Direct Sales – 9 Fall, Winter and Holiday Theme Party Ideas

If you are in Direct Sales, you have probably noticed how popular themed home parties have become. These days party hosts are looking for something different. We have all been to those parties where a consultant just stands up there and shows you her business products, but these days, those type of parties are less appealing.

Party Hosts now want an interactive and fun themed party. I have compiled a list of some very popular home themed parties for you to consider that are seasonal in nature, meaning that they are great at certain times of the calendar year.

1. New Year, New You Party: (great for home organization ideas, weightloss and healthy eating, pampering and spa type of parties).

2. Beat The Winter Blues Party: During the winters months, people get the winter blues from being stuck indoors. If you have a fun and exciting party concept, try labeling it the “Beat The Winter Blues” party. You can have all of your guests dress in blue or have them do the opposite and dress in sunny cheerful colors.

3. Halloween Costume Party: If you are doing any parties during the month of October, turn it into a Halloween Costume Party and have all the party guests wear their favorite costume.

4. Men Only Holiday Shopping Party: Invite the men over to shop for gifts for their wives, girlfriends, mothers, sisters etc.

5. Holiday Baking with Children Party: If you are with a gourmet food company or one of the kitchen companies, this is a great party theme around the holidays. Have parents bring their children along to the party for some baking fun.

6. Holiday Cookie Exchange Party: Have all the party guests bring a dozen of their freshly made holiday cookies to the party with them. Have each guest take home a few of the cookies that others brought to the party.

7. Secret Santa Party: (have the guests make a list of 3 items below $25 each) then have each guest draw a slip of paper and they have to buy one of those items on that list for the Secret Santa pal without letting them know its for her. Then you have the second half of the party in a few weeks when the orders come in and invite guests back to exchange their gifts and for them to try to guess who it was that was their secret Santa!)

8. Secret Santa Office Gift Party: A lot of workplace offices these days do secret santa parties and exchanges. I make up a list ahead of time of all items that we sell that are $12 and less! I attach the list to the front of the catalog and only demo those items. Guests are always looking for affordable gifts for their secret santa office parties and you can help them find them!)

9. Trim-the-tree party: Have the hostess put up her Holiday Tree and dig out her holiday tree decorations. You all have a tree trimming party and afterwards you can hold your regular sales party.

So when it comes to booking parties this fall and winter…think of a theme to suit the season. I find that my bookings and rebookings increase when I do theme parties…and in turn, my party sales are higher as my guests enjoy themselves a lot more!

Shelly

Deal Or No Deal Booking Party Game

Deal or No Deal Booking Game

Take colored or pretty printed envelopes and in each envelope put a slip of paper inside that says: “prize” or “book a party.” Pass out the sealed envelopes to all of the attendees at the party. Let them know this is a “deal or no deal” game. They could win a prize or book a party, but either way they have to do what their envelope says.

Towards the end of the party, remind the guests about their “Deal or No Deal” prize envelopes. Announce that they can open their envelopes if they are thinking about hosting a party.

On the Prize Slips – I just mark…You won a prize. I offer a simple prize that costs me less than $2.50

On the Book A Party Slips – I mark on those…You win 2 prizes if you book a party with me today. For these, I offer a simple prize that costs me less than $2.50 and then the booking prize which retails for around $10.00

However, you need to stress upon the party guests that if they receive an envelope that has a BOOK A PARTY prize, they will need to book a party and hold it within the next 4 weeks.

Tip

To make this easier, I will use pastel solid color envelopes and pretty printed designed envelopes. I put the prize slips in the pastel solid envelopes and the book a party slips in the printed envelopes.

If only a handful of guests are at the party, I might give out just 2-3 of the book a party envelopes, if there are a lot of attendees at the party, then I hand out 5-7 of the book a party envelopes.

You can adjust this Deal or No Deal game to suit your own needs.

Direct Sales: 9 Ways To Use Extra Product Inventory

As Direct Sales consultants, we often end up with excess product inventory. These items could be discontinued items, slightly used demonstration products, or items you received as gifts from your company.

At my home, space is at a premium. I like to use my overstock to help promote my business, after all, it doesn’t make me any money sitting around in storage.

Here are 9 creative ways you can use your inventory to enhance your business.

1. Booking Gifts – You can use products from your inventory to obtain new party bookings.

2. Customer Orders – Entice larger customer orders by offering a product from your overstock for free or for 1/2 price, if the customer places an order of $100 or more.

3. Open House – If you have a lot of overstock on hand, you can hold a cash and carry open house.

4. Rewards for Team Members – If you have a team, set a monthly goal for them to achieve. If they reach the goal, reward each member with an item from your personal inventory of products.

5. Sponsor a Contest – Donate a product to a business as a prize donation. You can receive some terrific business exposure.

6. Charity Raffle – Donate a product to a charity raffle event. You get business exposure and a tax write-off.

7. Recruiting Incentive – Offer a product from your inventory as an extra incentive to a potential new consultant to join your team.

8. Bartering – Consider bartering with other business owners for business products or services that you need.

9. Gifts – When you need holiday gifts for friends and family members, consider using items from your product inventory.

I hope these ideas have sparked a few of your own. Just remember, if your merchandise is sitting around in boxes collecting dust, it isn’t making you money.

Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989 and is a Manager with Tupperware. You can contact Shelly at:
Web: Classy Home Business Women
Web: Shelly’s Tupperware Home Business

The Balloon Game — A Great Booking Game

Before the party, figure out what you would like to give as a little booking gift incentive. Write it down on a slip of paper and fold it to fit inside a balloon. Blow up the balloons and tie them shut.

As guests arrive for the party, they get a balloon… as you hand it to them say… “this is yours for the evening after all what’s a party with out balloons and presents. Hang on to it and don’t trade it away, you may be holding the special balloon…. It’s yours” and if he/she asks any questions regarding what’s inside… just give a very sneaky look and a smile!

When I open the show, I casually remind them to hang onto their balloons, that we will get to them later in the show.

For the entire evening the guest “owns” the balloon and the gift inside. You will see them shaking the balloon and see the curiosity in their eyes. Towards the end of the party, you will want to say, “ladies and gentlemen, you all have your balloons, and by now you have figured out that there is a special gift inside from me! If you decide to book a show this evening the gift is yours. and you may pop your balloon to discover what you have won, otherwise you must return the balloon to me. If three of you pop your balloon then the hostess get to pop hers too.”

The wording here is key! There is not a person in that room who is not dying to know what their prize is… and not a single one who is thrilled to give you their balloon back. And your hostess will also want to pop his/hers to see what their MYSTERY prize is, so he/she will work to get other’s to pop theirs. They must bring their Balloon to you with their order and pop the balloon with you.

If you’re like me, asking for the future bookings should not be the hardest part of the show, but the easiest and something like this would sure move things along.

Prize Ideas: Your prizes should be little items that retail for less than $5.00 each.

Tips To Get More Bookings And Higher Home Party Sales

Are you in Direct Sales? Are you struggling with getting more dating’s and higher party sales?

As a Direct Sales Consultant, its important to keep your dating and booking calendar full. Why? Keeping a full calendar means consistent income for you!

It’s equally important to work closely with your home party hosts. You want your host to have a successful home party so that they achieve the goals that yield them the most free and half-priced items. The more successful the party, the more bookings you will get from it. If the party host feels completely satisfied, she will rebook another party from you.

Try these tips to increase your party bookings.

1. Offer an immediate dating gift to someone who books a home party with you and sets a date for the party within the next 21 days.

2. Half-Price selections are one of your most valuable tools. Let party guests know they can purchase these products at the half-off price by holding a party with you.

3. Reward hosts who have a “Dating in Waiting,” a party dated before you arrive. I like to offer a product that retails for $10-$15 as my extra incentive for outside bookings.

4. Re-Bookings. Offer an incentive to your host if she rebooks another party with you, to be held in 90 days.

5. Offer Exclusive Host Gifts. These are products that only party hosts can earn for free or 1/2 price for having a home party with you.

Try these tips to increase your home party sales.

1. Attendance Specials. Provide an incentive for hosts who have 10 guests at their party. Provide an additional incentive for hosts who have 20 guests at their party.

2. Encourage party guests to bring an uninvited friend to the party. One way of doing this is by labeling the party invitation with the bring a friend to the party information. I personally reward guests with a 10% discount off their personal order for bringing along a friend.

3. Offer several Purchase with Purchase Specials, also known as Bonus Buys.

example: With a $50 purchase, you can add-on xyz item to your order for only $10.00 or with a $100 purchase, you can add-on xyz item to your order for only $25.00

Enticing customers to buy more to receive a special offer is a great way to increase party sales.

4. Have plenty of items to demonstrate at your home parties. The more items guests see, the more they will buy.

5. Make your parties fun and interactive. Get your guests involved in the party. Play a few games, offer some great prizes and more importantly, make sure you enjoy yourself.

By offering incentives like these, it helps to increase party attendance, which in turn increases your party sales. When you have satisfied hosts and guests, they will in turn, book parties from you!

Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989 and is a Manager with Tupperware. You can contact Shelly at:
Web: Shelly’s Tupperware Home Business

Direct Sales – Tips To Increase Your Dating And Booking Potential

As a Direct Sales consultant, I am always looking for creative ways to increase my party bookings, after all, the majority of your business sales come from home party bookings.

Here are 12 great tips that you can use immediately to increase your party bookings.

1. Offer bonuses for dating on weeknights.

2. Offer bonuses for dating on weekday afternoons.

3. Hold multi-host parties to reduce stress for your party hosts. A multi-host party is when 2-3 party hosts pick one location and have one party. Each host invites their own party guests and each host earns free products for having their party. They just share the ‘party space” and you only have to do one business presentation.

4. Think “outside the house” and consider taking parties to other venues, such as office buildings where your hosts work, community centers, assisted living centers, the park, bowling alley, your local pizza shop, coffee and donut shop, small cafes and diners, church fellowship halls and daycare centers.

5. Contact past party hosts and offer them an incentive to book another party.

6. Contact your customers and offer them an incentive to book a party.

7. Offer parties in a bag, parties in a box and catalog order parties for party hosts who are too busy to host a party in their own home.

8. Offer to let party hosts use your home to host their party.

9. Get involved in your community events. Set up table displays advertising your home party opportunity. On display you should have some visuals such as: Dating Gift, Host Thank You Gift, Host Booking Gifts, etc. Let your potential hosts see what they can earn for free or for half price! Get out there and meet new people and watch your bookings grow.

10. Party in your trunk! (also known as a ‘trunk show’). Take your party on the go: to the park, outdoor music festivals, sporting events, family reunions, neighborhood block parties, flea markets, community yard sale events, etc. The more people see your products, the more apt they are to book a party!

11. Offer mini versions of your home party. If you normally spend 2 hours at the party hosts home doing a home party, come up with a new shorter version. Some party hosts don’t want to commit a lot of time hosting a home party, so offer a shorter mini version of your traditional home party.

12. Offer an immediate product reward for booking a party on the spot with you. This should be an inexpensive item from your business product line.

Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989 and is a Manager with Tupperware. You can contact Shelly at:
Web: Classy Home Business Women
Web: Shelly’s Tupperware Home Business