Reimagining Events
To continue attracting customers and distributors, social selling needs to take events to the next level so one of the industry’s USPs maintains its global edge. Read this section to find out how.
Events are a massive part of social selling and 2020 threw a curveball for the field and corporate alike. However, it’s also created an opportunity to reimagine these events virtually.
A recurring theme from respondents was the need to create more innovative virtual event options to replace traditional parties. Another interesting idea was combining virtual and physical events.
Could it be a digital element while at an in-person party? Or sending a physical icebreaker to attendees of virtual events to make the party more experiential? Or having virtual attendee options for in-person events?
Hybrid Events, Data and Standardization
By now Zoom fatigue is a well-documented reality. As events are one of the foundational tools of the industry, direct sales is uniquely placed to reimagine events. While Zoom, Google Meets, Instagram Rooms etc., are all viable options, they weren’t built for hosting events. When your consultants use external applications without your knowledge, there is no way of accessing that data and analyzing trends in the market.
Providing the field with the ability to host virtual events through your back office gives the social selling industry control. Imagine an event hosted within your application where, as the host samples the product, all the guests open their free sample and are sharing the experience live. Then a pop up appears in the video so they can place an order immediately. This hybrid experience leverages the best of social selling and gives corporations an insight into the buying habits of guests. You can track most popular times of day, which products are impulse purchases, track how long it takes people to buy, see what the chain reaction is… if three people place an order do the rest of the attendees follow suit. Access to this data is invaluable for making business decisions.
Creating Solutions for Everyone
Providing this experience will differentiate direct sales from traditional e-commerce companies offering a virtual consumer experience, unlike the traditional internet browsing experience.
The nature of consumerism is changing. People are prioritizing quality over quantity, supporting small businesses over large corporations, choosing the sustainable and ethical option over the mass produced. Creating a connection with consumers is more important than ever before, but it’s also more difficult.
“2021 will bring a greater reliance on virtual meetups, meetings and presentations. Gone are the days that prospects were unfamiliar with getting on Zoom, that barrier has been busted down. Creating interesting opportunities for virtual events will be key to attracting consultants. Virtual Experiences that are memorable & have a community component will be most successful.”
Roxanne Wilson, Founder, RoxTalks & Social Stories Membership
Events are not just pivotal for the field engaging with customers but for corporate to engage and celebrate with the field. Developing virtual options or hybrid options now will have the added benefit of making these events more accessible. The cost of travelling, lack of childcare, lack of time… all these reasons can stop a consultant from making it to a large event. Mentally, this is very demoralizing when consultants see all that they’re missing out on. What for some is an amazing way to create a connection and drive motivation actually becomes a deterrent for others. Offering a virtual option or hybrid option will make everyone in the field feel included.
