Prediction: eBay Education Dept Next To Go
This is a prediction. I have no inside info. Nobody has said anything to me. This is a total guess. But it makes sense.
eBay's Community team is gone. Either fired or reassigned. Even Griff is now part of "Seller Experience." The Events team is evidently mostly or totally gone. eBay Live was cancelled for 2009, and the "regional events" have not really materialised.
My prediction is that the Education department will go next. I'm not saying I want it to! I'm just saying I think that is the next logical change the current eBay administration is likely to make.
The problem is that eBay is changing weekly. Materials printed on paper for the Education Specialists who teach these classes are basically outdated by the time they're approved for printing. :)
The EdSpecs are mostly good people doing their best, but I've found that some are not always up on what's going on on eBay. Are they up on this stuff enough to be able to tell their audience about all the factors that go into Best Match? Why to list FP 30 with free shipping and multiple quantity?
You can't go old school here. You can't teach a class that says HEY! Just take a picture of your watch and list it on eBay! Those students may quickly kill their DSRs... or they might not list correctly, end up with NO visibility in search, and end up with few to no sales. I am not sure how the EdSpecs would be up on this info... I'm an EdSpec, and I didn't see any emails nor was I mailed anything that made sure I knew about these more advanced strategies and eBay changes.
I think eBay will realise that really new people really can't be taught, at least not like this. eBay selling is no longer easy for newbies. It's way too complicated. Many people pick the eBay Store format because it's cheapest, not realising that they'll basically never be found.
Seminars go out of date as soon as they're given. Books go out of date by the time the publisher approves them. Conferences go out of date by the time I'm standing up to give you info. You think the Video Professor's eBay CD understands the Best Match algorithm and explains that?!?!?! I think that eBay education is going to have to really evolve.
We're going to evolve it. We're starting with a website for daily eBay education and advice, which is at http://community.rocketplace.com. We'll be running more webinars and call-in talk shows. And we'll be running fairly frequent completely online virtual conferences. No more spending piles of money to travel to something that will offer info that's out of date a month later.
Keep watching for our announcements. And sorry to the eBay Education department if I should be right that a lot of old-style eBay education just isn't viable anymore. :(
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Ah, the I love the smell of grass roots in the morning!
True entrepreneurs that grasp the beauty and complexity of the eBay marketplace understand the importance of not just the reaping, but also of the sowing. This understanding must permeate throughout all layers within the company... and throughout the community, just like you're demonstrating here. Because there isn't a single "lifeblood" of what makes eBay unique and compelling, is what makes it so robust, but also makes it very hard to manage like a traditional company. There is nothing traditional about what we're a part of here. We should all share the concerns and responsibilities of tending to what we believe makes the eBay marketplace what it is.
Educating new and existing sellers is one of those concerns we should address as sellers, consultants, and developers. As a buyer, seller and developer, I appreciate what you and others are doing, because through your endeavors, I am learning from and sharing with others.
Damn it, lets hug it out.
Posted by: manTXT (Neil) | Friday, 14 November 2008 at 07:39 AM
This is definitely a timely topic as there have already been changes made in the ES program in Australia -
It is with regret that we inform you we will no longer be able to support the ongoing hosting of the program as it currently exists in Australia, nor the updating and printing of the current course materials.
As an Education Specialist I agree that our materials are outdated before they even go to press. Bu,t because of that it's even more imperative that we stay up to date with the changes so we can teach them in our classes.
I've taught 'The Basics of Selling on eBay' for 3 years now and where the material covered was once basic, it has become increasingly complex. I look forward to participating in your new site and know it will be an excellent resource for my students.
Posted by: Marlene Gavens | Friday, 14 November 2008 at 07:49 AM