Pertamina Collaborates with Tokopedia to Give Tips and Trick to Succeed in Selling in the Marketplace during the Pandemic

Jakarta, November 24, 2020 - One of the coaching roadmaps that the Pertamina Partnership Program emphasizes for fostered MSMEs during a pandemic like today is Go Digital. By implementing this coaching, MSME players can still reach all of their customers even though they do not interact directly. With Go Digital's efforts, the product marketing reach can be even more expansive.

Acting Vice President of Corporate Communication of Pertamina, Heppy Wulansari said, one of the implementations of Go Digital-based coaching is training on the use of the marketplace as a medium for marketing products. "At present, especially during the pandemic, the marketplace is a very effective medium in engaging the market," she said.

Through the Partnership Program, Pertamina collaborates with one of the major marketplaces in Indonesia, namely Tokopedia. In this collaboration, Tokopedia explained several tips and tricks for successful selling at these online stalls so that their businesses can have a lot of orders and consumers.

The first step you can take is to prepare a shop name. The store name can be chosen according to the type of goods sold or any name that is easy for the buyer to remember. After that, complete the shop's necessary information to make transactions easier. Add shop addresses, set up delivery services, shop verification, add shop accounts, and set shop information and profiles.

"After all personal information is entered, shop owners can activate several account security settings. Therefore, the data can be maintained, and do not worry about being misused," explained one of the trainers from Tokopedia, Iwan Amin Kurdi.

The next step is the most important, namely uploading products to be sold. The first tip that can be done is to provide the correct product naming. Avoid shortened product names or use codes that do not match the buyer's keywords, typos or misspellings in the product name, and using excessive/spamming keywords.

Next, Iwan continued, is to post exciting product photos. The tips are to use a white/plain background, clear product photos from various sides, use models/mannequins for fashion products, make sure the photo lighting is good, and don't use watermarks so that the product stands out. "Seeing good photos makes people want to see our products and even buy them," he added.

It does not just stop there. Good photos must also be balanced with a detailed product description. Write down all necessary information related to the product that the buyer will ask, such as Specifications/features, product advantages, product completeness, product warranty. And use easy to understand words.

Lastly is a competitive price. You do this by comparing prices with competitors (who sell the same product). Then, adjust the quality and value of the goods that the seller sells. "Or for a bundle or wholesale price, by offering a lower price if you buy a lot," he said.

One of Pertamina's fostered partners who participated in the coaching training with Tokopedia is Dahrul Mahbar. This Jahe Cangkir Mas business owner has implemented some tips and tricks that have been given. Until now, the products sold in this marketplace have reached 47 thousand products. Dahrul also received a 50% increase in turnover and product demand since marketing his product on Tokopedia.

By applying several tips and tricks above, Heppy is confident that sales of Pertamina's fostered MSME products can be stable and tend to increase even amid a pandemic. This effort is one form of implementation of the Goal 8 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to support inclusive and sustainable economic growth and a full and productive workforce. "Where it is expected to help people get jobs and encourage national economic growth," concluded Heppy.**