Complete Guide: How to Do Sales Live on Tiktok

More and more brands and entrepreneurs are looking for ways to sell live on TikTok. And it shouldn't be a surprise since live shopping has shown 3x the engagement of traditional e-commerce ⚡

You might think this is only for big brands or influencers with thousands of followers, but today any brand can learn to sell through TikTok lives (even if TikTok Shop is not enabled in their country)

Check out the real case with one of our clients who generates approximately $500 per hour of TikTok Live:

In this article, I'm going to show you step by step:

• How to do effective lives on TikTok to sell

• What products to show on your lives

• The essentials of every successful TikTok Live

• Liveshopping strategies and how to engage your audience

• And how to close sales during your live streams!

💡 Moreover, you can download for free “the guide to live selling (without being an influencer)” here:

Before starting, what is a sales live?

A sales live (also called live shopping or live commerce) is a digital commerce strategy that combines live broadcasts with the ability to buy products in real-time. 

During the live, the seller showcases the products, answers real-time questions, and encourages immediate purchase. It's like teleshopping but on social networks like TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook. The hallmark of these lives is that users can interact with the brand, see the products in use, and make purchase decisions on the spot. 

Live shopping vs. traditional lives

The main difference between sales lives (live shopping) and traditional lives is in the objective and dynamic:

👉 Sales lives are designed to sell in real-time. 

You present products, answer potential buyers' questions, and try to encourage purchases with elements like exclusive offers, links, and a sense of urgency.

👉 Meanwhile, traditional lives aim to connect or entertain. 

You can talk about a topic, show your behind-the-scenes routine, or simply chat with your audience, but without the intention of closing a sale during that broadcast.

In short, if live shopping seeks immediate conversion, traditional lives focus on branding and community.

Why do sales lives work?

The success of live commerce lies in its ability to digitally recreate the in-store shopping experience, combining demonstration, human interaction, and urgency in a single format.

• Real-time interaction and trust

The fact that the audience can ask, see product demos, and receive instant responses builds trust and reduces uncertainty in their purchase decision. 

• Entertaining experience

Having the entertainment + sales duo keeps viewers' attention longer, which favors conversion.

• FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

The effect of seeing others buy live is a powerful motivator. Real-time promotions and scarcity activate the “fear of missing out” which turns many viewers into instant buyers.

STEP BY STEP: How to do a sales live on TikTok 

In this section, I show you step by step how to prepare your broadcast to make the most of it, even if you are in a country where TikTok's direct checkout is not yet available (like most of LATAM). Spoiler: WhatsApp will be your best ally 😉

STEP 1: Choose wisely which products to showcase

Start with a key question: Which products do you get asked about or purchased the most? Those are the ones you should show first in your live.

Go for visually appealing products, with attractive prices and easy to explain. For example: if you sell accessories, choose the most colorful ones or if you sell clothing, show the most requested sizes.

STEP 2: Promote your live in advance

TikTok doesn't always notify all your followers, so give it a little help 😉

• Post a short video saying when your live will be and what you’ll showcase

• Create a countdown story

• Also share it on Instagram and WhatsApp

You could use something like: “This Friday at 6:00 p.m. we'll see you LIVE to show you the new skincare sets with a huge discount only live 💅 Activate the reminder!”

The more anticipation you create, the greater the possibility of having people connected from the start.

STEP 3: Start your live on TikTok

Before pressing "Go Live," make sure you have decent lighting, a stable connection, and your products nearby.

Attention! You must be over 18 and have more than 1,000 followers for your Tiktok account to have the Live option. And once you have it, @anicarteras, share this hack:

• Expert advice to prevent TikTok from restricting your sales lives:

1.- From your profile, tap “+” and slide to the final Live option

2.- Go to Settings > Content Notification

3.- Activate “Notify about LIVE content”

3.- Check according to the products you will offer “Own Brand” or “Branded Content” and Save

4.- Now hit “Go Live”

STEP 4: Showcase your products and interact with your audience

This is your moment to shine ✨

Show how it's used, mention its benefits, and respond to comments in real-time. This makes the experience feel close and authentic.

Ask questions like Which color do you like the most? or Who would you gift it to?

📌 Later, we will see effective strategies for selling on TikTok Live and recommendations to better connect with your audience, so stay until the end 😉

STEP 5: Close the sale

In most LATAM countries, TikTok Live still does not allow direct purchases from the app, as is the case in Mexico. But don't worry: WhatsApp is your best channel to close the sale. 

Why?

• It is the most used messaging channel in Latin America

• Builds trust and closeness

• You can send payment links, shipping details, and maintain contact

Moreover, if you add the direct link to your WhatsApp in the chat or display the number on the screen, you make it easy for them!

The essentials for a good TikTok live selling event

David Tafur, CEO of Yavendió, shares these 4 essentials you should map out when selling through TikTok Live:

• Setting: It's your staging. If you have a store or warehouse and use it as a real setting, it adds trust with your audience. You can even say “This is my store. We are at Av. Las Palmeras 534. Come visit us”

💡 It is also important that the setting is tidy and looks professional.

• Details: Show the product with as much detail as possible. Mentioning its features is important, but also its benefits. If you can show how that product is going to benefit your customer's life, you earn many points.

• Consistency: This is perhaps one of the key points. Do TikTok Lives consistently and don't be discouraged if you don't make a sale the first time. It's about gaining an audience and teaching the algorithm that your content is valuable. 

💡 How long should your TikTok Live for sales be? At least 1 hour.

• Call to Action: The call to action. You must let your audience know how to contact you to make that sale: through your direct messages, WhatsApp, etc. It's crucial! 

7 Liveshopping strategies on TikTok: How to sell live on TikTok?

Here I share with you 7 strategies that work both for big brands and entrepreneurs alike. 

1. Offer exclusive discounts during the live 🔥

The discounts that are only active while the broadcast lasts create urgency and make the person feel that if they don't buy now, they lose the opportunity.

Phrases like “Only during the live: 20% discount on this kit” or “This code disappears when the live ends” work very well.

2. Launch new products live 🚨

A live launch turns your broadcast into a whole event. 

Imagine telling your audience: “You are the first to see this product. It's not on the web or in the store yet.”

They will feel part of something exclusive and that is perfect for triggering early purchases.

If you do this, I recommend creating anticipation days in advance with stories, ads, or posts that say: “Don't miss this Thursday’s live… something new is coming”.

3. Sell few units and say it! 📦

When your customer perceives that they might miss out on the product, the decision to purchase accelerates.

Something that works is showing the number of available units and updating it live when they sell out.

For example: “Thank you, Mariana, for your purchase! Now there are only 8 units left.”

4. Use the live to invite your physical store 🏪

Do you have a location? Perfect.

Use the live stream to generate visits to your store and extend the offline experience. It’s also a good idea to showcase your stock with the store in the background to encourage people to want to see the products.

5. Create thematic lives on key dates 🎉

Black Friday, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Christmas… special dates have a “buying mood,” and that plays in your favor.

Decorate your recording space and do activities like giveaways, limited combos, or games. You can take advantage of special commercial dates in your TikTok lives like this:

•  “Father's Day special: the 5 best gifts in 20 minutes”

•  “Christmas combo only available on this live”

Touch the emotional aspect of the date and reinforce urgency live.

6. Collaborate with complementary brands 🤝

Activate the power of collaborations. Both brands can benefit and even create a pack of their products just for the live.

Do you sell home products? Partner with a brand of air fresheners. Do you sell desserts? Partner with a local café.

This will give you:

• Variety in content

• Combined audience 

• Shared costs

• Greater chances of cross-selling

7. Stream consistently 📅

The big mistake made by those who start selling via TikTok live (and fail to grow) is having just one broadcast. 

It's normal for your first live not to be a sales success, but the key is consistency. Don’t just do a live and disappear, make it a habit. 

You can set up a series of lives like “Beauty Wednesdays” or “Sunday Exclusive Offers” so that your followers become familiar with this content and increase your audience.

From viewers to buyers: How to close sales on your TikTok live?

Let's get to the most important part: closing the sale.

Businesses registered with TikTok Shop have the possibility to integrate their catalog during the live and enable viewers to purchase within the same platform.

However, as of now, the only Latin American country with TikTok Shop available is Mexico (it is expected that TikTok will launch it in more countries progressively). 

This is where WhatsApp serves as a strategic channel ☝️

Today digital businesses close 3x more sales through WhatsApp than through a store or website, and you can leverage this for your TikTok lives!

The general dynamic in these TikTok sales lives goes like this:

⚡ You gather audience for your lives

⚡ You generate interest in your products during the direct

⚡ Send potential clients to WhatsApp to place their order

⚡ Close the sale through this channel (and retain them for future purchases)

Of course, for the magic to happen, you (or your team) need to be prepared and respond quickly.

If you want to save time and money in this last stage, there are solutions that automate sales via WhatsApp like Yavendió!, your virtual AI seller.

More than 100 e-commerce brands are already using our AI agent that responds instantly, clears doubts, sends your product catalog, and can close sales without human intervention.

👉 While you are on TikTok connecting with your audience, your AI is selling via WhatsApp 24/7 It's that easy!

DOWNLOAD NOW “Live Shopping on TikTok: The Ultimate Guide to Selling Live (Without Being an Influencer)” 

Want to launch your first TikTok Live and start selling in real-time?

We have created this guide with the most relevant points from this article + resources to help you generate sales with TikTok Live:

📘 Download it for free HERE and you'll find:

• The proven step-by-step to do a sales live on TikTok

• Effective strategies to convert viewers into buyers, even if it's your first live.

• The metrics that really matter to know if your live truly worked (spoiler: they're not the likes).

• The framework to assess and select your most sellable products.

• The practical checklist with everything you can't forget on live day.

• 15-day roadmap to launch your first sales live 

Your audience is already on TikTok, they just need to see you sell! 🚀