How to Host a Successful Facebook Party

 
A common question I receive from new Consultants lately is 'What is a Facebook Party?' and 'How can I do this with my friends?'  It certainly sounds like fun, right? You simply can not go wrong combining everyone's love of Facebook and a party. The two things just naturally seem to go together.  Facebook parties are a great way to earn more sales for the month to your business. These are perfect if you are having a slow month or need to get more exposure to your Direct Sales business. Often friends have a night where they are not doing anything but can’t necessarily make it to a home party.  I know personally that it's not always easy to find a sitter and will just enjoy a relaxing weekend night at home in my jammies.  At some point during the night, I will hop on Facebook.  Why not offer a Facebook party where your friends can still buy their favorite products and possibly win the Hostess rewards?  All from the comfort of their own home.

There are a few ways to host a Facebook party. You can keep it open where friends order over a brief period of time such as a week or you can do an online event night where the event will take place for one night for only a few hours. All friends will hang out on Facebook and spend time online in the event. You can also have a friend or family member host a Facebook party on your behalf for all of her friends and family.  If you have a friend who is hosting a Facebook party for you, be sure to send her catalogs, order forms and some sample products so she can collect orders from friends and family win person who may not be able to attend the event or who do not have a Facebook account.

The next question you want to address is who earns the Hostess Rewards at a Facebook party?  You can create Facebook parties and make yourself the hostess or you can set the party up as a mystery hostess and reward your guests using an entry system.  Each guest can earn an entry by attending, bringing a friend, placing an order or hosting a party of their own.  Choose a winner at random at the end of the party by collecting all the entries and picking a name out of a 'virtual' hat.  I typically use Random.org.  If your friend is hosting a Facebook party for you, she will earn the hostess rewards.

When setting up your Facebook party, go to the Events icon on the left sidebar of your Facebook account.  Create a new event and invite all of your friends.  Be sure to attach several pictures of Lockets within your event page that you have set up of to entice your guests right out of the gate.  Who can resist all the beautiful jewelry?  In your description, write a brief summary about how your Facebook party is going to work and what they can expect by attending.

As the Facebook party hostess, you can still go through your presentation as you would a home party. Share a little bit about yourself, how your company was founded and other fun and exciting tidbits about life as a Direct Sales Consultant.  Don't forget to play Booking Games!  You can post pictures of 5 colored envelopes by saying there are prizes located inside.  Encourage someone to book an on-line or home party by explaining that by booking a party with you, they can earn the gift located inside the envelope they choose. 

It's a party so you want to remain a charming hostess at all times and make your guests feel comfortable!  Offer virtual drinks and snacks to your guests throughout the party and always thank your guests for coming and placing an order.  Be sure to keep the party fun and exciting!  Offer incentives throughout the party and give a few shout outs to guests who place orders, bring a friend or simply for attending.  

At the end of your Facebook party be sure to thank all your guests for coming.  Share how much the Hostess earned in benefits, your guests will be amazed at how easy was and want to host a party of their own and earn hostess benefits too.  If it was a Mystery Hostess party, announce the winner of the hostess benefits and how much she earned.  Make sure to send a personal thank you via Facebook message or on their wall for attending.  This keeps the line of communication open and also continues to build your relationship with that customer.  After all, the relationships you build with your customers are most important.  It keeps them coming back and makes you their go-to Consultant.

I would love to hear how a Facebook party has helped to grow your Direct Sales business!  Any tips or success stories to share? Have I encouraged you to host a Facebook party of your own?  I would love to hear from you!  Have fun!

For even more tips for your Mompreneur business, follow me on Instagram,Twitter,Facebook

How to Have a Successful Vendor Event

Hello friends!  I am so thrilled that you have decided to join me!  I am excited to share with you today all about How to Have a Successful Vendor Event.  As the weather grows warmer, the Spring and Summer craft and vendor show season really starts to heat up.  It seems like every church, school and organization in your community is hosting a vendor or craft show.  For a Direct Sales Consultant, this can be a very busy and exciting time of year!  Now you can take part in craft and vendor fairs all year long, but there is no easier time to jump in than the Fall.   Summer is prime shopping season which means people come to these events looking to buy.  Here are a few tips to help you have an amazingly successful Vendor Event!

First, I have to say before we even get started that Vendor Events should not be the lifeline of your business...parties should be. Vendor shows are great for finding new customers and getting your name out there.  If you have the opportunity to book a party on the same day as a vendor show, choose the party.  It can become pretty pricey if you replace vendor shows with parties.  With that said, vendor shows can be very helpful in your Direct Sales business if they are done properly.  We are going to start off with some basics to make sure that we are all on the same page.

Before you even get started researching Vendor Events, you will want to familiarize yourself with your company's Policies and Procedures on Vendor Shows and Events so you know what is expected of you as an Independent Consultant.

SET YOUR GOALS

The purpose of a vendor show is to find new hostesses, customers and potential team members.  Think about what your goals are for this vendor event and focus your energy there.  Do you want to book more parties?  Looking to grow your team?  Or sell some of your inventory?

I keep an eye out for the women who need some extra income or who is looking for a girls night out to escape the every day chaos.  I invite them into my booth to see what my company can do for them.

WHERE DO YOU FIND VENDOR SHOW OPPORTUNITIES?

Google Vendor Events in Your Community with these key terms:

• Local Festivals
• County Fairs
• Job Fairs
• Craft Shows
• Bridal Shows

DOING YOUR HOMEWORK

Once you locate an event that you would be interested in, you will want to confirm with the event coordinator that there isn't another Independent Consultant within your company signed up already.  I typically will pay only $25 - $75 for an event that I will attend by myself.  If the fee is more expensive than what I am willing to pay on my own, I will contact another team member to see if she would be interested in splitting the booth fee with me.  This also means splitting the leads, use your own judgment on how you would like to handle.  Very large vendor events can be pretty expensive and can range up to $700.  Be sure to do your homework before investing this kind of money.  With an event this size, it's best to enlist the help of several team members.

QUESTIONS TO ASK THE EVENT COORDINATOR AND OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER

• Is this a first time event?
• How well was this event marketed?
• How many people has this event attracted in the past?
• How many vendors will be in attendance?

Don't be afraid to ask these questions, you want to make sure this event is worth your time and money.  For larger events, I have even spoken to a vendor from another Direct Sales Company who has had experienced this event in the past.  I want to get her knowledge and advice about her experience to see if it is something I would be interested in.

You also want to familiarize yourself with the Policies and Procedures of that particular event.  A few other questions to ask the event coordinator are:

• If the event is outside, what is there is bad weather?
• How early do you need to arrive to set up your booth?
• Is the event supplying vendors with tables or do you have to bring your own?
• Is there a contract to sign?

You want to make sure there are no surprises when you show up.

DISPLAY OF YOUR BOOTH

When setting up your booth, you want to keep these key points in mind:

• Keep it clean and simple.
• Keep it inviting.
• An more importantly, is it obvious that your company is represented with your booth?
• What makes your booth unique.
• Would I stop at my booth if I were a passers by?

Setting up your booth should not be difficult, grab a tablecloth, your kit, and a tent if the event were outside.  You want to make your job look and fun and easy incase any potential team members stop by.  Now that you have your booth set up, now how do you get people into your booth?  Offer a Giveaway!  You can giveaway a $25 gift card or product.  Women are very visual and would love to win your product that you have on display.  Have a pad of paper and a sign that you are doing a giveaway.  After speaking to each person who stops by your booth, say to them "It was such a pleasure speaking with you, would you like to enter my giveaway?"  Who doesn't love free stuff?  I have not had anyone turn me down yet.  Ask them to write on your notepad their name, phone number and email address so you can contact them if they won.  At the end of the vendor show, you now have everyone's email address that you spoke to.  The biggest benefit to doing this is that you can now add all of their emails to your company's monthly newsletter.

This year, I am trying something new at my vendor events and displaying a booking tree.  It's a similar idea to my Deal or No Deal booking game.  It offers a prize for booking a party on the date they selected.

You always want to stand outside of your booth and invite people in.  Do not sit behind your booth, it makes you look unapproachable.

WHAT TO HAND OUT AT YOUR BOOTH

One of the biggest questions I receive when I am working my booth is "Can I have a catalog?"  I don't mind handing out catalogs, don't get me wrong, you just don't want to give a catalog to everyone.  That can get pretty expensive!  What I do is that I have all of my old catalogs sitting out and I have them labeled.  And that label says something catchy...'Although this catalog is old, take one look and you will be sold.  Contact me for a new catalog!'

This is a great way to get rid of your old catalogs.  And its a great way to conserve my new catalogs.  I keep my current catalogs out of sight and reserve them only for serious leads such as someone wanting to book a party or join your team.

Some other things to have on the table are business cards, recruiting packets for potential team members, and of course, a little jar of suckers or stickers to give to all the little kids that stop by your booth.  Keep in mind, you want to keep a clutter free area.

Under the table, you will want to keep hostess packet for all interested in booking parties.  You are going to want to keep your booking calendar tucked away for easy access for those who want to book their parties that day.  Keep a notepad of all the warm and hot leads that you receive.  Keep notes about what you talked about.  They will all start to run together as your day goes on and what you are going to want to remember what you and that sweet stay at home mom talked about that stopped by your booth and wanted to learn more about becoming a Consultant.  She would make the perfect addition to your team and you don't want to forget what you two talked about.

THE FORTUNE IS IN THE FOLLOW UP

When I get home from my event, I send out a mass email reminding them that we met at the event and thanking them for their time.  Congratulate the winner of your giveaway and let them know you will be in touch with them.  This keeps the conversation going and the relationship building.  I add any hot or warm lead to my lead binder that I keep with me at all times.  If I am ever in the car waiting to pick up my daughter at preschool or have a few minutes during my kid's naptime, I pick up the phone and call my leads.

It is imperative to make an appointment in your calendar in a few days after the event to follow up with all of your leads before they go cold.  If you don't schedule time for follow up them you wasted your money by letting those leads go cold.  The fortune is always in the follow up!!

VENDOR EVENT DO'S AND DON'TS

• DO stand in front of your booth and talk to people.
• DON'T sit your chair and wait for them to come to you.
• DO call your leads and
• DON'T talk yourself out of it by telling yourself you are bugging them.
• DO put your cell phone away and
• DON'T text or Facebook from your booth the entire time.
• DO have a sign at your booth that says 'Join My Team'
• DO make the best out of your event even if there is a low attendance.
• DON'T forget to get to know the other vendors and leave your business cards with them. 
• DO your homework so there are NO surprises when you arrive at the event.
• DON'T eat at your booth.
• DO work smarter, not harder.
• DO talk to everyone who passes by and
• DON'T prejudge, you never know who is needs your company's products in their life.
• DO build a good relationship with the event coordinator and
• DON'T forget to ask to secure your spot at their next event.
• DO remember you are representing your company at your booth and you always want to be professional. 

I hope you found these tips to be helpful! Have you been signing up for any Craft and Vendors shows yet?  I would love to hear how you plan on having a Successful Vendor Event.

For even more tips for your Mompreneur business, follow me on Instagram,Twitter,Facebook

Finding the Right Direct Sales Business for You

Hi Friends!  I hope you are all having a wonderful week!  I have been so blessed to have had a very successful 5 years in direct sales and can honestly say I have learned so many things along the way.   Even with the successes, I have made mistakes but it has helped me learn so much about myself and about the Direct Sales industry. Most importantly, I now know exactly what to look for in choosing the right Direct Sales business for me and can't wait to share these tips with YOU! 

Find a Direct Sales company that isn’t saturated in your area.

If there are already several consultants for that company in the circles you are in it probably isn’t the best idea to sell for that same company. Instead, find something that very few around you are selling.

 

Make sure the company is reputable and has good leaders.

The founders of a company hold all the cards in their hand. They have to be strong, knowledgeable leaders for a company to succeed long term. Without wisdom, experience and a good team, a company simply can’t survive in this industry.

The price point needs to be something that the majority of people can afford.

There can and should be higher priced items for sure but there must be lower prices to bring customers in. If they know they can leave with a quality product for a good price, they’re more likely to come to the party. Once there, they’re likely to find something else they like and will often spend more than they planned to spend but a low price point is a must have. Higher priced items are also great because they mean increased sales and profits for you. A good balance is where success is at.

Quality is important with a product guarantee.

Customers will come to your launch because of your attitude, they’ll buy because of a great price point but they’ll return because of quality.  Your products need to deliver.

 

Find a company that sells something unique but not too trendy.

People are drawn to the new “thing” that everyone else is getting. There is a huge buy-in when the product is something they've never seen before or something that is similar to a product they have at home but done better in a unique way.  There is less interest or demand in a product you are selling if you can go to your local Target and pick one up.  If the product is also too trendy, the interest for it will quickly disappear once the next "big thing" comes along.

Consumable products are the best option.

I believe that it is easier to have and maintain sales when you have a consumable product. If you’re selling a product that will run out, customers will be back for more. Especially if its a product that they’re already using and yours are better than any they can find at the store. Most people would rather spend their money helping a friend in business than at a large big box store.

Ground floor opportunities are important.

Joining a company in its first couple of years provides you with an amazing opportunity to grow a tremendous business with that company. Direct sales is about sales but it’s also about building a strong team. Joining early gives you a chance at having a large team of customers as well as a strong downline.

Competitive Compensation Plans.

You’ll want to find a company that has commission rates that match up with your goals. If your goal is to make an extra $100 a month for your kids activities but you only want to have to have one party a month then you’ll want to find a company with a 25% commission plan and average party sales of $400-$500 per party. Make sure the commission and average sales match up with your goals.  It's also important that you are paid a competitive rate for bringing in new people into the business and for mentoring them.

 

The product needs to be Age Appropriate.

If the products are something that you and your friends feel out of touch with then you should keep looking for another company.

Love your product!

Find a company that sells something you use often if not daily. Your attitude toward your product will increase sales more than the product itself. If you’re not passionate about it, your friends won’t be either.

What criteria do you look for in a Direct Sales Company?  I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.  Have a great day!  XOXO

For even more tips for your Mompreneur business, follow me on Instagram,Twitter,Facebook