News & Events

The power of an ONLINE purchasing option - a new tool for successful sales results

March 1, 2010
Explore ONLINE purchasing over the internet
Article by: Gilles A. Gauthier

 I remember some thirty years ago helping my father move the business to new real estate because he had decided to take it in a new direction.  This unprecedented change for its time consisted of conducting business as a warehouse distribution outlet instead of the already well established retail store.  I guess that having to deal with the day to day challenges of the retail industry in a growing urban shopping mall got my father fed up with shop lifting, the long hours and his time away from his family.

Now moving the store with hundreds of thousands of dollars in inventory and furniture is a little more complex when compared to moving our family from one residence to another.  My brothers and I also did this a few times throughout the years.  The need for the house moves was simple back then, the more the business thrived and became profitable the better home Dad could afford.  An actual fact of life when you are not born into wealth.

I find that in Dad’s heyday in business he made very logical, thoughtful and financially responsible decisions while conducting his affairs.  But it was his vision that was remarkable.  Vision is sometimes as simple as dreaming of nothing.  Not every visionary has changed the balance of mankind but a well thought out foresight may sometimes be enough to have an effect on a given opportunity.

I realize that a sale will always be a sale whether the widget is a pack of gum or a seaside mansion. 



The challenge not only lies with your skill set.  It also challenges you to choose the right tools to successfully sell that widget.

Not unlike my father I also have had to re-invent my corporate direction multiple times over the past five years.  The difference between Dad’s years and my years is that he could implement change and sometimes afford to wait a long while before having to evaluate its effect on his business.  Remember that a major change thirty years ago could have been as simple as a change of address.  But today, business progress is measurable in an instant.  The difference between failure and success only takes a few hours, not a few years.

How did I ever conduct business prior to my first computer?

I remember my first desktop computer.  I think they called them desktops because they took up the whole desk.  By the time the technician got the keyboard, the mouse with mouse pad and the monitor, which was larger than my TV at home; connected to the computer tower which took half of my leg space under the desk, there was hardly any room left for my pen set and waste paper basket.  I fixed that problem quickly.  I bought a larger desk.

With no training whatsoever I was initiated to Bill Gates’ vision.  I also thanked Miss Angrignon, my typing class teacher who tutored me to my advanced keyboard skills.  I actually took typing in high school on a whim with two other guys.  We needed girlfriends and of course the typing class was all girls.  Man, were we bright back then, no?  I remember it well, 38 young ladies and 3 guys.  The sad part is neither one of us got a girlfriend that year.  In hind sight I should have attended cooking classes.  At lease I wouldn’t have been hungry half the semester with carpal tunnel syndrome on both wrists and blurred vision. Darn typing class.

To this day I wonder how I was able to get through not only the early years with my computer but the constant changes of computer software and the compulsory self-training to keep pace.  Thanks Bill.  Let it be known that to this day I continue to be a contributor to your fortune.

How we conduct business today lies in the power of an online buying option?



Safe to say computers are here to stay.  Duh!  My laptop now takes very little space on my big desk.  I solved that problem.  I sold the big desk and just use the kitchen counter.  The darn thing video streams pictures that are equal to my 40 inch HD TV and it actually sounds better than our high-end stereo system.

Therefore because of the importance computers have taken in our daily routines, if you’re selling something you may need an ONLINE buying option for your clients.  For instance, on numerous occasions I have witnessed the effectiveness of an online ticket sales option for a variety of events.  However this preference only works if it is advertised as the only or at the very least as the most significant and convenient purchasing option.

To prove this we must use the analogy of the big ticket sellers for major events.  When a mega-star is hired to provide entertainment at a major venue such as a 20,000 seat sports complex, the vendor does not offer "options" as in more than one.  It effectively only offers one option and that is to purchase your ticket online.  A time and date is chosen to pinpoint the moment in time the tickets will go on sale.  Then reasonable advertising is designed and the event is promoted leading up to this date and presto.  Depending on the popularity of the entertainer, many concerts sell out within minutes.

Now I’m not suggesting that a local charity event of 300 guests or a golf tournament of 144 players can compare to the big ticket shows but I do put forward that the exact same principles should be considered to advance the success of any public or private event.

I have heard all the reasons why smaller venues, event organizers and event planners won’t or advocate that they can’t sell their event tickets online.  Here are some of the excuses over the years:
  • We have been doing fine in the past without online sales and we have people to process the cash and cheques.
  • My clients prefer to send me a cheque.
  • People don’t trust online purchasing.  I don’t even do my banking online.
  • I’m afraid my credit card may be compromised.
  • Not everyone owns a computer.

Well the truth is that all studies indicate that more Canadians own computers or have access to them now than at any other time in history.  It goes without saying that as time goes by the acceptance of computers in our daily lives will increase and not disappear with the wind.  And this popular acceptance is measured in weeks not years.

I am convinced that we are well on our way to virtual purchasing being essential to our economies. In my business alone we have witnessed successful events sell out because the event organizers fully supported and promoted the online purchasing options.

Why should we include ONLINE buying options for all events?  Think about this.


The consumer has come to expect it.  When accessing an online selling platform with the intent of purchasing something, anything, the consumer is not averse to paying the credit card charges and the convenience fees charged by the online service provider.  The decision to pay for such service was already recognized and agreed to when the online purchasing option was utilized.

In many ways the convenience fee saves the consumer money when compared to any of the buying options available just a few years ago.  For instance in my home town I would have to drive sixty four kilometres return if I had to drive to the sports complex to buy tickets for a major event.  The cost of fuel, use of vehicle and my time necessary to get there and come back is without question cost prohibitive.   

To the event organizer, venue owner or event planners the online option eliminates theft of cash or cheques and protects them against fraud.  The credit card companies take fraud against their plastic very seriously and work hand in hand with secure online processing companies to prevent fraud and prosecute offenders.

Statistics continue to point out that Canadian consumers use online purchasing options 70% more often than in the year 2007.

Most of us complete online transactions every day.  Whether it’s going to the bank and using their ATM or the grocery store paying via a debit card.  At the gas station leaving a credit card imprint on their gas pump or paying for our meal at a restaurant, we use online.

Today, many consumers don’t see an online transaction option for an upcoming event as only an option; it has quickly become a necessity.

Finally, those who choose to obtain online ticket or registration options for their clients are very wise.  They are breaking new grounds and taking the lead with contemporary online tools.  Their chances of selling their widgets for many years to come is better than most.

You don’t have to think about this.  ONLINE is here.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Gilles A. Gauthier is President – CEO of LiveEventRegistration.ca and GolfRegistration.ca. 

His Canadian corporation has created and manages a LiveEvent online ticket sales service and a golf tournament registration platform for private and public events across the country. 

Other operations include ForeHerGolf.ca, Graphic Designs by G&L Consultants, GolfLogistics.ca and ForeHimGolf.ca.

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