A shopper’s buying intent can be easily influenced by multiple factors, whether in-store or online. When hosting a live event, brands must focus on the critical factors that move buyers through the funnel toward purchase. If you, as a host, can persuade viewers to buy, you unlock the unlimited potential of live commerce and turn it into a valuable tool for improving revenue.

At some stage in our lives, we have all been influenced while making purchases. Whether it's a television advertisement that appears during our favorite shows, a precisely targeted ad while browsing for flight tickets online, or a captivating poster of an ice-cold Coca-Cola on a scorching day, these subtle factors compel us to take action.

Now, let's explore the strategies for effectively influencing viewers and transforming them into buyers.

How To Ace A Live Shopping Session As Host

Tell A Story

Your live shopping session needs to sell more than just products. You have to weave in a story about the product, how to use it, and how it will make the viewer’s life better. 

Instead of adopting a sales-oriented approach, it's important to foster conversational interactions akin to those between friends.

Consider this: when a friend personally recommends something to you, you're more inclined to make a purchase. This is because you trust that your friend is genuinely sharing a valuable secret or offering a helpful tip for your benefit, rather than serving their own interests.

By establishing a connection with your customers and highlighting the specific product benefits that resonate with them, you can effectively guide them towards making informed purchasing decisions.‍

Help Them Visualize

Live commerce bridges the gap between online and offline marketing by allowing viewers to see a product and experience it in a real way. In a live shopping session, you have the chance to display a product in many ways, so make the most of that. Unbox it, try it out, plug it in, test it on yourself or a co-host, and explain the benefits and what you like about it – essentially help viewers feel like they’re exploring it themselves. This is also a great way to encourage impulse buys.

Skilled live shopping hosts design visually appealing sets that resonate with viewers and showcase the brand's unique aesthetic. For instance, if you specialize in home decor, create an exquisite set that aligns with the products you'll be discussing.

By witnessing the host interact with products in real-time, viewers can experience a shopping journey that closely resembles an in-store experience. To further entice viewers, consider incorporating vouchers, discount codes, and time-limited offers, prompting them to seize the opportunity before it expires.‍

Curate Products Carefully

To avoid confusion during a live shopping event, it's important to curate the product selection thoughtfully. Overwhelming viewers with too many options can lead to confusion. Instead, present a carefully selected list of products and encourage viewers to envision the various ways they can use them.

For example: A prominent clothing brand launched a new range of solid-colored tees in super soft cotton. The tees were available in 42 colors, but for the live shopping event, the host spent an hour demonstrating how to style a white tee to suit different aesthetics.

She created multiple looks, showed how to accessorize it to suit the occasion, and kept reiterating how soft it was and how long it would last. Naturally, the black tees were the highest sellers for that session, but a significant number of customers explored the other color options and bought different colors too.

Sell A Solution

Picture this: You enter a store and describe your specific needs to the salesperson. They attentively listen, ask relevant questions, and then recommend a product that perfectly aligns with your requirements. It's highly likely that you'll make the purchase!

When a potential buyer feels acknowledged and understood, it creates a positive predisposition for further interaction. By actively engaging with them and asking questions, you build trust and demonstrate that their best interests are important to you. When you recommend a suitable solution, they are more inclined to make a purchase.

If you’re hosting a live shopping event with products that are not necessarily solutions, find a way to discuss them that creates a problem-solution structure. 

For example, if you’re selling a new range of lipstick shades, begin by talking about hard it is to find the perfect red lipstick to suit your coloring. Then demonstrate the lipstick shades in swatches and explain how each color will suit a different skin tone. When viewers hear themselves described in your sales pitch, they’ll want to buy your product.

Case study: See how BeChef created a series of recipe-led live sessions to help people use their products more innovatively

Take Advantage Of Interactivity

One of the greatest advantages of live commerce is its ability to enable direct interaction between the viewers and the brand or host. By actively encouraging conversations with your viewers, you foster trust, establish a connection, instill confidence, and position yourself as a trusted advisor.

As a live shopping host, you need to know how to influence people and guide them towards purchase if you want to turn your event into a success. A good host encourages viewers to express themselves, focuses on the problems that consumers are concerned about, answer their queries, and pays attention to their needs.