The Traveling SalesWoman

Hello Party Folks!

Again I have been trolling the world wide web looking for goodies.  Bottom line you are in the direct sales business to make a profit.  Sometimes this goal can be lost in the hoopla of home parties, political correctness and just plain old lack of business savvy!

The Travelling Sales Woman, is a bona fide direct sales consultant, with fabulous anecdotes, tips and strategies on her direct sales blog.  I highly recommend you ditch your party plan company , direct sales website and borrow a leaf from this lady.

Get A personal website.  Trust me on this!  I have chosen to include one of her very excellent teaching posts,  with a commentary from me!

The other side of the fence,

Last night I swapped roles and hosted a direct sales party at my house for another consultant.  Sales were good and we all had fun.  But I had some observations on the things she did that were less than optimal, from my position as a hostess.  Rather than ‘What Not To Wear”, think of this as “What Not To Do As A Consultant”.

* Keeping me on the phone for 9 minutes, when all she needed to communicate was that she had purchased tortilla chips and baby carrots for my party, so I didn’t have to.

Party Plan Pat advises : Time is money.  I know as women we feel guilty about everything.  I am sure the consultant on the other side of the phone was worried about everything under the sun, from the price of bread in China to the generosity of the travelling sales woman in hosting a home party on her behalf.  Remember a well trained hostess is an asset.  Delegate and move on! Don’t use your time on the unnecessary, instead use this time to discuss the taking of orders.

* Giving an extended history of the company and her reasons for joining, in excrutiating detail, right at the beginning of her presentation.

Home Party Plan Business Commandment: Thou Shalt Make the home party demonstration about the customer.  I stand amazed as I watch home party sales rep. talk themselves out of a sale dishing out useless information.  Look your customers attention span is 45 minutes and verbal diarrhea is a total turn off!  If I hear one more person tell me and other home party attendees, I am just doing this to get the pink cadillac or white mercedes…Really!

* Reading her notes verbatim rather than talking spontaneously about the products.

Home Party Plan Success Tip: Ahhh!  Public speaking is the number one fear. You have to get them while they are hot.  They are hottest at the beginning so jump right into it.  Get them involved and invested in the demonstration and presentation early.  The more invested people become in a process, the more likely they will pay to keep being invested.  I told you I would show you how to increase home party sales!  To be effective at presentations it is important to know what people want.  To do you ask questions.  And respond accordingly, let people to the presentation for you, in fact let them sell themselves, it’s just that easy!

* Going into another room to take orders and making guests line up in the kitchen to check out with her, rather than mingling with the guests and tallying orders where they were sitting.

Deadly Home Party Business Mistake: Not having a well trained hostess.  Not delegating duties.  In our case the travelling sales woman is very competent.  What our direct sales consultant failed to do is leverage herself and her time.  You a number of us are still stuck in DIY business building model.  Always have the hostess interacting with guests, taking orders and assisting you.  WHY?  People are just plain scared, don’t give them a single reason to back out of a sale.  Standing in line while waiting, you can bet they are mentally stressing and deciding to get the cheapest item.  People just are afraid of losing money!

* Giving away too much!  I swear she barely made a profit because she offered so much out of pocket – 2 door prizes, free shipping for the hostess as well as one guest, bringing some of the food, and extra perks she threw in for me on top of the company hostess program.  It smacked of desperation  – little did she know, I still would have hosted, even without any of those extras.

Home Party Plan Business, a definition : It is a business.  The purpose of business contrary to popular opinion is not to make money it is to make PROFIT!  Once you are in profit then can you begin to give away said profits.  However, we all learn by making mistakes, so take heart dear friend and rejoice in a job well done!  If I were you I would visit with my hostess with the mostess a.k.a travelling saleswoman and pick her brain.  It is very evident she knows parties!

Top this party,

Party Plan Pat