LEARN - Table of Contents > Path 5: Media Mavens > Course 1: Facebook Game Plan > Lesson 10: Online Sales Basics
Not only are virtual events an amazing way to connect people with Chalk Couture™ online, they also provide quick and simple ways to sell products without having to invest in inventory. Many of our most successful Designers run their Designerships without carrying inventory at all. Below lists a few tips on how to turn a profit with minimal investment.
You Sell What You Show
When you go live on your business page or in your VIP group do so WITH THE INTENTION OF SELLING the items you are demonstrating.
• Always post photos and offer demonstrations using current products, available the same day on your Chalk Site.
• Rather than invest in just the Transfers you personally like, order a wide variety of products so that you have a wide variety of projects to make and share online.
• Always demonstrate multiple ways to use the Club Couture™ Transfer each month."
Cater To Your Customers
• Demo projects using top-selling Transfers, paste colors, and surfaces. Rather than showcasing a niche Transfer you personally love, show off an evergreen design that would work well in most homes.
• The majority of your product demonstrations should be projects that are affordable for the majority of people. It’s great to show high-expense, inspirational pieces on occasion, but make sure the majority of your projects fit a modest household budget.
• Demo “one and done” designs that are simple and that novice chalkers will have success re-creating. Again, it’s awesome to showcase projects with multiple layers and with multiple colors to illustrate the versatility of Chalk Couture, but recognize that most people need to start simple. Share projects you know the masses can make and will love.
Selling Without Inventory—Two Ways To Win
Option One: Send Customers to Your Chalk Site
The easiest way to sell products without purchasing inventory to have on hand is to refer your customers to your Chalk Site. When ordering online, your customers can take advantage of flat-rate shipping and receive their orders quickly. With this option, you earn a 25% deferred commission (paid on the 15th of the month following the sale) on all your Chalk Site orders, and you never have to worry about having to sell on-hand items that are less popular or having to ship orders.
Tips to Keep in Mind
• Make sure to share your Chalk Site URL often. Include it in your live video title and/or description, in the comments of a video or post, in private messages to customers, etc.
• To simplify the ordering process, create a CartLink in your Designer Office by adding to your cart all of the items needed and clicking “Create Chalk Site link” on the My Cart page. Post the link or send it directly to your customers.
Option Two: Place Inventory Orders After Customers Pay Invoices
If you prefer to include a personal note with each order, or have offered a freebie or other customer promotion that needs to be added to an order, you may choose to place inventory orders in your Designer Back Office after all customer invoices are paid. This option means you order only product that customers have already paid for, but it also requires you to determine shipping charges and then to package and mail individual orders. It also adds several days to the turn-around time, so your customers receive their packages a little later than they would by ordering directly from your Chalk Site.
You earn a 40% instant commission when you fulfill customer orders this way, but keep in mind the cost of your additional hands-on time to process orders.
Tips to Keep in Mind
• Customer service is key! Make sure to communicate when you will actually place customer orders and the approximate time they’ll receive them.
• Our most successful Designers selling this way typically place at least two inventory orders per week. This allows them to make sure they are getting products into their customer’s hands ASAP.
• When processing each order, take into consideration the costs of shipping materials, gas, vehicle wear and tear, and your time. You can choose to include a nominal “handling” fee to your orders to cover these expenses, though most Designers do not. The 40% instant commission you earn from inventory orders was designed to help cover similar costs of doing business.
Click here to continue to Lesson 11: How to Ship Orders From Home