Month: March 2012

(Continued from Part 2)

4- Be the First to Arrive at Every Event

Make sure you log into your online party ahead of schedule. You will then be able to make sure everything is working and you can chat with the early birds until everyone gets there.  If possible, have a helper online who can assist in managing the technology, such as the webinar presentation you will be giving about the different lines. Have a list of FAQs at the ready as well so that you do not need to lose focus or waste time and can spend time having fun and getting to know your participants.

5-Be Professional at All Times.
These events can be really fun, but never forget that you are WORKING, and that direct sales is a multi-BILLION dollar global business. You will want to act in a professional and honest manner at all times and not say or do anything inappropriate online that could come back to haunt you. Remember that what you might think is a joke or a harmless phrase can be misunderstood online, or by people who do not speak English as their first language.

Remember also that any sales you make will need to be mailed out to the recipients, so be far but firm in your insistence that participants and winners need to be from your own home country. In this way, you will avoid any issues with postage and above all customs and excise. If you know any Canadian or Mexican direct sales reps, then perhaps you can reciprocate on orders being fulfilled, but this can get complicated in terms of payments and collections, so it is probably best to simply refer them directly to those sales reps and their online shopping carts.  If they do the same for you, then everyone wins.
6-Finishing Up
Make sure to finish the party on time. As you are playing the last game and then wrapping up, ask if there are any questions. Make sure people know how to place orders online through your website or company link, and any great bonuses they will get for having attended and placing an online order.
You might want to give them a fast-acting bonus incentive such as a free X, valued at Y, if they place their order within the next 2 hours, and so on.

Also, don’t forget to tell them to pencil in the date for your next live event, and to invite their friends. Let them know that the prizes and game will be even bigger next time, with more chances to win.
(Continued in Part 4)

(Continued from Part 1)
3-Prepare Well Prior to the Event

Good preparation is key for any event, but really knowing your inventory and product lines are essential for a successful show. You will want to make sure that you have everything ready to go before the party.

Important items will include your product pictures, promotional materials and links to buy. You will also want to have activities for attendees that will enable them to participate and win prizes.

What can you do online in a chat room? You can play guessing games, or you can have a raffle and give away prizes. One fun game is to have people hunt for an object in the online product catalog. Give hints, and the first person to find the object wins that prize.

Since this is an online event, you will have to be prepared to mail out any winning items, so be sure that the things you plan to give away are light-weight and can be packaged easily with little concern for breakage or damage.  Have supplies on hand for these mailings, including inexpensive cushioned envelopes, or the free Priority Mail flat rate envelopes and boxes. Have return address items printed up with your contact information and URL of your online direct sales storefront.

You might also consider creating handy sheets like make-up tips for women with various complexions, how to create certain eye make-up looks for various occasions (smoky eye, day time eye make-up, and so on) and perhaps a list of your top 10 bestsellers, with details, so they do not have to hunt so much online.  Any chance you get to be in someone’s mailbox inexpensively is a great offline opportunity. Also encourage them to pass along the information to their friends (be sure your URL and contact info is on everything you send out) and to invite them to come to your next online event.

We recommend you schedule one per month for three months in a row to get people excited and also enable anyone who misses one to have a follow up chance to attend another one. Announce the second one at the end of the first event, and so on. One sales event is great, but continuity, that is, regular customers buying each month, will be crucial for creating a steady income from your direct sales business.
(Continued in Part 3)

Online direct sales parties are growing in popularity. Direct sales professionals love them because they don’t have to leave home to make money. Customers love them because they are fun, and everyone loves shopping online.

If you have never considered marketing your online sales business in this way before, there are a few things you will want to do to ensure your online direct sales party is a success.

Here are a few suggestions:

1-Plan It just Like a Party

Impromptu parties rarely work. That’s true online and off. In order for your online direct sales party to work well and create a successful sales opportunity, you need to plan it in a similar manner to any other direct sales party you would hold in the real world. There are essential for both that you need to remind yourself of. These include:
* Making a list of the people you want to attend.
* Choosing a date and time  that works well for everyone (remember the different time zones in the United States and aim for a time that suits everyone.
* Send the invitations through a variety of means, including social networking.
2-Decide where to hold the virtual party.
Instead of someone’s living room, you have a variety of virtual rooms to choose from. These can include a chat room or webinar meeting site. You can also host it on a social networking site. Skype is fun if everyone has Skype but it can also be a bit chaotic. You want to be able to showcase your products, have a little fun and socialize online all at the same time. The more visual the presentation of your products, the better.
(Continued in Part 2)