Booking home sales parties is one of the most important tasks a direct sales consultant can make happen in her business! Yet what happens when your business hits a dead end with home party hosts? We’ve all been there – so let’s find New Hosts together!
Here are some great places to look:
- Friends and Family – Encourage friends and family to help promote your business by taking the latest catalog and passing it around to their friends, co-workers and extended family. Instantly you are having a party!
- Party in a Box – Pull together a medium to large basket with some of your most popular products, catalogs and order forms, and work with local vendors to prominently promote your display (and your opportunity) in their shop:
- Nail Shops
- Hair Salons
- Health Clubs
- Your children’s activity studios – dance, karate, gymnastics, etc.
- Dr’s, Dentists, Hospital Waiting Rooms
- Model Home Centers
- Apartment Leasing Offices, etc.
- Business Networking/ Chamber Events – Have your “Elevator Speech” ready to share who you are and why someone would benefit greatly when they host a home sales party as you meet and greet like-minded individuals.
- Social Media – Promote your business through technology:
- Face Book and Twitter – Post tips and specials to encourage parties
- Monthly electronic Newsletter – Collect email addresses throughout the month and publish an engaging, interactive newsletter to make your customers happy and want to bring your fun and excitement into their home.
- Email – Ensure your signature line includes your web site with a link to your online store
- 12/25 Group – Gather 12 Direct Sales Consultants, each select a month and the other 11 consultants spend $25+ from the consultant’s web site to ensure each consultant has at least one successful party that month.
- Festivals, Fairs, and Fundraisers – Lots of people come together outside the home to support local charities and community events. Make sure you and your business are always front and center when supporting the cause:
- Craft, Holiday Shows
- Home and Garden Shows
- Bridal Shows
- Gun Shows (yes! Women attend these!)
- Church Events
- School Fundraising Fairs, Carnivals, etc.
- Stay away from flea markets. The people who attend these shows are looking for discounts, and your products will be degraded.
- Wear Flair – Promote your business by wearing your company name tag, a shirt or sweatshirt with your business and have your small children wear flair too. The best way to sell your business is to let others see that you are passionate about your products!
- Other Booking/Party Ideas
- Hold an office party during the lunch hour, either at your place of business or someone else's.
- Create Mini parties before a PTA meeting, or at a mom's outing.
- Semi annual Host Appreciation Tea – encourage hosts to rebook
- Follow up with phone calls to interested guests from your prior home sales parties. They may later decide to host a show.
- Call back all potential hostesses who said “maybe” or “sometime.”
Meet guest blogger Somer Gregory!
Somer is a proud and dedicated entrepreneurial soul. Her company, Willow House Style for Home and Jewelry by Sara Blaine embodies grace, warmth, and a bit of magic. Somer began her direct sales career with Southern Living at HOME on 03 October 2004 as an eager consultant with a zest for making people successful! She has enjoyed many fabulous 5 Star vacations, collaborated with some of the most amazing and dynamic women and men in the direct selling industry and today, Somer continues her success as a proud Director with an extraordinary team with Willow House (formerly Southern Living at HOME). Somer believes strongly in free enterprise and loves to help each guest identify a personal decorating and fashion style, sharing seasonal color trends and explaining how they are reflected in our exclusive Willow House products.
For more information, please visit: http://southernvabell.willowhouse.com.
Hi Wendy! Incentives can be anything you or your company offers for rewards to the business owner/host! Talk with the Business owner and 1) ask for their help and 2) share with them all the great rewards you can give them should they help you get sales and book parties for you (just like a regular hostess). It's a Win-Win for both of you. Just keep your display simple and eye catching – lots of business cards and check back with the store owner weekly to encourage, chat and see how the party is coming along.
Thanks for your reply, Somer. Great job on the blog.
Hi Kim!
12/25 Groups really are simple and easy. First, get "buy-in" from (hopefully) another 11 DS gals/guys to participate.
Set up a FB Page for the Group and add Just those folks who are committed to the monthly event.
Assign a month to each member of the team and let them know they can post deals, send reminders, encourage shopping, etc. It is a monthly opportunity for each of the 12 businesses in your group to SHINE!
I have heard this idea of setting up displays in local shops, Curves, offices, etc., but never understood exactly what the incentive is for the shop-owners? Can you explain how it benefits these venues to have the display there? Or do they just do it out of goodwill? Thanks!
I very informative guest post by Somer Gregory. You gave a lot of great ideas on where to go and how to build your business. I especially like the 12/25 group idea. I know lots of other direct sellers that I could work with. Thank you.