Laura Della Torre - My Four Cents

New Certified Provider Site for Advanced Sellers

2008-01-17T15:34:00.000-08:00

eBay launched a new site to help advanced sellers learn about tools and solutions they need to grow their businesses. The Certified Provider site helps match sellers up with the right Certified Providers who can provide these tools. Sellers can find a selection of product demos, case studies and other materials from subject matter experts that will help them finalize the solution set that's right their business.

As you fine-tune your business strategy for 2008, explore the new Certified Provider Program website. There’s a helpful tutorial to get you started.

http://certifiedprovider.ebay.com

New Certified Provider Blog

2007-10-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

The eBay Certified Provider Program now has an official blog for sellers on all things Certified Provider. Designed to help educate sellers on CPs, their products, and how they help sellers grow, the blog will include product, education, and other announcements from eBay Certified Providers.

If you're a seller and want to find ways to save time, increase profits, attract more buyers, and get them to come back, subscribe to the blog. If you're a CP, be sure to submit news and announcements for inclusion.

Visit the Certified Provider blog at http://ebaycertifiedprovider.blogspot.com.

Marketreserach.com Launches eBay Consumer Insights

2007-10-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

Marketreserach.com now offers consumer insights products based on eBay Data. With the help of eBay Market Data Reseller Data Unison, reports and online subscriptions are now available at marketresearch.com - just type in the keyword "eBay".

While most business intelligence offered to retail and manufacturing F500 companies via PDF reports, this joint venture offers an interactive real-time dynamic tool for critical decision making, while still providing the same report option that these consumers are familiar with. Dynamic tools are the future, helping enterprise consumers pinpoint the right data quickly while having access to more information than ever before. Why is eBay reserach unique? Unlike NPD, Nielsen, and smaller tech-based research firms we offer:

Minimal Latency: Panel data is 6-8 weeks after the response
Empirical Data: we provide actual sales, not intent to purchase
Larger Samples: we offer buyer behavior from over 241M users
Real Data Where Sparse: eBay offers 50,000 categories, others offer <5>
Find Data Fast: Dynamic tools offer quick queries amongst more data

By the way, I also run the eBay Market Data Program. Ok, off my soapbox.

10/23 CP Workshop: Importing (Worldwide Brands)

2007-10-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

Topic: Member Workshop: Understanding the basics to importing physical Products to Sell
Host: worldwidebrandsinc
Date: Tuesday 10/23
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pacific time

Description: Using importing as one of your product sourcing methods is method to stepping yourself above your competition. Colette Marshall, Business Development Manager for Product Sourcing Experts WorldwideBrands.com, will explain importing basics and answer some of the common questions surrounding importing products.

10/22 CP Workshop: Prep Your eBay Store for the Holidays (Whatdoisell.com)

2007-10-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

Topic: eBay Workshop: Preparing your eBay Store for the Holiday Shopping Season
Host: eBay Staff and co-host, Lisa Suttora (whatdoisell.com)
Date: Monday 10/22
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pacific time

Description: eBay Stores provides e-commerce solutions to increase sales, build a brand, and atttract repeat buyers. Get ramped up and ready for the upcoming holiday season, with tips and tricks ranging from inventory sourcing to optimizing your Store. Joining us for this workshop is Lisa Suttora, founder and CEO of What Do I Sell.com, an eBay Certified Service Provider that specializes in teaching retail entrepreneurs how to find the products buyers want most. She is a Contributing Editor to Entrepreneur magazine’s "Product Sourcing Radio Show" and "eBiz Radio Show" and has been a featured speaker on the eBay Live Product Sourcing Panel.

10/19 CP Workshop: Holiday Sourcing & Strategies (Terapeak)

2007-10-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

Topic: Member Workshop: What and How to Sell on eBay for the Holidays
Host: terapeak
Date: Friday 10/19
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pacific time

Description: In this workshop, the team at Terapeak will be on hand to discuss how you can get ready for the hugely profitable holiday season. What are the hot trends, and how can you find them and list them for maximum profit? How should you be listing for this busy time of year? Holiday shopping starts sooner than you think, and as a smart seller you want to do your research and have the products shoppers are looking for!

10/17 CP Workshop: Succeed by Positive Thinking (KeepMore.net)

2007-10-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

Topic: Member Workshop: Powerful Thoughts for Business Success
Host: keepmore
Date: Wednesday 10/17
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pacific time

Description: Please join Phyllis Wischer of Certified Provider KeepMore.net and her guest Chris O’Brien, Transformational Life Coach, who will present a workshop on ‘Powerful Thoughts for Business Success’. Mr. O’Brien states that people tend to think in the same patterns over and over, and this pretty much gets them the same results…over and over. Successful people think successful thoughts and are repetitively successful. Unsuccessful people experience the opposite. This workshop will explore empowering and disempowering thoughts, and take participants through some simple exercises to help bring clarity and focus in business. At the end there will be an optional assignment and an opportunity for additional free materials. We look forward to having you join us for this eye-opening workshop that will help you build the successful eBay business you desire.

10/16 CP Workshop Break Through Sourcing Roadblocks (Whatdoisell.com)

2007-10-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

Topic: Member Workshop: How to Break Through the Top 10 Roadblocks to Finding Products to Sell
Host: whatdoisell
Date: Tuesday 10/16
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pacific time

Description: If you want to build a business on eBay - you must have SOMETHING to sell on a regular basis. Yet this is the #1 area where people struggle in building a part-time or full-time income. Please join Lisa Suttora, Founder/CEO of eBay Certified Provider WhatDoISell.com as she discusses the 5 core reasons that people struggle with finding a profitable product to sell and the 5 things that cause people to overlook the most profitable products.

10/9 CP Workshop: Customer Support (HostedSupport)

2007-10-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

How Customer Support Levels the Playing Field for Sellers of All Sizes
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, October 9th from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Pacific time.

In this workshop, Steve Yeich, CEO of Certified Solution Provider HostedSupport will discuss why customers don’t always look for the cheapest price or largest selection, but how they are treated, and why it’s worth millions. Learn how you don’t have to be the least expensive to get buyers.

10/8 CP Workshop: Get Repeat Business (HammerTap)

2007-10-04T16:42:00.000-07:00

Topic: Member Workshop: The Power of Repeat Business
Host: htdeepanalysis
Date: Monday 10/08
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Pacific time

Description: Please join Jen Cano, from HammerTap, a Certified Solution Provider, as she talks about how to use analytics and social networking to build repeat business. You can hook shoppers once and get them to buy. But what about the next time, and the next time? Research shows that repeat buyers are eight times more likely to buy. Come find new ways to build your repeat customer base.

Couch in the City, Pt Deux

2007-09-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

The velvet couch tour went very well, and pictures are available for your viewing pleasure. Well done, Nick!

Push Me Pull You

2007-09-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

Check out this story about a 2-headed turtle. It (no reference to he or she) needs a name, care to name it? The only question I ask is where is the tail?

Couch in the City

2007-09-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

A colleague of mine bought a couch he didn't need, and couldn't fit in his apartment, on eBay. (yes, I thought the same thing too) Being a former professional photographer myself, I've been tracking the story about his very creative art project - shooting the couch all over San Francisco. I wish I had this much free time.

Certified Provider Doba Makes Inc. 500

2007-09-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled to see one of our very own Certified Providers, Doba, recognized by Inc. magazine as the 23rd fastest-growing private company in the United States. Read more about it. Inc also raned them #2 in top software companies. Congrats to the whole Doba gang!

CP Workshop: Sell More with Great Customer Support 9/11

2007-09-13T19:18:00.000-07:00

Getting Real Value from Customer Support—Real eBay Seller Case Studies
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, September 11th from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Pacific time.

In this workshop, Steve Yeich, CEO of Certified Solution Provider HostedSupport, will present case studies of eBay sellers who have increased sales by implementing a customer support system. Learn from the real-world examples that will show how others have succeeded and increased sales.

CP Workshop: Research to sell the right stuff 9/10

2007-09-10T17:30:00.000-07:00

Long-Term Profits with Market Research & Product Sourcing
This workshop will be held on Monday, September 10th from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Pacific time.

Please join Jen Cano, from HammerTap, a Certified Solution Provider, as she discusses how to build the basis for a durable, thriving business in a constantly changing market. Based on concepts in her book “eBay Performance: Selling Success with Market Research and Product Sourcing,” Jen outlines a method that will help you focus your attention on executing a flexible sales plan, rather than on reacting to unanticipated challenges.

CP Workshop: Research for Selling Strategies 9/4

2007-08-31T16:36:00.000-07:00

Increase your eBay Sales by Discovering the Best Time to List
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, September 4th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pacific time.

This month the Terapeak marketing team will be hosting a workshop to introduce some tools that you can use to find the best times to end your auctions. There are a variety of free and paid tools that eBay Sellers can use to find out how long to list an item, what time of the day or week to end an auction, or what times of year see big spikes in demand. We will even show you a few cool trends that illustrate the huge spikes in sales that occur over the upcoming holiday season! Join us as we review some great examples and stick around for the hour to answer any questions you may have about market research!

CP Workshop: Sourcing for the Holidays 8/21

2007-08-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

Successful Product Sourcing for the Holidays
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, August 21st from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m Pacific time.

The holiday selling season is just around the corner and buyers are heading online to shop earlier than you think! But will you have the products they want? Creating the right product line mix is essential to your successful holiday sales. Without a correctly balanced product assortment, you'll be unable to offer your buyers the products that excite them, attract buyers to your listings, or increase your final sales tickets through cross-selling or up-selling. Please join Lisa Suttora Founder/CEO of Certified Provider WhatDoISell.com and featured speaker on the eBay Live 2007 Product Sourcing Panel as she discusses how to put together a winning product line for the holiday season and make this your best holiday selling season ever!

CP Workshop: Get Organized & Save Time 8/15

2007-08-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

Getting organized will give you more time to sell on eBay!
This workshop will be held on Wednesday, August 15th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pacific time.

You were suppose to call a supplier yesterday and forgot because you misplaced your paper reminder! You have a bill to pay but you have lost the invoice! You have lots of little receipts for your purchases at garage sales, but you have lost some of them! Getting your records organized will save your hours every week. Hours that you can spend doing the thing you like best – generating income from your eBay sales. Join Phyllis Wischer of Certified Provider KeepMore.net as she discusses methods and procedures to get your paper work (and your life) more organized and productive.

CP Workshop: Improving Customer Relationships 8/14

2007-08-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

Customer Relationships to Grow Your Business
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, August 14th from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Pacific time. Tuesday, August 14th from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Pacific time.

In this workshop, Steve Yeich, CEO of Certified Solution Provider HostedSupport, will discuss why happy customers are your best sales force, and how customer support can help make them happy. Learn from real-world examples showing how word of mouth can increase sales.

CP Workshop: Liquidations Closeouts & Surplus 8/7

2007-08-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

What is the difference between Liquidation, Closeouts, and Surplus?
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, August 7th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pacific time.Using liquidation products is a great way to enhance customer experience and find great unique ways to increase your profit margins. Product Sourcing Experts, WorldwideBrands.com, and leading industry experts, Liquidation.com, will explain the basics of the key elements to liquidation and how to use it appropriately with your listings.

CP Workshop: Outperforming Competition 8/6

2007-08-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

Your Listings Can Beat Up Their Listings with Market Research
This workshop will be held on Monday, August 6th from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Pacific time. Please join Jen Cano, from HammerTap, a Certified Solution Provider, as she delivers a formula for outperforming your competition. When it comes to market research, you can always imitate your best competition. But how do you surpass them? Come find out how to build perfect listings based on solid market research, not guesswork.

Colbert Nation Bids on eBay

2007-08-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, so we didn't get 'the ball', but we got 'the cast'. All I can afford is the WristStrong bracelet.

Buy Your Own Island

2007-08-09T21:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a nice little pad for your fantasy vacation...it's cheaper than my place here in the Bay Area. Check the gallery below, buy some Fiji water with the island, and they'll cut you a deal on the shipping.

Intelligent Life in the eBay Universe

2007-08-09T13:26:00.000-07:00

Just to show you how intelligent our eBay sellers are, check out this listing:
EQUATION FOR THE CREATION OF ENERGY "WHY E=MC^2"PICASSO.

It's a graphical representation of, as I'm told, "a visual representation of a mathematical breakthrough in the field of relativistic physics". I'd pretend I know what that means, but you'd all know better.

CP Workshop: International Sales 8/3

2007-07-31T15:32:00.001-07:00

Launching International Sales Using Market Research
This workshop will be held on Friday, August 3rd from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pacific time. This month Denise and Sara from Terapeak Marketplace Research will be on hand to explore how you can increase your eBay sales by expanding into the international marketplace on eBay! With a few simple research tips, sellers can learn about international markets and target other countries. With many sellers reporting increasing success in selling internationally (especially in Germany and Australia), the enterprising eBay seller will want to adjust their sales to include other countries as well.

CP Workshop: Building Supplier Relationships 7/24

2007-07-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

Building Supplier Relationships
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, July 24th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pacific time. Building Supplier Relationships is very important for growing your business, increasing your profit margins, and especially for preparing for the Holiday Season. Colette Marshall, Business Development Manager for Product Sourcing Experts WorldwideBrands.com, will explain the key elements in improving your supplier communications and using those skills to prepare for the holiday season with your supplier.

CP Workshop: Fine Tuning Listing Strategies 7/23

2007-07-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

Capturing Shoppers by Fine Tuning Listing Strategies
This workshop will be held on Monday, July 23rd from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pacific time. In this workshop, Debbie Levitt, President of Certified Provider As Was, will discuss how to use data to fine tune your listings strategies. Better decisions about listing strategies can lead to more sales, higher bids, and lower fees. This workshop will also include general strategy suggestions such as Store vs. Core and Auctions vs. Fixed Price.

New 4-Cent Feature: eBay CP Workshops

2007-07-20T16:20:00.000-07:00

For those of you here because of my overindulgent keyword spamming of the word eBay, you're in luck. I'll start posting upcoming eBay workshops from Certified Providers, who will discuss topics & provide education related to their area of expertise. Click "CP Workshops" under the Labels list in the lower right to get a full list.

Enjoy!

30 Second Bunnies

2007-07-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

This site mixes two of the things I love: bunnies and hit movies. They're flash movies of theatrical releases, in 30 seconds, re-enacted by, what else, bunnies. Don't miss Office Space, Titanic, or their latest - Napoleon Dynabun. Also check out their "request for bunnification" list. Here's a sample:

Flying the Unfriendly Skies

2007-07-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

Warning US Airways Travelers: Luggage bags may not be closer than they appear. My colleague Ginger came to visit headquarters from her office in Salt Lake, and instead of sending the luggage on her flight to San Jose CA, they sent it on a flight to San Jose Del Cabo...Mexico. Here's the saga. Fly any other airline, and she would've gotten it in California same day - but she's STILL awaiting her luggage several weeks later, and customer satisfaction didn't seem to be a priority. Lesson learned: fly with folks who passed geography.

I've Flown the Coop - CPP Moves to Seller Experience

2007-07-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

The longest running active Developers Program team member has left the group...me. This is good for Certified Providers. No, that doesn't mean I'll pester them less. I'm not leaving. We (the program and I) are now part of the Seller Experience team at eBay. This is great news for CPs. Over the last four years, eBay has increasingly embraced third parties, as evidenced by having them teach at eBay Live, build eBay functionality, and train our staff. Being closely aligned with the Seller Experience team allows a greater visibility to CPs and the solutions they offer... both to eBay and our seller community. Great plans are already brewing, more on that when we're ready. The team threw me a "goodbye, but not so long" lunch, here are some photos.

Grab a Bite for Women's Rights: Dinner with Buffy's Joss Whedon

2007-07-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

Have a bite with Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, for charity. Joss is auctioning dinner with him (perhaps with some red wine? - the bad jokes here are endless). Proceeds benefit Equality Now, an organization dedicated to women's rights around the world.

He's also auctioning off some Buffy and Serenity memorabilia. I was hoping for the yummy sushi pajamas.

Colorful Commerce - iPhone

2007-07-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

iPhones went on sale last week, many of which are showing up on eBay. We at eBay couldn't be happier. Here is a slightly more colorful merchandising experience than some of the others.

eBay Live 2007 - Whew!

2007-06-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

By the look of the pictures others have posted, there's no proof that I was at either eBay Developers Conference nor eBay Live! this month in Boston. Not so! Seriously, I was working every day, all day.

At DevCon, I help our Certified Providers and Data Licensees get the recognition they deserve. At eBay Live, my goal is to help pair the right seller with the right solution. We had a banner year, with Certified Providers leading 15 classes at our user conference, providing ribbons to all CPs on the show floor, including a CP handout at relevant classes and as part of the Seller Scalability lounge, and helping with CP recommendations at the Seller Tools booth.

It's as exhasting as it is energizing, and always a pleasure to see my Certified Providers. See y'all next year in Chicago!

CPs & Data Licensees Take Star Developer Awards

2007-06-27T17:55:00.000-07:00

Two of our Certified Providers, Mpire and SageFire won Star Developer Awards at this year's eBay Developers Conference in Boston. Here's the 411 on these develoeprs who are both Certified Providers and Data Licensees:

Most Innovative Application—Seller or Merchant = SageFire's YES! (Year End Summary), presented to JP O’Brien, Joshua McNeese and Ryan Wheaton (pic above). For fulfilling a specified eBay seller community need of annual transactional history for tax and profitability analysis needs.

Best User Experience Design = Mpire’s Shopwave, presented to Greg Harrison and Gary Kamikawa. For development of new Flash-based online shopping visualization application. “If you don’t know exactly how to describe what you’re looking for, Mpire’s new image previews may be worth the thousand words you can’t find.” – TechCrunch

See the whole list of winners.

Way to go guys!

Flying the corporate skies

2007-06-27T17:20:00.000-07:00

I had the priviledge to fly on the corporate jet with eBay Marketplaces President John Donahoe and several members on the Developers Program team. What a way to fly to Boston for eBay Developers Conference! Read more about it!

CP Fair #2

2007-03-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

Last week eBay held it's second Certified Provider Fair in our Customer Support offices in Salt Lake. Our Top Seller Account Managers and other Customer Support teams learned about software and services that our CPs offer.

A big thanks to Ginger (where's your blog, girl!) for putting on a big party just for me - ha!! What a great way to spend my birthday, complete with balloons and some of my most favorite people flying in from around the country. Also, thanks to former eBayer turned Infopian Cindy Purvance for the impromptu birthday celebration.

Everyone was very careful to place their age guesses WELL-under my actual age. Thanks, CPs...it's not gonna get you placement on the eBay home page, tho. Next stop, Boston!

Hooters in Holy Land

2007-03-20T21:25:00.001-07:00

So apparently they're opening a Hooters in Israel. Current plans will be somewhere in Tel Aviv, but no exact location yet. No, the food isn't kosher. Note: this is one of the few markets the mighty Starbucks hasn't been able to crack.

Workaholics, Unite!

2007-03-20T20:55:00.001-07:00

Go to Microsoft's Clip Art online and type in "dependency" and this is what you get. As to why I was looking for clip art to describe dependency is unimportant...what's important is that it describes my man with unprecedented accuracy. Workaholics unite!

Web 2.0, Web 2.0 Style

2007-02-16T17:56:00.000-08:00

Here's a pretty cool video highlighting the Web 2.0 concept.

Not to date myself, but I've been in the high-tech biz through each phase of this evolution. I do not, however, predate the abacus.

Hallmark: When You Care Enough to Stay Out of the Dog House

2007-02-14T17:46:00.000-08:00

Since I also run the eBay Market Data Program, I'm constantly looking at the competition. NPD is a research firm for high tech retail & manufacturers, and had this nugget of wisdom for Valentines Day (This is what they use their 3 million panelists for):

Valentines Day May be All About Your Sweetie, but Only 1 in 4 Think It's Romantic

PORT WASHINGTON, NY, February 12, 2007 – Valentine’s Day has long been touted in American culture as the official day to express love and romance. People wish to show appreciation for others, but many also feel that Valentine’s Day might be a bit contrived. According to The NPD Group’s SnackTrack® service, only one in four people feel that Valentine’s Day is romantic, while just as many people feel that it is too commercialized.

NPD reveals the top ten responses to how people generally feel about Valentine’s Day.

Top 10 feelings about Valentine’s Day
(% of adult responses)

“Show appreciation” (30%)
“No strong feelings” (26%)
“Too commercialized” (26%)
“It’s romantic” (24%)
“It’s a Hallmark holiday” (19%)
“Just another day” (18%)
“Silly holiday” (14%)
“Chance to show true feelings” (12%)
“Bring up good memories” (11%)
“If I don’t celebrate, I’ll get in trouble” (8%)

*Multiple responses were given

“Although people may have mixed feelings about Valentine’s Day, at least 1 in 12 – probably men – will celebrate because they want to stay out of the dog house,” says Harry Balzer, vice president of The NPD Group.

For those people who will celebrate Valentine’s Day, the top activity will be giving a card or a gift (70% of those who will celebrate). Twenty-five percent of those who will celebrate will go out to dinner, while 10 percent will bake, 10 percent will make homemade Valentines, and 10 percent will go to a party.

Among those people who will give gifts, the top gift will be either a Valentine’s Day card (56% of gift-givers) or candy (55%). Only a third of gift-givers will give flowers (30%). Stuffed animals (20%) and jewelry (13%) round out the five most popular gifts given.

If candy is given, it most likely will come from a mass merchandiser (44% of candy purchases), or a supermarket (21%), drug store (18%), dollar store (8%), or gas station/convenience store (2%).

Balzer continues, “For those who don’t want to get in trouble, there’s always the gas station on the way home.”

Apparently NPD thinks this is news and thus press release worthy. Independent studies show that the #1 gift request from men on this holiday is not offered at NPD-tracked retail. More on the top 10 reasons why eBay Data is better than NPD data later. Happy Valentines Day!

Ro vs. Greg: the Faceoff

2007-02-01T18:43:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen eBay Matchups, you gotta check this out. For my Certified Provider readers, here's your chance to chime up on the old regime. And yes, I decline to comment on my vote.

eBay is Hiring

2007-01-31T15:36:00.000-08:00

I'm finally getting some help! eBay is looking for a Solutions Marketing Manager to work on my team to help champion the Certified Provider cause, among other cool things. Did I mention, I love my job??

Job Description:
The eBay Developers Program is responsible for fostering external innovation on the eBay platform. The Developers Program is looking for an Associate Manager for Solutions Marketing to define, plan and implement the marketing strategy for solutions and tools built by eBay's third party developers. Third party developers and the applications they build are critical to eBay users and this role will ensure that these tools are marketed to and adopted by the eBay community. There are over 40,000 third party developers who have built over 4,000 applications for eBay users.

The position reports to the Senior Manager, Market Development within the Developers Program and will interface directly with other eBay marketing teams, including the Buyer and Seller Marketing Teams and the Community Team, to plan joint programs and campaigns to the user community. This role will also work with Product Management teams to define business requirements for marketing projects and with eBay's Brand Marketing team to ensure brand consistency and messaging. The ideal candidate has experience marketing products to users through onsite tools and programs, has experience in brand marketing concepts and takes a creative approach to solving problems.
Responsibilities:

Define, plan and implement the marketing strategy for third party tools to eBay users
Partnership with other eBay marketing teams to include third party tools in marketing programs and platforms, including email marketing, onsite marketing, customer call campaigns, online webinars and other communication platforms
Ownership of eBay's Solutions Directory, the online repository of third party and eBay built tools, including strategy, functionality, marketing and performance
Ownership of eBay's Solutions Finder, the online tool for identifying solutions for users, including strategy, functionality, marketing and performance
Identifying new and creative ways to marketing third party tools to eBay users, both on and off eBay.com
Ownership of the Developers Program Marketing Handbook for third parties
Working directly with eBay's Certified Provider team to coordinate marketing for Certified Providers (eBay's premier third party partners)
Partnership with eBay's Brand Marketing team to create the Developers Program brand strategy and ensure third parties adhere to brand guidelines

Job Requirements:

Ability to understand and communicate technology capabilities and appropriate uses
Ability to identify, analyze and proactively drive issues to resolution
Familiarity with online marketing resources and forums (e.g., Digg, web forums, product review sites, etc..)
Excellent written, verbal and communication skills
Fun, highly energetic personality; team player that works well in fast-paced, collaborative situations who has a personal passion for technical/internet innovation.
Strong preference given to candidates who are active eBay users and are familiar with the eBay user experience.

If interested, you can apply here: http://eBaycareers.com, look for job req #14662BR, or send your resume directly to me.

The iPhone, My Four Cents

2007-01-30T20:10:00.000-08:00

Awhile ago, I blogged on the eBay Developers Weblog about my trip to Macworld. That was my two cents...here's my other two cents.

Apple markets the iPhone as a device that runs widgets on OS X, yet has no outlined strategy for third party applications. The iPod, which offers a great opportunity for third parties to develop games, has yet to leverage the power of these developers to add value to iPod (and iTunes for that matter). As such, I'm not highly optimistic that Apple will be offering an SDK to developers any time soon.

There's an interesting question that wireless data raises. Assuming Apple (or third party app, such as Skype) were to build a soft phone VOIP application, it's feasible to bypass the carrier altogether. Skype (with wifi phones from Netgear and Belkin) are already doing this, offering the potential for a paradigm shift in the phone industry.

I'm not sure about their forecast of 10M phones by end 1008 at $499-$599 each. Apple has a loooooong history in fiercely holding onto their MAP pricing, so don't count on price erosion. To put that in perspective, Cingular's current subscriber base, for ALL phones, is 60M. Research in Motion, with their cult following for their Blackberries, managed to sell less than 6M last year, with multiple models for multiple carriers.

Of course, that's just my four cents.

Holiday Cheer, CP Style

2006-11-21T17:08:00.000-08:00

Certified Providers are getting quite creative with their eBay Workshop promotions. Here's a little gem from the folks at Terapeak. Dave Frey, resident elf.

Here's the post to the workshop. Since many of my readers (all two of you) are Certified Providers, I think you just got served. Merry Christmachannukwanzika, or however you spell it.

Mpire makes eBay Pop!

2006-11-13T17:32:00.000-08:00

Here's an example of why I love my job. Certified Provider Mpire launched eBay Pop, (www.ebay.com/ebaypop), a new, free service that captures the buying buzz and sales trends on eBay in a fun, informative way – with a twist of current events and pop culture.

Mpire worked with eBay to develop eBay Pop, including its design, sales data and analysis, interactive games, editorial content and blog. The page uses eBay Market Data to drive updated content. Being involved in the creative process, work closely with one of our Certified Providers, and use eBay Market Data in a highly innoviative way was a thrill.

Ro: So long, and thanks for all the fish

2006-11-13T17:14:00.000-08:00

My former fearless leader, Rogelio Choy is leaving the eBay nest. Last time, he switched departments without telling any of our CPs, leaving me the honors. My guess is that this will be your formal announcement.

In honor of Ro's departure, we threw him a little party (or perhaps we threw the party for us??). He's going to Rock You, so here's our tribute (thanks to Alan).

All kidding aside, he rose the ranks faster than anyone I've ever seen, and he's deserved it. Ro, thanks for your entrepreneurial spirit, championing the Certified Provider cause, watching my back, and being a rock star of a manager. We'll miss you.

Create Your Own!

Certified Providers Teach at eBay University

2006-10-24T19:05:00.000-07:00

I was recently scolded for not posting in awhile. My excuse: I've been on the road with Certified Providers who were invited to speak at eBay University. Here's a nice article on the tour. Debbie Levitt (As Was), JP O'Brien (KeepMore.net), Rob Cowie (Worldwide Brands) and Dave Frey (Terapeak) helped sellers grow their business by teaching them about setting financial goals, building a brand on eBay, sourcing products buyers want, and using research to craft an unbeatable listing.

Here's the trailer for our first ever video workshop we did while on the road (I should really learn to smile once in awhile). Stay tuned for the full version:

Desperately Seeking Media Trainer

2006-10-24T11:43:00.000-07:00

See if you can spot the quote gems in this Business Week article on Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. (Hint: Answers are here, I just loved the pic of Ballmer on this one). There's nothing I can say that won't get me in hot water. Can anyone say "media training"?

Happy Birthday, eBay Certified Provider Program!

2006-08-25T16:53:00.000-07:00

This month celebrates the 2nd anniversary of the launch of the eBay Certified Provider Program, which provides visibility to our most committed developers and service providers. Its mission is simple: Provide the right kind of help to the right eBay user at the right time. This has been my baby that I grew from the ground up, and with the help of my team, it’s become one of my greatest successes. Our members are the finest collection of providers in the online auction industry.

Backgrounder: There are companies that create software that connects directly to eBay. Others companies offer non-technical services like creative design. Both help eBay users do things like save time listing or buying, find products to sell, and increase profits. I work with the cream of the crop.

Companies like Microsoft have proven that no company is an island. External partners and their innovation is key to any company’s success. I’ve been lucky in my career. I’ve worked in Developers Programs at Philips, Apple, and now eBay. In each case, my job has been to help grow the businesses of other companies who offer software and services to our customers. I love my job.

Viral Marketing with Bite

2006-08-18T18:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is the best viral marketing I've seen in a LONG time. Samuel Jackson will call your victim within 5 minutes. I had Samuel call one person, and within a few hours, the word spread like...uh... Snakes on a Plane. The only drawback is that Samuel doesn't know your friends with unusual names. Sorry, you guys don't get to hear this...blame your parents.

Here is another great example. I doubt it's going to make the movie any better, tho.

Google Checkout in trouble?

2006-08-17T16:58:00.000-07:00

Interesting article on Marketwatch about Google Checkout. One of the many reasons I'm not worried.

My Photography

2006-08-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

Jellies
Originally uploaded by SCUBAbunny.

For those not in the know, I have an affinity for many forms of creative expression... photography being one of them. Here's a shot I took at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Peer Pressure

2006-08-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

Ahh, the joys of peer pressure. And with Cindy’s lovely reminder that once in the blogsphere, you can never leave -- I take her challenge. I’ll do my best to keep my reputation, paycheck, & husband. You’ve been warned.