The very heart of the home party plan business is dating more parties. Without parties, your business is at a virtual standstill, with no ways to generate substantial sales. With your date book filled with scheduled parties, a world of opportunity opens up for you to grow your business and experience financial rewards.
So how do you generate more parties? Here are my 5 favorite ways to get more parties dated during a home party demonstration.
#5 Offer Incentives As you go about your demonstration, be sure you point out various dating incentives to your guests. Make sure the guests know that they can receive a gift just for dating a party, and another for holding the party. Go over your party plan companies hostess plans, and when possible, show guests the actual items they can receive.
#4 Stack Your Hostess Play a game of Show and Tell. You can explain hostess gifts to your guests until you are blue in the face, but until the guests actually see what it is that they can receive, it doesn't mean much to them.
Towards the end of your presentation, have your hostess sit in a chair at the front of the room. Take this opportunity to thank her for hosting the party. Then begin to stack her.
Starting with the gift of least value, hand all the items to her one by one that she has received for hosting the party. Give her the conversation starter gift, the dating gift, the hosting gift. Make sure you stack her with all the items it is possible to receive, even if the party sales are not totaled yet. Does your company offer half price items in addition to other hostess gifts? Stack her with those as well.
When guests see just how much they can receive, they are more likely to date a party themselves.
#3 The Theme Book Your party guests want to have fun! What better way to get them excited than by offering a wide array of themed parties? Everything from the traditional Auction Party to a Banana Split Party, Couples Party, Children's Party or Margarita with the Girls. Get creative and think of fun ways that your guests can come together with their friends.
Print out a simple information page with each of these ideas and put the pages in a 3-ring binder. Leave the binder on the coffee table before and during the party. When your guests find a theme that interests them, they will be happy to date a show with you.
#2 Dating Games Most home party consultants offer their guests some sort of prize or trinket for coming to a show. Reserve your most sought after trinkets and prizes for a special dating game. At the end of your show, offer the best goodies to your guests for participating in the Dating Game.
Have all the trinkets in a large bowl or decorated box. On each trinket, attach a note. Half the notes should say "Host a Party" while the other half should have a variety of messages ranging from "Draw Again" to "You've Won a Free Item". Tell the guests that participation in this game is optional. Explain to the guests that on each prize is a note, and whatever the note says is what is to be done. If a guest draws a "free item" prize, you will give her a specified free item, but if she draws a "Host a Party" prize, you expect her to date a party tonight.
This really helps to determine which guests are willing to hold a party. Only guests who are willing to consider the idea will draw a prize.
#1 ASK! This might seem obvious, but the best way to date more parties at your next demonstration is to get into the habit of asking each guest. Do not feel that you are being pushy. The guests expect you to ask them to host a party! One method I have used to force myself to ask each and every guest when they place their order is this.
At the beginning of the party, I make an announcement. I hold out a $20 bill and say "At the end of the show I will be asking each and every one of you to host a party to be eligible to receive all these wonderful hostess gifts! If, however, I forget to ask you to host a show, I will give you $20 worth of product of your choice!"
This forces me to ask each guest, and makes each guest aware, prepared, and even looking forward to my question.
A great way to showcase the products in a makeup or bath product starter kit is to throw an old fashioned spa party for moms you know. This type of direct sales party can be advertised as "NO kids allowed!" Get your husband or another family member to take your own children out of the house for the afternoon, and turn your house into girls only territory.
Then make sure you have some fun and interesting direct sales home party plan games to play! Women love to play games at the home party demonstration.
Clothespin Game A terrific game at these kinds of home party demonstrations is easy and inexpensive to plan for. All you need is a spring type clothespin for each guest.
Have them clip it on the edge of their skirt hem, lapel or collar. Anyone who says the words "kids", "children" or any form thereof is free game for the nearest woman to grab her clothespin and add it to her own.
Any group of moms is bound to bring up kids every third or fourth sentence, so there should be general scrambling and hilarity as one after another they forget and say the banned words! Of course, the one who ends up with all of the clothespins wins, and gets a prize in the form of a product or coupon. As the party plan hostess, you will probably have to referee - it can get pretty competitive.
Product Raffle Another great direct sales party trick is to have everyone chip in to buy a ticket at the door. The proceeds can be used to purchase an item which is then put up for a drawing, so one lucky mom goes home with an extra product!
Dress-Up During the home party demonstration, you can of course let a few lucky volunteers test drive your products - and have some more fun at the same time! Stock up before the party on vintage costume accessories such as sunglasses, scarves and hats, and cut some celebrity pics out of a magazine based on your guest's features. Your guests can take turns playing celebrity look alike and the best impersonation wins a prize.
Once you have held a few successful direct sales parties, your reputation as an innovative party plan hostess will get around, and you will find your friends asking when the next one is scheduled! This is a great way to make money and get a chance to connect and have a fun time with other moms all in one afternoon.
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