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You’re a busy person. You love what you do. You get to help your lots of people and change their lives and businesses for the better. There’s just one teeny problem – if you want to take a day off, maybe to hit up the beach or snuggle with your toddler, you stop making money. But what if you could build a profit funnel that keeps on earning you money even when you’re on a vacation or taking a sick day? Wouldn’t that be AMAZING to know your business can survive for a day or two without you? Maybe you’re intimidated by profit funnels and you think there were a zillion pieces that you can’t possibly keep up with. But you don’t have to do it all yourself! Kelly McCausey of Solo Smarts launched a new content package on mindsets that keep your prospects from success and how to defeat these self-limiting beliefs. Take a peek: http://ift.tt/2fnR5nT Kelly’s already done the hard work of writing content and creating graphics. She’s even designed the package so it’s a simple profit funnel you can start using today. Here’s what’s included… A 3,843 word lead magnet titled, “Are These 6 Lies Crushing Your Business Dreams?” An 800 word blog post to drive traffic to the lead magnet 30 Social Blurbs to promote your lead magnet 6 Social Graphics to Capture Visitors’ Interest A 12, 628 word e-book titled, “Crushing the Lies that Limit Your Business” (that you can sell for a profit!) 30 Business Affirmations Video with Audio (Post it on YouTube to get more traffic or use it as an exclusive gift only your customers get) Buy It Here: http://ift.tt/2fnR5nT Now, you can help everyone overcome self-defeating mindsets while building a profit funnel that can support your lifestyle. That’s something to celebrate! James PS: Kelly’s bumping up the price soon. If you want this offer, grab it now while the price is still low.
One of the most common challenges of being an independent consultant with a home party plan is the ability to get constant bookings. If you can’t keep your calendar full, it’s difficult to have success in a home party business. Below are three widespread reasons for less than stellar results in getting bookings. Keep reading, as it is also followed with solutions to overcome these challenges.
1. The people you talk with aren’t the party-hostess type. It may be that simple. They’re just not into having people over while someone tries to sell them something. Have you ever tried to convince your grandma to try skateboarding? Or tried to sell someone who only buys products made in the USA to purchase a foreign car? There are times that no matter what you say, you will not cause a cat to change her stripes.
2. You predetermine who would and would not be interested. You’ve decided in your head, “oh so and so wouldn’t be interested.” You don’t even give her the opportunity to consider it. You’ve already decided that her answer will be, “No.” If you have these psychic abilities to read minds, this may be another career more suited for you, Oh Great Swami.
3. Maybe, just maybe, the words and phrases you are using make those you talk with want to run! You may say the words “home party” but the person you’re speaking with hears “root canal and IRS audit.” Perhaps saying the same thing with different words may be more palatable.
The Fix:
If you recognize yourself in any of the above scenarios keep reading:
1. Your direct sales company may permit you to sell in ways other than home parties. Assuming you can, it may be a better fit for you to sell at craft shows or county fairs. More and more companies are allowing some degree of internet marketing; or maybe fundraisers might be your niche. If you’re getting nowhere trying to book home parties, try some alternative methods before you frustrate yourself to the point of “this doesn’t work, I’m quitting!”
2. Stop pre-qualifying everyone and give people a chance to say yes, no or maybe so. Under no condition should you ever, ever, use the word “favor.” Your host wouldn’t be doing you a favor by agreeing to have a party. You would be doing her a favor by giving her the opportunity to earn free and discounted products. To think otherwise gives the message you’re representing a company that has nothing of value to offer.
3. Rewrite your script. Omit the words Home Party from your vocabulary. Which sounds more inviting: “Do you want to host a home party and earn hostess benefits?” Or “Free (cosmetics, jewelry, kitchenware) for large orders” ? Both are offering the same benefits. Maybe “Open House” might bring more favorable results.
If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’re going to keep getting what you’ve been getting. It may be time to change it up a bit.
Do a search on home party ideas or home party themes and you’ll likely find a number of existing lists of ideas. Many of the lists contain the same standard beach party or chocolate lover’s party ideas. These are actually some fun ideas, but you’ve already hosted or considered one of these parties, right? Now you are searching for something different that not everyone is doing; time to spice it up a bit. If you want a fun, memorable party, do a “Tacky Party” theme.
Think tacky, tacky, tacky – the tackier, the better! Tell guests to dress tacky, but if they question what that means, don’t elaborate. This is the fun part. Some may arrive mismatched, some a little promiscuous, and others just bizarre and weird. Seeing their individual interpretations of tacky is just part of the fun. I’ve heard of one guest who refused to participate in the tacky dress portion, but came to the party anyway. Some of the other guests really thought she’d put an effort into dressing tacky, when actually she was wearing her every day clothes. Whoops!
The winner of the tackiest outfit will get a prize, which is also tacky, such as an inexpensive sparkly lawn flamingo from a local craft store. I note this goes against everything I preach, about if you’re going to give away anything to make sure it is a product from your own catalog. I’m assuming you probably don’t sell tacky items. So, this is one exception to the rule. You can still send your guests home with a swag bag containing samples of your fabulous products, though.
Print the invitations on scrap paper left over from the neighborhood yard sale or from someone else’s sale flyer, such as what you may find in your weekly free newspaper. Just put a big “X” on the back to cross out the other sale information.
The hostess can serve tacky foods such as Pop Tarts, Slim Jim’s, prunes, Little Debbie snacks, generic, off-brand soda and wine in a box; even better if she has leftover party plates and napkins from her kid’s birthday parties. If not, these are usually available at thrift stores for pennies. Your hostess will love this idea because it’s so easy to prepare the refreshments. How much effort does it take to break up a few Pop Tarts and open up Little Debbie snacks?!
As the consultant, you should participate in the theme as well. Wear a skirt with gym socks and high heels; make a t-shirt using a Sharpie and every single home party slogan you have ever heard, such as “Earn Some Free When You Party with Me” or “Is Money Low? Book a Show” or “I wish I may, I wish I might, have all the products I see tonight!” You could try “Just Book a Show” or “Join My Team.” Individually, these slogans are not so bad, but when you have a dozen different ones, it is definitely tacky. Check out the stickers at: thebooster.com, if you need more ideas.
If your hostess really wants her party to be remembered for years to come, she can decorate her front yard with a clothes line featuring giant granny panties and a bra, broken lawn chairs, old tires, and an empty case of beer.
Fun times! If it’s a little too over the top for you, remember that theme parties can be as big or as little as you like. I personally think if you’re going to play, then play big. You can still have a fun “Tacky Party” if you scale it down a bit. If your guests are having fun, it’s contagious and they’re more likely to buy more. It’s win/win!
I was talking with a consultant recently as she lamented that she drove 50 minutes to get to a home party. When she got there, only the hostess’ mother-in-law showed up; no other guests. The mother-in-law placed an obligatory order totaling $12.
The consultant earned 25% off that $12 sale or a sum total of $3.00 commission. She drove 50 minutes each way and went through three quarters of a tank of gas for which she paid $3.52 per gallon. She also turned down an opportunity to do a vendor event that night because this party was booked first. And she had to pay a babysitter while she was at the party. It doesn’t take a math whiz to calculate that the consultant lost
money traveling to do this party.
The hostess spent the day cleaning her house, making cookies and chopping fresh vegetables, and setting up folding chairs around her living room to accommodate all of her expected guests. Imagine how she felt when she went to all this trouble and only her mother-in-law showed up. Talk about awkward.
This is an unfortunate situation. This is also a common scenario that many direct sales
consultants may fess up happened to them at one time or another. This is also a situation that could have been avoided.
What went wrong? From the outcome, it appears a number of things went wrong. Likely the hostess did not invite nearly enough people. She also very likely did not call those she invited to determine if they were coming to the party or if they wanted to place an outside order.
It also may be a safe assumption that the consultant did not properly coach the hostess. Some things are certain in this business:
1. Many people will not RSVP, even though requested
2. Some people will say they are coming to the party, but will not show up
3. Only a small fraction of those invited will attend a home party
If the consultant had worked with the hostess, there would have been a much better turn out or the hostess would have told her that she didn’t have any confirmed guests other than her husband’s mom. The consultant could have made an informed decision if she wanted to reschedule the party, turn the party into a catalog or basket party, or make the drive regardless of lack of confirmed guests.
Some consultants choose to make a personal policy that they won’t travel to a party for fewer than five confirmed guests. Others set a mileage limit for those parties where very few have confirmed attendance. You’re an independent consultant, free to set whatever policies you choose to implement for you business.
I hope you never have a party like the one described above. Of if you have, I hope you’ve made corrections to avoid it in the future.
If someone is described as a wallflower, it usually refers to people who are shy and fade into the background. Typically they are people who no one really knows or pays any attention to. We often think of loners hugging the wall at a high school dance.
If you are a direct sales consultant, you have no business being a wallflower at home parties. Some consultants, either out of nervousness or misinformation, tend to stand or sit back in a corner or hide in the kitchen while party guests are arriving. If this describes you, read on. You’re situating yourself in the wrong place.
You want to be visible, warm and welcoming. I’m not suggesting that you should be the one to answer the door and then get all in the guests faces before they even have a chance to put their purses down. Rather, as guests are coming in, you should be near the door. Smile, say hello and introduce yourself.
As they are getting situated, hand them a catalog, door prize slip, order form and a pen. Don’t hold the catalog hostage. Be respectful of their time and allow them to start flipping through the pages as others are coming in. If there is a bit of a lull between guests arriving, go ahead and sit down among the existing guests and get to know them a bit. Don’t talk about yourself; ask probing questions about their day, their family, their work, and then just listen.
When it comes time for you to do your brief, and I do mean brief, presentation decide which location is best. Some prefer to stand up in front of the room and have everyone with eyes up front, listening. This is the student teacher school room format. Others prefer to remain seated among the guests and just talk from the heart. It’s relaxed and comfortable. Products are in the center on a coffee table or they’re passed around while you’re talking about the features of the product line.
When it comes time for the guests to finalize their orders, you would be okay being a mild version of a wallflower. Do not hover. Stay visible and accessible should they have questions, but you don’t need to be all in their face while they’re deciding what to order or how much to spend.
Whether you leave first, or the guests leave before you’ve wrapped up the party, make it a point to thank them for coming and leave them with parting pleasantries. Providing you don’t have to depart from a current guest you may be conversing with, try to make eye contact and shake hands with each guest as they leave.
Party guests are more apt to want to do business with, i.e. book a party or purchase product, from someone they know and find pleasant to deal with. If you’re hiding in the kitchen or blending in with the wall, you won’t be able to give them an opportunity to know and like you.
“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!
