Hello Fellow Home Party Consultants,

Following is an interview with The Traveling Saleswoman, home party success story, with one of the most hilarious blogs (Tales from the frontline of direct sales) on the home party front! Here are her words of wisdom one how to increase home party sales and becoming a home party business success story.

1. Tell us a little about your background. What got you involved in party plan and direct sales home party marketing?

I wanted to stay home with my kids but needed some mental stimulation in addition to parenthood!

1. How long have you been involved in direct sales? Tell us about 3 memorable experiences about home parties.

It’s been a few years – more than 1, less than 10! There was the one where the guest got drunk and swore at me; the one where I waited around for ages for the final guest’s order, which ended up being worthwhile. And the one with the puppy.

3. In a nutshell what is direct sales/party plan about?

Relationships, exemplary service and persistence!

4. What are the greatest pitfalls, stumbling blocks of success in the home party plans/direct sales business?

Not sticking with it long enough to see results. I think the statistic is something like 95% of people who sign up with a direct sales company stay for less than a year. Often it takes longer than that to see results. This is not a quick fix solution to money problems – it takes time to build up a clientele.

5. There is much that has been said about the recession and how it is hurting business. I am an avid reader of your blog. I know that this so called recession has no effect on you. Please share with us the 5 top things you have implemented to ensure continued success in your home party plan business.

a) Emphasize that people still need to buy gifts, even if they have cut back on purchasing for themselves.

b) Showcase how much stuff a hostess receives for free.

c) Recruit a widespread team so we are not all targeting the same geographic area.

d) Promote fundraisers.

e) Don’t pressure people to buy, and provide extraordinary customer service when they do so that they will become repeat customers.

6. Speaking of which, how is that you came by the name/title of The Traveling Saleswoman? When did you start your blog and what results have you seen from it?

I started the blog in April 2008. I don’t honestly recall how I cam up with the title- it just seemed to fit! The blog’s main purpose is to serve as a therapeutic outlet for me to vent about the interesting and annoying things I encounter in the direct sales field. However, a bonus effect is that it has helped and amused others and introduced me to lots of direct sales and sales professionals whom I might not have become friendly with otherwise.

7. One of the biggest obstacles that many direct sales reps. and home party consultants seem to come across on a consistent basis is the constraints that home party plan and direct sales companies place on marketing, promotion and advertising. What challenges have you faced with regards to this and how did you overcome?

I’m lucky that my company is more lenient than some others – no unauthorized use of the logo, and no selling on eBay, but otherwise not too many restrictions.

8. The Internet and its wunderkind Social media/social networking. Do they have a place in direct sales? If so where and how? How has social media impacted your party plan business?

Being active on Facebook has definitely allowed me to expand my network of people who know about my business. I made a decision to keep Facebook in my real name and link Twitter to my blogging identity.

9. As one involved in direct sales, is a home party consultant and/or a direct sales rep shooting themselves in the foot by disregarding the internet as a marketing and promotional avenue?

Definitely. My team has grown rapidly through the use of online advertising, which has allowed me to build my team across state boundaries and time zones.

10 Trade fairs. You seem to attend a lot of those…how can we use trade fairs for better business?

Remember, it’s not all about what happens on the day. Sometimes you will make connections that take months to pay off, but boy will you be glad when they do. Of course, it’s nice when you sell enough to at least cover our booth fee. But I use trade fairs primarily to bring me a presence in a community or town where I would like to expand my business. Act professionally, offer a raffle, get people’s contact details and FOLLOW UP!

11. What are some big mistakes you think most direct sales people make?

I see a lot of people sitting around waiting for their phone to ring. That occasionally happens, and when it does it’s a nice bonus, but you have to be proactive in acquiring business. Get yourself out there, meet new people, talk to everyone you know, donate to fundraisers, have a booth at an event, leave catalogs and flyers in stores and on bulletin boards, and offer fundraisers to every non-profit you know. Don’t tell me you have no customers until you’ve tried all those things! Most direct sales people are too quick to give up when things don’t go their way. This business rewards those who are consistent and persistent.

12. I read again a blog post where you talked about attending your company training. At this training you met a woman who also happened to be a mother with 13 children! You are a mom, an entrepreneur, a wife, friend, mother. You have so many roles and functions to fulfill. What is the best advice you can give other moms out there who are either too afraid or use their situation as a reason not to move forward and pursue their dreams?

I read a blog post recently that was quite controversial (you have been warned!), but a paragraph of it really resonated with me.

“Not that there is anything wrong with being a Mother, mind you. I just don’t think women should be Mothers and nothing else. Motherhood should enrich your life; it shouldn’t be your life. No one on this planet should dedicate their entire life to another person…even if that other person is their child. After all, how do you share your wisdom and life experiences with your offspring if you’ve never done anything but raise them?”

I firmly believe that running my business gives me the external validation, creative outlet and adult contact that actually make me a BETTER mother.

13. What do you like to do for fun? What do say to women relative to having fun and making a point to do something for themselves?

Travel with my husband – my business income allows us to leave the kids and go on weekend breaks. I also enjoy crafts, particularly when I can get together with girlfriends and socialize while we work on projects. This recharges my batteries so that I return to my home duties ready to do battle once more!