Hello eBayer:

I’m Brian Jones from eBay’s Community Development team, and I’d like to invite you to a special “eBay in Person” event on Thursday, March 15, with Bill Cobb, President of eBay North America. The event will be from 6:00 PM- 8:30 PM at the Seattle Airport Marriott Hotel. There is no cost to attend this event.

This eBay in Person event is an in-person "Town Hall" where Bill and members of our executive staff will lead a Question and Answer panel discussion with top eBay buyers and sellers from the Seattle/Tacoma area. We’re hosting this event to hear what’s on your mind, answer your questions, and listen to your suggestions for improving your buying and selling experiences on eBay.

The event is on Thursday, March 15, from 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM, beginning with networking and hors d’oeuvres and followed by the panel discussion. The location is at the Seattle Airport Marriott Hotel.

You’ll find directions and parking information, as well as answers to frequently asked questions, in this email— please see below.

Thank you for being a part of the eBay Community and for buying and selling on eBay! We look forward to meeting you.

Sincerely,

Brian Jones

eBay Community Development

eBay, Inc.

Email: PF-communitydevelopment@ebay.com

Thursday, March 15, 2007

6:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Seattle Airport Marriott
3201 South 176th Street
Seattle, Washington 98188

Phone: 1-206-241-2000

Traveling SOUTH on I-5:
Exit 154B, SeaTac Airport, Highway 518
Follow signs to Highway 99 South
Travel 1.5 miles on Highway 99 South / International Boulevard
Turn Left at 176th Street
Marriott is at the top of the hill on the right.

Traveling NORTH on I-5:
Take exit 152, 188th Street Exit
Turn left onto 188th Street
Travel 1.5 miles, turning right onto Highway 99 /International Boulevard
Turn right onto 176h Street
Marriott is at the top of the hill on the right.

Parking:

Parking for eBay In Person attendees is available at the Marriott Hotel. Please present your Marriott Parking Lot ticket when you check in to the event to receive a sticker which will cover the parking costs.

6:00 – 6:45 PM: Meet & Greet networking with other local eBay members and eBay staff. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served.

6:45 – 8:00 PM: Opening remarks by Bill Cobb, followed by the Question & Answer panel discussion with Bill and eBay leaders of Trust & Safety, Product Development, PayPal, and Customer Support. We look forward to hearing what’s on your mind— your suggestions, concerns, and ideas. Please bring your eBay questions!

8:00 – 8:30 PM: More networking with other Community members and eBay staff.

Yes, please feel free to bring a guest with you. (Just let us know in your RSVP!) We would ask that you leave children at home since this is a business-type meeting.

If you have a Customer Support question and we’re unable to answer it at the event, we’ll have a Customer Support representative follow-up. The eBay staff at the event will do their best to answer specific questions related to your business.

The invite list for this event included a random selection of active eBay buyers and sellers living in the Seattle/Tacoma area and who are opted-in to receive marketing communications from eBay.

Brian Jones

eBay Community Development Team

eBay, Inc.

bjones@ebay.com

Newsletters 

How would you like $2500.00 for doing a few minutes work?

Well, this month it’s possible with the eBay Stores $2,500 Feature Passport Sweepstakes. Ebay is automatically entering all store owners who put out a newsletter this month.

To qualify for the sweepstakes, simply use the Email Marketing feature between March 1 and March 31, 2007. Doing so will automatically enter you into the sweepstakes. At the end of the month, one Grand Prize winner will be randomly selected to receive the $2,500 cash prize.

With that in mind, I thought I’d share this great article I read about Newsletter titles.

Ask a question — One of the best ways to get a reader's attention is to ask a question. But—like a trial lawyer questioning a witness on the stand—make sure you get the response you are looking for. "What's the best way to grow your business?" is a great subject line for business owners. After all, what business owner wouldn't want to grow his or her business? Or let's say you run a health club. An email with the subject line, "How can you lose 5 pounds in one month?" would certainly be compelling. It's important that your question be relevant to your audience.

Be a tease — A clever subject line can be enticing. When it's done right, reader curiosity is piqued. They want to know more—and they open your email. Writing a "teaser" style subject line requires some creativity, and the content needs to deliver on the teaser. A company that sells high-definition televisions could use the subject line, "You're not going to believe your eyes" as a teaser to introduce a new addition to their product line.

Tell it like it is — Often, what works best is to say exactly what you want your reader to know. Examples of this straightforward approach are, "Sale on all sweaters this weekend," "Master jazz pianist plays live this Friday" and "The seven secrets of a profitable business." This "just the facts" approach works especially well when you can appeal directly to your audience's interests. It also is the best approach to use when you send a newsletter.

Remember "WIIFM" — When a person gets your email, the first thing they consider is "what's in it for me?" (WIIFM). They have a decision to make. Do they open your email, leave it for later, or delete it? If there isn't something about the subject line that lets them know why it's worth their precious time to see what's inside, then the choice will be clear. Delete. Keep WIIFM in mind when creating every aspect of your emails, including the offer, content, images—and most definitely the subject line. It's all about them. They know that. Just make sure you know it too!

Get personal — The more you can make each contact feel that you are speaking directly to them, the more effective your communication will be. Whatever style of subject line you use, you can make it personal by using the word "you." Professional copywriters know the secret of using this powerful little word. Look around at advertisements, mail, and email you receive, and you will see it's true. Incorporate this copywriting secret when you write your subject lines and you'll understand why the pros do it—it gets results. A few examples are "Find the right swimsuit for you," "You can save 50% on travel" and "You'd look phenomenal in a custom-tailored suit." (Note: "you" is ideal, but "your" works too!)

Not sure which approach is right for you? Try them all, then show a friend or colleague to get their feedback. Pick the one you believe will be most effective for your audience. Whichever approach you choose, it's always worth spending the time and effort required to write a great subject line. Because if your readers don't open your email, they'll never have the chance to read the important message you've created for them inside!

Tips From Rina Varon

Several people at the last Success Meeting mentioned that they needed a bookkeeper. Rina passed along this information about the from the WIN Group.

A member of Janelle's WIN women's entrepreneurship group, Harriet recently inaugurated a new business that specializes in providing bookkeeping and financial services for eBay sellers.

Harriet Doohan is a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, an eBay PowerSeller, and has over ten years experience in both bookkeeping and accounting.

Some of the services that she offers include, but are not limited to:

Setting up company information on QuickBooks

Providing monthly, quarterly, or yearly bookkeeping for sellers already setup on QuickBooks who are too busy to do their own bookkeeping

Organizing sellers receipts and transactions even if they are still in a box or on the floor

Providing financial statements, such as profit and loss, for sellers who do not have QuickBooks software

Providing an organized bookkeeping filing system

She can be reached at the following E-mail address: hmms-ent@comcast.net

Links & Resources

eBay Photography Class March 29th – 6:00PM –8:00PM

$24.00

To sign up: via web: http://rentonnet.org/cybersignup
or call: (425) 430-6729
class #7330 - Title: eBay & Internet Photography

Check out the calendar at www.calendarwiz.com/ccdwbc

101 Gift, Garden and Home wholesale sources for those who can’t make the Seattle Gift Show. www.clovercitysells.com/101.htm

Janelle’s Store Success Video – Be part of the 1% who set up their store right!

http://www.storessuccessvideo.com/clovercity

http://clovercitysells.blogspot.com

http://tinyurl.com/ybemr9

FREE Keywood Suggestion tool.

Wordtracker is now offering keyword suggestions for free. This is a great way to find keywords for your titles. Simply type in the name of the item you are selling and wordtracker will bring back results of the most popular search terms related to that word or item.