - then you just repeat the process. It's cyclical in nature and oh so much fun (warning: this could be habit forming).

To get rid of all that stuff so you can buy more stuff, you might be asking yourself, "How do I determine the best starting price for my items, what are my items are really worth, and who else is over-stuffed (in other words, who are my competitors)?"

Join Sara and Denise from Terapeak Marketplace Research Friday, March 02 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time for the How to Generate More Money per Sale – Exploring Potential Add-ons Using Market Research workshop as they explain how to explore additional markets within the general product area you are selling, as well as how to expand your business, rejuvenate your sales and have fun while you're doing it.

Here are Sara and Denise (aka: Delia Diamond and Cindy, our workshop video stars) to demonstrate how easy it is to get rid of too much 'stuff' and at the same time, help the "under-stuffed" (aka eBay buyers). Just turn your volume a little, as there is some background noise.

Everything You Need to Know about Valentine's Day

Ah, Valentine's Day, one of the most romantic days of the year (or at least that's what my wife tells me it's supposed to be as I present the standard warmed-over flowers and chocolate box, replete with price tag attached). Like many people I know, I could stand to brush up on my knowledge of Valentine's Day and to gain a larger appreciation of what it's all about. Fortunately, our workshop program is coming to my rescue - we have an expert stopping by next week to explain the background of Valentine's Day, and to give some advice and tips on how to make this year's Feb. 14th the best one ever.

Nancy Rosin has hosted a Valentine's Day chat here on eBay for the past seven years, during which she's helped countless members earn a few extra points with the mister or missus back at home. This year she's hosting a full-fledged workshop on Monday, February 5th at 11am PT called Secrets of the Valentine: Tips for the Modern Cupid. If you're anything like me, it's probably in your best interest that you stop by.

In fact, Nancy's expertise is featured in a video reviewing the comprehensive history of Valentine's Day. With permission from her producer, www.siroccovideo.com, we're able to show an excerpt from it as a preview for the workshop. Enjoy!

Preview the Analyzing your eBay Environment Workshop

Before listing your auctions have you ever wished there was some way to check out what the competition was doing, or have the ability to gauge your performance against other top sellers? How about knowing what your item is really worth and how to determine the right starting price? Perhaps you'd like to know what day of the week is the best time to list your items or when the real selling season starts. Or maybe it's which keywords increase sales, and how effective your auction title really is.

If you answered yes to any of the above questions (yes, I know each sentence wasn't a question), be sure to drop by the  Analyzing your eBay Environment workshop that is being hosted on Friday, February 2 at 11:00 am PT. During the workshop, Sara Taheri and Denise Hogue from Terapeak.com will show you how to analyze your eBay environment, know your market, and monitor your competition. Now, without further ado, here are Sara and Denise with an overview of Friday's workshop.

Advanced Marketing Strategies Workshop

Sales professionals that are tops in their field know what's selling and why, understand what motivates their buyers, know how to tell a good story, sell complete solutions (for example, cell phone and a charger versus just the phone), and are intimately connected to their customers.

You might be asking yourself, what does this have to do with selling on eBay? Everything and as Phil Dunn, workshop host for the upcoming Advanced Marketing Strategies workshop will tell you, "Salesmanship is the fundamental driver of profitability."

A bit of background: Phil Dunn and co-host Janelle Elms have been hosting The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing workshop series. In the Advanced Marketing Strategies workshop, the fifth of the series, Phil and Janelle will be talking about advanced marketing strategies that increase sales volume and profit margins, effective cross-selling, up-selling, promotions, psychological buying motivators, and more. Please join Phil and Janelle in this exciting workshop Friday, December 15 at 2:00 pm PT. Here's Phil to talk a little bit more about what will be covered (complete with a special guest).

Get the Inside Scoop on one of the Fastest Growing Categories on eBay

Started in 2000, eBay Motors Parts & Accessories has grown to be the largest online Parts Marketplace. You might be asking yourself "how can I take advantage of this opportunity?". Well, for starters, you could use eBay Motors Parts & Accessories category to turn excess or aged inventory into cash, sell returns, scratch and dents, and overstocks.

One tip: To make the selling process as efficient as possible, it is helpful to use a Seller Tool to effectively scale and grow your business on eBay. You can use the eBay Tools Wizard or research the part or accessory you are trying to sell.

But if you need a full jumpstart, join the Terapeak team, Sarah Taheri and Dave Frey, Friday, December 8, 2006 at 11:00 am PT for the Get the Inside Scoop on one of the Fastest Growing Categories on eBay! workshop and they will show you how to research the profit potential of this category, how to review the sales history of this category's most successful sellers, and how to research the sales potential for products/brands. Here's Dave to tell us more about this exciting sales channel.

Check out our "Using Market Research to Increase your Holiday Sales" Workshop

With the holiday season just around the corner, it's never too late to start planning your sales. To help you with the planning process, we've scheduled a Using Market Research to Increase your Holiday Sales workshop with the Terapeak marketing team, Sarah Taheri, Dave Frey, and Morgan Brooks which will be held Friday, November 17 at 11:00 am PT. Points that will be covered during the workshop include: researching to $pot products that will $ell, knowing the best brand/color/size to sell, and knowing the best time to list to get the highest profits. Plus they'll introduce you to some tools that you can use to help prepare for the holiday season.

Now here are a couple of Santa's helpers to tell you more about the workshop.

Customer Service Tools and Tips For eBay Sellers Workshop

When it comes to providing good Customer Service, there is no accounting formula to tell you how important it is to retain customers and keep them happy. Adding to the bottom line, repeat business can help to keep the costs down (did you know it can cost up to five times more to find a new customer?).

Providing good customer service means resolving issues quickly, courteously, and completely. To help differentiate yourself as an eBay seller by offering better service and support, we'll be hosting the Customer Service Tools and Tips For eBay Sellers workshop on Thursday, October 26 at 10:00 am PT. Here's Albert Lee with a brief overview of how to prepare for the busy holiday selling season and convert one time buyers into repeat customers.

Two Important Tax Benefits for the eBay Business Owner Workshop

Are you missing out on two important tax benefits? Not sure what those benefits are and if you qualify? Wonder no more...

The first is for those who have a home based business.  If you qualify, the ‘office-in-the-home’ tax benefit allows you to deduct a portion of your home mortgage interest (or rent if you do not own your home), real estate taxes, utilities and other expenses related to your home. The second is ‘business use of a personal auto,' which is basically what it sounds like.

The rules and regulations of each will be reviewed by Phyllis Wischer, the Lead Business Coach at SageFire, Inc., the creators of KeepMore.net. She'll discuss these benefits in the Two Benefits for the eBay Business Owner – ‘Office in the Home’ and ‘Business Use of a Personal Auto’ workshop on Tuesday, October 24 at 11:00 am PT.

Here's JP O'Brien, founder and CEO of KeepMore.net to tell you more about tomorrow's event...

25 Tax Mistakes That Can Cost You an IRS Audit and How to Avoid Them! Workshop

As an eBay business person, have you ever wondered how you can avoid tax mistakes that can cost you an IRS audit? Interestingly enough, the IRS tells us each year what they're going to be looking for and so will best selling-author and CPA, Diane Kennedy in her next 25 Tax Mistakes That Can Cost You an IRS Audit and How to Avoid Them! workshop on Wednesday, October 18 at 10:00 am PT. One of the key take-aways from the workshop on how to audit-proof your return is by keeping good documentation of your deductions (hint: tax season is just around the corner). Now here's Diane to tell you more....

Avoiding the Evil Middleman - How to Identify Online Scammers Workshop

Pitfalls and traps abound in eCommerce. Have no fear - Robin Cowie, president of WorldwideBrands.com, will describe how to differentiate the good guys from the bad guys (complete with prompts when doing this workshop live...when Robin talks about the "evil middleman," the crowds all murmur "ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" right on cue).

In this workshop, Robin will cover product sourcing relationships ranging from drop shipping to liquidation and provide tips and techniques that can save members bookoo bucks. He will also show members how they can 'test the waters.' Now here's Robin to tell us more about the Avoiding the Evil Middleman - How to Identify Online Scammers that will be held on Monday, October 16th at 12:00 pm PT.

Finding the Best Time to sell Motors Parts & Accessories Workshop

Did you know that taking the time to consider the best time of day, week, and year to sell Motors Parts & Accessories can drastically improve your sales? There are a variety of free and paid tools that eBay sellers can use to find out how long to list an item and what time of the day or week to end an auction. One such tool is Terapeak.

Join the Terapeak marketing team on Friday, October 13 at 11:00 am PT for the Finding the Best Time to sell Motors Parts & Accessories workshop to learn more about how to use market research to increase your success rate. Here are Morgan and Sarah to provide a brief overview of the materials they will be covering during Friday's workshop...

Community Workshop: Get More Money for Your Items - Know the Perfect Time to List

Did you know the time that your auction is listed will have a big impact on the number of people who see your auction, the number of people who bid on your auction, and thus, the price you get for your item? If you didn't, you'll want to join Terapeak's marketing team Sarah Taheri, Dave Frey, and Morgan Brooks on Friday, October 6 at 11:00 am PT for their workshop that illustrates the various tools you can use to find out how long to list your item, what time of day/week to end your auction, what time of year you'll see big spikes in demand, and how to plan for the holiday season. Here's Morgan and Sarah to tell us a little more about the workshop...

How to Choose a Product from Millions of Possibilities Workshop

When co-hosting workshops, one of the questions that is asked time and time again is, "What should I sell?" Matt Hedges, marketing manager for WorldwideBrands.com and author of the book The Online Research Guide, has graciously agreed to walk sellers through the process of selecting a product to sell from the millions of possible options available to eBay sellers in the How to Choose a Product from Millions of Possibilities workshop. Please join Matt today at 11:00 am PT to learn how to select the right product for your eBay business. Here's Matt to tell us a bit more about the material he will be covering.

Increase your eBay Sales – Know the Best Time to List workshop

Whoops - we messed up and didn't get this posted before the workshop started. But in case you can join while the workshop is in progress, or are going to check out the content after it's over, I'm going to post this anyway:

While trying to get back into the swing of things after an extended weekend, you might give some thought to joining Terapeak's marketing team Sara Taheri, Dave Frey, and Morgan Brooks for the Increase your eBay Sales – Know the Best Time to List workshop this morning at 11:00 am PT. Topics of discussion will include the free and paid tools that eBay Sellers can use to find out how long to list an item, what time of the day or week to end an auction, or what times of year see big spikes in demand. And if that isn't enough, the Terapeak team will even show you a few cool trends that illustrate the huge spikes in sales that occur over the holiday season! Here's Sara and Morgan to tell you more...

Learn About the New eBay Express Features in Today's Workshop

Looking for something to do this afternoon? Tired of shopping for school stuff? Grab something refreshing to drink and join us at 2:00 pm PT for the Learn About Exciting New Enhancements to eBay Express workshop. We'll be reviewing several new features that will be releasing soon and will tell you how they can help you and your buyers be more successful on eBay Express! Here's Adam Nash to tell you a bit more about today's workshop. Adam...

New eBay Search Results Workshop

Our Customer Insights team has been working on a number of projects that drive new buyers to the site, and that ensure that - when they get here - they have the best shopping experience possible. As part of that effort, we are testing a new search results page. The new design shows more information for each listing than our current pages, and we’ve improved the look-and-feel to help buyers be more efficient as they make decisions about which listings they want to click into.

The Making Buyers More Efficient - A Redesign of Search Results workshop has been set up so members can ask questions and provide feedback on the new search results page. Please join us Thursday, August 24 at 12:00 noon PT. Here's Nico Posner (who made our original announcement) to tell you more.

Using the New Sell Your Item Form workshop

Over the past several months, we've hosted a monthly Sell Your Item workshop to help everyone transition to the new SYI form. In today's Using the New Sell Your Item workshop, new and experienced sellers will want to join us at 2:00 pm PT to discuss the new form. With fewer pages and more customized features, the new form helps to make selling on eBay faster and easier. Check out our SYI info page to learn more about the new features. And now here's Nate Etter from our Product Management team to extend a personal invitation to you to join us today.

Make a Plan: Your First Step to Success workshop

We've got a great new workshop series starting this month. In the "7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing" workshop series, we will be focusing on how to effectively apply  proven techniques for marketing your products on eBay and provide you with an action plan for creating a comprehensive marketing and sales strategy so you can gain a competitive edge. You'll also get valuable advice on enhancing and expanding your business. The first of seven workshops, Make a Plan: Your First Step to Success, will help you map out and refocus your overall business plan and approach to the market. Phil Dunn, marketing and advertising writer, and Janelle Elms, lead instructor with eBay University, author, and Silver PowerSeller will be kicking it off today, August 17 at 2:00 pm PT. Now here's Phil to provide a brief overview of the first workshop:

Going to the Source Workshop

Did you know that instead of spending all that time running around to garage sales and factory outlet stores and such, you can streamline your sourcing by finding renewable sources of the same products over and over again? If you didn't, then the Going to the Source workshop is a must! Please join Chris Malta, eBay Radio’s Product Sourcing Editor and the host of the Entrepreneur Magazine Product Sourcing Show today, August 16 at 11:00 am PT as he shares the technique he developed to find and qualify wholesale product suppliers who will work with eBay sellers. This technique has helped build Worldwide Brand’s database of 6000 suppliers who supply millions of products at wholesale prices to eBay sellers everyday. Here's Chris to tell you more...

Dealing With Your Critical Business Documents Workshop

Did you know that according to the IRS, you should keep a physical or electronic copy of every eBay transaction and expense?  To leaarn more about how to best do so, and which files you should be keeping, join us today, August 8 at 11:00 am PT for the Creating, Storing and Destroying Your Critical Business Documents workshop hosted by Certified Provider KeepMore (sorry for the late post here - we had some trouble with the video upload. But even if you can't make the live workshop, the info will be archived so you can access it whenever you want).

They  will outline what records you must keep, for how long, and why. Learn how Compatible Application KeepMore.net and its new document storage solution eDocument Storage can simplify this process. Here's JP O'Brien from KeepMore to tell us more about today's workshop:

Listing Template Design & Layout Clinic

In case you haven't seen this week's workshop schedule, we've got a great lineup. We'll start the week out with the Listing Template Design & Layout Clinic hosted by Debbie Levitt, President of eBay Certified Provider As Was. During the workshop, she will review some of the key elements eBay listing designs and templates should include (and avoid) to help you generate sales and inspire repeat business. After the workshop content is up, she'll look at one listing each from workshop attendees who would like to get feedback on their designs. Please note, this workshop will be held one hour longer than normal to provide members an opportunity to obtain feedback on their listings. Please join us today at 11:00 am PT. Here's Debbie to tell you more.

Terapeak's "Sell Smarter" Workshop Series

Have you ever wondered what successful seller’s are doing to make the big bucks? Join