Whether you use Facebook Live or Facetime or some other form of face-to-face, live digital communication, doing a live virtual tasting can be a very lucrative way maintain your business – even from afar!
Don’t believe me? Sandy Irving, one of my favorite consultants, successfully maintained her business using live virtual tastings while she and her husband took a 6-month European vacation (click HERE to read her story).
And heck, I’ve been laid up with a painful broken ankle for the last few weeks – but thanks to the Internet, that won’t stop me from earning my some of my best commission checks via virtual tastings!
Live virtual tastings are the wave of the future, and I’m here to give you a crash course on how to make it work for your WineShop at Home consulting business.
When to do a Virtual Tasting
So how do you know when to do a virtual tasting versus when to do one in person? Well, that’s the easy part: if you can’t be there in person, for whatever reason, a virtual tasting may be the way to go.
Here are some scenarios where a virtual tasting is a great solution:
- When you have a host in another state/county and it wouldn’t make sense to travel to his or her location.
- If you’re sick/injured and need to work from home.
- If you’re traveling or you’ve recently moved and you want to keep your business going strong.
Personally, I still think that in-person is best because you get a better feel for the vibe of the room and you can create a more intimate experience for everyone. So, if in-person is an option, try to do that.
That said, virtual tastings can make a lot of sales when done correctly, so read on!
The Nuts & Bolts
Here are a few practical pointers you’ll need to keep in mind as you go about planning and executing your virtual tasting.
Train Your Host
Ideally you’ll be working with a host who has either been to a tasting before or hosted a tasting previously. Her role will be very important since you’re not physically present: she’ll be responsible for pouring the wine and for helping the guests complete order forms at the end of the tasting.
Good communication with your host is key. Connect with her 30 minutes before the guests arrive and make sure she has everything she needs and that she’s comfortable. This is also a good time to go over the order forms once more and even give her language to use if she feels nervous.
Then, I’ll give her a few minutes to greet everyone as they arrive and ask her to text me when they’re ready to get started.
Make sure you have a good Internet connection!
Obviously this is vital. If your connection is constantly delayed or freezing up, it will negatively affect the flow of the tastings and possibly affect your sales. Test the connection beforehand, I can’t stress this one enough
Set an expectation for attention.
As you can imagine, it can be a bit tricky to get everyone’s attention when you’re just a face on a screen. You’re so much easier to ignore than when you’re in person! Make sure you set up the expectation of how you’ll get everyone’s attention early on: I like to use my wine bell. I can ding it on my end or ask the hostess to clink her glass on her end.
Turn on your inner entertainer.
Yes, it will require a little more energy on your end to make sure you have everyone’s attention. If you’re naturally a shy, timid person, this is the time to come out of your shell and shine! Also, be sure that your hostess is paying attention to the volume so everyone can easily hear you.
Bonus: Create a Facebook Event
Ready to really utilize the Internet to make more sales? Try a Facebook event! This is where someone in your host sets up a Facebook event and invites their friends to participate virtually.
Maybe they haven’t even tried the wine yet, but since you can post lints to our vinotype quiz, add short videos or even tune in via FaceTime Live, you can answer questions and talk about what you love about each varietal. It’s a lot of fun and a great way to bring more people into your circle. I definitely focus on the most popular wines when I do these and our specials. I will even do small giveaways to keep people engaged (not tied to sales of course, we want to honor the rules of the road) but it’s amazing how many questions people will answer when you’re offering a bonus accessory.
Overall, virtual events can be a great way to boost sales, reach more people, and challenge yourself to get outside your comfort zone. So, ready to give it a try?
If you’d like to become a WineShop at Home consultant, let’s talk! I’ll answer all your questions and together we can find out of the business is a good fit for your lifestyle. Click HERE to connect.