eBay In Person:
Michael Rudolph
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Mike Rudolph promoting a coming
attraction for eBay Live! 2006 |
This month we meet Michael Rudolph, Director of Events and Education. Michael and his team are responsible for running educational programs, such as eBay University and the Education Specialist program. And they're also the people who organize eBay Live!
When did you start at eBay and what did you do before?
I started at eBay in December of 2001. Before that I worked at Ziff Davis Media, a publishing company specializing in the high-technology sector. (They're the people who publish magazines like PC Magazine and produce large trade shows like Comdex.)
What are your responsibilities at eBay?
As Director of Events and Education, I'm responsible for all online and offline education programs, as well as organizing and marketing events, such as eBay Live!
What are some of the education programs that you and your team run?
Our flagship online education program revolves around eBay's Learning Center, where we've created over 35 learning courses that help our members buy and sell more effectively on eBay. We start right from the basics, with a course like “How does eBay work?” and have more advanced courses aimed at experienced sellers who want to learn how to set up a business on eBay, or learn how to set up and manage an eBay Store.
The courses are offered in a variety of formats, including HTML, Audio Tour and Video Tour. They are self-paced courses that members can take at their convenience.
Another important focus for us is eBay University, our traveling seminar series that provides classroom instruction in over 30 U.S. cities. eBay University focuses on Selling basics, but we also offer advanced courses. We have a panel of experienced instructors who love teaching and spreading their knowledge about eBay. Some of them, like Griff, have become legends in the Community.
Another key education program for us is the Education Specialist program. This “train the trainer” program helps eBay members acquire the knowledge and tools necessary to successfully teach other members how to buy and sell on eBay.
eBay Live! is our most famous event each year, but what other offline events do you organize?
Yes, every year I'm blown away by our Community's energy and enthusiasm at eBay Live! The three days of eBay Live! always leave eBay employees with an emotional high. It's a very enriching experience for us as we connect with thousands of Community members in person. Last year we had over 11,000 attendees at eBay Live! in San Jose. And next year, in Las Vegas, I'm sure we'll have more.
OK, you know I just had to plug this year's eBay Live!
In terms of other events, we work with our Category Management teams to participate in many vertical trade shows where we can educate people about selling effectively on eBay. Each year, at events like the Consumer Electronics Show, we have a booth and also hold eBay University sessions. These trade shows give eBay employees a great opportunity to interact with sellers in their category and build relationships with representatives from the industries they are focused on.
We also work with Entrepreneur Magazine to publish The eBay Start-up Guide, a print magazine that focuses on how new and existing small and medium businesses can succeed on eBay. Watch out for the next issue, which will be available on newsstands in the Spring of 2006.
How are these events and educational programs helping make eBay a better, safer marketplace?
From a seller's perspective, learning how to use eBay more effectively is a proven way to increase sales. In addition, better educated buyers make better customers. Sellers always want their buyers to better understand how eBay works – especially critical aspects of an eBay transaction such as realizing that a winning bid is a commitment to pay for an item.
From a buyer's angle, our programs help people make informed and safe choices on eBay. We help buyers understand what to look for in a listing before entering into a transaction with the seller. We explain how the Feedback system works. Most importantly we help buyers understand how they can adopt basic safeguards to stay safe online – such as watching out for spoof emails and websites.
Given that eBay is a pretty complex site, and members have different educational needs, what are some of the challenges of designing and running eBay education programs?
Most importantly, we listen to what the Community is saying! Although we cannot teach everything about eBay to everyone, we do a lot of analysis – qualitative and quantitative, to help us identify our members' educational needs. We can then create and publish the most relevant content. A great example is the video tutorial on How to Save Time on Shipping, which was created after our successful collaboration with the USPS. (Read about eBay Days at the USPS in The Chatter archives.)
What do you like about working at eBay?
That's easy. eBay is one of the few places where you're working in a business that has a positive social impact for millions of people, every day. It's an indescribable feeling to know that we're empowering so many people and helping them realize their entrepreneurial dreams.
What skills have you found yourself utilizing most in your career at eBay?
I'd say that a key skill for me is being able to reach out to members to understand their needs, and then translating those needs into meaningful, relevant educational programs.
It's also important to be able to work effectively with cross-functional teams, aligning goals across these functions within the company, and getting them to participate in achieving these common goals.
What do you buy or sell on eBay?
Oh, pretty much everything. I've sold cut crystal, clothing, digital cameras, and cell phones. I've bought a trumpet and an electric guitar for my son. My favorite eBay sale, though, is selling a Lord of The Rings coffee cup sleeve that I found in a conference room at eBay. Who would have thought it would sell? It still amazes me!
What's your most memorable eBay moment?
At the very first eBay Live!, in 2002, I met a woman who told me how eBay had helped her turn her life around. She had five kids and had been on welfare – on the edge of desperation. Then she discovered eBay, and started going to garage sales to find items to sell on the site. Soon she was making enough to support her family and even have some extra cash left over. The moving thing for me was that she was so thankful to eBay. It made me realize that working at eBay helps many people like her get the dignity back in their lives. I keep thinking of this story whenever I have a hard day at work.
