Module 30

Seasonal sales, step by step

6 lessons, 23 stepsOne instruction at a time, each with the result to expect. Tick steps as you go; Helix remembers.

Outcome: for any big date in the year, you know what to do at each point. You go one small step at a time. That means 10, 6, 3 and 2 weeks out, while the sale runs and the week after.

Related: Module 13 Promotions and sales, Module 10 Email, SMS and messaging, Module 14 Stock and cash

In plain words

Stage: Mixed. Lesson 30.2 is Attract, 30.1, 30.3, 30.4 and 30.5 are Convert, and 30.6 is Grow. See Attract, Convert, Grow.

What it is: A simple timeline for sale days like Black Friday, Christmas, Mother's Day or Diwali. Helix shows each step on Today at the right time.

Why it matters: Big sale days reward the stores that got ready early. A little work each week beats a mad rush in the last few days.

Do this:

  1. About 10 weeks out, pick your offer and order stock.
  2. About 6 weeks out, ask a few creators to try your product.
  3. About 3 weeks out, make your discount code. About 2 weeks out, dress your store and write your emails.

Words to know:

  • Offer: What the buyer gets, such as 20% off, a free gift or a bundle.
  • Discount code: A word buyers type at checkout to get the offer.
  • Creator: A person with followers who can show your product to them.
  • Warm audience: People who already know you, such as past visitors, followers and your email list.

All words are explained in the glossary.

Lesson 30.1: Plan your offer and order stockConvert

In short

Stock takes weeks to arrive, and an offer you rush is often one that loses money.

Do this now

Step 1: Open Numbers in Helix.

Why this matters

Stock takes weeks to arrive, and an offer you rush is often one that loses money. Deciding early keeps you calm and keeps your profit.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

Open Numbers in Helix. Write down your profit on one order before ads. Helix shows it in Profit setup.

Expected result

You have one number, such as "$18 profit per order before ads".

Tips

Profit
Usually means contribution profit: what is left from sales after product cost, shipping, payment fees, discounts, refunds and ads. Net profit also takes off fixed costs.

Lesson 30.2: Line up creatorsAttract

In short

People trust people. A creator showing your product to their followers before the sale warms up buyers who have never heard of you.

Do this now

Step 1: Make a list of 10 small creators in your niche, with 2,000 to 50,000 followers.

Why this matters

People trust people. A creator showing your product to their followers before the sale warms up buyers who have never heard of you.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

Make a list of 10 small creators in your niche, with 2,000 to 50,000 followers. Look for people whose followers comment and ask questions.

Expected result

A list of 10 names with a link to each profile.

Lesson 30.3: Set up a discount code in ShopifyConvert

In short

Get a code ready, tested and set to start and stop by itself.

Do this now

Step 1: In Shopify admin, open Discounts in the left menu.

Why this matters

Get a code ready, tested and set to start and stop by itself. Then there is no late-night rush on the big day.

Step 1 of 60 of 6 done

In Shopify admin, open Discounts in the left menu. Press Create discount.

Expected result

A box asks you to pick a discount type.

Lesson 30.4: Dress your store, warm up and write your emailsConvert

In short

Shoppers decide fast.

Do this now

Step 1: Add a homepage banner with the offer and the end date.

Why this matters

Shoppers decide fast. Get the store ready for the day and write your emails. Then every visit has a clear path to buy.

Step 1 of 50 of 5 done

Add a homepage banner with the offer and the end date.

Expected result

The first thing a visitor sees is the offer.

Lesson 30.5: Run the event: check your numbers each dayConvert

In short

During a sale small problems cost real money fast.

Do this now

Step 1: Open Numbers in Helix each morning and tap yesterday.

Why this matters

During a sale small problems cost real money fast. A five-minute check each morning catches them early.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

Open Numbers in Helix each morning and tap yesterday.

Expected result

You see sales, ad spend and profit for the day.

Tips

Profit
Usually means contribution profit: what is left from sales after product cost, shipping, payment fees, discounts, refunds and ads. Net profit also takes off fixed costs.

Lesson 30.6: Review the resultsGrow

In short

Write next year's plan the week after this one.

Do this now

Step 1: In Numbers, add up the event days: sales, orders, ad spend and profit .

Why this matters

Write next year's plan the week after this one. You will still remember what happened.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

In Numbers, add up the event days: sales, orders, ad spend and profit.

Expected result

One line with the totals.

Tips

Profit
Usually means contribution profit: what is left from sales after product cost, shipping, payment fees, discounts, refunds and ads. Net profit also takes off fixed costs.

Words to know in this module

Bundle
Two or more products sold together, often with a small saving.
Creator
A person who makes social content and can feature your product.
Warm audience
People who know you: they visited, followed or watched your videos.
Profit
Usually means contribution profit: what is left from sales after product cost, shipping, payment fees, discounts, refunds and ads. Net profit also takes off fixed costs.
Test order
A pretend order you place yourself to check payments, emails and tracking work.
ROAS
Return on ad spend: how many dollars of sales you get for each $1 of ads. ROAS 3 means $3 of sales for $1 of ads.
Break-even ROAS
The ROAS where an order makes $0 profit after its costs. Below it, ads lose money.
All words to know