6 Steps to a Successful Home Party

Everyday someone is coming up with a new way to market your direct sales business (which of course is great). Keeping your business interesting and fresh is important. However, don't forget the tactics that made direct sales companies (aka home party plans) popular.

Home parties are not only an excellent way to showcase your products, but are also a great deal of fun. There's nothing more entertaining than getting a bunch of people (usually women) together to show and test your merchandise. Hands on beats other tactics hands down time and time again!

Following a simply guideline can help you have successful home party that runs smoothly and everyone enjoys. The following guideline will give you the basic idea of how to do this and can easily be adjusted to fit your own tastes / needs.

Before the Guests arrive...
Be sure to arrive at your hostess's home about an hour or so before the start of your party to review any last minute details. Set up a refreshment table and re-arrange furniture if needed. Set up your display and do a quick review of the guest list. Review any before-party sales. Don't forget to lay out the catalogs, brochures and business cards!

Greeting the Guests...
Have the hostess warmly greet each guest as they arrive. Have her introduce you and engage in some general chit-chat. Ask them about themselves, what do they do, how do they know the hostess, do they have any children? Remember to smile!

The Ice Breaker...
Games are a perfect ice breaker. Play a game or two to make the guests feel welcome and comfortable. Make your games fun and with as much interaction with the guests as possible. Another good ice breaker is to thank your hostess for holding the party and giving her a gift. If you offer gifts to guests who bring friends; now's the time do hand them out.

The Presentation...
Start showing guests the items that you've brought for display and give a brief description that you've prepared before-hand on each one. Guests love hands-on viewing. After each description, hand the merchandise to the guests to get a better look and pass around. At the end of your presentation, discuss the opportunity for guests to become hostesses themselves and briefly discuss the rewards. Be sure at some point to open the floor to the guests for any questions, comments and/or concerns. At this time the hostesses should be doing any last minute preparations of the refreshments.

Finishing up Guest Orders...
Be prepared to help guests fill in their order forms and answer any questions about sales tax and shipping costs. It might not be a bad idea to bring along a calculator for quicker or more accurate order totals. Also be prepared to accept checks and let it be known who you'd prefer the checks to be written to. Make sure you thank each guest who purchases and give them a copy of the completed order form.

Ending the Show...
Once again you should thank the hostess for having the show. Be sure to thank each guest for coming as they leave whether they made a purchase or not. Don't forget to have all the needed information to contact guests after the party concerning their orders or potentially hosting a party themselves. And don't forget to have fun!

Remember, it's your party so get creative! The more fun your guests have ... the more chances you have of future bookings. Some simple planning and organization will open the door of opportunity wide open. Make sure you hold your head high, put on a smile and walk right in.


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Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive
to help women succeed in direct sales. For additional help with your direct sales business, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com

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