Riding on word-of-mouth way of marketing, city startup Secret Angel enlists 'angels' to sell lingerie.
In a city like Bangalore, where businesses are largely driven by online marketing and e-commerce, direct selling by word-of-mouth seems to be catching up in some product categories.
City-based startup Secret Angel believes in catalogue-based selling by enlisting its “angels” to sell brands.
Started last May by IIM-Bangalore alumnus Poornima Vinaykumar, the venture has adopted “social selling”, wherein “angels” sell lingerie in their social circles. Even in high-tech Bangalore, there are several people who are not confident about making purchases online, says Vinaykumar, “specially lingerie, for which many women often look ahead for some advise on the right fit before selecting.”
How does the concept work?
Women sign up as “angels”, in other words “micro entrepreneurs”; and get a catalogue kit and counseling on buying of lingerie.
Next, the angels spread word in their social circles about various brands and styles of lingerie available, take orders, have the orders delivered, and in the bargain end up getting some commission.
Vinaykumar, who started out as the first angel, today has a network of over 100 angels, “in Hubli, Bidar, Belgaum, Sirsi, Mysore, Shimoga and Hassan, apart from Bangalore.”
Often the angels end up placing orders for 80-90 units of lingerie, in the process making anywhere between Rs5,000-10,000 per month.
“Other than the commission, they also earn through referrals,” says Vinaykumar.
According to her, apart from housewives, women who work as doctors, lawyers, owners of boutiques and beauty salons have registered as angels.
“It is not just simply selling, but also providing information on health and hygiene. Being an angel helps some women become financially independent, while for others it offers an opportunity to do something different,” says Vinaykumar.
Sharda V Shyam, a city-based musician, who also doubles up as an “angel”, says social selling is extremely important in a category like lingerie. “Catalogues are crucial as many women hesitate to go to shops and explore the styles available. Our counselling comes in handy since often women continue buying the same styles and sizes that they had been purchasing since over a decade,” says Shyam, who has been with Secret Angel since its inception, and places orders between Rs4,000-10,000 in a month.
Like every venture, Vinaykumar is now looking at scaling her business, “by reaching out to as many women as possible.” Though started with funding support from banks, she is now looking for angel investors, “to help us scale faster.”
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