Black Friday is TODAY! – and you may also be offering some additional holiday specials in December.
Are you utilizing the hottest leads that you have, that are almost guaranteed to purchase your products this season?
If you follow what I teach in my VIP Group class, then your group members will either be:
- Past customers who have already purchased from you and plan on purchasing again
- New leads who are extremely interested in what you have to offer
This makes your VIP Group members your perfect audience to share your holiday specials with. They are your exact target market, they have bought into what you share and post, and they believe your products truly fulfill their needs.
So how do you make sure you capture sales this season and not lose your customers to a competitor?
Follow this holiday VIP Group checklist so you don’t miss a beat!
- Announce it to your VIP’s First.
They’re called our VIPs for a reason, so we want to make sure that we make them feel extra special. Every time you have a special, it’s imperative that you release your specials there first. That way your customers will feel like they have first-dibs on all of the amazing deals and packages you are offering this season.
Announcing it there first will also help you attract new members to your group. Be sure to post on your Facebook Business Page and personal page that you will be releasing your Black Friday Specials and Holiday Specials in your VIP Group. And if they don’t want to miss out, you suggest they get in there fast! (Remember, we NEVER add people into our VIP Groups. We invite them to join on their own).
- Decorate your VIP Group with your specials. Your cover photo and photo albums are an excellent space for additional marketing. Be sure to create a cover photo highlighting your sales, as well as a photo album of each individual product. If your company runs out of a special or package, be sure to go to the album and indicate “SOLD OUT” on it. Don’t take it down! Show your customers that if they want your product, they’re going to have to act fast.
- Go live. The easiest and quickest way to get your customers’ attention? Go Live in your VIP Group! Your face popping up live in their newsfeed will get their attention more than a post. Plus, Facebook is pushing and highlighting video more than ever before. Keep your video short and to the point. Let them know that you have some amazing specials this season for them and for the people on their guest list.
- Host a Facebook Party. A great way to ensure more participation is by hosting a Facebook Party with your group. Let them know you will be releasing your specials at a particular time and they will want to join the party (in an event or right in your group page) to find out more. Giving them a specific date and time will make sure your customers are ready and excited to hear about your deals. However, you will want to keep this party short and sweet!
- Focus on the immediacy of the sales.
In almost every other case, I would tell you to sell the benefits of your products. But during a sale, it’s okay to focus on the deal and how it’s only available for a limited time. If your sale is a good one, focus on the amazing discount they receive. If your sale is OK, but you are offering a limited addition product, focus on the fact that they will never get to take advantage of that collection or product ever again!
Reminding them that they only have a set time to purchase will create urgency and excitement. Be sure to follow-up with them multiple times so they don’t miss the sale! If you frame this from I “I don’t want YOU to miss out” instead of “I don’t want to miss out on this commission” your customers will appreciate you for reminding them.
- Provide excellent follow-up.
Is a customer’s favourite product going out of season or on sale? Be sure to let them know! You can say something like,
“Susan! I just had to call you today to let you know that such and such product is going on sale this month! I want to make sure you’re able to stock up at this price point, I know this is product is one of your favorites. And because it’s on sale, I can’t guarantee it won’t sell out! And I would never want you to go without. How many should I put you down for?”
- Be consistent.
Do you know who else is marketing their specials and sales? Your neighbour. Their cousin. Their grandma. Their cat. Every retailer, direct seller and company that you know. That means your customers are being inundated with sales. So if they aren’t purchasing from you, don’t take it personally. It probably means they’ve missed your message or posts among the hundreds (if not thousands) of others. This is why it’s important to be consistent and follow-up more than once (Don’t get stalker level though!).
Like I mentioned before, if every time you follow-up you follow-up from a place of excitement and concern that you don’t want them to miss out, they will thank you for your attention and care!
So be consistent! You can’t post your specials once in your group and expect the orders to be rolling in overnight. Be consistent with your messaging and hit the ground running, following up with every person in your group!
*Tip: I know it takes more time, but spread out your FB messages and DON’T copy and paste. Doing anything too fast or using the same language/images is a sure way to land up in Facebook Jail! Utilizing multiple means of communication (like phone, text, e-mail, fax and carrier pigeon – okay maybe forget fax and carrier pigeon) is a great way to avoid this problem.
Have any other tips for getting the word out there about your holiday specials? Share them with us!
Lindsay Tompkins
Social Media Trainer with Direct Selling Now Plus