How do I get party bookings??????

partyplans replied:

Hi Maggiemaw!... what do you sell?

tuppermum replied:

Hi,

Can I ask what party plan you are with.

Do they provide any training for you at all?

I know for me I am not a pushy person either so I give small gifts to everyone that date a demonstration when I am at one. Also remember to ask everyone at a party.

They will come.

carolynn replied:

yea i am having the same problem, i cant seem to get people to book, i mean my diary is empty! so ill be watching here

Maggiemaw replied:

Thanks for the info.  but first I need to get people to hold a party.  I have been told to get on the phone and ask.  BUT WHAT DO YOU SAY.

decordivaqld replied:

What party plan are you with?

Snazza replied:

Hi Maggiemaw,

As the others have previously asked. Are you able to tell us what you sell?

Generally and without knowing what you sell and if you are totally just starting out in this industry. You would contact your family and friends firstly and let them know about your new business and if they would be interested in holding a party for you to help you on your way. Its usually from this first party that other bookings will follow as you will come across people you havent met before. Its quite common then to offer a booking gift of some sort or advise of incentives to book. ie just for booking you get a free gift and percentage off any product or something along those lines.

Without knowing what you are actually trying to sell its hard to give the right advise here.

You need to believe in your product and your genuine enthusiasum for your product and business will shine through. One thing is for sure. You need to put in the right amount of effort to be successful in this industry as generally people wont just come to you. Unless of course your selling chocolate LOL!! Then ya have to beat them off with a stick LOL!!!

Good Luck and please let us know what pp you are with

Snazza

marina replied:

no need to be pushy at all.. i hate that word.

after explaining the hostess program and what is in it for them and they say no,, just ask  them why they said no.

work with their excuse and come up with a solution....

example . no friends.... 

tell them we do not need a lot...  2 or 3 is fine.. then ask the hostess if she will come with a friend.

hostess will say yes i will come.

then say .... there we have a party..

you have to convince them........

good luck

Kirstin replied:

I feel your pain. But until we develop a list of enthusiastic clients, we are doomed to call our friends... hopefully by getting through this stage you'll develop that list of clients who are just dying to hear from you/hold a party. And if your experience is anything like mine, you'll find that some of your friends do become enthusiastic buyers of whatever your product is. So grit your teeth...

First think about your own attitude. Are you approaching this as 'your job' or is XXX something that is 'a hobby'? Of-course it's embarrassing asking your friends to support something you do for recreation. They don't ask you to buy their water-skis or embroidery silks, do they?

But is it awkward to ask them to buy something that you sell professionally? I hope not. Try to amour yourself with the attitude that this is what you do for a living. You are not asking a favour, you are just doing your job.

If you were a real estate agent, would you be too shy to ask your friends to sell through you if they were moving? Would you be too shy to even tell them what you do? No, you'd have a business-like attitude and not be embarrassed to let people know what you did and hope that they might use your services. If they didn't (for whatever reason), would you drop them as friends? Ideally, you'd be able to accept their decision and go on with your relationship. The analogy that worked for me was the guy as McDonalds who asks if you want to upsize your meal. It's his job to ask and he doesn't burst into tears if people say no, even if they are his friends. And the customers aren't embarrassed to say no.

So try to have the attitude of this is my job and I'd be foolish if I didn't ask everyone I know if they were interested. But they are your friends, so allow them a graceful 'out' if holding a XXX party isn't their scene (but let them say no first!). It helps if you have a topic ready to introduce (write it down if nec). Once they've said no and told you their reason (always ask why), offer to mail them a catalogue (they'll say yes just so that can agree to something!) and then move smoothly on to the next thing as though this was no big deal. eg "Ok, I'll get that out to you. So tell me, how's your mother-in-law these days?" If you say goodbye immediately in an embarrassed fluster, they are going to wonder if you hate them and things might be even more awkward!

Here's a cobbled together script:

"I wondered if you'd be interested in hosting a party in March? We've got some great host packages to start the year, and it's lots of fun."

NOT 'please, I'm desperate!' - if you sound really pathetic they are going to feel like you are emotionally blackmailing them into doing something really lame. Don't qualify the question straight away with -'it doesn't have to be a huge production, You don't have to invite millions of people’ etc.

Let them respond. Some people are totally allergic to home selling type things and others have objections that you might be able to overcome. Hopefully though they'll ask what benefits they get as a host - hurrah, you've got them hooked! If they just say no, ask why as politely as you can.

"Just for market research purposes, can I ask for your honest reason why you are not interested in booking a party? If it's personal, that's fine - you do not need to share your personal life with me, but for business purposes we, the company and I, would like to know, is it the product, our hosting rewards program, timing, etc.?" And then listen.

Their answers will give you a wealth of information to work with. You would be surprised at the number of people who DO want to host a party, but they have some kind of perceived notion that they think they must have or do and are convinced that they can't - which is actually easy to overcome.

I think apart from the allergic to home selling types, most people object because they don't have time or they are worried they won't be able to get enough people. Let them know you are willing to mail out all the invitations, and that they only have to have 4 guests for a worthwhile event.

If they agree 'in principle', but don't want to set a date, tread carefully. I've had a couple of people who said yes to me because they didn't know how to say no. This was excruciatingly embarrassing for both of us as I blundered on for months, trying to get them to set a date and listening in obtuse confusion as to why this month, once again, wasn't a good time. Perhaps the best way to proceed is to mail them the brochure, samples, a covering letter telling them the host benefits you offer and a flyer. Once you've called again to set a date and they are still reluctant, leave it with them and hit them one more time at Christmas. Then abandon them, they’ll call you eventually if they are interested.

People who say 'now is not a good time' sometimes mean 'I'd prefer to chew my own arm off, but I'm too embarrassed to tell you'. Others mean, ‘I'm having renovations, but I'd quite like to do it once they are finished’. Ask them when you might be able to call back about a party: in 3 months, in October, when the Christmas brochure comes out etc?

One ABSOLUTELY FATAL response I get is: 'let me show the brochure to my friends and see what they say'. This NEVER works for me. I think most people aren't that keen on party plan no matter how gorgeous the product. We've probably all been caught at a ghastly long-winded presentation by an over-zealous consultant selling over-priced tat and that you end up buying just so the hostess gets her gift. So given the choice, most people will say 'no' to the idea of a home selling party.

Explain as politely as you can that this is not a good idea. None of her friends is going to say 'Ohhh, yes please, hold a party and I promise I'll come and buy heaps of stuff.' It just doesn't happen. So the potential hostess is better off just biting the bullet and inviting people to come. If they really aren't interested, they'll say no, but if they like the idea of a night out or a morning coffee with the girls they'll agree to a real event in a way they won’t to a hypothetical one, if that makes sense.

Anyway, I'm waffling now! Hope the above helps!

Kirstin

PS I NEVER leave messages when I’m ‘cold’ soliciting parties or orders. No one returns my calls and it is just too depressing... I only leave messages for people who definitely want to order or do a party. They sometimes ring back!!!

Scrappi replied:

Oh my what a long reply you left Kirstin. I am a newbie too  to this site & there is no way I could string that much together in one hit.

What is it that you sell?

JS

Kirstin replied:

Scrappi, have PM'ed you.

I'd be lying if I said I just made the above up on the spur of the moment - it's something I put together a few weeks ago for a team member who was having difficulty calling friends for parties!

dollgal replied:

After only just starting party plan and knowing a lot of ladies who work full time, I decided my best angle was to introduce having a party as a girls recreational time.  The Friday night thing and the Sunday morning Brunch seem to fit into this idea well, if it is put out there right.  Although I'm just starting, seeing my party plan selling as a profitable hobby that will help pay for extravagences has helped me overcome the problem of seeming too desperate, as I have worked out a tight budget so we can exist on the income we have already got, taking the pressure off me to need to sell to keep up our lifestyle.  Suddenly I feel free now to go and encourage people to at least have a personal demonstration in their own home with even just one friend if they like.  Before you know it they have asked a couple of friends, and it is officially a party but they don't see it that way!  Helpful for the anti-party people, and there seem to be a few of them out there.  The worst thing i've heard is that they don't want to have a party as most of the invited guests don't turn up, and it seems like a personal insult (which it is sort of considering they don't even let the hostess know they aren't coming most of the time!)  So again i offer the personal demonstration so that at least if they're interested they can have a look.

Anyhoo, the only other thing I can say is what someone else said once.  " There is always someone out there wanting to buy what you are selling.  All you have to do is go and find them."  This motto makes me feel absolutely fine when people say No, because to me, I just haven't found the right person yet! 

Here's wishing us all luck in our party plan ventures.  Josie

Scrappi replied:

I See, that explains it then. I didn't get any PM from you though. Can you please try again.

JS

Maggiemaw replied:

Hi everyone,

thanks for the info.  unfortunately i am not permitted to advertise over chat rooms what pp i am with.  i have taken everything on board what has been stated.  thank you so much.  i will let you know how i go over the next month

Ariele replied:

Thanks for that Kirstin, very helpful! :)

Kelly replied:

Ask absolutely everyone!

Thats something you need to learn from the moment you sign up. When asking dont ask if they would like a party. something more open works much better. Along the lines of "have you ever considered hosting your own party" people dont want ot feel pressured and open questions will get you more success than not.

Keep trying