In this article, we're diving into several ways to take advantage of the shopping mania that takes place after Thanksgiving so you get a piece of that pie!

Since people are already shopping on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, providing an incentive to shop with you rather than elsewhere will ensure an end-of-year boost for your business.

Home Office's Holiday Sales + a bonus from you = the secret formula to creating a deal that's impossible for your customers to resist.

I know that using your resources to increase sales may seem counter-intuitive, but if you calculate it right, you'll be making more money than you're spending.

Everyone loves a good deal, and this is the perfect time to offer a promotional sale that takes advantage of the season's scarcity. So let's explore how to create one that will leave your customers feeling like buying from you will help them get the most out of their holiday season!

Creating a Promotional Sale Strategy

Your audience has likely already been paying attention to you and your products! They just haven't had a reason to pounce yet. So developing a solid promotional sale strategy will help you overcome their objections!

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First, you need to figure out what you are trying to accomplish.

Do you want to strengthen the loyalty of your current customer base? Or do you want new customers? Concentrating on one or the other will help you decide where to add incentives.

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For example, if your goal is to strengthen customer loyalty, you would use language expressing gratitude towards your amazing customers. You'd give away prizes to those who create engagement in your VIP Group, or perhaps you'd do a stand-out game where you give awards to the best past hosts as a way to rebook them in the new year.

If you're hoping to gain new customers - you will put content out that sells you and your brand along with the promotional sale that introduces yourself and what you represent! You'll offer prizes to those who add new members to your VIP Group or give an extra discount to anyone who has never ordered from you!

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Second, you need to figure out what you are offering your customers.

Here are some ideas:

• Free Shipping when a customer spends X amount of money.
• Add a holiday-themed product to their order.
• Provide a discount on specific products you are trying to sell, whether that's because it's in your inventory or you know it's a product that is getting buzz.
• "BOGO" Option "Buy-One-Get-One-Free."
• Send them a DIY gift you've made! An example is - anyone who purchases from you in the next 24 hours, you'll send homemade holiday cookies!

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Make sure to properly budget for whatever you are offering. Calculate how much a guest would have to buy for you to get a portion of your commission while still paying for the promotional sale you're doing. Once you have that number, use that as the minimum. I.e., Spend X amount to get X deal!

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Thirdly, you need to figure out "how and "when" to announce your promotional sale.

It doesn't matter which one you choose, but you must stick with one! Do not try and do all of the options. It will confuse your customers! But whatever you choose, make sure to hype it up!!!

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Host a Customer Appreciation Party in your VIP Group

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An excellent option for promoting your special holiday sale is to host a customer appreciation party in your VIP Group during the week of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday! You'll be able to include all the sales in one place with giveaways, games, live demos, and hype!

If you are unsure how to host a customer appreciation party check out our article that goes through everything you need to know!

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You'll want to choose this option if:

• Your company is doing multiple promotions during this time that you can incorporate into the party to create hype and engagement.
• You are trying to reach new customers. Do a drawing in your VIP group where everyone who invites 3 to 5 of their friends into the party gets entered to win a prize! Advertise that you'll only pick a winner once 20 people have commented "done" underneath. A game like this will bring new blood to the group, and you'll gain new customer leads to participate in your sale. Plus, when having a sale, your current members have more incentive to share the group with their friends because they want them to get the deal too!

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Tips for hosting a customer appreciation party during the week after Thanksgiving:

• Incorporate gift guides and holiday-related content that you pre-schedule through PostMyParty.
• Create an event inside your VIP Group.

• Creating an event to announce your customer appreciation party saves you a lot of work! It allows you to notify everyone in the group about the event. Notifications will be seen more by your group members than a post.  
• When you are creating the event, you can leave the option to be able to send messages through a group chat. The only people in the chat will be those who agreed to attend the event. Having everyone in one place to send announcements will save time and frustration. For example, instead of sending 50 individual messages, you can send one!

• Even though you'll have an event to do a lot of the work to announce your Customer Appreciation Party, you'll still need to promote it on all your social media platforms. This will also help you gain new VIP members to your group.
• Send individual messages to customers who are not on Facebook but would be excited to be a part of the sale! Personalize it so that it shows you are paying attention to their needs as your customer. For instance, if you noticed that on their wishlist, they have a specific product, mention in the outreach that there is a sale going on with the item they want, and you wanted to make sure they had the opportunity to grab it at this incredible price!
• Be present! Do not just announce the party on your platforms, schedule posts, and then leave it to its own devices. Instead, make sure to be available to answer any questions, increase engagement by participating in the games yourself and show your customers that you actively appreciate them!
• Create a strategy for those hosting regular parties during your customer appreciation event. You don't want to give double discounts to those who have booked a party with you, but you also don't want them to feel like they are getting ripped off. Pre-write out words to send to your hosts if the problem arises. Here’s an example: " I am doing a customer appreciation event right now for all my past customers who are not currently hosting a party. You still get the best deal in the house with all your host discounts and the additional sales from corporate. I am just providing a service to my customers who didn't have time to host a party like you!"

Do a Flash Sale!

A flash sale is also a great option to boost your sales!

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If you don't know - a flash sale is a discount or promotion offered for 24 hours or less.

You'll want to choose this option if you feel like you're amazing a creating hype or don't have time to invest in a week-long customer appreciation party.

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Even though a flash sale is quick - you can still find ways to make your customers feel appreciated!

Use language like "exclusive deal' or "early access sale" to make your current customers feel like they are getting extra spoiled by you.

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It's best if you pick one of the three flash sale days. It depends on your brand, but Small Business Saturday is always a good bet.

1. Often, customers are not online during Black Friday. Instead, they either shop at brick-and-mortar stores or spend time with their families.  
2. Cyber Monday is a big day for online retailers like Amazon and Walmart. So naturally, you’ll want to avoid having to compete with them.
3. Highlighting that your direct sales business is a small business that supports a family in a community provides extra context for your brand. You can use the day to discuss what your business has helped build. This type of content pairs well with the holiday spirit, and others empathize and relate to it easily.

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You don't want to discount your product so much that you give it away for free. But free shipping is a great incentive bonus for a flash sale because customers will add additional items to their cart to qualify for it. Plus, if a customer’s order comes in and they are only a couple of dollars away from getting free shipping, it's another form of customer outreach that assists you with your sales. For example, sending a quick text or Facebook message that says, "I noticed that you're only x away from getting free shipping. Was there anything else you were thinking about adding to your cart so you can get it?"

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Because a flash sale exists within a constrained amount of time, you must ensure you are providing all the information your customers need. Flash sales can go array quickly when customers feel like they've been tricked. Of course, you're not misleading them on purpose. Still, if your content implies anything other than what you are offering, miscommunication can affect your business negatively later.

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The information they need is - What products are on sale? If there is a limited quantity (i.e., Add 'while supplies lasts') and the products' return policy.

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Having strategized ahead of time will assist you if you run into disgruntled customers. Even though you are trying to create a mutually beneficial experience for you and your customers - it does not mean you shouldn't make the extra effort to protect yourself. If you clearly state what you are offering, you can point to the fine print!

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The sequence you should follow when promoting your Customer Appreciation Party or Flash Sale:

1. Announcement - As soon as you have figured out what you are offering your customers and how you are getting the word out, you want to make an initial announcement about it to start creating hype!
2. Announcement Reminder - The day before the Flash Sale or VIP Party is supposed to begin, make another announcement.
3. Launch - The day the party starts, post about the Flash Sale or Party. If you’re doing a Customer Appreciation Party, do a big giveaway on your launch day to show your customers that you mean it when you say you’re doing this party to appreciate them!
4. Last Day - If your flash sale lasts more than one day, you will make a last-day announcement. If not, you would have a last-call notification that you send out a couple of hours before the sale ends. For a customer appreciation party, you would do both!
5. Last Call - Your last call post should reiterate what is on sale, how to get it and create urgency for customers to buy now!

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Flash Sale announcements work best with immediate communication forms like texting or emailing. Social Media post announcements can also help, but they are less effective because you have less control over when a customer sees those posts.

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If you’re using a system like Project Broadcast to send out your flash sale sequences, tell people ahead that they will receive multiple messages from you that day. When you first send out the announcement of your flash sale - you should request that anyone who does not want to be a part of it to let you know so you can take them off the list for this event. That way, the only people you send messages to are your customers who want the information. It provides extra protection if a customer gets angry for being messaged, allowing them to opt-out.

Additional ways to create urgency for Customer Appreciation Party Or Flash Sale!

1. Be available on social media. If you are not making it an exclusive sale, use all the platforms you have an audience on to announce it. For the Customer Appreciation Party include the Facebook group link for new people to join. For the Flash Sale - make sure your copy is brief but exciting! Involve calls to action that build social engagement, such as “Tag someone who NEEDS this product” or “comment below - When do you start your holiday shopping?”
2. Before and during the event, you will need to remind your customers constantly. One reminder is not enough. Make sure most of your time with your business for the days of your sale involves customer outreaches. If you send announcements and reminders of your sale through email, add the discount in the subject line! It’s quick and to the point!
3. Use copy in your posts that push the concept that time is of the essence and highlights your discounts in a way that will grab people’s attention. For example - if you were selling a $50 cooking tool for $5 off, it doesn’t sound as appealing as 10% off. But if it’s $50 off a $500 cookware set - that sounds like a much better deal than getting 10% off. It’s pretty remarkable how even though those deals are the same, wording them differently gets different results. A general rule of thumb is if the dollar amount is less than the % amount, go with the %. Likewise, if the % is lower than the dollar amount, go with the $ amount.

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Another flash sale idea to consider is to do one closer to Christmas. Find out when the last day people can order gifts from your company to receive them in time for Christmas and make a flash sale that ends on that day. It’ll provide an opportunity for anyone doing last-minute online shopping and boost your sales to finish the year strong.  

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Now go forth and spread holiday cheer!

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