In the business of direct sales party plan selling, hostess coaching is a vital part of our business. Hostess coaching is done to insure a good turn-out for the demonstration of the products we are selling, and to get additional sales from the people who are not able to attend. You can also increase your bookings through hostess coaching by just adding a little bit more to your coaching contacts.

Traditionally we provide our hostesses with catalogs and order forms and instruct them to get orders from the guests who will not be able to attend. We may suggest a price-point that she aims for: $100, $200 or more in “outside” orders before the party starts. This is an excellent way to increase our sales and, just as important, the amount of products our hostesses receive.

But is there a way for us to teach our hostesses to get additional bookings for us? Yes there is! It’s a simple and easy way for us to increase our bookings and generate more business.

We know when we are talking to our new hostess we need to suggest to her that she show the catalog to the people who are not able to attend the party. What would happen to your business if you said, “Sally as you are showing the catalog to people who can’t attend I want you to listen for some ‘magic words.’ If your friend is commenting about how many things she likes in the catalog and having a tough time narrowing down what it is she would like to get, then suggest to her to book her own party so she can take advantage of our hostess program. Words you want to be listening for are things like:

• There are so many cute things in here.
• I just can’t decide which one to get.
• There’s several things I want but I can afford to get only one.
• This is cute! Oh I like that one, too.
• I sure could use that but I don’t think I want to spend that much.

When you hear your friends saying things like that, suggest they get one or two items from your party and then book their own party to get the rest of the things they like at free and reduced prices. That way you can take advantage of what our hostesses receive when they get bookings. Then explain to her what’s in it for her when there are bookings at her party.

The night of her party how much easier is it to talk to her about recruiting? She’s already experienced selling and booking with your company. When you ask her if “she has ever considered doing what you are doing?” you can point out to her to that she has already been a consultant with your company because she has gotten sales and also bookings. Tell her that when she becomes a consultant those bookings would be hers to help her get started.

Showing your hostesses how to get outside bookings is a way to increase your business! You will either have additional bookings you otherwise would not have gotten, or else you’ll have a new recruit!

Ruth Fuersten, America’s #1 Direct Sales Teacher, is author of HOW TO BOOK, SELL AND RECRUIT YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS and co-author of DIRECT SELLING POWER. To receive her free newsletter go to http://www.booksellrecruit.com

As Direct Sales consultants, it’s our job to provide hostess coaching. This can be done in-person, by phone or via email.

Not sure how to do hostess coaching? Here are some easy tips.

Before The Party

1. Thank your new host for booking a home party. Give he/she the party planning packet. Inside the packet you should include a guest list, invitations (if he/she is mailing them out), 3 catalogs, 10 order forms (for outside orders), business opportunity flyer, 10 business cards, consultant contact information sheet and a pen.

2. Set the dates – you need 1 date for the host to get the guest list back to you (if you are mailing the invitations), and 1 date for the party. Make sure you both get a written copy of these important dates.

3. Contact the host 1 week after the booking to follow up and to confirm. Answer any questions and give additional information if needed.

4. Contact the host 1 week before the party date. Have your host send out reminders to his/her guests.

5. Call 24-48 hours before the party. Get directions and confirm how many guests will be attending.

Offering Incentives To Help With Hostess Coaching

1. Give a free gift for booking on the spot! Offering an immediate reward starts the excitement early.

2. Give a free gift for getting the guest list back to you in a timely manner.

3. Offer a free product for having 10 outside orders before you arrive.

These gifts can be inexpensive little items.

After The Party

1.Call the host 24 hours after the party to thank them. Let them know when to expect product delivery.

2. Send a thank you card by postal mail.

3. Contact your hosts every 3 months to get re-bookings or referrals.

Following these coaching tips will help to ensure a successful home party. If it’s a positive experience, the more likely it is that he/she will re-book another party with you.

Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989. Shelly is a Manager with Tupperware. You can contact Shelly at:
Web: http://www.classybusinesswomen.com
Recipe Blog: http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com

In Direct Sales, everything comes back to your sales average. Your individual order average, your show average, they both are key determinants in your success. If your average show is $300, you’ll have a harder time persuading someone to join your team that the consultant who cranks out $1000 shows. Your show results determine whether or not the guests think you’re successful. If they don’t think you’re successful, they’re not joining your team. Period.

Hosts want you to have a successful show for several reasons:

• It makes them look good to their friends.
• They get to have a fun time with their friends.
• They get more free stuff.

Yes, it is in that order. Whether they’ll tell you or not, hosting a party means they’re the “cool friend” for the moment. So naturally, they want their party to be outstanding. They want lots of people in attendance, because even if the party’s a flop, people will talk about how many other people will there. They want guests to spend lots of money because it means they’ll be able to brag about having a “successful” party – and everyone wants to have a successful party. When hosts feel successful, they’re having a great time – and so are their guests. Even the crabbiest of guests will stay out of the way when things are going well at a party.

Notice that “more free stuff” is at the bottom of the list. And yet, we as consultants harp on all the free goodies that our hosts receive. Playing to our sense of greed only works in certain situations, and can often turn off a potential host from booking a show. The current trend isn’t about showing off our stuff, but rather our hearts, and our generosity. This is a wave that ebbs and flows through the years. It’s a trend that if you’re not paying attention can actually do serious damage to your business.

Here are 5 tips to help coach your host to higher show sales:

Check the temperature. Listen to what she’s saying about parties she’s hosted in the past. Why does she host parties? Is it for fun, for free stuff, or to look good to her friends? Make note, and be sure to express to her how having a party will accomplish her most important goal, whichever one it is.

Verify the objectives. At your first session, and at each contact point along the way, reinforce in her mind your booking objectives. I recommend securing 1 booking before the show, as well as 5 outside orders, and 30-40 invited guests. You’ll need to calculate objectives based on your averages and the desired outcome of the party.

Reward the results. I offer small bonus gifts for each objective my hosts accomplish before the start of the party. The more valuable the objective, the more valuable the gift. If a host brings me 3 bookings before the start of the show, her reward will be greater than someone that brings just one. A booking bonus will be more valuable than 30 invitations. Decide in your business how you will reward your hosts. After all, they are the reason you stay in business.

Build up the host. Your host is the guest of honor in her own home. Treat her like a goddess. connect with her throughout the coaching process. At the show, be more than friendly. Be helpful. Ask her questions, build a friendship with her, and she will continue to refer business to you long after the party is over. Treat her like she is doing you the biggest favor in the world – because in a way she is.

Learn to let go. This goes hand-in-hand with number 4. While she is your source of income, she is not the only fish in the sea. Learn to walk the line between building her up, and letting her walk all over you. Don’t give her special considerations or relent on a prize that she didn’t earn. Be firm about your objectives and hold her accountable to them. Be gracious, be grateful, but don’t be a doormat.

Learning to set the stage for success takes practice. Once you embrace the real value of your hostess, you’ll be able to see how you’re building a temporary business partnership with her. Take time to get to know them, hold them accountable, and you’ll see more success in your direct sales business.

Lisa Robbin Young offers direct sales coaching and training to direct sales professionals looking to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com.

If you are in the party plan or direct sales business, you may find that some hostesses prefer to collect orders from friends as an alternative to holding an actual home party.

A home party presentation is always preferable because it provides guests a multi-sensory experience with your product. However, in some instances (such as a long-distance friend or family member) a catalog party can be a viable alternative.

The following are some tried and true tips for helping your catalog hostess experience success in this alternative venue to a traditional home party.

1) Set a deadline. Keep a catalog party open for no more than about 10 days. By keeping the deadline close in, your hostess will keep it high on her priority list.

2) Coach your hostess to keep a few catalogs circulating amongst as many of her friends and co-workers as possible. This limits the amount of time that a guest has to lose track of the catalog in the scurry of life. Suggest, for example, that your hostess drops a catalog off at a friend’s house on her way to the grocery store and pick up the payment and order on the way home. That way she can quickly share the catalog with someone else.

3) Offer to mail catalogs or send your website link to long distance family and friends. Let your hostess know you usually do follow up calls to explain product to these people as well. She should make an initial call to be sure they are interested in the product before you spend money on postage.

4) Be sure your hostess knows how to complete your order forms and properly add up orders including tax and shipping.

5) Do not assume your hostess will know what to say…help her with scripts for talking to her friends. “Mary, I was thinking about you when I decided to do this catalog party. I just KNOW you’re going to love (name a specific product) because (you love to entertain, you have so many birthdays to buy for, you love to cook, you love to decorate, you are so great about playing with your kids, you take so many pictures, you care about family values…FILL IN THE BLANK based on your product!) When is a good time for me to drop by for about 5 minutes?

6) If your hostess is local, consider leaving your hostess a small sampling of product to show her friends while circulating catalogs.

7) Do a mini demonstration your products to the hostess before she begins to collect orders to build her enthusiasm and help her know what to say.

8 ) Goal set with your hostess. Find out what is on her wish list and (based on a low average customer sale for your product), help her know how many orders she will need to collect to get the items she would like for free or at a reduced price.

9) Be sure to offer your hostess the opportunity to join you in the business! Anyone who is a successful catalog hostess should absolutely positively become a consultant. After all, she is really doing YOUR job, right? Let her know that if she would like to join you as a consultant on your team, she can use this first catalog party as her own! This is a great way to get her business off to a fast start.

10) If you have a hostess who is particularly successful, ask her how she collected so many orders. This information is invaluable in training team members and in coaching your next catalog hostess!

FINALLY, once again remember that a catalog party should be booked only as frosting on the cake. DO NOT consider them to be replacements for home parties which are the real bread and butter in the direct sales/party plan business.

Dede Gruenberg is a freelance writer, trainer and business coach. She has been sharing her extensive experience in the direct sales/party plan business since 2004 working with The Success Factory. TheSuccessFactory.com is a unique resource providing specific strategies, techniques and resources to exceed in business, family and life.  http://TheSuccessFactory.com

Home party business opportunities have existed for decades, beginning with the all too popular Tupperware party. Everyone’s grandmother or at least mother has attended such a party, where the host invites her friends and family for an evening of fun. She greets them at the door and leads them to a living room with wall-to-wall folding chairs for the myriad of guests she has invited. Then a neatly dressed woman stands in front of the group, explaining various pieces of pastel colored plastic containers as women ooh and ahh over the wonderful guests of honor. The party ends with some sort of bar or cake and coffee or punch and a discreet area where the guests/customers can place their orders.

Since the inception of Tupperware parties, the home party business era has exploded. Women have parties to sell clothing, quick-food items, cooking utensils, and even cleaning products. Nothing is sacred from the home party, and in actuality, it takes very little to completely screw up a great party. A home party business woman or man must only make a few small faux pas to lead his customers scratching their heads.

Throwing the worst home party ever begins with the cold shoulder. When the door bell rings, the horrible host will open it, say hello, and then leave the guests standing at the door. She will not offer to take their coats but will instead just hurry them into the sitting area so they can hear the business owner’s pitch.

The presentation of a horrible party is a touchy element. The horrible business woman will push only her most expensive product. She will briefly mention the cheaper items as a sort of starter, but her emphasis will stay on how the customers can utilize her higher end products.

She will also do well as a terrible business person by reminding her customers and her host’s guests of their obligation to the host. She might mention how badly the host needs the free products that their purchases will result in. Then she will once again go back to re-explaining their need for her most expensive product. If all else fails, she will shame them into purchasing the product by mentioning her own need for financial assistance and possibly some of her most recent failures of parties.

Finally, the horrible business owner will set her ordering area up in an area where everyone can see what is occurring. Then she will call on the customers one at a time by name, demanding that they come to her so she can take their order.

We can all learn from our mistakes, and examining what makes a horrible party may well lead us to conclude what makes a great home party business opportunity. If we want to experience success, we will certainly seek a way to avoid the same critical mistakes that the horrible host and business woman commit.

Jim Biscardi is owner of Dynamic Wealth Systems, LLC and writes on a variety of subjects. To learn more about this topic Jim recommends you visit: www.DynamicWealthSystems.com

Are you looking into joining a Direct Sales Company? Are you already involved in a Direct Sales business? If so, it is important to know exactly what it takes to run a successful business from home.

I would like to tell you up front that it’s not easy. You will need to get organized and prioritize your home and business tasks. You will need to attend company trainings and consistently work on your business so that it will succeed.

This ABC Checklist will be a great reminder of what it takes to run a successful business from home.

Advertising - You need to advertise your home business to make it grow. Advertising can be done online or offline, but your advertising efforts will need to be consistent. Keep track of which ads bring you the results you seek and toss the ones that don’t work.

Bookkeeping - You need to keep records of all your expenses and income. If you are not great at bookkeeping, consider hiring a virtual assistant or bookkeeper for your home office.

Customer Service – Give your customers great service to keep them coming back for more and to generate word of mouth referrals.

Dedication - It takes a lot of hard work and patience to grow a successful home business. You will need to dedicate time every week to work your business.

Education – Take time to educate yourself about having a home based business. Purchase books or get on the web and read up on topics related to Direct Sales and Network Marketing.

Fundraising – If your company offers a fundraising program, make sure you advertise and promote it. Sales that you pull in from fundraising programs can really boost your income.

Goal Setting – I find that when I make a list of my weekly, monthly and quarterly business goals and break those goals down into manageable chunks, that it keeps me focused and driven to accomplish the things that need to be done.

Hostess Coaching – It’s your job to coach your party host so that he/she will succeed in earning all of the free products and half-price specials. A party host who is completely satisfied with their home party experience are more likely to rebook additional parties from you.

Inventory - You need to keep products on hand to show at your home parties and to your customers. Update your inventory every few weeks or months with new offerings.

Juggling Act – When you work from home, life can be a juggling act. You will need to set up a schedule for family time, household chores, errands and of course, work time.

Keep Working It – You will find that you will not get rich overnight, matter of fact, you most likely won’t get rich at all. However, you need to keep working your business to get it to grow and prosper.

Leadership – Look to your sponsors and managers for leadership in training and business knowledge. As you grow your own team, you will become a leader and will need to set a good example for your own team.

Marketing – Sit down and draft up a business marketing plan. It’s your responsibility to market your business and the product that you represent. Set your marketing plan into action immediately and revise it as you go along.

Networking – Set aside a few hours every week to network with other like-minded Direct Sales home business people. You can find online and offline networking groups that you can join.

Organization – Keep your business training materials, paperwork and record keeping organized. You want to be able to find things in a timely manner.

Party Bookings and Party Hosts – Home parties are the heart of every Direct Sales business. It is your job to promote the home party opportunity by encouraging customers to book parties.

Quality Products – When it comes to representing and promoting a company, you need to choose one that has high quality products. These days, customers want quality and unique products that are often times not found in a retail store setting.

Recruiting - It is important to grow your Direct Sales team by recruiting/sponsoring new team members into the company you represent. Spend time every week promoting the home business opportunity to everyone you meet.

Sales – The main focus of your business is on product sales. You will need to work hard and consistently promoting your business to new and established customers.

Team Management – You will need to spend a few hours every week managing and training your team. You can set up weekly or monthly team meetings to offer support, training, motivation and recognition.

Up-selling – When customers place an order with you, try to up-sell an additional product to them. This product should be less than $12.00 in cost and coincide or relate to the products that they are purchasing from you.

Visualization – Sit down and visualize where you want your business to be in 1 year, 2 years and 3 years from now. Once you do that, draft up an advertising and marketing business plan. Set that plan into motion immediately and start seeing the results.

Working Business Schedule – You will get more tasks accomplished if you sit down and come up with a business schedule of when you will be working on your business. Let family and friends know you will be unavailable during your working hours for personal things.

X Out – You need to go over your daily agenda and tasks list. X out every thing that you got accomplished. Keeping a daily to-do list will keep you on track and focused.

Your Success – What does success mean to you? Do you have the dedication and drive to overcome any obstacles that may come your way? Your success depends on your determination to make your business succeed.

Zest – You need to have a passion for what you are doing and enjoy doing it. Your attitude will affect whether or not you obtain your goals and objectives.

Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989 and is a Manager with Tupperware. Shelly Co-owns a Home Business Resource Site at http://www.workathomebusinessoptions.com with her business partner Sophia. You can visit them online for additional Direct Sales articles and home business tips.

As a Direct Sales consultant, it is our job to be thoroughly prepared when doing a home party for a host. The better prepared you are, the more successful your show will be.

Here is a simple checklist of what you need to do before the party.

1. Prepare your hostess packets. You want to have a minimum of 5 hostess packets prepared and ready to go.

2. Fill out the invitations with your contact information and the host’s information. Stamp invitations and mail them out approximately 2 weeks before the party date. Call your host and let her know that the invitations are in the mail. Take this opportunity to build excitement about the upcoming party.

3. Prepare the catalogs and order forms. Stamp and label your catalogs, attach any inserts and get them ready to go. Fill out the order forms with your contact information. Pack all of your ordering supplies and make sure you have enough pens/pencils.

4. Prepare the games. Make sure you have enough games and prizes. I recommend 2-3 extra prizes just incase there is a tie or you need extra gifts.

5. Contact your host 24-48 hours before the party to confirm and get directions. This is a good time to ask your host to remind her guests about the party.

6. The day before, finish up the last minute preparations. If you are personally bringing any food or beverages, this is the time to prepare them. Before packing up your supplies and products, do a visual inspection of each item to make sure they are in perfect clean condition.

You can print out this handy pre-party checklist for your next home show. I can guarantee, when you’re organized and prepared, you will have an error-free and more successful home party.

Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989 and is a Manager with Tupperware. Shelly enjoys training other consultants to have successful home party shows. You can contact Shelly at:
Web: http://www.classybusinesswomen.com
Recipe Blog: http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com

You went to a home show not expecting to buy much, but then you fell in love with the products, signed some papers, and WHAM you are now the proud owner of a home business. When you wake up the morning after the party, you may feel like you are waking up with a hang over as you wonder, “what have I done?!?” Especially when you try to muster up the enthusiasm to explain the new business venture that you’ve signed up for to your not so enthusiastic and down right unimpressed husband.

If your husband’s cynicism has you second guessing your decision, rest assured you have made a good choice. You are in the right place at the right time. With the fast paced stressful lifestyles of today, many people turn to the internet for after hours shopping from home. Another side effect of today’s hectic lifestyle is that it leaves women disconnected and longing for girlfriend time. So a home party show fills two modern needs: shopping and girlfriend time. It is a concept that was destined to succeed. Maybe that is why the direct party home sales industry is growing so rapidly. According to the IRS tax records from 2005, an estimated 13.3 million people nationwide and over 47.3 million people worldwide that have decided to enter the home party direct sales industry.

It seems like a new direct sale business opens every day. It used to be that Tupperware was in a league of its own and the Tupperware parties were pretty much the only home party company on the scene. But those days of dominance are gone. Tupperware began breaking off into many different subsidiaries set up to target diverse markets. Other companies ran to get in the game.

Now there are companies that specialize in everything from spa, make-up, home specialty products, children’s books, scrapbooking, stamping and so much more. If you can dream it, there is probably already a direct sale company that already sells it. All of this makes it easier than ever to find a company (or several companies) that sell products you love. Becoming a consultant for the company gives you a great opportunity to get the products at great discounts. Plus when your friends and family love it too, you have a great opportunity for part time income.

So even if the fast talking home party consultant that signed you up started to make you feel like a used car buyer with her smooth talking well rehearsed speech about how rosy things will be for you and how much money you will make with her company, don’t feel like you were duped. The truth is, if you are careful and do your research so you can avoid falling into common pitfalls, you can get a lot for a very low cash investment. This book will give you all kinds of tips and suggestions for managing your time wisely and making the most of your business in a short time. Most important, it will give you the tools you need to advertise yourself and your business with enthusiasm.

You were smart to enter this booming market. Sales are setting new records every year. New people are constantly signing up. There are so many opportunities for you if you know how to take advantage of them. So where do you begin? Get new leads with these theme & booking ideas:

Sneak Preview: If someone is interested in finding out more about your products, invite them over for a one-on-one preview of your products. After you’ve shown her all your products, offer a package deal that is too good to pass up! For instance you may put together a group of 10 bestsellers and offer it at a discount. This is not as much as your new consultant bundle that she would get if she becomes a consultant. You do not want her to feel like all you are interested in doing here is sign her up! You really want to generate interest in your products, so just put together a few things that may add up to about $60 or $70 to thank her and get her hooked on your favorite products.

Nights Too Busy to Party: Do a quick get-together over brunch! Bagels, donuts, a fresh pot of coffee and me! Perfect for a Saturday or Sunday morning. In an hour or two your party will be complete and the rest of the day is yours! Each guest who brings a goodie to share will receive a free gift.

Book To Look: Give everyone an envelope that says book to look on the outside and tell everyone that they can open it at the end of the demonstration if they plan on booking a party. Inside I put either coupons or gift certificates for them to use at their show. Everyone is usually dying to see what they receive so they book a show just to see what they get.

Make your parties fun so others want to book with these game ideas:

Get To Know Each Other Game: This game makes a nice icebreaker, especially if most of the guests do not know each other. It can also provide you some clues about who may be a potential prospect. Pass around a bag of M&Ms. Tell everyone to take as many as they would like. Quickly ask them to count the number of candies in their hand. Each person then takes a turn standing up and telling as many things about themselves and their family as they have M&M.s. Of course no one is allowed to eat their M&Ms until they have had their turn.

Purse Scavenger Hunt or Let’s Make a Deal: Remember that old game show, Let’s Make a Deal? At the end of every show, Monty Hall would give audience members money for a specific unusual item. This is the same idea. Divide guests into teams of two or three, giving them a list of slightly unusual items, including a few “why in the world would you carry that in a purse?” items. Assign points to each item based on the likelihood that someone will have it. (a lipstick carries 10 points, a can opener 90 points). The team with the most points is the winner.

Replace It Game: Give each guest an index card. Ask each guest to write down an appliance, piece of furniture or other thing in their home that they would like to replace. Ask them to list 5 or 6 reasons why they would like to get rid of it. When they have all finished their lists, have them cross out the item to replace and put in the name of their husband (or their significant other). Now have each of them read their cards one person at a time. They have to say, “I want to get rid of _______ (Ron, Tim, Bill), because he is, and then list the five reasons. Example: Couch. 1. Old. 2. Ugly. 3. Too Small. 4. Wrong Color. 5. Stinks. Now have them change couch to their husband’s name and when they read it, it goes like this: I want to get rid of Ron because he is old, ugly he’s to small, he’s the wrong color and he stinks.

Visit http://www.homebusinessmakeover.com for a great selection of tips and products that will help you work more efficiently. We offer a huge selection of cute, catchy & professional templates full of EVERYTHING you need to make your life a little easier! We offer customized marketing items and templates for flyers, handouts, business cards, thank you notes, incentive plans, hostess helpers, client loyalty plans, exciting party themes, and fun new games to jazz up your home business. Plus our bookkeeping & inventory management spreadsheets will store all your critical information like cash flow, inventory & events in one spot!