The heart of the home party plan business is going out with more parties. Without parties, your business is virtually at a standstill, with no way to generate substantial sales. With your schedule full of scheduled parties, a world of opportunities opens up for you to grow your business and experience financial rewards.
So how do you generate more pieces? Here are my 5 favorite ways to get more dates during a demo party at home.
#5 Offer incentives
As you go through your demo, be sure to point out various dating incentives to your guests. Make sure guests know they can get one gift just for going out to a party and another for hosting the party. Review the hostess plans from your party plan company 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 her guests until she turns blue, but until guests actually see what they can get, it doesn’t mean much to them.
Toward the end of your presentation, have your hostess sit in a chair at the front of the room. Take this opportunity to thank him for hosting the party. Then she starts stacking it.
Starting with the gift of least value, give him one by one all the items he received for organizing the party. Give the conversation starter gift, the dating gift, the host gift. Make sure to stack it with as many items as you can get, even if the party sales haven’t added up yet. Does your business offer half-price items in addition to other hostess gifts? Stack it with that too.
When guests see how much they can receive, they are more likely to come out with a party themselves.
#3 The theme book
Your party guests want to have fun! What better way to excite them than by offering a wide range of themed parties? From the traditional Auction Party to Banana Split Party, Couples Party, Children’s Party or Margarita with the Girls. Get creative and think of fun ways your guests can meet their friends.
Print out a simple information page with each of these ideas and place the pages in a 3-ring binder. Leave the folder on the coffee table before and during the party. When your guests find a topic that interests them, they will be happy to schedule an appointment with you.
#2 Dating Games
Most house party consultants offer their guests some type of prize or trinket for attending a show. Reserve your most wanted trinkets and prizes for a special dating game. At the end of your show, offer the best gifts to your guests for playing the dating game.
Have all the trinkets in a large bowl or decorated box. On each trinket, attached to the note. Half of the notes should say “Throw a party,” while the other half should have a variety of messages from “Draw again” to “You’ve won a free item.” Tell guests that participation in this game is optional. Explain to guests that there is a note on each award, and what the note says is what should be done. If a guest receives a “Free Item” award, you’ll give them a specific free item, but if they receive a “Having a Party” award, you hope they go out with a party tonight.
This really helps determine which guests are willing to host a party. Only guests who are willing to consider the idea will draw a prize.
#1 QUESTION!
This may seem like a no-brainer, but the best way to date more parties at your next demo is to get in the habit of asking every guest. Don’t feel like you’re being pushy. Guests are waiting for you to ask them to throw a party! One method I’ve 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’m going to ask each and every one of you to host a party to be eligible to receive all of these wonderful hostess gifts! However, if I forget to ask you to present a program, I’ll give you $20 of the product of your choice!”
This forces me to ask each guest and makes each guest aware, prepared, and even eager for my question.