Online Events-Tips in Tricks

If you are entering the world of online sales you are bound to run into 'online events' on Facebook if not other social media platforms.

They are set up and run in various different ways, some claim to pay for advertising of the event, others are free.

The main idea for anyone in sales it to MAKE sales, however you should NOT go into an online event EXPECTING sales.. you will be disappointed. Sales do not come easy, no matter where they come from and especially when you are first starting out . 

As a 'sales person' you will have to realize there are often many steps to gaining a new and loyal customer or sale. Online and Offline events CAN help further your goals when 'worked' appropriately. For example, you will have more success as a vendor who talks with passerby's then one who sits flipping through a magazine while people walk past. 

 In this guide we are going to focus on what you can do as a vendor to attract more people to you and help the event you are participating in be successful, making sure you leave the event with a feeling of accomplishment rather than disappointment. WFHC sponsored events are different than most others you will come across currently but these tips can be applied to most any online event. 

The event guest list

 

 All Facebook events have this little treat in them. The GUEST LIST.

 When you click on the links you can see each person "going, interested or invited" and you are able to connect with them. If you run through the lists sending friend requests or 'buy my stuff / join my team' messages, you are going to go out of business fast. You want to use these links to build your 'support network'. The network of people who will WANT to support you, share your posts, stop to chat and purchase when ever they have the extra bucks. All because they LIKE you more than the product ;) (or at least just as much)

You can find people you have things in common with by taking a quick look at their profile. If you think you can make a connection with this person, simply send them a message telling them you saw them in the event or accidentally clicked on their profile but saw you had abcd in common and wanted to connect. Building your network and 'contacts' is a vital part of growing your business. Consider new contacts a 'successful' occurrence in the event.

Don't be the 'sales guy / gal' 

 

How does it feel when you walk into a store and the sales person is following you around asking you how they can help you ? Or maybe just staring at you from across an isle the entire time you look around, immediately running over when you hover more than 10 seconds at an item?
  As a sales person yourself, you understand. As a buyer, you are put off. You develop a dislike for the PERSON because of their behavior. The behavior that said, "I don't really care about you as a person or what brought you here today. All I really care about is getting that next sale, that next dollar".

If it is me in this scenario, I simply move on to the next store, to be honest! So the first thing you need to do is 'build people'. (It's those connections, those 'people who will build your business).  Be a likable person, reach out and interact with the other vendors in the event as well as people 'liking' your ads.Try to build a conversation and relationship. People will then ASK YOU what you do or what you sell and THEY WILL CARE!

Let shoppers and lookers know who you are.

 

In a online event it is important to get your personality out there even more than your product. The best way to this is by interacting with other posts and vendors in the event. And think about this for a minute, if you are a shopper, coming into a event like this for the first time, knowing noone or a couple of people.. are you going to feel comfortable purchasing
from this person? Who has 0 interaction on her ad...

            Or this person who seems to have other people interested as well? Who has a bit of their personality on display for you...? 

Facebook likes you to interact too!

It's not just for looks either! Facebook decides what people find important by how much interaction is happening and where. Simply put, the more interaction in a event or on a post, the more of your 'friends' news feeds it will reach! So in short, remember to leave 'reply's' under the comments of the other vendors items and ads. Remember, in our events this is not a competition but a friendly 'mall or flea market' atmosphere where we all support and help each other. This will lead to shopper 'trust' and more sales. 

Be sure to be interesting and helpful as well as pitch your products. Post things that you would use or find interesting to your everyday life, things others might share. Use these events to build your connections and your sales will grow as well. A successful event might not always hold a sale, but it SHOULD hold new connections that will ultimately lead to sales. 

There are no magic steps to success, no over night riches. Only a long, hard, satisfying road of YOUR hard work paying off for YOU and YOUR family, not someone else.. If you do things the right way, if you don't have to learn the hard way, the long way.. You can become successful faster...

Be a remembered vendor in any event you attend ;) If you visit the event, leave your link, click like on a post or two, and maybe leave a one word comment.. you are probably NOT going to fair very well. Online work is HARDER than in person work in most cases. This is due to the amount of time required to really get your name or ad circulating on the internet. Time will be your biggest investment in your new business. 

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EXTRA TIP
For WFHC sponsored events, we normally have a 'early bird' drawing in which we do not allow vendors to participate.. This means every single person participating in that thread is a potential contact for YOU, the vendor. Reply to their comment, thank them for coming to the event, ask them if there is anything you can help them with. Try to gain that 'foot' into what makes you like them...... connect..