Dress appropriately.
Try business casual, but comfortable. Avoid extremes of jewelry or makeup, even if these are items you are selling. You want to be memorable, though not in an eccentric or bad way. You want to show off the products, but not look like a walking billboard.

Hosting at home.
If you are hosting at home, try to make your house seem as normal as possible. Don’t load the place with so many of your direct selling items that it looks like more of a warehouse than a living room.

(Which is a good reminder to make sure that your business office or area is also always tidy in case you have to pop in and out, but also, that it doesn’t take over your entire house).

Direct sales parties can be a fantastic experience for everyone involved.  If people have fun and are appreciated, and the benefits of the products are explained, rather than the features, you’re sure to see a boost in present and future sales.

Make sure your direct sales party is fun, and they will want to come back to you for more. Remember, people do business with people they like.  Be the go-to person for fabulous products, and watch your direct-selling business grow.

Even though I was supposed to be ‘subordinate’, I would often end up being the ‘go-to’ person for facts, figures, statistics, and the overall vision of the company.

Successful selling is all about confidence. Yours, and that of the person doing the buying. They need to be confident that they are making the right decision. That their life will be better with your product, that they are getting value for money. Knowledge and a professional air will go a long way towards building that confidence.

Keep it light.
Many times people go to direct sales parties and expect a bit of a heavy-handed sales pitch. Keep it light and fun. Jokes, where appropriate, and games are a great way to lighten the mood, and let people know they’re not going to be tackled on their way out the door if they decide not to buy anything. In addition, you can find fun ways to give prizes at your direct sales party. (See the article at this site on that topic).

Just remember, though, you are there to work, not just to have a good time. Try to keep things in balance.

When you’re finished with your presentation, ask if there are any questions. Then get people to pass around the products, and examine your displays at their leisure.

Make sure to be available if and when people have questions about the products or ordering. Make sure you have your contact information on every piece of paper you hand out, phone, email, and even a url as well if you have set up a site to sell from too.

Twenty minutes is usually long enough to hold a group’s attention without losing them.  Any longer and peoples’ minds start to wander.

During that twenty minutes make sure to talk about how the products you’re selling are going to make their lives better, solve their problems, and fill their needs.

All too often, in copywriting and demonstrating, we list all the features of the product. Tinted sun roof, side impact bars, and so on.

What most companies fail to do is describe the benefits–Tinted sunroof to protect your family from the harmful rays of the sun but give a bright spacious feel to the interior.  Side impact bars to protect your family in the event of a collision that isn’t head on or bumper to bumper.

If you’re selling candles which burn for 10 hours, then the benefit to them is that it can burn all day without being replaced.  Or that one candle is good for ten hour-long baths.  You’re saving money and also setting the tone for them picturing a more luxurious life lived with your product.

Share personal information about yourself, not too personal of course, so your attendees can relate to you and make a positive association.

You can talk about how you decided to become a direct sales consultant, about your family, and what the job now means to them. You can even talk about how you met the hostess, or about how being a direct sales consultant has changed your life.

For example, all of my marketing money goes straight into the college fund for my brother’s kids. I even have my business credit card linked to a 529 fund, which gives me cash back straight back into it, to save as much money as I can for them.

With that many direct sales consultants and new direct sales companies popping up weekly, how do you make people remember your show and your products?

There are many things you can do to make your direct selling parties and products stand out from the crowd.

Smile.  It sounds simple enough, however, if you’ve ever been to a show with a less than gracious hostess or sales consultant, then you understand the power of a sincere smile.  Don’t worry so much about the bottom line that you come off grumpy or hardnosed.

You are the reason everyone at the party is there, so make the most of it.  Connect with your prospects and customers. Remember their names and ask them questions that show you’re interested in more than a sale, you’re interested in them and a friendship.

Share your enthusiasm.
Passion, excitement and enthusiasm are contagious.  When you’re revved up and eager to share your excitement with others they’ll catch your enthusiasm. Tell stories and anecdotes about the products. Really DO use them, and you will find you are your own walking batch of reviews. The products may not work for everyone, but if they work for you, they will work for most people.

Set up hands-on demonstrations.
Watching someone demonstrate how to use a product is one thing. Getting your hands on the product and actually seeing how it works, smells, feels and functions is an entirely different experience.  It’s the difference between shopping in a catalog, or online, and shopping at a department store.

With the ease of online shopping these days, you might think direct selling is decreasing, but in fact it has increased. It could just be that human touch makes all the difference.

Of course, if you have more prizes to award then you can continue to draw and donate prizes as you go.  Most of the prizes should be from the line of products that you are selling, to get them to try them for themselves and see what great value they are.

But if you have any bigger ticket items in good condition which you either don’t want, or have managed to buy at a discount, the one big item can serve as a lure for people to come to the party to win the prizes.

A drawing is also a great way to generate leads.  Instead of having people simply put their name on a piece of paper, they can actually fill out a pre-set postcard.

Consider asking for the following information:

- Name

- Address

- Phone number

- If they are interested in becoming a consultant

- If they are interested in hosting a direct selling party (and earning free gifts as a result)

Setting up your drawing this way offers two benefits.  It gives you concrete leads to build your business, and it offers you the opportunity to award the prizes at the show or after the show at a later date when you can call people and let them know they’ve won.

Make sure to not let this information go to waste.  Use the information you’ve collected to send out information about promotions and new products.   Just make sure you keep track of your postage costs, and don’t mail the cards without capturing the data they have noted down.

A second chance to communicate with them and add to your database with this postcard method might be to give them a special url where they could log in, add other important data, like their email address for ease of communication, and perhaps give them a special offer as a thank you for participating.

Make sure it is a limited time offer to get them to act promptly. Then keep track of the results of the promotion.  Via email, periodically offer contests and prizes, just to keep the buzz going.

Whether you choose to host a drawing, or ask your attendees to play a game, giving away prizes related to your new direct selling business is a great way to introduce new people to your product line, and gain future customers.

However, it’s often difficult to find way to donate prizes cleverly and strategically at your direct selling party without breaking the bank or causing bad feelings.

Here’s how to donate prizes fairly at your direct selling parties, and still have fun and keep within your marketing budget.

People are by nature a bit competitive, some more than others, so a game is a great way to get the party started. It helps people break the ice, and adds a bit of fun competition to the festivities.

Games can be anything from a trivia game about the products and company,  to a game of strategy and skill.

Games also provide the perfect opportunity to find people to donate prizes to.  Depending on how much time you have and how many prizes you have to give away, you can award the first, second, and third place winners a prize.

Or you can play a couple games, and the first place winner of each game can get a prize.  Just be sure it’s not the same person winning each time.

You can do easy games too, like the first person who has a paperclip, 6 keys, or guesses closest to a particular number.

Arrive early, not too early, and help her set up the party.
Do whatever it takes to get the party set up. Even if she has done barely a thing, do the best you can.  If she has overdone things, well, at least you know how hard she has tried.

Be professional and gracious at all times. Smile even when it hurts.  Your positive can do attitude will impress people, as will your unruffled manner  if anything does go wrong (which it most likely will). So long as it isn’t a disaster of Titanic proportions, you will be fine.

During the party, make a point of recognizing the efforts of your hostess in front of the other guests.  Thank her, and let the party attendees know what she did and what she earned by being a hostess. Give her the gifts you plan to, and make sure they are nice ones. (Nice than any little giveaways that you plan to give as spot prizes for the attendees).

You may at this point take a few minutes to let others know how they too can be a hostess.  There is nothing people like more than being praised, put in the spotlight for a job well done, and getting a gift. Once they see how they will be treated as a hostess, they will be eager to sign up.

Before during and after, keep your hostess in the loop about where she stands with her goals.  Give her help and advice on how to attain her goals as well as motivation and encouragement.

Never assume a hostess is interested in doing what you do, even if she does a great job, however always present the opportunity and information to her about direct selling.  Let her know her strengths, and how they might fit within the direct sales business.

Be gracious to your hostess.  A thank you note may not seem like much, but it actually says a lot about you.  Sending a thank you note as soon as your hostesses agrees to host a party is a great way to let her know how much you appreciate her and her efforts.

It’s also a great time to follow up with information and reminders that will help her throw a profitable party.  After all, your hostess wants to get something out of this too.

Above all, send a sincere note of thanks.  Party hostesses are the backbone of the direct sales industry.  Without them, you wouldn’t be profitable, and it wouldn’t nearly be as much fun.

Be professional.  Your hostess is counting on you to provide all of the necessary materials and information to throw a good party.  This includes everything from checklists and invitations, to refreshments and back-up supplies.  Make sure you have everything you need to help her throw the best party possible. (and we will talk about giving away prizes in a later article, to help your party go off with a bang).

Establish expectations.  Early on in the process of planning the direct selling party,  it’s helpful to establish the expectations for the party.  That means setting sales goals, attendee goals and so on, as well as establishing a process to attain those goals.

Above all, it means letting your hostess know what’s in it for her, i.e. great gifts, cash, and incentives.

Keep checking in.  Call every couple of days to see how she’s doing and if there is anything you can do to help.  It’s important not to overwhelm her with phone calls and status checks but at the same time to make yourself available if she needs you.  Check the weather closer to the time.  Blizzards, hurricanes, flood warnings, power outages, you name it, they might happen (thank you global warming).

Offer to call her guests if she gives you the names and numbers.  This is a great opportunity to introduce yourself and get attendees excited about the party.  How are they getting there? Do they need a lift? Problems with a sitter-maybe they could double up with yours, and so on.

Do you want to risk finding out?

Happy hostesses will help you gain repeat business over and over again, so it’s essential that your hostesses know you appreciate them.

In these articles we will give some fast, easy suggestions as to how to pamper your direct selling party hostess so she will be thrilled to have you back.

Perfect party treatment begins with a great attitude before, during, and after the party.  This sounds simple enough, but it is not always easy to do with the pressure of work, and anxiety over sales, which after all, are real money.

This is a business, true, but often the harder you try, the less you succeed, so just relax, and think of it as more of a party and a networking and brand-building opportunity. Any exposure of your business and direct selling products is better than none, even if you don’t come away with a book full of sales.

The most important thing to remember is that you set the tone for the party, and your attitude will be contagious.  If you’re feeling less than genuinely thrilled about your direct sales business and products, your hostess will pick up on it.

This may leave her wondering why she’s throwing a party in the first place.  Therefore, make sure your attitude is positive and professional at all times when around your hostess or potential hostesses.  Smile. Be happy, cheerful, and positive, and try to have several anecdotes or mini-reviews about the products to help people along in their purchasing decisions.

But also make sure to talk about the things THEY are interested in. A direct selling party is not the place for the hard sell.

Direct selling is a thriving and growing business model even with the ease of shopping on the internet. Many people are joining the direct sales industry to create a little additional income during these financially tough times.  Almost 75% of American households have bought something through direct sales in the past year.

Consider connecting with these other direct sales consultants, and take turns hosting your direct selling parties. In many cases, they will not only know the ropes, they will be able to offer invaluable advice on what to do and not do now that you are direct selling.

If you don’t know any other direct sales consultants, post an ad in your local church or school newsletter inviting people to your house. Once they come, start networking like crazy to see who would be willing to host parties in the future.

Take time to check out the venues, and the proposed guest list in terms of average numbers, and start booking your parties.

It might seem daunting to ask people to host a party for you, but you need to get over that shyness quickly if you are going to be successful at direct sales. Remember, if you are selling them a useful product they need, there is nothing to be embarrassed about.

Also, don’t be shy about telling people you are launching a new phase of your life as a direct marketer.  In many cases, if you explain that you are thinking of going into business, or what your future ambitions are, most people will want to offer help, support and advice.

They’ll be glad they helped you, and being a hostess, when you’re the direct sales consultant in charge, is guaranteed to be mostly fun, not work. Just make sure you do your part to be as organized and helpful as possible.

It may take a little creative thinking to locate your first direct sales party hostess.  However, once the ball is rolling, and you’ve held you first party, if it goes well, then chances are, many others will be lining up to host a party and your business will be well on its way to attaining your goals.