The Savvy Seller Hits NYC!

While in New York City the past few days, I got a chance to get out from behind my computer and talk to 'real' people.

On Monday I met with 3 other eBay Certified Business Consultants - Marcia Cooper of ClickTixHub.com, Jennifer Stevens of Brooklyn Books and Wendy Siegel of WebWendy (left to right in photo).

This was an interesting get-together as there are only 28 eBay Certified Business Consultants in the world. We all met at noon for what I thought would be a fun lunch. What time did our lunch end?? 5:00PM!!

On Tuesday, at the Search Engine Strategies Conference, I saw Marcia Cooper again and had the pleasure of meeting Ina Steiner of AuctionBytes, Jake Becker of WatchCount.com and Phillip Davies, President of TIAS & BigNews.Biz.

(in photo above, L to R: Marlene Gavens aka The Savvy Seller, Jake Becker, Marcia Cooper & Ina Steiner)

Some of the other highlights of my day at SES included a private training with one of the Facebook staff on using FB for business and another training with some of the staff from Google on using Analytics.

Wish you all could have been there too!

A Stellar Seller w/ Good Buys All The Time

Last week during our Tips From the Top podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Maryann Lowden - an Education Specialist Trained by eBay, Silver level PowerSeller and experienced Trading Assistant.

Maryann is an enthusiastic eBay seller and her eBay sales have increased this past year - something quite notable during this economic downturn.

In addition, Maryann was just named one of eBay's Stellar Sellers.

I hope you'll take a few minutes and listen to this podcast & learn how Maryann achieved success, maintains a positive outlook and approaches customer service.

You can find Maryann on eBay under her ID 'onecrazyredhead', in her eBay Store, Good Buys All the Time or follow her on Twitter (http://twitter.com/crazy4ebay).

The 'LADY' Invites You To Attend

Please join me (the Lady) as I team up with '3 Jerks' (very intelligent ones, I might add) to discuss all things 'internet.'

You are Invited To:
'When Egos Fly: 3 Jerks and A Lady'

When:
Today, Thu Mar 19 at 2:00pm EDT

Where:
http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/30067

If you have an online business or are thinking of starting one, you won't want to miss this! Valuable information presented in a very unique format!

Join me The Savvy Seller (Marlene Gavens), AuctionWally (Walt Kolenda), colderICE (John Lawson) and eBayandBeyond (Dave White) for this one-of-a-kind event!

When Egos Fly: 3 Jerks And A Lady

Question:
What happens when 4 podcasters with 4 diverse backgrounds collaborate?

Answer:
When Egos Fly: 3 Jerks And A Lady!

Join Dave White (eBay & Beyond: Basics To Business), John Lawson (colderICE), Walt Kolenda (AuctionWally) and yours truly (TheSavvySeller) as we join forces to bring you the latest and greatest info on 4 'HOT' internet/ecommerce topics.

You are invited to join us for this one-of-a-kind, information-packed program on Thursday, March 19 at 2:00PM EST / 11:00AM PST.

So, who are we?

Dave White is a veteran of ecommerce with a full-time online business since 1998. He has been an eBay University instructor, eBay Education Specialist, PowerSeller and internet marketing consultant. In his work Dave saw a need to provide internet marketers with the truthful information they would need to be successful and so he created eBay & Beyond: Basics To Business radio in February 2007. 'ebay & Beyond' has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Small Biz Podcasts for 2009.

John Lawson is Founder and CEO of the online urban clothing store 3rd Power Outlet and author of the business blog colderICE.com. With Lawson at the helm, over the last 7 years 3rdPowerOutlet.com has grown to the point where the company ships over 100 packages a day and consists of a successful eBay store, online store and blog.

Walt Kolenda, aka AuctionWally, has been in the antiques and auction business since 1983. He became a licensed auctioneer in 1995 and does live auctions, appraisal days and charity events. You can find him at AuctionWally.com or hosting one of his two online radio shows, The AuctionWally Show and Brainstorming Bonanzle.

Marlene Gavens, aka 'The Savvy Seller', is a social media/internet marketing strategist and eBay Certified Business Consultant (one of only 30 world-wide). In addition to podcasting, blogging & teaching the 'official' eBay classes, Marlene develops internet marketing programs for both online & offline (brick & mortar) businesses.

Be sure to Mark Your Calendars and join us on Thursday, March 19th (2pm EST) for this unique event: When Egos Fly: 3 Jerks And A Lady!

Come participate in the conversation! If you have comments or questions, be sure to register with Talkshoe (http://www.talkshoe.com/) and meet us in the Chat Room. *You are welcome to listen in as a 'guest' however questions will be taken only from those who have signed up with TalkShoe and have a user name.

What's Your Choice? Duck or Eagle?

What follows is not an original post. I received it in an email from a friend so I'm sure it's been around the internet a few times at least.

I'm posting it because the message is excellent and I hope you'll take a minute to read it.

No one can make you serve customers well.
That's because great service is a choice.

Harvey Mackay (speaker & author), tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point.

He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey. He handed my friend a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.'

Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said: Wally's Mission Statement:
To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.

This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!

As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.' My friend said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.' Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.'

Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.' Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.'

As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.'
And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him.

Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.

'Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?'

Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day.

He had just written a book called "You'll See It When You Believe It." Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, "Stop complaining! Dfferentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.''

'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'

'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.

'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'

Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it.

Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.

Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.

Stay Tuned For News!

Details Coming Soon -

Mark Your Calendars!

Thursday, March 19th 2:00PM EST

Organizing Chaos, Terapeak News & The Importance of Video

Mark Your Calendars!

TODAY! Wednesday 3/11/09 at 11:00am EST/8am PST

Driving Traffic with Video

Join Jamie Parkins, COO of Vzaar, as he talks about the increasing importance of using video to drive traffic, improve search results & create trust for your online listings.

To listen to this live podcast, click on 'Tips From the Top' at 11am EST/8am PST. Chat Room will be open for your questions.

Sponsored by The Savvy Seller.

Tuesday 3/17/09 at Noon pst/3pm est

Research with Terapeak - TOP SECRET

Denise, our favorite researcher from Canada is back with another sneak peak at a brand new...well, we don't know - it's TOP SECRET!! However, knowing Terapeak it will be amazing! Come check out what this can do for your business and it's profits!

Save your spot by going to: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/536301324 Sponsored by OSI Rock Stars.

Thursday 3/19/09, at Noon pst/3pm est

Organizing Your World with Sylvia of 'Tame the Chaos'

Sylvia is the 'master' of organizational skills! Tune in to find out how she can create order in your world too!

Learn how at: http://ask-the-entrepreneurs.com/ Sponsored by OSI Rock Stars.

Driving Traffic & Engaging Viewers With Video & Vzaar!

This past January, Nate Elliot at Forrester published a blog post called 'The Easiest Way to a First-Page Ranking on Google.'

In the article, he gave details of an experiment he conducted which concluded that videos stand a much better chance of being shown on the first page of Google's 'Blended' search results than text only pages.

So, how do you add video to your listings if you sell on your own website or on another eCommerce platform?

You could upload them to a site such as YouTube, Vimeo or Viddler - but then your buyer would be taken off your site to view it. Sites like YouTube direct people to view other videos once they've seen yours - so your buyer may not make it back to your listing!

Videos have been shown to engage viewers, keeping them in your listing longer. More time on your site increases conversion rates resulting in more sales. Wouldn't it be amazing if you could easily add video to your listings that show up well in search and keep your buyers right there?

Vzaar is a service that allows businesses to upload videos to your own website or eBay listings in 3 easy steps. They offer an easy-to-use video streaming and hosting service that was designed for eCommerce. Besides offering a free package, Vzaar redirects the video to your site/listing, keeping the buyer on your turf.

Join The Savvy Seller's 'Tips From the Top' podcast tomorrow, Tue Mar 10 at 11:00am EST, when our guest will be Jamie Parkins, Vzaar's COO of Business Development & Marketing, as he discusses video's role in driving traffic, engaging customers and inspiring trust as well as all the great features of Vzaar.

Our Chat Room will be open during the call and we invite you join us there and write in your questions.

Squidoo 101: How To Squidoo

Have you heard about Squidoo but don't know what it is? Know what it is but not sure how to 'do' it?

Come join Lens Master and Giant Squid Stephanie Daugherty of Katiyana's Collectibles for this multi-part, 'Tips From the Top' podcast series and learn everything you need to know!

Stephanie has created over 200 lenses from scratch and knows Squidoo inside and out. She also makes money from her lenses and she'll show you how you can too.

Part I is today (Fri 3/6) at 7:00pm EST (4:00pm PST).

Stephanie will cover:

• What is Squidoo?
• How does Squidoo work?
• 4 ways to Make Money with Squidoo
• Examples of Money-Making Lenses
• Squidoo Short-Cuts
• How To Use Squidoo In Your Business

Mark Your Calendar:

At 7:00pm EST (4:00pm PST) you can listen 'Live' to this Squidoo podcast training by going to 'Tips From the Top' and clicking on the purple 'Join In' button.

We also invite you to participate in the Chat Room conversation and write in your questions for Stephanie.

See you later!

Tips on Using Facebook, MySpace & LinkedIn for Your Business

Yesterday I had the pleasure of interviewing Kelsey Foster of My Savvy Space on a 'Tips From the Top' podcast.

The topic was 'How To Use Social Networking Sites To Promote Your Business.'

Kelsey started by addressing a problem that many of us have - feeling pressured to be on all the sites and not having enough time. She explained how to determine which sites we should be on as well as why & how to best utilize social networks.

Along with many helpful tips and Best Practices, Kelsey provided step-by-step instructions on how to set up a business page on Facebook. A business page is a great way to keep your personal & business profiles separate on Facebook.

You can listen to the full podcast interview by clicking the green button below:

Bonanzle, Squidoo, Social Media + 3 Jerks & A Lady

Mark Your Calendars!

Join us for this week's 'Tips From the Top' podcasts brought to you by The Savvy Seller.

Tuesday Mar 3 - 4:00pm EST

Mark Dorsey from Bonanzle
Join Mark Dorsey, Chief Raconteur of Bonanzle as we discuss all things Bonanzle!

Wednesday Mar 4 - 2:00pm EST

Kelsey Foster of My Savvy Space
Join Kelsey Foster, social media expert, as she gives us concrete examples of how businesses are successfully using sites such as Facebook, My Space & Twitter.

Friday Mar 6 - 7:00pm EST

Squidoo 101 - How To Squidoo
Learn 'How To Squidoo' in this multi-part training with Stephanie Daugherty, a lens master & Giant Squid. Stephanie has created over 200 Squidoo lenses from scratch and knows the topic inside and out. You'll learn the basic how-to's in Part I then go on to find out insider tips & tools as well as how to make money from your lenses in Parts II & III.

Thursday March 19 - 2:00pm EST

When Egos Fly: 3 Jerks and A Lady
Stay tuned for details on this one-time-only event!

To listen to these podcasts, click 'Tips From the Top' at the designated times. You are welcome to sign in to join us in the Chat Room where you can participate in the conversation and ask your questions.

How To Use Twitter & Facebook in Your Business

Last week, our 'Tips From the Top' podcast guest was Rich Brooks, President of flyte new media. The topic of our call was 'How To Use Twitter & Facebook in Your Business' and Rich gave us some amazing insights and tips.

Here is a bit of the information we covered:

• why use social media sites
• the importance of having a strategy if you use social media for your business
• how to determine which social networking platforms are best for you
• how to use Twitter research to establish yourself as an expert
• the 1st thing to do when you sign up for Twitter
• how to use a Facebook Fan page for your business
• suggestions for eCommerce sellers on how to use Facebook
• the 80/20 rule for tweets
• attracting business vs chasing business
• how to get people to follow you on Twitter
• the best book on Social Media

You can listen to entire podcast by clicking this button:

To see the notes from the Chat Room, go to Chat Grabber and type in 19245.