“One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but ends up impoverished.” The wise Author of this Proverb teaches us that givers get.

You may be in business to make money (hopefully that is your goal, else you have a hobby), but you sometimes need to spend money to make money. You need to give some of your products away to get more sales. If you’re holding on too tightly you may end up with all that is in your hand and nothing more. You won’t experience additional growth.

Door prizes and giveaways at home parties is one good way to increase both sales and bookings. This should go without saying, but based on what I’ve read in the forums and have witnessed by attending other direct sales home parties, it’s does need to be said: When considering what to give away please make sure it’s a product prize from your company. It boggles my mind why some consultants give away chocolate bars, chap stick or other products that don’t even represent their own company product line!

The best way to determine who gets the door prize or giveaway is to know your hostess and the crowd. If you don’t know, then ask enough questions until you have a good feel for the audience. If you’re presenting to a group of guests who are open to some games, then play some. Some guests will be a little on the competitive side, so a game is a great way to get the party started. Additionally, it helps the guests relax a bit, have some fun and get to know each other better.

If you opt to play a game, do keep it brief so you can get onto the real business of experiencing your products. If you end up playing more than one game be sure give a disclaimer that each person can only win once. The winner, or winners if there is a tie, will get the prize. You can announce what they’re playing for or you can hold back and just tell them they’ll win something from the catalog.

On the other hand, if you announce you’re going to play a game, and you get moans and groans, or worse yet, scowls, folded arms and eyes rolling to the back of their heads, forgo the game altogether. Do a quick door prize drawing. Either randomly draw a name out of those selected or have them guess something, such as the number of jelly beans in a jar (if it is the Easter season). Closest answer would win the prize.

Door prize slips are a wonderful method to get potential leads. Be sure to ask for their email, phone number and whether or not they’d be interested in hosting a party or learning more about the business opportunity. Then after the party, make sure you actually use the leads you’ve collected to send out information about promotions and new products. Don’t just stick the door prize slips in a file or worse yet, in the trash.

Whether you choose to do a drawing or play a game, giving away prizes is a great way to introduce new people to your products and gain future customers. Everyone likes to win something!