How To Plan A Party
Once you find a direct sales opportunity that fits into your lifestyle, of course you’re going to want to tell everyone about it. Planning a party is a great way to make sure everyone you know gets the opportunity to come and support your new business venture. Here are some tips to help your plan for that first direct sales party.
Always plan an open house, no matter what type of product you’re selling. This is going to be your first official party to introduce your products so you can showcase and roll out the entire line you’ll be selling. Start with choosing a date.
Getting Ready For Your First Party
It’s important to consider the date for your party. You want to choose a day when most of your invitees can come for maximum exposure. Weekends are usually best, but stay away from holidays unless you know people won’t mind coming. Even more people will be able to come if you give them at least a one or two week window before the event. Ask for R.S.V.P.s so you can get an idea of how many to expect for food.
Have a couple of dates in mind just in case one is better than the other for your invitees. Once you’ve set the date, now the fun begins. It’s time for stategic party planning. It’s a good thing to keep a few things in mind that you want to accomplish at the party:
* Let people know about your products (benefits, ingredients, etc.)
* Provide a non-threatening atmosphere with no sales pressure
* Have products available for sale on hand, as many as you can
* Present opportunities to become a rep for the company
* Provide food and entertainment (games, door prizes, etc.)
You’ll have enough supplies to have your first show since most direct selling companies provide a starter business kit . You don’t have to keep an inventory for your open house unless you want to have more product on hand. It’s certainly okay to use your products as advertisements and take orders from the catalog.
The Party Planning
Now that you’ve set your date and figured out your goals for the party, decide how it will flow. Enlist the aid of your family and friends to keep things going throughout. For an open house, there’s a small window of time when people enter, talk with you, mingle, and look at products. It takes you out of the limelight and also takes the pressure off since you’re not standing in front of a group for the entire time.
Display your products prominently on a display table. The display table can be placed in a foyer or as they walk into the main room where the event is being held. Give brochures complete with business cards so visitors have a way to contact you later should they want to order again or if they decide that direct sales is an opportunity they want to take advantage of. Also, a separate table for the food and drinks helps to keep your hands free to mingle and talk with the guests.
The Presentation
Finally, the day has arrived. You’ll want someone else to answer the door so visitors can come right in and meet you. Your main assignment for the day is getting the word out about your products and the direct selling opportunity.
You are the hostess at this first direct sales party. Use this opportunity to book more hostess parties, introduce and sell products, and let people know who and where you are. Good luck!
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