QVC Behind The Scenes

For those of you who don’t know (I didn’t), QVC is the largest TV shopping program in the world, selling $8.7 billion worth of stuff a year! It’s also where giant brands like Dyson got started!

QVC seemed like a great idea because of its unique ability to tell good stories on national TV, reaching millions of potential customers that we wouldn’t be able to reach on the internet.

Well, that’s also the same reason why EVERY company wants to be on there! It’s extremely competitive and difficult to get your foot in the door. Long story short, we very fortunately got a meeting with them because the buyers loved our brand. 

Here’s our initial buyer meeting, the meeting where we would pitch to QVC and they tell us whether they’ll take us on. We flew into Philadelphia, drove to West Chester (a nice little town where QVC is based), strategized with our agency, and headed to the QVC headquarters for the meeting. Surprisingly, we didn’t have to pitch much, and majority of the meeting was brainstorming with the buyers which products to offer and pricing.  We got a deal!

A short video memo of the QVC prep and airing:

Guest class is QVC’s way to help whoever’s going on air be TV ready. It’s especially necessary because QVC is always LIVE. It was a fun day working with QVC reps and hosts, learning things like where to look, how to talk, and all kinds of interesting TV techniques. I was with 7 other guests representing different brands, some are founders, some are employees of the brands. Having a presumption that QVC has a “cut-throat” culture, I was really surprised how genuinely nice everyone was, and how everyone really felt like a big family.

Prepping for the big day: First of all, I needed some decent clothes (my wardrobe consists of mostly tank tops and free t-shirts), so we went to Nordstrom and bought a nice shirt and pants. Then, I got my first ever manicure, so viewers wouldn’t get horrified by my nails when they do the close-ups. After all, it was non-stop practices and rehearsals in the hotel room to make sure I know what to say, and I say it with lots of passion and energy.

The big day: We arrived before the show to meet our host Amy, and briefly discussed the talking points. While everyone set up the demos and displays, I went into the bathroom to calm my nerves. I was shaking! 

It was time. I walked up, greeted Amy, and after that I honestly don’t remember much besides the bright studio lights. The supposed 6 minutes felt like just 1. I was just happy that I didn’t screw up, and it was over. We were all more than ready to grab a drink and celebrate!