TÔN THẤT TÙNG was only 25 years old when he decided to take a chance on eCommerce and become a seller with Lazada. Learn how he took the leap and launched a successful store on Lazada.
| Name: | TÔN THẤT TÙNG |
| Age: | 29 |
| Name of store: | TÂN NHIÊN ONLINE |
| Category: | Toys |
| Joined Lazada in: | 12/2018 |
How old were you when you joined Lazada as a seller and what made you want to become one?
I joined the seller community when I was 25. I ended up as an eCommerce seller after a while of hunting for Flash Sales on Lazada and then later on I started researching selling on the platform. Starting off was not easy as I had to wait almost a month for my first store to be approved. However, it was great that after only 15 short minutes of posting, my shop had its first order! (later, it was also the first canceled order!). Realizing the boundless opportunities that the growing internet presented and how eCommerce would be a leading trend and that Lazada was a leading eCommerce platform during that period, I was determined to pursue my passion for selling on Lazada.
Have you ever had experience selling before going online to do it? If you came from brick and mortar, what surprised you the most about selling online?
I had no prior sales experience and I never even had any business experience! Before, I just thought that I would graduate from school, go to work, get promoted, and receive a salary from a company. However, becoming a seller opened up a new chapter in my life because everything was new. The only thing I had were the IT skills I acquired from when I was in school. It was very difficult for me to source goods, packages, and figure out marketing strategies. However, I believe in the saying that “if something is difficult, it can be learned”. The thing that amazes me about having an online business is the extremely fast development speed, especially if lessons learned from successful sellers are applied correctly. This is one of the factors that helped me stick with Lazada up to now.
Did you leave a job to open your own business? If yes, what motivated you to take that step?
Giving up my engineering job to pursue a business made me think a lot because it affected my life and my family, especially when many people still have the view that “selling online” means not doing well financially! But I was convinced that I was “in a business” and not just “selling”. I wanted to do something big. If you only work for a salary, it is very difficult to pursue the dream of making a lot of money.
What made you decide to sell in your current category?
Since I had no experience, I tried selling most of the popular products on the market: electronics, fashion, phone accessories, home decoration, children’s toys… and then I found that products in the children’s toys category gave my shop good sales! In addition, children’s toys are diverse and trending. I also like the toys very much!
What is the most fulfilling part of being an eCommerce seller now?
There are 3 factors I like when selling on Lazada:
1. Always innovating. Lazada can be said to be one of the most dynamic companies in Vietnam’s eCommerce industry because it is constantly making innovations on its Seller Center operations. This is both a difficulty and an advantage for sellers. The difficulty is that sellers have to constantly access new things whereas the advantage is that they will always be able to access new and more positive improvements in selling on the market.
2. Stable logistics system. Lazada invests a lot in its shipping system. From the very first days, I considered Lazada to be the most stable eCommerce platform in Vietnam because it actively builds a solid foundation in the delivery stage.
3. Lazada has a great community. It has the BEST seller community in Vietnam so far. It is an active community where the merchants share their knowledge freely, and this practice is a common one for all. Insurers can rely on when they need to disclose.
What are some of the most challenging parts of being your own boss?
Operating costs are always a difficult issue during the learning process. Constantly changing floor fees, economic inflation, and escalating prices are always challenging aspects of eCommerce as well as in a normal brick and mortar business. However, these are positive pressures that everyone has to go through, so I think it’s normal. If this is the path I have chosen, then there is nothing to fear.
Do you have advice for anyone who might want to be their own boss? What are your three top tips for anyone who wants to succeed in selling online?
1. Be a seller with heart. The heart mentioned here is for sales and for your customers. Pay attention to the work you are doing. Maintaining a strong focus will be very effective.
2. Continuously learn new knowledge about sales and keep “listening” to the Seller community to see if there is any good information and ways to sell. It is a very good place to study.
3. Constantly expanding your business, avoiding passive sources of goods. Never stand still in one place, because it is very dangerous. A certain product may sell very well today, but you don’t know if it will be good tomorrow. Therefore, if possible, please constantly innovate on your products, increase product quality, and better serve customers to bring about higher efficiency.
Look out for more insights in the latest ‘Be Your Own Boss’ series, where Lazada profiles its inspiring and successful young sellers within the ASEAN region who decided to become their own boss. Stay tuned for more amazing seller B.Y.O.B stories! #BYOB