How Do I Keep My Parties From Canceling?

The goal of almost every Party Plan consultant is to fill their calendars. After all, the best place to sell your products and book more parties is at a party. But getting those dates filled is only the first step. They only count if they hold.

The best maxim for this situation is “the best defense is a good offense.” And in the case of Party Plan businesses, it’s all in the hostess coaching. Hostesses find all sorts of reasons to cancel. Some are, of course, legitimate. In those cases, she most likely will reschedule. But some just aren’t. I think the most unreasonable one I have ever received was the “I have company coming in, and I have a doctor’s appointment (lucky her to get a doctor’s appointment on a Friday night!).” It would be better to never hear the lame excuses, so how do we avoid them? Why do hostesses cancel? Let’s look at three different reasons hostesses cancel and what we can do about them.

1. She procrastinated sending out invitations. – Although she may never admit it, your hostess will usually cancel if she has not sent out invitations. It is easier to not have you show up then to only have one or two people there. This is actually one of the easier situations to avoid. Many companies train their consultants to send out invitations for their hostess. This is a great service for your hostess and a great marketing tool for you. If you don’t already, offer to send out invitations as a way to save your hostess time and money (the cost of stamps). You can accomplish several things just for the cost of stamps by doing this. First, you know the invitations were sent. Second, you can increase her party attendance. Get the hostess to make her last minute calls by telling her that you numbered five of the invitations. If she finds the people with the numbered invitations, she’ll receive a prize at the party. Third, you can follow up with all the people who didn’t attend and possibly increase your party sales or bookings. Usually only 25% to 50% of invited guests actually attend. If you don’t have the guest list, you’ve missed out on reaching half her guests.

2. She is no longer excited about the party.  – Hostesses can loose their enthusiasm for your party for a couple of reasons. Aside from life just getting in the way, there are usually two main reasons for this. First, the party is just booked too far out. The more time in between her party and the one she attended, the more likely she is to forget why she booked it in the first place. It is usually a good rule of thumb to book your parties no more than three to six weeks out. Keep them close to keep them booked. The second reason she looses her interest is because you are not excited. One of the biggest complaints hostesses have about their party reps is that they were not contacted enough. Of course, when you’re on the rep’s end of the phone, it can sometimes feel like you’re pestering them. But in this case, less is not more. Keeping in contact with your hostess does not mean that you have to call them. Be creative about keeping in touch. Aim to contact her four times before her party date. Send her a thank you note for booking the party (with your business card on a magnet so she doesn’t loose your contact info). Email her to ask for the guest list. Call her to let her know the invitations were sent out. Send her a postcard reminding her of the date and time. Call her the week of her party to remind her to make her last minute phone calls. This scenario is especially important if you have to book the parties farther out. People appreciate good customer service. And the more contact you have with her, the better chance you’ll have of catching a scheduling problem early.

3. She doesn’t respect you as a business. – Although it’s blunt, it’s the truth. Unfortunately, many people view Party Plan businesses as a hobby. It isn’t a real job. You just do it to get free or discounted products. Because they think this way, they don’t see it as being any real problem to cancel on you. This issue can be difficult to tackle because it requires you to change your perspective on your business. First, make sure you treat your business as a business. Nobody can respect you, if you don’t respect yourself. Along the same lines, you must think highly of yourself and what you have to offer. And (hardest of all) you cannot always be available. Oh, I know. Easy for me to say. But consider the psychology behind the statement “you always want what you can’t have.” If you are always available, bending over backwards to meet the needs of your clients’ schedules, how can they possibly respect you. If she knows that she can cancel this weekend’s party and you’ll have another weekend available for her, what is her incentive to keep her party on the original date? You just cannot act desperate no matter how many dates you don’t have on the books. The crazy thing is, the more in demand you appear to be, the more in demand you will be. When a hostess is ready to book her party, offer her a choice of two or three of the next dates you want to fill. If she suggests or even demands something else, simply let her know that date is not available. You don’t have to explain why. Then, to show just how busy you are, you can offer to see if one of your co-workers has that date available. (Can you hear her gasping? Who ever heard of a consultant giving away parties?) Most hostesses will want to book with the rep they know, so they will pick one of your dates. If not, this is a great way to help new recruits fill their calendars. You still benefit from the party. But if you are so booked that you will offer to give away a party, you will be more attractive as a rep. Everyone will want you to do their shows. They will also see you as more successful and will be more interested in joining your team. And soon, you will be as busy as you claim to be.

Cancellations are somewhat inevitable in the direct sales business. These steps can help you to minimize your cancellations, so you can better build an income you can depend on. Please email me with your success stories!

Deanna Mayer is the stay at home mother of two. When she isn’t carting her boys around their Denver suburb, she is busy building her ideal career at www.itvventures.com/dlm . She is currently launching her newest product line, Naked Minerals, the first 100% pure pressed mineral cosmetics.

Do You Need More Bookings? If so, check out that site!

When you work in Direct Sales you will experience some party cancellations from time to time for genuine emergencies that have been encountered by your party hosts. However, you will also encounter party cancellations that are just “excuses” by hosts who were not properly prepared for his/her party or by hosts who do not take your business seriously.

Today I thought I would share some of my Host Coaching techniques that worked well for me in cutting down party cancellations and re-schedulings of my host’s parties.

Tip #1. When you first set the date for the host’s party you need to be very firm and very clear that this is “YOUR BUSINESS” and that you take it seriously. Let them know that this is not a hobby and that you are counting on them to hold the party on the date they selected.

Let them know up front that if they need to cancel (in an emergency) that you would appreciate a minimum of 72 hours notice and that you expect the party to be rescheduled only one time within a week of the original party date.

This is very important because some hosts will reschedule a gazillion times with 100 excuses to go along with it. Those dates that you marked off for that particular host could of been filled with other excited hosts who really want to host a party.

Tip #2. Many times a host will cancel a party using the excuse that they forgot to mail the invitations or that only 1-2 people said they were coming. To cut down on this entire problem I recommend that you personally fill out the invitations and that you personally mail them out!

Tell your host when you sent them and ask your host to call everyone on the guest list a week after you sent out the party invitations to get a RSVP out of them. In is also advisable that you ask your host to recontact all of the party guests 2-3 days before the party date to remind them about the party.

Tip #3. Keep in touch with your party host at least once a week leading up to the party date. Do your best to keep her excited about her upcoming party and keep reminding her about all of those fabulous booking gifts, free gifts and 1/2 price gifts he/she will receive for having a successful party. Communicating with your party host on a regular basis is one of the BEST keys to a successful home party.

Shelly Hill has been working in Direct Sales for over 25+ years and owns the popular Work at Home Business Options web site at www.workathomebusinessoptions.com where Direct Sales consultants can get free business tips, read Direct Sales articles and get free business related resources geared towards those in Direct Sales.

Being successful in Direct Sales does not have to be a mystery. Direct Sales is a wonderful avenue to make a good income or a supplementary income, depending on your needs.

In order to guarantee success, the first thing that you absolutely must do is ensure you have leads.

You might be wondering where you get leads?

Well, if you are shy, you can use draw boxes in local businesses, you can use on-line Social Media to find leads and even advertise your business, or you can talk to friends and family and network through them. However you find your leads, you need a lot of them, so that you have names to call at all times to ensure that you always have bookings.

In order to stay successful in the Direct Sales Business, you must be sure your books are filled at all times. No bookings – No Business. Some people find this to be the most difficult part of the business. In my observation, it is often procrastinators who have the most difficulty with this aspect of the business. They avoid getting bookings like it is the plague, then they don’t get any bookings, cannot sell their product and in the end decide that Direct Sales is not for them.

If you plan to make a large income in Direct Sales, you need to book accordingly: the more parties, the more money. And this rule is steadfast – it must be followed consistently.

There are three reasons that this rule is so true: 1. You can garner more clients by being out and meeting people all the time. 2. You will inevitably sell more. 3. You will have more potential team-members if you meet more people.

The bottom-line in Direct Sales is that you must be consistent in your business. You must also not be too greedy. It takes time and steady energy to get what you want – the big bucks! If you think you will be making a great income overnight, then this business might not be for you. However, if you realize that if you work this business properly, you will be rewarded tremendously in due time: you will have a life-style that is balanced and that you chose, rather than was chosen for you; you will have a steady income that you would not see in your day-to-day J.O.B.; and, you will have succeeded at the endurance test when so many fail.

There’s no reason to not succeed in this business. The only catch is you.

Don’t let you be what stands in your way!

For more ideas on how to succeed in direct sales, visit my website at http://www.serenasdirectsales.com

A reader sent me a link to a FANTASTIC article about keeping your direct sales party calendar real!  It takes you back to the basics of running a direct sales business and I think it has a lot of great reminders in it.

via http://karenphelps.net

Are you one of the direct selling consultants who are sick and tired of having a “fake business?” Does your business exist on a hope and a promise. You know what I mean, your future host promises you she’ll have a party on a certain date and YOU HOPE she keeps her promise. Maybe I can help you out!

If you’ve followed me at all you know that I am a stickler for having good systems in place that produce results. Why? Because “good systems” work. Now you may already have a system but let’s face it, if you took time to examine it, it’s not so hot. Some people have told me, “I’m too old-fashioned.” I resemble that remark! Why, because old-fashioned works. New stuff works too! And the good news is when you marry the two together you can have a magical business that provides you with an extra-ordinary income and life-style freedom. You’d like those things, wouldn’t you?

So, if you want a little old-fashioned advice by all means, keep reading and you’ll discover some simple ways to have your business running like a well-oiled machine.

1. Stop allowing other people to run your business. Who’s the boss? You or your hostess? If you allow everyone to book parties when it’s convenient for them rather than when it’s convenient for you, you’ll soon become bitter about the business and end up in the “land of discontent.” It’s a simple as using the “Open Date Card” which you can download here and working days when it’s convenient for YOU and your family! If you don’t know how to use it properly, I explain it in detail in the It’s a Party Out There program as well as on my monthly booking teleseminar. Simple suggestion, don’t list all the days you can work in one month on the open date card, only lists dates available in a calendar week.

2. Stop offering too many options for guest inviting. You have someone who wants to book a party and you coach her something like this, “Now it’s really important to have lots of people in attendance at your parties so make sure you invite a lot (so far so good). Now how would you like to invite the people? If you want you can send me a list and I’ll mail invites for you or you can mail the invitations yourself. Oh, you know what, Facebook events are really cool, and we can just invite everyone through Facebook (now here’s a recipe for failure) and you can send emails to everyone to let them know the date (last count only 14% of emails get opened within 48 hours). Call me old-fashioned but if someone sets a date with me I WANT TO KNOW I’M GOING TO BE WORKING! If you would like to My recipe for success would be to get a guest list from her in 3 -4 days (YES, it can be done…lots of consultants are doing it with no problem). Then mail her invitations out 10 -14 days before the party. Have the hostess send text reminders to her friends a couple times. She can do a “save the date” text after she books and then send another a few days before the party. 91% of texts get opened vs only 14% of emails getting opened within the first 24 hours. You still can send an email invitation but make sure your hostess calls everyone a few days before the party to remind everyone to come and bring a friend. Facebook events can actually prevent people from showing up if they see no one else is coming so make sure your hostess invites other ways too!

3. Hostess Coach as Soon as she books. I’ve had many consultants tell me they have someone who says she will book and then they call her the next day to set a date, hostess coach and then mail her the hostess pack. I’m not sure why anyone would waste that much time when you have a captive audience right then. My suggestion, take a minimum of 6 hostess packs with you (you’ll need them when you play the booking game from the It’s a Party Out There” program. Then use the Open Date Card immediately and have her set a date. Review the entire contents of the hostess packet with her. Focus on how to invite guests, getting outside orders and getting pre-party bookings. Don’t forget to have some information about the business opportunity in your hostess pack so you can invite each new host to join you in the business. Provide her with a “wish list” of what she would like to earn from her party so you can help her set a party sales and booking goal.

4. Send a Thank You for Booking Note. This seems like such a little thing and yet if you take a few minutes out the day after you book a host it will go a long way to secure the date for you. My note was personally hand-written by me (NO E-Mail) and I thanked her for booking, reminded her of her date and also to make sure she had the guest list to me within 3 days. I mailed it the following day so she would receive it about 3 days after she booked. If she procrastinated on getting me the guest list this simple thank-you reminder along with a call the following day and the guest list would be in my hands. With all this new technology it’s easy for you to send her an address label template which she can complete and email to you, if your company does not offer guest lists.

5. Call 3 days before the party to remind hostess of her party goal. This personal call from you will help remind her to call her friends she has not heard from and work on outside orders and bookings from those who can’t attend. Many parties have been saved at the last minute when a hostess spends a little extra time on her calls. I remember a party I had a few years ago that I almost canceled because I hadn’t heard from very many and only had 2 people coming. I got on the phone, made some quick calls while I was making dinner and ended up with 12 people in attendance and a $1000 party. I was ready to call it quits but I’m sure glad I didn’t. Your hostess often feels the same way when she doesn’t have much response from her guests. Cheer her on and let her know you’ll be there no matter what so she might as well get on the phone to boost her attendance.

6. Don’t be afraid to book someone else if necessary. Hey, sometimes hostesses disappear into a black hole never to be heard from again. If you book a hostess and you cannot connect with her by phone, email or text and she is totally avoiding you, do yourself a favor and give the date to someone who is serious about earning free and discounted products. Your booking offer is too good to mess around with someone who isn’t serious and who will just waste your time!

7. Work your business like a business. If a party does cancel or postpone and you don’t have time to fill the date make sure you do something that will bring in more income. Take the time you set aside for business to make phone calls for more bookings and customer service calls.

Try these simple, old-fashioned techniques and watch your bookings, sales and income soar!

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in direct sales is to take your calendar to the party and lay it out where people can see it. Even if you’ve carefully highlighted your available dates, prospective hostesses will look at the calendar with their eyes, not yours. And pretty soon, you’re scheduling yet another show on a date you hadn’t intended to do one. Here’s what to do instead.

Before the show, do make sure all events that take precedence over your shows are clearly marked on ONE calendar. Put a big "X" across any dates that are critical in your life – family events, birthdays, dates with your spouse. Then, once those days are taken, decide what dates YOU want to do shows. I prefer to do my shows on Thursday and Friday evenings, for example. Highlight the dates you pick. Then, take a 5 x 7 Index card, one for each date you have remaining this month. One one side of the card put the date and day of the week of your first available date. Underneath that, draw a line and write "Hostess Name and Daytime Phone." Do this for each available date this month. Then again for each available date next month.

Then, put the ones this month together with a rubber band around them. Set next month aside with your calendar. At the show, when someone indicates they want to have a show, hand them the stack of cards with any remaining dates THIS month and tell them to pick the date they want and fill out the card then give it back to you. IF they come back that these dates don’t work for them, then give them the pack of cards for next month. ONLY if all those dates have conflicts, and if you are willing, pull out your calendar and see if there is a compromise date that works for both you. Be firm with the hostess-to-be that you are making an exception and that it is vital that she keep the date. Use the card to transfer the information to your calendar – write her name and phone number right in it. Then, be sure to mark that information on her hostess packet and schedule your first planning call.

By keeping control of your calendar, you make the business work for you and not vice versa. You’ll enjoy it more and your family will feel less like it’s taking you away from them.

Copyright 2011

I would like to offer you a FREE copy of my ebook "New Start to Great Start – Let’s Get Your Party Plan Business Started!" This is an updated version of the book I wrote and used to build a half-million dollar team in three years! Whether you’re just getting started, re-starting, or helping someone start, this 30-page book is chock full of ideas, inspiration, and how-to’s for any Party Plan Direct Seller! Get yours here http://sellmoretonight.com

Kimberly Bates, Chief Genie
http://yourideagenie.com
Licensing Profiting from Your Passions (R) Career Coach

Have you noticed how direct sellers seem to take a "holimonth" instead of a holiday every December? It’s like they neatly put their direct sales business on the shelf for most of the month of December (or at least from the 15th on) and hope against hope that it will be there, strong as ever, waiting for them come January 2nd when the world starts to turn again. Unfortunately, it’s often more the case that their neglected business has withered and is in dire need of resuscitation come January.

It’s important to make sure you’re booking yourself solid for January in November and early December, but once you’ve done that, do you have any options besides just taking two weeks off at the end of December? Absolutely!

Remember all those business activities you’ve been saying you didn’t have time for all year (like personal development, follow up calls, and planning)? Well, now you’ve got two weeks spread out in front of you like a gift. Grab it and rip it open!

Here are just a few ideas for how you might spend your work hours over the next few weeks.

I’ll start with some ideas for direct sales leaders (and just FYI, if you’re a leader, this is a great opportunity to get yourself and your team set up for success in 2012!)

• Plan all of your meetings for 2012. You can even include your direct sales team or down line leaders if you have them in your planning time. Throw a small party, put some cookies and coffee out, and have fun! You’ll be surprised at how quickly this task will go when you’re brainstorming with others.
• Take 1/2 day and call all of your down line leaders and direct down line to check in and learn how you can support them with their goals for 2011.
• Make a recording for your entire team giving them ideas for how to succeed in the new year. Here are some ideas for what you might share with them:
  • Some fun ideas for theme shows in the coming month, complete with a themed invitation e-mailed to them
  • An overview of the host bonuses for the following month
  • A quick recognition of those on her team who are new consultants
  • A booking incentive (like a drawing for a great item from your line)

If you’re not yet a leader, here are some great ideas for using your time at the end of December:

• Call all of your September, October, November and December home party guests and make sure they’re happy with their products. Come armed with some great reasons to host a party in January and make it your goal to book at least three parties.
• Commit to listen to/read at least one training program related to your business and write down at least three ideas you want to implement based on that training.
• Set up and launch a "Host of the Month" club. Here’s a simple format:

o 12 participants are required, 1 Hostess for each month of the year.
o Each hostess is required to place a minimum order of $30 each month.
o Each member will have one month assigned to her as Hostess of the Month at the beginning of the year.
o The Hostess of the Month will receive ALL Hostess rewards for her month.
o If the Hostess of the Month decides to have a personal Home Party in her month, she will have the Monthly Hostess Club funds applied to her party! She begins with at least $360.00 worth of orders, thereby increasing her Home Party sales & Hostess Rewards!

There are just a few ideas. Most importantly, make sure whatever you’re doing, you’re doing something! Taking two full weeks off at any time the the year just isn’t healthy for a thriving direct sales business. You owe it to yourself to at least work part time during the last two weeks of December so that you have a business to come back to in January.

Julie Anne Jones is direct sales corporate consultant, keynote speaker, 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 more blog posts, visit her at http://www.julieannejones.com.