Education Specialists Teach People the eBay Way
by Zigmund
eBay Staff Member

We all know that one of the most common and effective ways people learn how to use eBay is through a friend or other experienced eBay member. Until recently, members who teach others had to do it alone. This is changing thanks to the Education Specialist program launched in September 2004 that is designed to “train the trainers.” An extension of eBay University, the program trains members as Education Specialists and provides them with course materials and information directly from eBay.

Any member who has an interest in teaching others about eBay (whether they've been doing so already or not) can sign up for the program. Once enrolled, participants take an online course on how to be an effective eBay teacher. Upon completing the course, Education Specialists have access to an array of resources to assist them in their classes, such as instructor manuals and student materials. Education Specialists can also use eBay logos in their advertising and will be included in the Education Specialist directory, where members can find information about local courses, including the instructor and location.

“The Education Specialist program was born out of the idea that members of the eBay Community are the perfect people to help others how to use eBay”, Sharon Guldner, Senior Marketing Manager for Education Programs, explains. “eBay University cannot possibly be everywhere all the time, but we can provide the materials so that people can teach others the eBay way.”

With the holidays quickly approaching, many people want to learn more about eBay, whether to find great gift deals, or to increase their sales in the traditionally strong holiday season. To meet this demand and to kick off the launch of the program with a special promotional event, eBay took the Education Specialists program a step further by creating the Holiday Helper program. Twenty-one currently active Education Specialists from all over the country flew to eBay headquarters in San Jose, California to attend the Holiday Helper program. The focus of the sessions they attended was on helping people find special gifts on eBay during the holidays.

“All the Holiday Helpers had an incredible story to tell about how eBay changed their lives, and we're hoping that when they go out and teach others how to use the site, those people will also have similar successes,” said Guldner.

One of the members who attended the event was justcuriosities from Racine, Wisconsin. She and her husband discovered eBay in 1998, when the couple was looking to expand their collection of novelty items. They were setting up a year long exhibit at a local museum of items sold by the Johnson Smith & Co. and H. Fishlove & Co. brands. justcuriosities recounts that she started as a buyer, but “after a while, I figured if I could buy, I could sell.” After picking up three postcards with sideshow images on them for 50 cents at an estate sale, she listed them on eBay as an experiment. Eighty-five dollars in sales later, she was hooked.

In addition to having a penchant for whoopee cushions, chattering teeth, and huge sunglasses, justcuriosities (who is writing books on the histories of the two aforementioned novelty-item manufacturers) says she's always been serious about teaching others about eBay. She had been doing so for almost five years before the Education Specialist program was created. Even though most of her curriculum had already been developed through her teaching experience, she was excited about the program, convinced that it could only add to her knowledge and increase the confidence of people she helped.

“I wanted the stamp of approval from eBay. Being trained by eBay gives both me and others more confidence about what I'm doing,” she says. After participating in the Education Specialists program, she went to the small business wing of her local technical college with the aim of conducting joint sessions, including Holiday Helpers workshops. “I use a lot of humor to get my point across. And there is no greater joy than watching the light bulbs go on in someone's brain!”

eBay member danse from Russell, Kansas, was so excited by the idea of becoming an eBay Education Specialist that she overcame her fear of flying to attend the Holiday Helper session. “I hadn't flown for about 15 years, but I got so excited about this program that I got on a plane, and…survived some turbulence too.” danse stumbled upon eBay back when it was still AuctionWeb (1995-1997), but didn't pay much attention until Beanie Babies became popular. “Then I got on there big time.”

As time went by, danse realized that eBay could be something more than just a place to buy and sell collectibles. “I'm from rural America, and for thirty years I've been watching people leave town because of the lack of economic opportunity. But as eBay became more mainstream, I started thinking that this could be a solution.” danse went back to school to learn more about computers, so she could teach people how to use eBay for both fun and business.

But she didn't stop there. Wanting to get local government involved, she took her ideas to the Small Business Development Center in Russell. “I'd worked with them for two years on rural economic development, and this program finally got them excited about it.” She foresees a future, not too distant, when people can start coming back to rural areas, knowing that they don't need corporations around when they can run a successful business on eBay.

There's always something to be said for a little bit of fate helping you on your way. On her flight back home, danse started talking to the woman next to her. The woman from Manhattan, Kansas, was intrigued by danse's involvement with eBay and revealed that she had “a bunch of stuff” in her basement just waiting to be sold. Not one to let an opportunity go by, danse immediately offered to help the woman by setting up an eBay Selling Basics workshop in Manhattan as soon as she could find a venue and sponsor. The woman grinned, and told danse, ”Call me next week, I'm on the board of the Chamber of Commerce,“ and handed over her card. “This is my personal number, so just call me at home.”

danse's thoughts on the exchange were simple. “That said it all.”

For information about the Education Specialist program, please see our information page by clicking here.