Can you succeed by selling tea in a "Tupperware party"

[Xavier]

I saw this article http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/story/2013/05/28/hamilton-steeped-tea.html

Do you know them?

Does it really work?

Would you be tempted to buy from this company or others like them?

[teaformeplease]

I’ve heard of them but don’t really have any experience with it. I get followed by a lot of their sales people on Twitter but I don’t follow back because all they ever do is tweet links to their product pages. If done right, I think a “tupperware party” style of selling tea could be very successful.

[Anonymous]

This is a topic that we have been thinking about very much at Tealet. It’s great to distribute a sales force among a community, but how do you execute so it remains authentic? On my travels across the US to connect with tea people I have met many local tea leaders that pour tea in their local towns and introduce new tea lovers to tea culture. Many of these folks love what they do and to support their efforts to continue pouring tea many have started to collect inventory, develop brands, and sell tea during these events. These entrepreneurial efforts are great, but unfortunately many of my friends are not interested in managing inventory and becoming a tea businessperson.

For this reason Tealet has just announced the Ambassador Program. Right now we are just accepting sign ups and we will keep everyone informed of the development of the program. This program is targeted towards local tea evangelists and tea consultants that can be ambassadors for our newly launched wholesale auction.

Sign up now –> https://wholesale.tealet.com/ambassador

[teaformeplease]

Your program sounds very exciting Elyse. Authenticity is certainly key. The tea industry is changing rapidly and I think going outside of the usual retail box is going to be the wave of the future.

[Jackie]

Have our sellers here ever thought about hosting something like this? A “tea-ware” party with friends? In someone’s home offering your own teas? @iheartteas @thedevotea?
I think it would be an interesting idea to be able to taste teas and buy at a friend’s house, or a recommended agent.

[Xavier]

It could be an interesting addition to a more traditional distribution channel.

 

@peacelyse what is a tea consultant for you?

[Anonymous]

@xavier a tea consultant is the term I am using to describe people that work in the tea industry to help retailers with marketing, branding, and sourcing. We will open up our wholesale ambassador program for anyone that is interested in bringing buyers onto our wholesale platform to participate in auctions.

[Anonymous]

Aah yes, I HAVE heard of Steeped Tea. In fact, I was invited to one of the “tupperware parties”. I declined awkwardly, since it was an invitation from my aunt’s friend (whom I’d only met about an hour prior, but my aunt let slip my tea obsession), and I’d feel out of place in a stranger’s living-room surrounded by older ladies I didn’t know, just now being introduced to the wonders of loose leaf tea.

Also I figured the tea being sold were probably all the basic flavours that I know how to find myself. I am surrounded by DavidsTeas. I later confirmed this by googling the company when I got home. Their catalogue’s here: http://www.steepedtea.com/catalogue-insert/ Lots of fun fruity blends (they’ve added more since I last looked).

It still seems pretty neat, and Tupperware parties are pretty successful (I assume? If they’re still around). It’d be a great, friendly way to introduce a bunch of people you know to tea. Honestly, how many times has anyone here been requested to make tea for someone they know (or several someone elses)? I know I have.

Throw in some home-made snacks and they’re sold.

And you can purchase through a representative in your area without necessarily attending one of their tea parties, if I remember correctly (check Online Shopping, enter your postal code [Canada], select a rep, click ‘Shop Now’ and then ‘Shop Now’ again); I assume finding someone in your general area helps cut on shipping costs.

[Author]

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