Vessel Blog: November 2015

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

10 Tips for Great Holiday Sales

Some people have been preparing for months; others will wait until the last possible moment. But, for better or for worse, the Christmas shopping season is upon all of us. If we remember to put ourselves in the shoes of our customers, we can be of service AND ring up some pretty decent sales through the rest of the season.

Here are some tips to better holiday sales:

Something extra for the giver: I don't know about you, but holiday shopping can stress me out. Why not offer a coupon for a free donut from the local bakery or something similar with each purchase?
Offer free gift wrapping: This costs very little, and is appreciated by all.
Reach out to men: Guys sometimes need a little help coming up with a gift their sweetheart, mom, sister, and/or daughters would love. Vessel is that unique gift! So help them customize a Vessel set that will speak to their loved one.
Promote the holiday spirit: You can hold a holiday open house in which a percentage - or even all - of the profit from the party will go to a favorite charity. Or you can tell customers all season long that a certain portion of each sale will go to a worthwhile cause.
Have one or more Mystery Hostess parties: Tracy has talked about Mystery Hostess parties before as a way to jump start your sales and hostess leads. The concept is simple: YOU host a Vessel party. Let attendees know that a Mystery Hostess will be chosen from those who attend, and that person will receive all the Host rewards for the party. You can also give additional entries to those who bring guests, or who buy a certain amount at the party, or if they book a party of their own.
Make yourself available: Everyone is so busy during the holidays! If you can be a bit more flexible with your time, you might find yourself with a few additional parties.
Holiday Gift Ideas: Come up with your own selection designed to help busy shoppers. Categories could include Stocking Stuffers, Gifts Under $25, Sweetheart Gifts, etc. Create cute sets, and be sure to include some charms for bling! When people see these sets put together they go crazy for them! We've recently seen a lot of success from Stylists utilizing a "Frozen" theme. Other set themes could be Love (heart lockets, ScentSpheres and charms), Christmas (lots of red and green), Fall (copper pieces, earth tones), Favorite Team (team colors and sports charm of choice) .... the list goes on and on. This is where Vessel shines ... the ability to create such a personalized piece of jewelry.
Who else would like this? If a customer has a person in mind for a gift, chances are there are other loved ones who would love something similar.
Upselling: We all know about upselling. And you can't be overly obnoxious about it. But our charms and ScentSpheres provide the perfect upselling opportunity! Few can resist how just the right charm really makes the set complete ... you just have to show them. And make sure you emphasize how awesome it is to have an array of ScentSpheres colors to go with the different pieces in their wardrobe. Personally, I think this factor is one of the best things about Vessel.
Holiday postcards: Buy inexpensive holiday themed postcards, or you can even cut off the front of cards you received in prior years. Mail them to your neighbors, family and friends to let them know you have the perfect gift for the loved ones on their list. Include the Vessel store website address and your Stylist ID number so that you get credit if they buy.

What ideas do YOU have for having a great holiday season for your Vessel business? Feel free to share your ideas (susan@vesselscentsofstyle.com).

To Your Success!

Susan

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

10 Tips for Direct Sales Vendor Event Etiquette

by Tracy Ralph, National Sales Director

Today's tips about attending Vendor Events comes to us from Brenda Ster (http://www.sassysuite.com/)

Vendor events are a fantastic way to get outside of your own circle of contacts, make sales, and build leads for potential customers and hostesses.

Once you book your event, then be sure you’re following these 10 etiquette tips, to being a good Direct Sales Vendor.

1. BEFRIEND THE EVENT COORDINATOR

The event coordinator is an invaluable resource. They may assist with booth assignments (and give preference to good relationships or requests), and keep you informed of other upcoming events for priority registration. Be sure to check-in with the event coordinator upon arrival and departure. Follow-up with a thank you email, and a brief summary of how your sales were at their event.

2. ARRIVE EARLY

Arrive early for your event. You will have more time for unloading and booth setup, less problems with parking, and also manage good impressions with the event coordinator (see #1). Arriving early will also allow you time to walk the event before it starts, have a snack or beverage, see other vendors (see #6), and assess any competitors.

3. STAY FOR THE WHOLE EVENT

Do not ever leave your event early, even if it’s slow. Some vendor contracts indicate that if you leave early, you forfeit the right to return to that event. It is simply bad form to be packing up and leaving, while customers may still be browsing other booths. You never know who might stop by, and the end of events is often the time that vendors network and with other vendors. (See #6).

4. DO NOT EAT OR DRINK IN YOUR BOOTH

While you are in your booth, you are the face of your business. Unless you are selling food, do not eat or drink in front of customers, or if you must, keep it discrete and out of view. No one wants to see you talking to customers with your mouth full…. especially, your customers.

5. STAND WHEN POSSIBLE

Like #4, first impressions are lasting impressions. Remain standing if possible, for the best opportunity to engage with your customers. Move about your booth freely, and present the best possible positive experience. This will also allow you to pull product more easily, or direct to various display pieces that might be of interest.

6. NETWORK WITH OTHER VENDORS

Vendors often refer events to other vendor friends. Network with those around you. You may or may not gain customers, but at least you’ll gain relationships that may yield future event leads. Networking with other vendors is a great thing to do when the event traffic is slow. Have extra business cards or goodie bags for this purpose.

7. STAY IN YOUR OWN SPACE

Do not encroach on your neighbor’s booth. There is nothing more annoying that having another vendor’s display overflow into my space, or having a neighbor’s customers overflow into my space. Be conscious of your borders and corners, both in your display and how people flow. Invite your customers INTO your booth, to avoid awkward conversations with your neighbors.

8. ENGAGE WITH CUSTOMERS

While this may be obvious since it’s the whole reason you’re at your event, but how many times have you seen a vendor sitting behind their booth (#5), eating (#4), and staring at their phone (#10), and NOT engaging with their customers? Create an open booth environment by greeting each passerby, and inviting them in to view your product and display.

9. OFFER A WAY TO COLLECT CUSTOMER INFORMATION

You will want to follow-up with your prospects, since a primary objective of vendor events is hostess, customer, and team member leads. Offer a raffle entry or a drawing where all your leads can enter and provide their contact information. People like the chance to win. Then, be sure to follow-up with those leads within a reasonable amount of time.

10. STAY OFF TECHNOLOGY

Stay off your technology, unless it’s directly related to a business purpose (such as using for customer checkout). Unless there is a lull, you should not be staring at your smart phone or surfing Facebook during your event. If your eyes are down on your phone, they are not up looking for your next customers. Being focused on your technology makes you appear disinterested in what’s going on around you.

Vendor etiquette is critical to building relationships and reputation in your event community. Become known as someone who is respectful, reliable, and relational, and you will soon build a network of coordinators and other vendors who invite you to participate in future events. You can ROCK your vendor events, just by being a good vendor!

credit to: Brenda Ster- http://www.sassysuite.com/

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Gift Giving Guide for Gentlemen

Vessel has made your holiday shopping easier than ever with our fabulous holiday specials. With a 15% DISCOUNT on select sets and FREE SHIPPING with any order over $50, you'll find something for everyone on your list. Check out our holiday specials by clicking on the links below.

http://vesselscents.blogspot.com/2015/10/holiday-shopping-made-fun-and-fabulous.html

http://store.vesselscentsofstyle.com

In addition to the holiday special sets we've put together for you to choose from, here are some additional ideas for pieces you can create yourself as a personalized gift.

Gentlemen, if you're looking for great gift ideas for all the women and girls in your life this holiday season, this is your perfect gift-giving guide.

Ladies and girls, if you need to give a little hint about what you want, just refer him here!

For your sweetheart…