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Top 5 Ways to Get More Datings At Your Direct Sales Home Party

By Rayven Perkins

The very heart of the home party plan business is dating more parties. Without parties, your business is at a virtual standstill, with no ways to generate substantial sales. With your date book filled with scheduled parties, a world of opportunity opens up for you to grow your business and experience financial rewards.

So how do you generate more parties? Here are my 5 favorite ways to get more parties dated during a home party demonstration.

#5 Offer Incentives

As you go about your demonstration, be sure you point out various dating incentives to your guests. Make sure the guests know that they can receive a gift just for dating a party, and another for holding the party. Go over your party plan companies hostess plans, and when possible, show guests the actual items they can receive.

#4 Stack Your Hostess

Play a game of Show and Tell. You can explain hostess gifts to your guests until you are blue in the face, but until the guests actually see what it is that they can receive, it doesn’t mean much to them.

Towards the end of your presentation, have your hostess sit in a chair at the front of the room. Take this opportunity to thank her for hosting the party. Then begin to stack her.

Starting with the gift of least value, hand all the items to her one by one that she has received for hosting the party. Give her the conversation starter gift, the dating gift, the hosting gift. Make sure you stack her with all the items it is possible to receive, even if the party sales are not totaled yet. Does your company offer half price items in addition to other hostess gifts? Stack her with those as well.

When guests see just how much they can receive, they are more likely to date a party themselves.

#3 The Theme Book

Your party guests want to have fun! What better way to get them excited than by offering a wide array of themed parties? Everything from the traditional Auction Party to a Banana Split Party, Couples Party, Children’s Party or Margarita with the Girls. Get creative and think of fun ways that your guests can come together with their friends.

Print out a simple information page with each of these ideas and put the pages in a 3-ring binder. Leave the binder on the coffee table before and during the party. When your guests find a theme that interests them, they will be happy to date a show with you.

#2 Dating Games

Most home party consultants offer their guests some sort of prize or trinket for coming to a show. Reserve your most sought after trinkets and prizes for a special dating game. At the end of your show, offer the best goodies to your guests for participating in the Dating Game.

Have all the trinkets in a large bowl or decorated box. On each trinket, attach a note. Half the notes should say “Host a Party” while the other half should have a variety of messages ranging from “Draw Again” to “You’ve Won a Free Item”. Tell the guests that participation in this game is optional. Explain to the guests that on each prize is a note, and whatever the note says is what is to be done. If a guest draws a “free item” prize, you will give her a specified free item, but if she draws a “Host a Party” prize, you expect her to date a party tonight.

This really helps to determine which guests are willing to hold a party. Only guests who are willing to consider the idea will draw a prize.

#1 ASK!

This might seem obvious, but the best way to date more parties at your next demonstration is to get into the habit of asking each guest. Do not feel that you are being pushy. The guests expect you to ask them to host a party! One method I have used to force myself to ask each and every guest when they place their order is this.

At the beginning of the party, I make an announcement. I hold out a $20 bill and say “At the end of the show I will be asking each and every one of you to host a party to be eligible to receive all these wonderful hostess gifts! If, however, I forget to ask you to host a show, I will give you $20 worth of product of your choice!”

This forces me to ask each guest, and makes each guest aware, prepared, and even looking forward to my question.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rayven_Perkins

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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!

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What are you doing right now…this week to fill up your dating and booking calendar for your fall and holiday season home parties?

Are you still sitting on the fence? Are you taking action and getting your calendar filled up? Not sure where to find your holiday bookings yet?

Well…the clock is ticking. It is time to get busy booking your fall and holiday parties now!

Here are a few ideas on where you can find some holiday bookings.

1. Contact all of your past party hosts. Ask them to book a party for October or November. Offer them a holiday themed party if possible.

2. Contact local schools, sports team and groups and offer them a holiday fundraiser if your company offers a fundraising program.

3. Contact some adult daycare centers and assisted living facilities and offer to come in and do a holiday party for their residents. Seniors have a hard time getting out and about to do their holiday shopping so take the shopping to them. Parties of this nature need to be planned and scheduled at least 30 to 45 days in advance.

4. Contact local daycare centers for children. See if you can come in and do a party for the parents and daycare teachers & staff.

5. Contact local consultants in your area and team up! Find a nice place and all of you go in together and hold a shopping event. You will all need to help promote it to get the customers in there.

6. Contact some churches and local groups to inquire about their fall festivals and holiday events. A lot of them hold open house shopping events and craft shows. You can usually get a booth or table for less than $40.00

Yes…I know this is the beginning of September but it’s time to get busy and start working on your fall and holiday home party calendar. Pick up the phone, make a few calls and watch your calendar fill up with party bookings.

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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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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This article is copyright 2008 by Shelly Hill, All Rights Reserved. This article can not be reprinted without Shelly’s permission and/or proper credit with live links given to the author who wrote the content who is Shelly Hill.

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