Wouldn't it be great if you could clone yourself? Not only would you get your kids where they needed to go on time and get all your laundry done while you were cooking dinner and cleaning your house, but you would also be able to run your business while you were Super Mom. While I don't have the answer to how to clone yourself (sorry), I may have a way for you to accomplish more in your direct sales business in less time.

When I was working my party plan business, I held a multiple host event called “Party Fest” on the 2nd Tuesday of every month and it increased the number of parties I held from ten or twelve a month to as many as eighteen or twenty.

During that event I would hold six to eight parties in one night in one big room. It was always one big, awesome party, and often times I got my team involved and I supported them as they held a few parties of their own at my event. Plus, we always recruited like crazy.

"Party Fest" is a multiple-host event during which you hold several parties at a time in one large space. You can turn this into an easy opportunity event by adding a short presentation and testimonials from your team members at the end of the evening. This is something you can do as a one-time event, or monthly to increase your productivity (imagine holding six shows in one night!).

Offering Party Fest at your regular parties as an option for someone who doesn’t have a big house or doesn’t want to go to all the trouble of “putting on” a party themselves is a great idea. If your home is big enough, you can use it. Otherwise, check out options like meeting rooms in restaurants or community centers.

Here are some great ideas for creating a fun, lucrative event:

1. Design a fun, themed invitation for your event
2. Decide how many parties you can accommodate on that one night in your space
3. Depending on how much room you have, consider inviting select members of your team to host a few parties of their own during your event. This will get them involved and create built in support for you on the night of your event.
4. Ask each host to give you $10.00 to cover her portion of the event (and then pool all of the money to buy food, beverages, etc).
5. Be sure you still coach your hosts and get a guest list and postage from each host. Also, encourage them to call all their guests the night before the event to remind them to attend.
6. Each host gets a table or area for her guests. You might even consider having a contest to see who decorates her table the best based on your theme.
7. Raffle off some products to help cover the cost of the room or other expenses. I offered tickets at $1.00 each, or 10 tickets for $5.00. Almost everyone purchased $5.00 worth of tickets.
8. Do your presentation, complete with your story, booking commercial, opportunity commercial, and shopping time.
9. Teach your hosts how to help their guests with their orders. There won’t be enough of you to go around at the end of the evening, so you’ll need them to support you.
10. Include your team members, offering them two to three "party" tables of their own. They can provide manpower for your event by supporting you at the registration table, greeting, and refreshment table.

Most importantly, be sure everyone has fun and have them spread the word about your event (especially if you’re doing it once a month). Have any ideas for your own Party Fest?

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Julie Anne Jones is direct sales corporate consultant, coach, and trainer, and the CEO of Julie Anne Jones, Inc. She is known for her authentic and easy-to-use scripting and specializes in specific language and tools for success in direct sales. To learn more about Julie Anne and her products and services, and to read her weekly blog posts, visit her at www.julieannejones.com.