The “Sex Professionals and Manufacturers” Facebook group was created to help retail team members and manufacturers’ sales representatives stay connected during these trying times. After seeing the cancellations for the trade shows in 2020, I wanted to create a simple way to receive training on products that were set to debut. My initial idea was to create a group solely for my own team. I then thought that it might sweeten the pot for manufacturers if there were more teams in this group that they could connect with at one time. I initially reached out to some of my industry friends that worked for other retail companies and asked if they would be interested in joining a group with blended associates in it. All gladly agreed to do so, and so it began.
There are many benefits for industry workers in joining this group. Initially, this group started as a discussion about which brands sales associates wanted to learn about. It blossomed into a platform where people can share ideas on selling products, as well as gain advice on business practices for mutual benefit.
It blossomed into a platform where people can share ideas on selling products, as well as gain advice on business practices for mutual benefit.
One fun and successful learning tool has been the sales pitch contest. Manufacturers were asked to donate product from their lines so that sales associates could offer their best sales pitch for that product. Once the pitching portion of the contest concluded, all group members were given the opportunity to vote on the pitches they felt were best. The winners were announced with their photos, store information and what products they won. Then, the manufacturers shipped them their packages. Many of the winners posted their fun “care packages” along with extra swag that was included as a bonus. There were 28 donors in total, with several manufacturers sending bundles of products to the winners, totaling nearly $3,000 in retail value. Ultimately, it was a huge success for our first round! I believe we all learned from these sales pitches, manufacturers and distributors' representatives included.
We now have begun Facebook Live group training, which kicked off with a very informative training by Taylor Means from High on Love. Because of her amazing presentation, many more have been scheduled. The group has seen a massive amount of support from vendors. The training has been very educational for my team and me. While we all prefer in-person training, I think it’s our responsibility as an industry to find an alternative for the safety of our associates and sales representatives. It’s not right to ask someone to travel to us during these times. There are many ways to communicate using platforms such as Facebook Live, Skype and Zoom, so it’s best that we all err on the side of caution.
In addition to the contests and training, the group has been a great place for connecting with like-minded individuals to share business ideas. At a time when there is so much division and uncertainty, it’s refreshing to see the positive and supportive communication within the group instead of what I see in my regular feed!
Another bonus of the Facebook Group is the “Topics” feature, which provides group members quick access to brands about which they are in search of more information. Luckily, Conde Aumann of Screaming O was able to offer a great deal of support getting the group up and running, and taught me about this feature. It is really great for those that may want to go back to a training without the hassle of searching through all of the posts.
All are welcome in this group! Here’s the group’s description on Facebook:
"Sex Professionals and Manufacturers is designed to help retail sales associates learn about new products to come and polish up on the old as well. Manufacturers are encouraged to post any information about your products. We are aware that there are multiple representatives from each manufacturer here and you are all welcomed and encouraged to share information. There are team members from many different boutiques and chains here, and there is not a need to cater to one. All retail associates are welcome to invite their fellow team members to the group and are welcome to ask questions relating to products that pique their interest. As distributors, we ask that you kindly allow the manufacturers to share the information they would like to represent them. Please observe and feel free to engage with questions and learn with the rest of us. Think of this as a virtual training seminar. Please be polite and respectful to one another."
Thank you to those that have already joined the group and a very special thank you to those that have contributed. I hope to see the knowledge and education continue to spread. Leaning on each other for support during these times will help us all grow as a community so that our businesses will all bounce back and we will be stronger in the long run.
Megan Swartz is the general manager of Deja Vu Love Boutique.
