"Social Selling"? What Is It? Ask Stella and Dot!
I had given a presentation at The Canadian Networker Ultimate Event in Ottawa, Ontario. My topic was Business Social Media for Small Business: Driving 101. It was presented in front of a very enthusiatic crowd of entrepreneurs.
Prior to my talk, I walked around the room and spoke to many small business owners. I love listening to their stories! However, I came across the expression "social selling". I had been visiting Rachela Brisindi, an independent stylist for Stella and Dot, when she mentioned social selling. Intrigued, I later asked for an explanation of the phrase. Here is what she wrote:
Stella and Dot offers a way for women entrepreneurs to quickly become profitable and use media, technology and product as the foundation of their empire. In fact, earlier this year, Sequoia Capital, one of the most respected venture firms in the Silicon Valley did something very unexpected: they invested almost $40 million into Stella and Dot! With the majority of their investments dominating the public market - think Apple, Oracle and Google - they are a powerhouse, but a technology one, not a jewellery investment firm. WHY? Look no further than the founder of Stella and Dot, Jessica Herrin, or better still, watch this short clip from CNBC to find out:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232/?video=3000011200&play=1
Social selling is a few steps past your mother's Mary Kay or Avon business. Get some on trend, high quality jewellery and then build a platform to sell that reaches an enormous amount of people. Give the Stylists the ability to access marketing and training at the click of a mouse, sell their business over giants like Facebook and set up their own e-boutique (in about 5 minutes) that is consistently updated and allows online easy purchases and you've got a start. And a great start it is! Finishing off year three, Stella and Dot averaged $104 Million in sales and is expected to blow away that mark in 2011. Hedging their bets that Stella and Dot will be the first direct sales business to break the $1 Billion mark in five years, the Executive have added the Publisher of IN Style magazine as their new CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) and recently scooped several designers from such fashion houses as Mark Jacobs to lead the way into their extended line of handbags - expected to launch Fall 2011!
In it's infancy still, Stella and Dot has only reached 0.5% of it's targeted audience in North America, so this is still ground floor opportunity. Finally, after a successful launch in London, UK and interview with British Vogue, Stella and Dot is set to launch in the UK by September 2011...
Thanks for the explanation Rachela! I do not usually plug someone's business, but it was a great response. Sounds like you, and Stella and Dot, are on the right business social media track!
What are you doing to promote your business using social media?
Rachela's website is www.stelladot.com/rachelabella
Prior to my talk, I walked around the room and spoke to many small business owners. I love listening to their stories! However, I came across the expression "social selling". I had been visiting Rachela Brisindi, an independent stylist for Stella and Dot, when she mentioned social selling. Intrigued, I later asked for an explanation of the phrase. Here is what she wrote:
Stella and Dot offers a way for women entrepreneurs to quickly become profitable and use media, technology and product as the foundation of their empire. In fact, earlier this year, Sequoia Capital, one of the most respected venture firms in the Silicon Valley did something very unexpected: they invested almost $40 million into Stella and Dot! With the majority of their investments dominating the public market - think Apple, Oracle and Google - they are a powerhouse, but a technology one, not a jewellery investment firm. WHY? Look no further than the founder of Stella and Dot, Jessica Herrin, or better still, watch this short clip from CNBC to find out:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232/?video=3000011200&play=1
Social selling is a few steps past your mother's Mary Kay or Avon business. Get some on trend, high quality jewellery and then build a platform to sell that reaches an enormous amount of people. Give the Stylists the ability to access marketing and training at the click of a mouse, sell their business over giants like Facebook and set up their own e-boutique (in about 5 minutes) that is consistently updated and allows online easy purchases and you've got a start. And a great start it is! Finishing off year three, Stella and Dot averaged $104 Million in sales and is expected to blow away that mark in 2011. Hedging their bets that Stella and Dot will be the first direct sales business to break the $1 Billion mark in five years, the Executive have added the Publisher of IN Style magazine as their new CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) and recently scooped several designers from such fashion houses as Mark Jacobs to lead the way into their extended line of handbags - expected to launch Fall 2011!
In it's infancy still, Stella and Dot has only reached 0.5% of it's targeted audience in North America, so this is still ground floor opportunity. Finally, after a successful launch in London, UK and interview with British Vogue, Stella and Dot is set to launch in the UK by September 2011...
Thanks for the explanation Rachela! I do not usually plug someone's business, but it was a great response. Sounds like you, and Stella and Dot, are on the right business social media track!
What are you doing to promote your business using social media?
Rachela's website is www.stelladot.com/rachelabella
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