Written by Brett Duncan. Brett specializes in helping direct selling companies evolve into modern social selling models while still maintaining the culture and essence of who they are and what makes them different. He is co-founder and managing partner of Strategic Choice Partners, a business development firm that helps direct selling companies take their next steps.
The Direct Selling Do’s and Don’ts for a Successful Holiday Offer
Happy Holidays, everybody!
What, you’re not in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season? Well, maybe you should be.
Like it or not, the holidays are just around the corner. While I’m some of you have already completely mapped out your promos and specials for Black Friday and beyond, my guess is that many of you haven’t. At least not completely. So, let me the first to encourage to GET WITH IT! 😉
In all seriousness, your promotional planning for November and December is crucial these days. Like it or not, the consumer expects EVERYONE to bring their best when it comes to holiday offers. This certainly doesn’t exclude direct selling companies.
So, I thought I’d pass along a few tips and best practices I’ve picked up along the way. I’m sure some of these ideas won’t resonate with you, and they’re in no way to be considered the “gospel on holiday offers.” As a matter of fact, I bet some of you do exactly the opposite in some cases, and it’s worked for you. If that’s the case, I hope you’ll drop a line in the comments and share what’s worked (and maybe even what hasn’t) for you in the past.
With that said, here’s a quick list of Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to holiday offers for direct selling companies.
First off, some prerequisite reading. Remember what the fundamental unit of success is in direct selling. Your holiday shopping offers are not exempt. And make sure you’re clear on your core compelling offer. It would be a shame to succeed with a holiday offer, only to fail in the potential long-term opportunities and brand-building that can occur.
DO NOT Forget What Your Customer Is Doing.
Pretty much starting November 1, the whole world is in deal-finding and shopping mode. There’s no escaping it. They are about to spend more than normal on all kinds of things they may not normally buy. You don’t have to talk them into spending money; you just need to convince them that spending it with you is a smart choice. So your holiday deal needs to do that without question.
DO NOT Waste the Customer’s Time.
Because of that, we can’t go to the trouble of promoting a weak holiday offer. Getting a shopper’s attention is already hard enough during this time; once you get it, don’t let them escape because you weren’t willing to give them the offer they couldn’t refuse.
A simple discount just won’t do. Get creative, and make sure what you’re offering is truly compelling. Otherwise, you’re just wasting everyone’s time.
DO Consider Creative Options.
Your holiday offers don’t have to just be about simple discounts. Get creative. Offer gifts with purchase, new bundles, launch exclusive limited-time offers, and more. Prompt some fresh thinking with some of these questions: “How could we make a killer offer without just offering a discount?” “What’s a new way we could position something for a fresh take?” “What’s hot right now that pertains to one of our products?”
DO NOT Wait for Black Friday to Launch Your Holiday Promos.
You’re probably way ahead of me on this, but people are expecting killer offers way before the last week of November these days. That’s especially important for direct selling companies. I suggest you consider launching November 1 and rolling all the way through Dec. 15 or so. Feel free to mix it up within that timeframe, but I’d make sure there are killer offers in place for that entire 6-7 week span.
DO Keep Pushing Through Mid-December.
Over the last three years, I’ve experienced with most companies that their first week of December sales have actually gained a bigger response to holiday offers than even last week of November. So don’t give up once November turns to December. Lean in and give it more gas.
DO NOT Set Your Distributor Up for Failure.
More than anything, do not create weak of confusing offers, not just for the Customer’s sake, but for your Distributor’s sake. It’s already hard enough for them to stand out in the midst of all the retail madness that’s happening. For most people, it only takes a few “no’s” to prompt them to give up on the whole thing. On the flip side, sometimes the excitement of some successful holiday selling is enough to fuel a young Distributor into more success in the first quarter of the next year and beyond.
Whatever you do, let your holiday offer be a tool that helps your Distributor’s have successful, productive conversations.
DO NOT Reduce Commissions.
Sometimes, we discount so much that we think we have to reduce commissions. I get it. I don’t like it, but I get it. However, do everything you can to make sure you’re still paying commissions out on the after-discount amounts, if at all possible. There’s nothing more deflating than hearing all about the great holiday sale but seeing nothing hit my bank account as part of it.
DO Assign Someone to Measure Success for your Holiday Campaign.
It blows my mind how many companies launch big holiday campaigns with no idea of what success actually should look like. Do whatever analysis is necessary upfront, and document what the norm would be, and what you expect the holiday campaign to produce. Make sure you’re clear on costs and discounts and impact to the bottom line. Then figure out exactly how you’re going to track progress on a daily basis over the entire campaign, assign someone to do it, and then go ahead and schedule the analysis of the program (probably first or second week of January). If you don’t make these plans upfront, it becomes way too easy to let them slide.
DO Consider the Follow-Up Impact of Your Promos.
Where most of us fail is in the follow-up. Which is ironic, given the importance we place on follow-up with our Distributors. BEFORE you launch your campaign, make sure you take into account the secondary impact of your holiday offer. If you’re driving trial of a product, what could the next 3-6 months look like for that product? If you’re attracting new Customers, what happens if 20% of them place another order in the next 3 months? Think through all of these more common and likely scenarios, and make sure that revenue and profit are considered in what you’re doing. Oftentimes, they can turn a marginal campaign into a strong success.
DO Make Sure a Three-Month Post-Purchase Campaign is in Place.
On that note, make sure you have something in place to follow-up with these people from the outset! Whether its marketing automation or just good ol’ fashioned broadcast efforts, make sure you can target your segments over at least the next three months and nurture them in whatever way makes the most sense. Don’t just settle for a one-time order at a mega-discounted price. Put in the work to develop ongoing, more productive customers and Distributors.
DO NOT Try to Accomplish Too Much.
Different companies have different experiences in this effort, but I’m a big believer that you can’t try to do everything with your holiday campaign. In other words, it’s tough to get more orders AND get more Customers AND recruit more Distributors AND host more shows AND …. If we remember that people are already in the shopping and spending mood, then I think a holiday offer must first and foremost attract my current Customer base to buy for other people in their lives (or even themselves). A close second should also account for new Customer Acquisition. Can I put an offer together that Distributors can easily share with new prospects?
I’m not personally a big fan of leveraging your holiday offers toward recruiting. It doesn’t mean you should stop recruiting; heaven forbid! I just don’t think your holiday offers should be focused on that. Others would probably disagree with me there. But I think what you do from a sales/shopping perspective in November and December can definitely set you up for many more recruiting conversations in January and February.
DO NOT Feel Obligated to Offer Free Shipping.
Free Shipping offers usually work pretty well. They also cost a lot! So while people hate spending money on shipping, I also think the market has learned over the last couple years that shipping is not cheap, and many retailers have moved away from aggressive shipping offers. You can, too. We definitely need to make a killer offer, but we have to make sure those killer offers don’t kill us!
DO Take a Breath (and Enjoy Your Holiday).
Finally, let me say I actually think it’s OK to wrap up your holiday campaign before Christmas hits, and then just let it be until after the New Year. Many will disagree with me, but most data shows that shopping decreases dramatically in the last week of the year, no matter how many promos you throw at it. Take a break, rest and relax a little, and get ready to hit the new year running. You deserve it!
I would LOVE to hear about your successes in holiday offers. Drop a note in the comments and share with all of us.
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