When people attend direct sales parties, they have certain expectations. There’s probably an expectation to have a good time. However, you can go further than that. Here are a few easy tips to make your direct sales parties more fun, to make sure everyone has a great time.

1. Include A Contest – One great way to get the party off to a fun start is to host a contest to get people talking and mingling. For example, if you’re selling makeup, you can have a “name that lipstick” contest to see who can come up with the most creative or interesting name. If you’re hosting a party for home goods, you could choose one of those items whose job isn’t apparent and hold a contest for people to guess what the item is used for. You can also fill a jar with money, ask people to guess how much is in the jar and give them the jar as a reward – a jar full of money will put anyone in a good mood!

2. A Smile Goes A Long Way – A good, old-fashioned genuine smile is contagious and it’ll spread like butter on a hot day. Welcome each guest like you would a long lost family member and make them feel welcome and appreciated.

3. Use Background Music – Parties can lull and when they’re too quiet it can become awkward. Have some festive music playing to set the mood – not too loud, of course, because you want people to be able to hear each other speak.

4. Use Decorations – Decorate a bit to make the party feel like a party. Now you don’t have to put up balloons and streamers, but a beautiful bouquet or two of flowers, some candles and smaller decorations can make it feel like a party. And hey, if you want to put up some balloons and streamers, go for it!

5. Food…Always Food! Feed them! Food has a way of bringing everyone together and it can make an average direct sales party a superior one. A few tasty appetizers and some decorative cocktail napkins is a nice touch.

6. Have Plenty of Product Available – Let attendees handle the products. People love to be able to touch, examine and explore products and many sales experts agree that once a product is in the hands of the customer, the sale is almost guaranteed. Let your party attendees handle the products. In fact, if you can display them on a table and let people explore that’s a great way to decorate too.

7. Play Games – Play a game or two. We already talked about contests; however, a game can also lighten the mood and make a direct sales party more fun. For example, a hostess scavenger hunt is a fun way to get people to work together and have fun.

Making a direct sales party fun just takes a little planning and a desire to make each party you hold the best it can be.

And now I would like to invite you to receive Free Instant Access to my niche marketing and advertising blog, The Project Marketer. It is your complete resource for absolute victory in marketing and advertising online: http://www.ProjectMarketer.com

There is no doubt about it – we are living through a recession. Unemployment is high and the economy continues to sputter along. Though home party sales remain strong, the industry is not immune to the effects of the recession. However, there are some essential tips for sales consultants who want to stay one step ahead of the struggling economy and keep their home party plan business going strong throughout the year.

The Top Five Strategies for Maintaining a Year Round Business

1. Marketing. Yes, you have to market. You have to market throughout the year. Marketing is the cornerstone of any business, and it is especially vital in the home party business. You are often referred to as a sales consultant or a direct seller – you must sell to stay in business. Sell yourself, your products, and your business. Use the telephone, attend trade fairs, have hostess training meetings, sell bookings at your parties, and make use of networking and referrals. Keep your marketing simple, fresh, unique, and interesting. Once you stop selling, your business will stop making money.

2. Determine Quantitatively What Type of Marketing Works Best. You need to keep records of what type of sales approach was the most effective. Your marketing plan should always be evolving and adapting to a changing environment. If you find something that works, stick with it, but continue to explore other avenues. If you attempt a marketing strategy that falls flat, dispense with it and move on to something new. To determine what works and what doesn’t, you will need numbers. Having a reliable and efficient record keeping system is essential to the financial health of your business.

3. Keep Records on Your Closing Percentage. Your home party plan success depends on how often you close a sale. Record the details of each party and the percentage of sales closed, relative to the amount of guests attending. Knowing that you make more sales at certain types of parties is relevant data that can be used to increase the number of future sales.

4. Team Members. Developing a team of sales consultants and then keeping them motivated is a great way to ensure that your business will profit throughout the year. It may be easier to go solo in this industry, but having team members who contribute to your profits will smooth out the rough times and make the prosperous times even better!

Creating a consistent direct sales business year round is the goal of everyone. Making sure that you are organized, having a consistent marketing plan in place as well as continuously investing in your mind through education and taking daily actions will insure that your business creates a steady stream of income year round.

When you incorporate these and other direct sales business tips into your business you will create a consistent income year round. Learn more direct sales business success systems that work for all companies at: www.CreateACashFlowShow.com

Are you a new consultant with a home party plan company? If so, there are a few things you should know to help get you started with your new home party plan business.

There are many things that will affect your success with a home party plan type of business, the faster you get started the faster you will make money and be successful at your new home business.

Below you will find some great tips and ideas on how to move your business forward and to do so quickly.

#1. Once your consultant business opportunity kit arrives to your home, go through it thoroughly. I recommend that you open up your catalog and start reading it cover to cover to familiarize yourself with all of the products. One way to do this is to take 3×5" index cards and make up a set of Product Flash Cards. On the front side of each card put the product name and a picture of it (if available) and on the backside list the product features, item number, price and any other product facts.

Once you make up your Product Flash Cards, use them! Just like in grade school, flash cards can help you memorize and learn your products quickly.

#2. Read through your Consultant Business Manual. As you are reading through it, have on hand 2 different colored highlighter markers. Take one and highlight areas that are important and the other color highlight areas that you need more information on. Then make a list of your questions and contact your recruiter/sponsor or your Upline Manager to get all of your questions answered. I recommend to all party plan consultants to read their consultant business manuals at least twice cover to cover. Its also nice to go back to it frequently to use as a reference guide.

#3. Make a detailed list of everyone you know! Friends, Family, Co-workers, Neighbors, Teachers, Community Leaders etc. This will be your BASE Customer List. I recommend you contact everyone on your list via phone, in-person, email or postal mail to offer them a catalog and your business card. Print out flyers about your Hostess Plan and Current Hostess Specials and print out flyers about any consumer specials that your company is offering. Include those flyers with every catalog you hand out. For extra incentive, you could include a discount coupon that they can use on their first purchase from you.

#4. Hold your First Party with you being the Host or do a Mystery Hostess Party, you will want to do this within 3 weeks of joining your home party plan company. Invite everyone you know! This will give you practice on doing a home party show and expose your new business and products to your family and friends from your Contact Customer List above. The more you practice and the more parties you do, the more comfortable you will be doing it plus the more money you will earn!

#5. Attend any meetings or events that are sponsored by your party plan company. They offer training, motivation, idea sharing and friendship. These days we all lead very busy lives but if you don’t attend them, you are really selling yourself short on this valuable resource to get yourself started with your new home business.

#6. Attend local commerce and business events in your local community. You can build up business contacts and business references by attending these events. You need to network with as many people as possible and get your business out there to be seen. Your business will not promote itself, its your job to promote and advertise your new business.

#7. Set aside time a few times a week to work on your business. Just like any job or business, you need to set a schedule for "work related time." The more you work on your business the more it will grow and flourish. I use a large wall calendar in my home office and a daily planner and I schedule in blocks of time to work on my business. Every week I sit down and plan my week along with goals that I want to accomplish for that week. Draft up a plan and stick to it.

#8. Start a Referral Program. Reward your party hosts and customers who refer others to you. They are more apt to give you referrals if there is something in it for them. This could be a free small product or a discount on their personal order. Think about your referral program right away and get promoting it!

#9. Attitude! Be excited about your new business and the products that you offer! The more you are enthused about your new business and products, the more enthused your party hosts and customers will be too!

#10. Share your Business Opportunity with everyone you know and come into contact with. Don’t assume that they know and would not be interested!

#11. Increase your sales by letting people know how your products can benefit them and fit into their lives! The more you talk about your business and products the more customers will want to purchase them! To do this, ask questions about your customers likes and dislikes. You can make up a customer survey to find out these types of answers and offer your customer a one time discount for filling out your Preferred Customer Survey. Use this survey to recommend products to your customer or to alert them to future sales on the products that you customer loves.

#12. If at all possible, market yourself as a walking billboard. If you sell jewelry, wear it. If you sell clothing, wear it and so forth. If you don’t sell something you wear, invest some money into Company Logo Wear. (T-shirts, Sweatshirts, Hats, etc).

Shelly Hill

Shelly has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989. Shelly is a Manager with Tupperware.

You can contact Shelly at Ravish30@my.tupperware.com
Web: http://www.classybusinesswomen.com
Recipe Blog: http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com

Tired of the same hum drum, let’s face it – boring home parties? Spice up your next direct sales home party with an exciting theme! The ideas below ought to get your creative juices flowing. Starting planning your next bash and watch the sales roll in!

Banana Split Party – Hostess provides the ice cream, guests provide the toppings. Guests bring a dressed banana for a banana fashion show to be judged by the guests. Winning banana gets a prize.

Beach Party – Keep that summer feeling going all year long. Guests bring their bathing suits in a brown paper bag for everyone to guess who belongs to the suit.

Chocolate Lovers Party – Serve chocolate goodies. Guests bring their favorite chocolate recipe. A fun chocolate quiz is given. How well do your guests know their chocolate?

Christmas in August – Lots of specials for hosts and guests. First look at the beautiful new holiday line. Every guest gets a sample or car candle.

Come and Go Party – On the go? Juggling too many things at once? Have friends drop in and out in allotted time period. Drawing every 30 minutes.

Couples Party – Get couples together for a fun time with candles. Men LIKE candles, so why not get them together with you so you can find out what each other likes. All couples get a gift.

Fundraiser Party – Looking for a new fundraiser idea? Why not support your favorite cause at the same time guests are doing their candle shopping?

Halloween Party – Challenge your guest to come in costume and earn a gift. Goodie bags given to all who bring a friend. Serve apple cider, pumpkin pie or candy apples.

Hawaiian Shirt Party - A bit of the Islands here on the mainland. Some Don Ho music, your favorite tropical drinks and a lei and you can have Hawaii in your living room. Guests who wear their favorite Hawaiian shirt will get a gift.

Mardi Gras Party – Any day can be Mardi Gras. Guests who dress in Mardi Gras colors, wear beads or a mask get a gift.

Margarita Party – Love Margarita’s? This is the party for you. I’ll bring Margarita recipes and give the guests a Margarita quiz.

Mother/Daughter Party – Includes mothers-in-law, step-mothers, grandmothers etc. It’s a time for laughter and sharing with a favorite picture. All mothers get a sample or car candle.

Pool Party – Party around your pool. Have guests bring their bathing suits in a brown paper bag and everyone will guess whose it is.

Potluck Party – Guests bring dish pertaining to their nationality. What a great way to get to know another culture and cuisine by Scentsylight.

Red, White & Blue Party – Celebrate the good old red white and blue. Prize for the best patriotic outfit.

Salad Party – Each guest brings a salad ingredient or a salad specialty. All melon scents are on sale.

Shower Party – Whether it’s a baby, bridal, anniversary or house warming, shower someone with a [Your Candle Company] gift shower. Encourage brides to be to fill out our gift registry. For new mom’s, shower her with gifts she can use. What better way to decorate your home at no cost than with a [Your Candle Company] house warming party. Candles, Warmers and wax in every room!

Strawberry Shortcake or Strawberry and Chocolate Party – Or try a fondue Party. All strawberry and chocolate scents are on sale.

Sample Scavenger Hunt – Wax samples are hidden in the backyard or in the house. Guests get to keep what they find.

Tropical Drink Party – Get the blender out, bag the ice and let’s party. Serve various tropical drinks and unwind with friends

Ugly Candle Contest – Admit it, we all have ugly candles hidden away. Bring them out and to the party for an ugly candle contest. Winner of ugly candle goes home with a new one. This also works well for the sootiest candle. We all know that wicked candles, regardless of wax used can produce ugly black soot on the edge. Who has the blackest one?

Very Berry Party – Make berry deserts, or berry toppings for cheesecake or ice cream. All berry scents are on sale.

White Elephant Party – Your trash could be someone else’s treasure. Bring a wrapped unwanted “treasure” from home. You will go home with someone else’s “treasure” at the end of the evening.

Wine and Cheese Party – Relax with friends over some wine and cheese and warmers. Enjoy the warm candle glow of each as you celebrate life.

Two more excellent themes contributed by Vicki Doran. Thanks Vicki!

The Tacky Party was by far the best attended party I ever did, and we ad so much fun! Think tacky, tacky, tacky – the tackier, the better! Everyone was told to dress tacky, and the winner got a prize – which was a sparkly lawn flamingo I picked up for a couple of bucks at a local craft store. The invitations were printed on scrap paper left over from the neighborhood yard sale (there was a big “x” on the back to cross out the yard sale info). We had a quiz to see who was tackiest, and the hostess served tacky foods such as Pop Tarts, Slim Jims, prunes, Little Debbie Snacks, generic soda (or pop, as we call it in these parts – lol!), and wine in a box. She used all of her kids leftover party plates and napkins for the party. I wore a skirt with gym socks and high heels, and on my t-shirt I plastered labels with every single home party slogan you have ever heard on it. Let’s face it, one at a time things like “Earn Some Free When You Party With Me” or “Is Money Low? Book a Show” are OK, but when you have like a dozen different at one time – that’s definitely tacky!

My hostess even decorated the front yard with a clothes line featuring giant granny panties and a bra, broken lawn chairs, old tires, and an empty case of beer. The best part of all of this is that the house next door was for sale, and there was a point where we were outside in our crazy tacky getups greeting the next visitor – while the realtor was showing the house! You should have seen the look on their faces – I thought she was going to die!

The 80s party was also fun – I made up name tags with famous people from the 80s, and everyone picked one when they arrived. We had an 80s quiz and a contest for best 80s hair. Sadly, the woman who won for best 80s hair has her hair like that every day! lol She took it really well though!

Hope this helps – theme parties can be as big or as little as you like. Obviously my friend went all out for the Tacky Party, but you don’t have to do all of that and can still have a great Tacky Party. One of the things my hostess loved about that one was how easy it was to prepare the refreshments! After all, it doesn’t take much to break up a few pop tarts and open up Little Debbie snacks!

Take care – happy partying!

About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a WAHM from Michigan and a Star Director with Scentsy Flameless Candles. She enjoys helping others start and maintain a candle business. You can find Laurie at http://www.ThrivingCandleBusiness.com.

When it comes to training team members in the direct selling party business there are several important points all consultants should know. It is often difficult to remember each point and easy to forget some of the seemingly smaller ones because of everything else that must be done before any type of direct sales show. That is why it is a good idea to provide your direct sales consultants with a checklist they can use when aiding hostesses in preparing for a show.

Each direct sales party consultant should be taught how to help the host properly prepare for a show. This includes making sure she or he has enough catalogs, verifying all products are ready and in place, and helping with the overall set up of the event. This is especially important if the host has never been involved in a home party plan event. The idea is to make that host feel as comfortable as possible before the very first show which will make the guests feel more comfortable as well. Comfortable guests are more likely to purchase products.

The consultant should always recognize the host during the show for all the preparation for the event. This will serve as encouragement and will let the host know that she or he is moving in the right direction.
Motivation For Your Direct Selling Party Host

When a guest at a show decides to become a host, the party plan consultant should always provide a host packet that very night and go through it thoroughly to ensure a successful show. This is a perfect example of on-the-spot promoting and will work wonders. Taking the time to go through the packet with the prospective host at the show will demonstrate vested interest the consultant is taking, which will help the ball start rolling more quickly.

The direct sales consultant should always inform the host of how the credits from the show can be used. Knowing the options can make a big difference in a host’s future in home party planning and will make the overall process easier to understand.
When a consultant discusses party plan techniques with a guest wishing to book an show, that consultant should ask that the guest list be returned within three or four days. Write that date down on the guest list so the prospective hostess will remember to follow through.

If the consultant does not receive the guest list on the requested date it is important to call the prospective host. Sending a card works well as a reminder as
well.

When the consultant receives a guest list that contains less than 20 names, it is a good idea to call the prospective host to further discuss a strategy for attendance and sales. The more people who attend demonstration the better because attendance can add up to sales in a hurry.

A consultant should also make the host aware of the monthly specials so the information can be relayed to direct sales show guests. The more information the host has, the more questions she or he will be able to answer before, during and after the event takes place.

When your home party plan consultants practice some simple tips and techniques they will have hostesses that have more customers at every show so that they can make more money! Watch a host coaching video on that will teach your team how to get guests to every party. Learn more direct sales party training at: http://www.CreateACashFlowShow.com

Home party companies place many restrictions on their direct sales consultants when it comes to marketing! When one considers the competition that is out there relative to party plan companies, it is a wonder that home party consultants are still going strong. At the end of the day in order to qualify for that commission check you must make direct sales, which translate to individual volume and personal volume. So what is a direct sales consultant to do? May I recommend podcasting?

What Is A Podcast? – Podcasts definitions being what they are, can get the newbie confused. Think of a podcast as home made advertorials. There are both audio podcasts and video podcasts.

Podcasts are a series of audio or video digital-media files, which can and should be distributed over the Internet by syndicated download, through Web feeds, to portable media players and personal computers. Podcasts stand out and are distinguishable from other digital-media formats by its ability to be syndicated, subscribed to, and downloaded automatically when new content is added.

Podcasting is having your own personal TV show or radio show, featuring you! So its Oprah being heard and watched in over 70 countries!

The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster.

Apple, the company has revolutionized this method of media dissemination through ipods and more recently with its uber popular iPhone! Educational podcasts tend to be one of the best podcasts out on the marketing.

So How does one create a podcast?  You must first decide whether you will be requiring an audio podcast? Perhaps you are more inclined to video podcasts, you are also welcome to a combination of the two.

Then you need to decide what outlets you will use to disseminate your podcasts. There can be found on the web a listing of podcast directories that you can submit your podcast to, the most popular one being iTunes! Also be aware that there may be those who do not use itunes, so offer some options. One of the better known podcast directory for podcast distribution services is podcast alley. A podcast blog is highly recommended because people can read and hear the content right from your won blog and as such create a lot of traffic for you! (Do I hear free, qualified direct sales leads?)

Of course as with any endeavor, you will want to decide on a target audience. My target is women, between the ages of 25-50 who are involved in direct sales, direct selling, home party plans, or home based business!

Then you want to decide what the focus of your podcast. Will you be sharing storied, interviews, tips, marketing lessons? How to and educational podcasts a staple. Writing podcasts is highly recommended, always create outlines so that you do not ramble on for hours on end! You will need an introduction, body and conclusion to your podcast!

How to Make A Podcast – Now this where things get exciting. What type of computer do you have? Mac come with inbuilt software through garage band that makes it very easy to record and covert your mp3 podcasts. This the the file format that makes it easy to download podcasts.

1. Garage Band for Macs
2. Audacity for PC’s (they also have audacity for macs)
3. Microphone
4. Editing Ability
5. Intro & Exit Music
6. Pictures
7. RSS Feed Creator!
8. Podcatchers e.g, iTunes
9. An Internet connection!

Alright now armed with your tools and knowledge, be on your merry way and create a podcast!

Party Plan Pat is the Author of 10 Deadly Home Party Plan Business Mistakes, Home Party Plan Success Tips – a blog focused solely on imparting marketing wisdom to home party consultants. She is also the creator of the Little Black Book Of Home Party Plan Marketing Success System designed to catapult direct sales profits using new technologies and Methods.

Of what worth is the success of your business to you? Patricia Makhulo offers a practical guide to achieving financial freedom. This is the official how to guide for you to gain control of your business growth and profits, to generating massive income. Put yourself on the positive cash-flow track… with virtually no selling! Learn how to take control of your business. You are worth what you say you are, Don’t Delay. Cash In – You Deserve It!

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