When we’re asked, “what is the best way to present a company store solution to my client?” It’s a no-brainer! We firmly believe that a live demo presentation is absolutely the best way to show your clients the benefits of ordering promotional products from their very own online store. While there are no two Company Stores exactly alike, there are some general guidelines you can follow for each presentation.
1) Start with a Store Discovery
We compiled a list of helpful questions you should ask your clients when first discussing the possibility of a Company Store. A Company Store Discovery will help you guide the conversation so you can determine if your client is a good fit for a full-featured eCommerce store and more importantly if it is worth your time and energy to build them one. Some questions to start with:
“Why do you want a store?”
“Who will be shopping in the store?”
“How many products do you want to have in the store?”
“How will users pay for the products?”
“What about shipping?”
“Do certain users need to have access to different products or payment methods or shipping methods from other users?”
At this stage, you also really want to make sure that the entire organization is on-board with having a Company Store and that they are actually going to use it. The last thing you want to do is to put in the time and effort it takes to build an entire store and no one in the company use it.
If you are finding that your client is unsure or if they need a store that’s less feature heavy – a Simple Store could be the way to go. It’ll take you just minutes to set one up and provides them with an organized online solution for placing orders.
A Company Store Discovery is the first stage checklist to help you get the information you need from your client.
<<<Download Discovery Document>>>
2) Always Present a Live Store
We cannot stress this enough. Providing your client a living and breathing demonstration will help them understand how the store will work and function for them much more than a static presentation. You can also accompany the demo with supplemental information sheets and presentation decks – we have these available for you to download, they are already targeted to the end user and ready for you to add your branding and contact information to them.
3) Present a Neutrally Branded Store
A neutrally branded store helps your client envision the possibilities of how they can incorporate their own corporate identity into the store and will also open the door for a design discussion so you can determine how custom they want to get. We can also help you create a custom demo store specifically for your client if you want to go that extra mile.
4) Have a Mobile Device Handy
Roughly 40 percent of online retail purchases are made from a mobile device – and that statistic is expected to rise. With that in mind, there is a good chance your client’s employees will be ordering or at least looking up their company’s promotional products on the go. If you are presenting in-person, take out your cell phone and show them how the store looks and functions on a mobile device. If you are presenting online, you can always resize your browser to show the responsive design.
5) Show the Features They Requested
Remember that big Company Store Discovery conversation you had with your client? This is where that information will come in handy. Be sure to talk about the features they specifically requested. If there are certain permission features you need to show your client, just give us a call or a shoot us an email and we’ll help you with login credentials and make sure the features you need to show are turned on for your presentation.
6) Helpful Store Features to Mention
Store Design: Let them know the stores are customizable to meet their own brand guidelines. Our design team can even help you with a store design to match their website for a seamless experience.
User Accounts: If you are showing off the permission features, be sure to log into the store so you can show off the user account features and see how the store changes with the unique login.
Category Pages: Let them know category options are customizable and unlimited.
Virtual Logos: Highlight logo functionality by selecting a logo and rolling over the product images.
Checkout Process: Go through the checkout process completely to show them the different payment method options, shipping method options, taxes, and address book options. Be sure to point out that in an advanced store, any of these fields can be hidden to streamline checkout for the shopper.
Order Confirmation: Once an order is placed, you’ll get a notification for the new order, the shopper will get a confirmation, and any store admins you add will also get a confirmation.
Contact Us & FAQ Pages: Be sure to mention that you can create other pages in the store such as a Contact Us and an FAQ to help the shoppers with their purchases.
7) Leave the Demo Store Link
It seems like a small gesture, but will have a huge impact. Encourage them to explore the store on their own so they can decide without pressure what’s needed for their own store and how it should be designed.
From utilizing our sales materials to presenting alongside you with your client – keep in mind that we are always here to help you out during the sales process.