You've done an amazing presentation at your party. Your guests were involved and had a blast (several of them even went so far as to tell you that). You're feeling great about the experience as you step into the shopping portion of the evening. And all of a sudden, you notice people quietly gathering up their things and heading out the door…without placing an order.

If this happens to you every once in a while, consider yourself blessed and know that it's perfectly normal to have an off night occasionally. You can chalk it up to that and go about your business. If this is happening to you more often than not, however, it's time to look at ways to increase the likelihood that those guests who are so engaged and having fun during the party are also ordering at the end.

 

Here are a few of my best ideas for making sure this is happening consistently for you:

  1. Make sure you're dropping sales seeds throughout your party as you show your products.
  2. Make sure you're using tools during you party that support the sales process at the end. Using a wish list instead of a catalog for your guests to keep track of the items they like gives you a chance to actually have a snapshot of those items at the end of the party which makes the sales conversation easier. Plus, if your guests are writing down the things they like, they're psychologically more committed to wanting them.
  3. Use Party Packages (read how here) to make ordering easier for your guests.
  4. Many company's offer their guests an incentive (like a free item or a special discount) when they order. Be sure you're sharing how this works if your company does offer it. If they don't, come up with your own incentive for a certain order amount.
  5. Finally, be intentional before you step into the shopping portion of your presentation, telling them all about the guest and host specials, how easy it is to order, what forms of payment you accept, and how long it will take their products to arrive. I always ended this short "commercial" by telling them it was my intention to work one-on-one with everyone there to make sure they received the greatest value in whatever they ordered. I'd say, "If you know you need to leave right away, just raise your hand or get my attention and I'll come to you first.")

I know you're all much wiser than I am when it comes to this issue. What are your best ideas for converting fun into sales at the end of your parties?