Seller Guide · 12 min read · Works for every category
Your First Live Shopping Session
The sellers who generate the most on Flykup are not the ones with the most followers or professional studio setups. They are the ones who ran their first session before they felt ready. This guide tells you exactly what to say, how to set up, how to get your first viewers, and what to do when things do not go according to plan. You will be ready to run your first session within 24 hours.
Why Live Shopping Works — And Why It Converts Differently
When a buyer sees a product photograph, they are making a purchase decision based on incomplete information. How does the fabric actually fall? Does that colour look the same in real light? Is the seller someone I can trust?
When a buyer watches you demonstrate a product live — draping a saree, showing the thickness of a vessel, applying a skincare product on your own hand — every one of those questions is answered in real time. The buyer’s uncertainty drops to near zero. The purchase decision becomes easy.
This is why live commerce conversion rates are consistently 8 to 15 times higher than static product listing conversion rates. It is not magic. It is information.
The second differentiator is real-time Q&A. Every question you answer in a live session converts not just the buyer who asked — but every other viewer who had the same question and did not ask it.
What You Actually Need
You Need
You Do Not Need
The sellers in Coimbatore and Chennai who now run sessions generating ₹50,000 to ₹1,50,000 per session started exactly where you are — phone in hand, products nearby, no audience.
How Flykup Live Sessions Work
When you go live on Flykup, you open the app, go to your seller dashboard, and tap “Start Live Session.” The Live Commerce Studio opens — your streaming environment. Your products are queued in the order you set them. You can see live chat and viewer count in real time.
Your buyers get a notification that you are live. They see your video, the current product with price, and a “Buy Now” button. When they tap it, checkout completes in under 3 seconds using their saved address and payment method. No website to navigate to. No separate checkout page. No cart abandonment.
Pre-registration advantage
Before your session starts, encourage buyers to pre-register — saving their address and payment details. For pre-registered buyers, checkout is instant. Share your session link at least 30 minutes early and ask them to register. The sellers with the highest flash sale conversion rates are the ones whose audiences have pre-registered.
Scheduling Your First Session — Step by Step
Scheduling in advance rather than going live immediately serves one important purpose: it gives you time to tell people you are going live before it happens.
Open your dashboard. Tap Schedule Session.
Set your date and time.
For your first session, pick a time when you are calm and unhurried. Evenings 7–10 PM consistently perform best for South India audiences. Weekends 11 AM–1 PM are the second-strongest window.
Add a specific session title.
Good: "Kanjivaram Silk Sarees — New Collection Drop" · "Summer Skincare Essentials — Live Demo" · "Fresh Organic Spices — Taste, Quality, Direct Price" · Not good: "My First Live Session" · "Shopping Event Today"
Queue 5 to 8 products.
Start with your most visually interesting or most popular product — not your most expensive. The opening product sets the energy. Save a strong product for the 20-minute mark to retain viewers who are staying long.
Copy your unique session link.
This is the link you will share everywhere. Send it to your WhatsApp contacts, post to Instagram Stories, and share directly with your existing buyers.
Getting Your First Viewers
Your first session will probably have fewer viewers than you want. That is normal and expected. Your first session is practice, not performance.
WhatsApp broadcast — your first audience
Message to send — 24 hrs before, 2 hrs before, 15 mins before
“Going LIVE today at 7 PM on Flykup — showing [your products]. Direct from me, no commission markup. Join here: [your session link]. Save your address before you join for instant checkout: [link]. Tell anyone who shops for [category] 🙏”
The 15-minute reminder is the most important. Most buyers who intend to join forget in the gap between seeing the initial message and the session starting. The 15-minute reminder converts intention into actual attendance.
Instagram Stories — second channel
Story 1 (24 hrs before): Product teaser with “Going live tomorrow” text
Story 2 (2 hrs before): Session countdown sticker with link in bio
Story 3 (15 mins before): “Going live in 15 minutes” with direct link
Your existing buyers are your warmest audience. Someone who has already purchased from you is infinitely more likely to join your live session than a cold audience. Even 5 loyal buyers in your first session creates social proof energy that attracts casual viewers to stay.
Simulcasting — Going Live on Instagram and YouTube Simultaneously
Flykup supports simulcasting — streaming your session simultaneously to Flykup, Instagram Live, and YouTube Live at the same time. Your Flykup followers get a notification. Your Instagram followers see you go live. Your YouTube subscribers see you live. All purchases happen through Flykup’s checkout regardless of which platform the viewer is on.
For your first session: go live on Flykup first. Get comfortable with the mechanics. Add simulcasting in Session 3 or 4 when the session structure feels natural. Trying to manage multiple platform chats in your very first session adds unnecessary complexity.
What To Say During Your First Session — The Exact Script
Opening — First 2 Minutes
“Hello everyone joining — welcome. I am [your name] from [your city]. I sell [your product category]. Today I am showing you [X products] and I will be here for about 30 minutes. If you are watching, say hello in the chat — tell me where you are joining from. I can see your messages. Anyone who has questions about anything I show today — just ask in the chat. I answer every question live.”
Why this works: You establish who you are, what you are showing, how long you will be, and that you are paying attention to chat. Viewers who feel seen stay. Viewers who feel ignored leave.
For Each Product — 30 to 60 Seconds
Show it first, describe second
Hold the product up. Let viewers see it fully for 3 seconds before you say anything. Buyers are processing visually. Do not rush this.
Name and key detail
"This is [product name]. [One sentence: material, size, origin, or the single most important feature for this category.]"
Demonstrate
Show the back. Show the texture. Show scale. If it is food — describe the smell. If it is fabric — show how it drapes. If it is a product — demonstrate how it works.
State the price clearly
"The price is ₹[X]. You tap Buy Now on your screen to get it."
Answer chat questions
Look at the chat. Read questions out loud. "Someone is asking about the size — this comes in S, M, L, and XL." Answering one buyer's question answers it for 4 to 8 others who had the same question.
Move to the next product
After questions are answered, move. Pacing keeps energy alive. If a product generates a lot of interest, spend more time. If it generates none, move faster.
The 20-Minute Mark — Retention Anchor
By minute 20, viewers who were casually watching are deciding whether to stay or leave. Create a specific reason to stay. Choose one:
Option A — Best product reveal
“I saved this one for last because it is my favourite. I have only [small number] pieces at this price today.”
Option B — Flash sale
“The next 30 seconds — I am putting this at ₹[discounted price]. Regular price is ₹[original]. You have 30 seconds.” [Start flash sale timer from your dashboard]
Option C — Giveaway
“I am doing a giveaway for everyone who has been watching for the last 15 minutes. Stay on — I am picking a winner live.”
Closing — Last 2 Minutes
“That is everything I have for today. Thank you to everyone who watched and to everyone who purchased — your order confirmation is in the app, and I will ship within [your timeline]. I go live every [day of week] at [time]. Same time, same day, every week. Follow my store on Flykup — tap the follow button on my profile — and you will get notified when I go live next time. Any last questions before I close? See you next [day]. Thank you.”
Every closing that announces your next session time is building the expectation that you will be back. The viewers who come back a second time are 3× more likely to purchase than first-time viewers.
The Ideal 30-Minute Beginner Session Format
Welcome and session intro
State who you are, what you are showing, ask viewers to say hello in chat
Product 1
Your most visually engaging — show, describe, demonstrate, answer questions
Product 2
Product 3
Product 4
Product 5
Product 6 (or revisit the product with the most questions)
Energy moment
Flash sale, best product reveal, or giveaway — your retention anchor
Product 7 or 8, or answer accumulated chat questions
Closing
Thank viewers, announce next session time, ask them to follow your store
This format works for any product category. Once it feels natural — usually by Session 4 or 5 — you can experiment. Until then, follow it exactly.
Flash Sales, Giveaways, and Auctions — When to Use Them
Flash Sales
A flash sale on Flykup is a time-limited price drop — ₹699 dropping to ₹499 for 30 seconds, with a visible countdown timer on every viewer’s screen. The countdown is the point, not the discount. A ticking timer triggers decision urgency that static pricing never creates.
When to use it: After you have demonstrated the product fully and answered the main questions. Never use a flash sale to introduce a product — use it to close interest that already exists.
Giveaways
A Flykup giveaway selects a winner from viewers who have met specific eligibility conditions — watching for at least 10 minutes, or viewers who shared the session link. The winner is selected and announced live. Drop-off rates fall significantly when a giveaway has been announced but not yet executed.
When to use it: Announce it in the first 5 minutes. Execute it at the 20 to 25 minute mark. This turns a potential dead zone into a retention peak.
Auctions
Flykup supports both incremental auctions (price rises with each bid) and decremental auctions (price drops until a buyer commits). Auctions create competitive psychology between viewers — bidding is inherently social and engaging.
When to use it: Not in your first session. Add auctions in Session 6 or later, after the fundamental session structure feels completely natural.
What To Do When Nobody Is Watching
This will probably happen in your first session. Possibly your first three sessions.
Keep going.
Talk to zero viewers the same way you would talk to 50. Flykup records every session. Buyers who discover your product in the feed later can watch the replay. The replay of a session where you were energetic and professional converts buyers who were not there live. A longer, more active session gets more visibility in the feed. Going live for 30 full minutes with 2 viewers is better for your long-term visibility than ending at 10 minutes.
Practically: If you have zero viewers after 10 minutes, text your 3 most loyal WhatsApp customers directly — not a broadcast. A personal direct message converts differently. Someone who receives a personal invitation feels obligated in a way a broadcast recipient does not.
Camera Confidence and Setup
Phone position
Hold at eye level or slightly above. Prop your phone against a stack of books or a phone stand. Your hands should be free to hold and demonstrate products. Cameras angled upward from below are unflattering.
Light
Face a window. Natural light from the front is the most flattering, most professional-looking, and most free option. Do not have the window behind you — it silhouettes your face.
Background
What is behind you communicates your brand before you say a word. Your products arranged behind you — organised, displaying the category you sell — signals abundance and legitimacy. Spend 5 minutes before every session tidying what the camera sees.
Audio
Your phone's built-in microphone is sufficient. The primary enemy is background noise — fans, TVs, street noise, or family conversations. Find the quietest space available.
Eye contact
Look at your phone's camera lens, not at the screen. The camera lens is at the top of your phone. Looking at the lens means you appear to make eye contact with every viewer simultaneously — dramatically more confident than sellers who look at their own preview.
Common First-Session Mistakes — And How to Avoid Them
Showing too many products
More than 8 products in 30 minutes means less than 3 minutes per product — insufficient demonstration, rushed Q&A, hurried energy. Fewer products shown better converts more consistently than more products shown quickly.
Apologising for your setup
Do not open with "Sorry for the basic setup" or "I'm new to this." Buyers who hear an apology calibrate expectations downward before you have shown them a single product. Start with your opening script.
Ignoring the chat
The chat is where buyers ask the questions that convert. Check chat every 60 to 90 seconds minimum. Answering one buyer's question about size or material typically answers the same question for 4 to 8 other viewers.
Ending the session early when viewers are few
A 10-minute session because the audience was small generates significantly less than a 30-minute session with the same small audience. Time in session matters for both your improvement and Flykup's algorithm visibility.
Inconsistent scheduling
Sellers who build recurring audiences go live on the same day at the same time every week. Viewers develop habits the same way they develop habits around TV programmes. Pick a time. Keep it.
What Successful Tamil Nadu Sellers Do Differently
They speak their buyer’s language.Tamil Nadu buyers describe trusted sellers as “நம்பகமான விற்பனையாளர்” — trustworthy. That trust is built through direct, honest product descriptions in the language the buyer is comfortable with. Your session in Tamil builds trust faster than a session in English for a Tamil-speaking audience.
They show the product’s context. A Kanchipuram silk saree seller who shows how the saree drapes, how the zari catches light, and how the pallu falls in motion converts more than one who shows the saree on a hanger. A food seller who shows colour, texture, and freshness converts differently than one who holds up a sealed packet.
They are consistent, not viral. The sellers with the most stable income from live commerce are not the ones who went viral once. They are the ones who have gone live every Tuesday at 8 PM for six months.
They acknowledge social proof aloud.When Flykup displays “Priya from Chennai just purchased the Red Silk Saree,” the most effective sellers acknowledge it: “Priya from Chennai — thank you! Great choice.” This creates warmth and signals to every other viewer that real people are buying.
How Livestream Replays Generate Sales After Your Session Ends
Every Flykup live session is automatically recorded and published to your digital storefront as a shoppable replay. Buyers who miss your live session can watch the full session and purchase directly from the replay with the same one-tap checkout as the live session.
Your 30-minute live session does not generate 30 minutes of selling opportunity. It generates ongoing selling opportunity for as long as buyers discover and watch the replay.
Shoppable video clips from session highlights become standalone short-form content that continues generating sales indefinitely — the best product demonstrations become permanent selling assets.
How to Improve After Every Session — The 15-Minute Review
After every session, answer these six questions before you do anything else:
Viewer count peak
When was the most people watching? What were you doing at that moment? Replicate it in the next session.
Viewer count lowest point
When did viewers drop most? What were you doing? Change it in the next session.
Which product got the most chat activity?
That is your next session's opening product.
Which product got the most purchases?
Feature it again. Buyers who missed it the first time may buy the second time.
What question did buyers ask most?
Answer that question proactively in your next session's opening, before buyers ask it.
Did you announce the next session time in the closing?
If yes: good. If no: do it next time.
Write these six answers down after every session. After 10 sessions, you will have a pattern. See how your sessions compare against India Live Commerce Index benchmarks.
Consistency Matters More Than Perfection
Your first session will not be your best session. Your fifth will be better than your first. Your twentieth will be better than your fifth. The sellers who become the top live commerce creators in Tamil Nadu and across India did not get there through one exceptional session. They got there through 50 ordinary sessions, each slightly better than the last.
The only metric that matters after your first session: did you schedule your second?
How Live Commerce Differs From Selling on Amazon or Meesho
On Amazon or Meesho, your products are listed in a catalog. Buyers discover you through search results. You have no relationship with your buyer before, during, or after the sale. Your buyer’s data belongs to the platform. You pay 15 to 40% commission on every transaction — including every repeat purchase from buyers who already know and trust your products.
On Flykup, your buyers follow your store. They get notified when you go live. They watch you demonstrate your products. They ask you questions and you answer them. They buy from you directly. Their contact and purchase history is in your seller dashboard. When they come back, they come back to you. Zero commission on any of these transactions.
The difference is not just the commission saving. The difference is the nature of the commerce relationship. On a marketplace, you are a supplier. On Flykup, you are a creator-merchant.
What Metrics to Check in Your Dashboard After a Session
Peak concurrent viewers
The maximum number of people watching simultaneously — the ceiling of your current audience reach.
Average watch time
Higher average watch time means your session held attention well. Industry benchmark for good live sessions: 12 to 18 minutes.
Conversion rate
Sessions with good demonstration and Q&A typically see 5 to 15% conversion. Your first session will likely be lower. This improves with practice.
Products with most taps
High taps with lower purchases indicates price or description needs refinement. High taps with high purchases indicates product-audience fit worth repeating.
Chat message volume
Higher chat volume indicates higher engagement. Aim to read and acknowledge as many chat messages as possible — it directly drives more viewer retention.
FAQ — Your First Live Shopping Session
How many people need to be watching for a live session to be worth doing?
One. Run your session for a single viewer with the same quality and energy you would for 100. Every viewer who watches a high-quality session can become a repeat buyer. Every session you run well adds to your replay library, which continues generating views and sales after the session ends.
What if I run out of things to say?
Before every session, write down 2 to 3 key facts about each product — material, origin, size, how to use it, who it is best for. When a silence appears, reach for the next fact or look at the chat for a question to answer.
How long should my first live session be?
30 minutes. Not shorter — shorter sessions do not give viewers enough time to engage and decide to purchase. Not longer for Session 1 — 30 minutes is enough to practice the complete structure before adding complexity.
Can I go live in Tamil?
Yes. For Tamil Nadu sellers targeting Tamil-speaking buyers, your session in Tamil builds trust significantly faster than a session in English. Tamil-language sessions currently have very little competition on Flykup — giving them a visibility advantage in the feed for Tamil Nadu buyers.
What if I make a mistake on camera?
Correct it naturally and move on. Buyers are not expecting perfection. A seller who makes a mistake, acknowledges it simply, and continues is more trustworthy than a seller who appears to be performing. Authenticity converts better than polish.
Should I show my face or just the products?
Show your face. Buyers trust people, not anonymous hands. The personal connection in a live session is the primary driver of repeat purchase behaviour. Sellers who show their face build loyal audiences. Sellers who show only products create a catalog experience that buyers can get anywhere.
When should I add flash sales and giveaways?
Flash sales from Session 2 or 3, once the basic structure feels natural. Giveaways from Session 3 or 4. Auctions from Session 6 or later. Add one mechanic at a time as the previous one becomes automatic.
How quickly should I expect to generate revenue?
Some sellers make their first sale in Session 1. Some in Session 5. The sellers who generate revenue consistently run sessions on a regular schedule for at least 8 to 12 sessions before evaluating results. Live commerce is a skill that compounds. Evaluate after 10 sessions, not after 1.
How do I handle rude comments in chat?
Ignore them entirely. Do not acknowledge, do not respond, do not let them change your energy. Use your comment moderation tools when needed. The vast majority of chat in Flykup live sessions is buyers asking genuine purchase questions.
Do I need to buy products before selling on Flykup?
If you are selling your own products or sourced inventory, yes. If you want to sell without holding inventory, Flykup's catalog gives you access to products from Indian suppliers to sell on commission — the supplier handles inventory and fulfillment. A good starting option for creators testing live commerce.
Your Next Step
Schedule Your First Session
You know what to say in the first 2 minutes. You know how to show each product. You know what to do if nobody watches. The only thing left is opening Flykup, tapping Schedule Session, and picking a time in the next 48 hours.