When eBay sent me out on my first eBay University in Lincoln, Nebraska, I was a bit nervous and unsure about my role as an instructor. I listened to Marsha Collier and Christopher Spencer the first time out and I noticed how much the audience enjoyed their personal stories. They really tuned in when the instructors talked about their own real experiences and used them in their teaching. We all have unique experiences we can share with our classes. Some smart moves we've made, some not so smart, but still very valuable when teaching your students. Stories reach people's hearts, they help them remember points you make. Even the stories about how we've made mistakes, come on now you have a few of them too. I know I do. For example:
I once bought 1600 Lance Armstrong posters (two pallets) at a pretty good price. I did my research, and they were selling nicely. I sold a lot of those posters, but really 1600? Even if I sold two a day EVERY day it would take over four years to sell them all. I finally sold them as lots and broke even on the deal. Still, not the smartest thing I've done, but a good story when discussing which products to choose to sell and how much inventory to purchase. (Thank goodness my neighbor had a nice dry barn for me to store them in since they wouldn't all fit in my house.)
"But I'm Not a Storyteller"
Yes you are. An eBay seller has to be one of the best storytellers ever. We can entice a stranger to send us money by using only 55 characters in our listing title. We can also start a virtual firestorm of emotion in 88 characters with our feedback comments. We can tell stories. As an Education Specialist teaching a class, you can use your personal experience to really make a point. People remember stories better than facts & figures, it's just the way our minds work. So use stories and illustrations to make a main point stand out.
For example, when I'm discussing how important the 55 character title is, I use an example of the 200 NASCAR coat racks I bought for resale. I sold them for months using "NASCAR Coat Rack" in the title. Then sales slowed a lot. I got to thinking, "who would want a NASCAR coat rack?" Someone with a NASCAR coat! Obviously. So I did a search for NASCAR coat and guess what, none appeared. So, (I thought) "if I want a Dale Earnhardt coat what do I search for?" "NASCAR jacket". So I now began selling "NASCAR Jacket Racks" and sales took off once again. In fact better than before. Changing one word in the title made all the difference. The story is more interesting than just telling them what the book says to tell them.
One caution though. Do not make your presentation all about you. You will come across as a bit conceited and your class will get tired of hearing you. You should only "pepper" your presentation with appropriate experiences.
For example, if you have a class who obviously
understands how to write an eBay item description, cover the material and move on. But if that class has a problem understanding aspects of photography, use an appropriate story or illustration to make your point. If you're teaching them about having a good background in their photograph, you can instantly make your point with the eBay Teapot Story, which is now an internet legend (albeit a true one).
You should think of your experiences and stories as songs in your repertoire and use them when appropriate. They are powerful tools. They are uniquely yours. And you'll be able to speak with feeling about them to effectively teach your students.
[tags]ebay, education specialist, ebay class, stories that teach, ebay classes[/tags]
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