How to Make Money In Bad Winter Weather

This past weekend was the first of what I am sure will be many cancellations of events and parties during the rough winter months.  I am working on a plan to keep my business consistent while I (and my customers) are snuggled warm at home.  Last winter, I was able to hit my goal as was my team with some planning – I always have a plan B….

Here are some tips to help you keep your sales up during those cold winter months…

1.Flash Sale Fridays (or any day)

Pick a product or a bundle of products and offer them at a discount for a 24-hour period only.  Let your customers know by sharing the products LIVE on Facebook or via an email or even in a text message.  Encourage them to share the flash sale with friends – the more the merrier.  If it isn’t in your budget to offer your own discount, utilize the specials offered by your company by creating bundles  for your customers.  By creating a sense of urgency (today only) you can encourage people to shop.

2. Facebook LIVE parties

Facebook LIVE is a great way to demonstrate products, do drawings, and have fun. By letting your customers see you LIVE, then establish a connection with you, see your personality shine.  Encourage attendees to share the video with friends.  Ask simple questions like where do you live so everyone checks in.  Acknowledge those who check in with a greeting or comment.  The more interaction, the more people will see it on their Facebook newsfeed.  The end result is to take orders by sharing solutions to their every day problems with your products.

3. Show on the Go parties

Pack up some samples of your products, catalogs and share them with 6 of your friends. Encourage each of them to collect $100 in orders.  Give it a fun name and split the hostess benefits between them.  Chances are they will collect more than $100 in sales.

4. If it’s just a flurry

Have a flurry sale offering, get rid of retiring prints and products or excess inventory – we in direct sales always have excess inventory.  Have a home party, offer a discount or special gift if the party holds and guests attend or order.

5. Hold a Mystery Host party

Text, email, phone or facebook message past/ current customers for orders.  Anyone who places an order will be entered in a drawing to win ALL of the hostess benefits.  The more orders, the more benefits.

Be sure to OVERBOOK your calendar in the winter months.  One date is the party date and the second date is fa snow date, just in case the original date needs to get postponed due to weather. If a home party is cancelled, switch it to a ZOOM or Facebook LIVE party. You were scheduled to work, so work your business.

Another fun idea to get people out to a wintery party is to offer a fun theme party with a summer or tropical theme… all the way down to the dress and snacks. It’s a fun way to bring hope the winter will soon be over and allows everyone to dream a little.

What is your best tip for keeping your business consistent during the winter?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Quick Tips for Selling

I am super pumped!!!  The new Fall Thirty One catalog is AMAZING!  I leave for National Conference in 6 days!  In the meantime, there is still time left in July – you know, the dreaded “J” month to be a selling ROCKSTAR…

Here are a few tips to help you in ending the month of July strong…..

1. PRETTY SELLS.

If you are in direct sales, you probably have a website from the company.  Maybe they supply you with awesome graphics which is great.  BUT we all want to stand out in the crowd right?  We are on Social Media, pushing products or a service with our own pictures.  Isn’t it how we will stand out.  Well guess what, if it doesn’t look nice, people won’t buy it.  Showing how a product can be used is one thing.  Staging a product to draw attention to it, or to entice some one to buy is totally different.  Pretty is in the eye of the beholder but regardless of your style, it needs to look polished and well put together. I will be honest, I am not the best at this but I don’t give up and neither should you.

2. KEEP IT SUPER SIMPLE.

A long time ago, someone told me if “it takes more than 3 clicks to buy something, people won’t buy it”.  So going on the same premise, if I have to go on a scavenger hunt to find what I want to buy, it ain’t going to happen.  The majority of the world is impulse shoppers, so you need to meet their need to shop.

When you post a picture (remember the pretty picture?), it should include a link to your website or where the person can buy it.  Better yet, when someone clicks on the picture, it should take them to the exact spot they can place an order.

3. LEVERAGE YOUR TRIBE.

Whatever you call your peeps, look at them as ambassadors. People expect us to rave about our products, why not encourage others to rave about them.  Testimonials are great but who will take the time to read them.  Why not ask your customers to… Share their pics on IG or Facebook using your products, have them tag you when they share it and create a specific hashtag so you can track them.  I have my customers using #hopespursecloset

4. FLASH SALES!

People love sales and when there is a time limit, they are more apt to act quickly.  Who doesn’t love a good sale, right?

Examples include:

• New Moon / Full Moon sales – lasting 24 hours only
• Business birthday or Anniversary (did you launch your site on a specific day?)
• Bored at Work sale – runs from 12-2pm ONLY.
• BOGO sales – who doesn’t love a good bundle?!
• Free Shipping Fridays

Vacation Veronica tends to pay a visit at the end of June and seems to stay right through August.  Then September hits and we find ourselves with no parties on the calendar and starting our business all over.  Why not do something different?

We may be halfway through summer break but there is still time to revive your business.  While you are sitting at the beach, or lounging by the pool, spend some time looking at your vices (bad business habits) and identify how you can transform them into strengths which result in sales or leads.

What are you going to do to transform your business before the end of the summer?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

 

FLASH Sales AND BINGO

Happy Friday Everyone!  The theme this week has been alternate ways to have parties that are FUN and will increase your business.  Today, I am just going to give you some of the ideas that have worked for me in the last few months….

–  For many of us in the direct sales industry, we tend to “gather” a lot of extra product.  You know what I mean – the special that is too good to pass  up, the product you HAD to have to show everyone, retired product that was only used for display and the list goes on.  A relatively NEW way of clearing out product for me has been through a FLASH sale.  Basically, I set up a date and time on Facebook for the event and advertise to all of my customers.  During the week or so prior to the event, I gather all of the product that I want to sell.  I take pictures and figure out the best price that I can get for each item.  Typically, I offer discounts on retired products of 35 – 50%.  I mean what is the sense of holding on to product waiting for the right price.  On things that are still in the catalog but may have been on sale – I will offer the sale price or 25% off of the retail price.  Some would say that offering a discount on current product will hurt my current sales but I have not found that to be the case.  My next FLASH sale is on Saturday, September 7th at 7PM.  Stop by Hope’s Purse Closet on Facebook and ask to join this closed group.  Then join us for the fun.

  BINGO!  Saying that BINGO players are dedicated and focused is an understatement.  I started doing these types of party/events in my home for a small group of customers. Over the last year, the group has grown so much that I am teaming up with a member of my team to host one at the local fire house.  For $12 each person receives 6 BINGO boards and can purchase additional boards for $2 each.  They can play a maximum of 3 boards per game.  The money collected it offered back as gift certificates for the winners to shop with in the current Thirty One catalog.  In addition, guests are able to HOST a table guaranteeing that there will be at least 6 people in attendance.  As the host, any pre-orders are added to the orders placed at the event by the people at their table and the hostess gets ALL of the benefits related to her sales.  Light snacks are offered along with cash and carry to clear out some of the old/ new product that you may have on hand.  For those guests who are not part of a party, their names go into a drawing for mystery hostess benefits.  Everyone is a winner.  BINGO is being held on September 22nd from 2 – 5pm.  Contact me for more details or to reserve your space.

BE CREATIVE!  If you are struggling securing home parties, create an event based on YOUR target market.  Offer a coffee break party for moms after they send their kids off to school.  Host a Sunday football party for friends & family.  Women get to shop while the men get to watch football.  The limits are endless.  What are some of the ways that YOU will be uniquely partying this season?  I would love to hear from you.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!