[tag]eBay Classes[/tag] - The Basics and Beyond
eBay's [tag]Education Specialist[/tag] program has helped many thousands get started selling online. eBay classes are more available than in the past when people had to wait for eBay U to come to town. But how did those Education Specialists (Trained by eBay) get those classes on the calendar? It's pretty easy to get trained and begin teaching, but it takes a little more work to get the venue, dates, and students. How did you get started? To whom did you speak about classes? Are you all signed up as an Education Specialist but have nowhere to go?
Learning from Others
I used to teach more large groups with [tag]eBay U[/tag] in the days before the Education Specialist program. I like teaching hundreds at a time, and I liked [tag]eBay University[/tag] handling all the arrangements, all I had to do is teach and travel.
Now though, I have to find my own venues, set dates, decide on pricing, teach, handle some of the marketing, make sure books are available, and more. Some of the more active Education Specialists (one was my friend Jack Waddick) gave me some advice, which I could never seem to put into practice. I almost needed someone to hold my hand and walk me through it.
It also seemed that when watching the Education Specialist discussion boards on eBay no one really wanted to share too much information. Advice is often given at a high level, a little too vague for me I'm a bit thick-headed. eBay people tend to be a bit guarded about their strategies when selling, and I think it carries into other areas. Well, I think it's okay to share this info as it may help others get ideas. So I'm going to be very detailed about how things are going locally for me.
After Dinner Conversation
After filling up on Thai food with some friends recently, we ambled out of the restaurant and met a lady with a beautiful Boxer. Being a cat person, I was less than thrilled my friend decided to stop and talk to the lady about her dog. Turned out though, she was someone for whom I'd been searching. She ran the [tag]community calendar[/tag] in my town, and she opened a door for me.
I'm in the process of booking classes for summer and fall. I was frustrated at not knowing exactly who I should speak with to get local classes booked. I have heard many other Education Specialists have the same problem. The guide we've been given gives great concepts and is extremely helpful after you've booked a class. My problem was getting the first [tag]local classes[/tag] once I moved to a new area.
Starting Points
It's turned out many communities have programs through City Hall offering continuing education or [tag]adult education[/tag]. If you march down to City Hall you can just ask who handles those classes. There is usually a few papers to fill out and possibly even a short interview to check on your qualifications.
In my small community there were classes being held on such topics as cooking, dance, learning Italian, and many more. When I mentioned my class to the people at City Hall (more than one City Hall) they wanted to be the first to enroll.
I chose the dates and gave a description of the classes. We also discussed the money. The city supplies the room, the internet connection, and they'll even print up to 50 handouts for the class. They also handle the marketing through a quarterly catalog that is handed out to kids at school to take home. In addition to that, they have a website where people may enroll. I thought it was nice as well that they distribute press releases to the local media. For all of this the revenue is split 70/30 (the city keeping 30%).
Book, Teach, Repeat
Once you've gone through the process once, it's pretty much the same at the next town. Just be careful you don't overbook yourself or saturate your area. Keep the classes at a reasonable size and that should not be a problem.
Can you make money?
Lots of people ask this question. If you work, you may be able to make some money doing this. Do the math, if you can get 10 people in a room and clear $50 per head that's $500. Let's say you do that once per week. A couple thousand dollars a month is a nice income (second income?) in many parts of the country. Add to that a little one on one [tag]eBay coaching[/tag] and a college course and you may actually make a living at this.
Other Areas to Try
How can you take this to another level? In most of my cases the city allows me to offer a small discount to certain groups. This is where you can help fill your classes. You can approach the Chamber of Commerce, Senior Groups, Church Groups, etc. with your classes and give them a discount, or even offer to customize your presentation a little to meet their specific needs. This is basically a second-tier of marketing on top of the City's efforts.
Wrapping It Up
Doing the detective work to find your community's educational classes is really quite easy. I have no excuse for not figuring it out sooner. Once you find the right person, they'll likely help you through the rest of the process. Since the lady I originally dealt with knows her counterparts in neighboring communities, and knows about their programs, I got a lot of help right off the bat.
You can do it too. I know there are some Education Specialists that go to the trouble of qualifying, and they don't press on with the work of booking their first class because they don't really know how to start. Hopefully my experience will help a little.
[tags]learn ebay,one on one,ebay class[/tags]
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How are people hearing about your classes? Usually if you’re teaching through an education program through a city, college, or university they provide a measure of marketing for you. Can you add to that? Is it worth it? Where are some good places to add your eBay classes to grow your attendance?
Expanding Your Reach for Free
There are several ways to expand your current marketing efforts. This can be accomplished inexpensively or even for free. Once you’ve honed your message, there is no need to rewrite it for every single place you post it. Some areas you should consider are:
- Craig’s List – Free to list, and a vast audience
- TV and Radio Station Community Calendars – Free to list, and gets you some potential television exposure as a local eBay expert. Look on their websites
- Online event calendars – Often free to list and becoming more popular as a destination for people searching for activities.
- Your eBay Store’s Custom Pages – You get five free pages with a Basic Store subscription, use them to advertise your classes or website
- Blog, blog, blog. – Write about your classes in an off-eBay blog.
- Google Calendar – You can create a calendar of events using Google Calendar. Just add your classes as you would on any calendar, make sure the calendar is set as Public so people can find it. Once they find it, they can add it to their own calendar and sign up for your class.
Is It Worth the Effort?
Many people pay large amount of money to get Continue reading →
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