It’s undeniable that one of the most challenging aspects of direct sales is finding reliable people to host parties. And even when you DO get people to say yes to hosting, actually getting them to show up for you and do the work they need to do to fill up their living room can be a chore. Ultimately, if people let you down, there isn’t much you can do about it other than writing it off as a bad experience.
The trick, then, is to reduce the number of people who will end up letting you down. And one of the best ways of doing this is to give them what is known as an “irresistible offer.” Today, we’re going to explore a few means of sparking the fire in your party hosts that they simply cannot refuse to follow. Ready to get started?
Understand the Problem
It’s vital that you understand where your potential hosts are coming from if you want to create a compelling offer for them. Lots of things can cause a host to fail, however, there is one common theme that will keep coming up again and again – trust.
The Trust Issue
The simple truth is that potential party hosts may not trust you, mostly because they’ve probably had a bad experience with another direct seller in the past. They will assume that you’re just like her and that you won’t support her and will expect her to do all the work. It doesn’t matter if you’re the nicest person in the world, because of her bad experience in the past, she’ll mistrust you. So let’s look at some way to attract new hosts and reassure the ones who do say “yes” that this experience with you will be different.
Provide First-Class Training
Make it easy for potential hosts to educate themselves. One thing you may want to consider is a simple way to educate your hosts about what they can do to have a successful party. I’ve used online courses to educate thousands of direct sellers for the past several years. You can create easy-to-follow guides that will walk your host through every process you expect of them. Look into Adobe Captivate training or point them to the an informational series you have written on your blog or Facebook business page (you can use the Notes feature to do this). The point is to make it as easy as possible for your hosts and make them feel like they cannot fail.
Compel Them to Action With an Incentive
One thing you can know for certain about your potential hosts is that they have an interest in your products. So why not take that interest and turn it into a desire in them to succeed. Incentives work. Obviously, your host knows she’ll be receiving lots of free and discounted items if she hosts a party and that can often be enough to encourage her to take the leap of faith and say yes. But why not offer her something more if she meets your expectations. Here are a few ideas:
- An incentive for getting their guest list back to you within a week
- An incentive for having at least five guests at their party
- An incentive for getting outside orders or bookings
These incentives can include things like free shipping or a less expensive item from your product line. IMPORTANT! Your host doesn’t get any incentive promised until you show up for their ACTUAL party (and make that clear when you outline the incentives for them)
Help Them See The Value Of Your Business Opportunity
Don’t forget, it can be difficult for hosts to see the bigger picture of what joining your company could mean for them. Many of them just can’t imagine a party turning into a potential goldmine of a business. If they follow your guidance and have a successful party, they may be more encouraged to consider giving what you do it a try. Make sure you’re offering to turn their party into a kickoff party for them and give them all the bookings you get if they say yes to starting their business.
Offer assistance
The final step is to make it super easy for your potential host to do her job. There is a whole range of things you can do to support her. You might offer to call her guests to ensure attendance, send out her invitations for her, and offer to arrive early to help her set up and calm her nerves. Make sure you’re also following up with her often before her party to give her support, answer questions, and remind her of what her next step is (like calling to confirm with her guests or following up on outside orders).
So there you have it. Some ideas for giving potential hosts an offer they can’t refuse. The bottom line is, it’s all about building a relationship with your host and these tips will help you do that in a very positive way. So what have I missed? Are there things you do for your hosts that help them succeed? Share them in the comments below. I’d love to hear them.
Need some help filling up your calendar as we head into the busy Fall selling season? Grab your complimentary copy of my “Book Yourself Solid In The Next 30 Days” roadmap. It’s yours for free when you subscribe to my mailing list. Already a member of the list? My system won’t add you twice, so go ahead and grab the roadmap anyhow. Click here to grab your roadmap now!
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN PRINT OR ONLINE?
You may, as long as you do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate)
Julie Anne Jones is a sought after keynote speaker, online trainer, and corporate business consultant. She’s an accredited life and business coach with over fifteen years of experience speaking on stages across the United States and Canada. Known as “the systems specialist,” Julie Anne can break down any concept into simple, step-by-step, action-oriented training. She is known for her authentic and easy-to-use scripting and specializes in specific language and communication tools for business success. To learn more about Julie Anne and her products and services, and to read more blog posts, visit her at www.julieannejones.com.
