VDI and digital

Home shopping and e-commerce: a true complementarity

Home shopping has been very popular since the 1960s, but it has evolved considerably. Initially aimed at housewives, it has been democratised and now caters for all types of public.

All sectors can be involved: food, cosmetics, iTech, clothing... VDIs can offer a wide range of products to meet customers' needs. At Elora, we specialise in fashion.

By opting for door-to-door sales, consumers choose a personalised shopping experience. They can see the clothes, touch them and try them on, unlike e-commerce where they can simply get an idea from the photos.

On the Internet, there is no personal dimension, unlike in direct sales where you create a real link with the brand. However, the two sales techniques are not in competition with each other - on the contrary! They are complementary. At Elora, we have chosen to open an online shop in addition to our direct home sales.VDI: web and social networks as communication tools

Although VDIs work from home, they frequently use the web and social networks for several reasons:

1 - To promote the brand for which they work (brand ambassador)

VDIs are real ambassadors for brands. They sell products and promote them.

To raise awareness of their brand, they regularly use social networks such as Instagram or Facebook to publish articles, photos and posts related to the brand.

Some create mini sites where they explain their activity and post articles and photos related to the brand they work for.

2 - Expand their list of contacts (sales prospecting)

Social networks are fantastic tools for sales prospecting. In the fashion sector, VDIs can subscribe to groups related to ready-to-wear, comment on posts and directly contact people who happen to be in their core target group.

Thanks to social networks like Facebook, you can easily reach your personal network and the network of your friends. As a VDI, don't hesitate to use social networks to expand your network.

3 - Maintain a real relationship with your customers (Customer relations)

The most important thing when you're a VDI is to maintain a good relationship with your customers so that they in turn become ambassadors for your brand.

Thanks to tools like Messenger, you can easily answer your customers' questions or get back to them after a private sale to maintain your customer relationship.

4 - Training and being part of a community (at Elora)

Elora offers e-learning and Skype training for its fashion VDIs. Everything is done via the web! What's more, our VDIs are not alone: they benefit from the Elora community. It's a great way to feel supported and to share best practice with other VDIs.

5 - Work from anywhere

Today's consumers are looking for responsiveness and flexibility. Thanks to the web and social networks, you can respond quickly from a computer, smartphone or tablet. There are no location constraints.