Home party plan businesses have been a hit with women of all ages and backgrounds since they first started back in the days of Tupperware, Avon and Mary Kay. Today home party plans are as varied as the women who love them because of that home party plans are gaining in popularity for "work at home moms" and baby boomers who are looking for a supplemental income for their retirement years.
As with any new business there's lot to learn and even more mistakes to make. If you're just getting started with home party plans or new to direct marketing sales, you'll appreciate these important tips. I wish someone had shared them with me early on, it would have saved me hundreds of dollars and I would have been successful earlier in my life.
Follow these 5 tips and I promise you'll be ahead of the pack and be headed for 90 day home party plan sales success.
Home Party Plan Success Tip #1: Write Your Story
Most sales people will say sales is about "benefits". What they mean is the perceived benefits your client expects to get from buying your product.
Wrong. Dead wrong.
I say it's about your "Story". It's about how it makes your client feel and the mind pictures, even fantasies, that are associated with them. Let's say for example, "lipstick". Most representatives would talk about the richness of the color, how it has SPF 24 and how it will last all day and doesn't need reapplying for 6 hours.
That won't sell.
What sells that tube of lipstick is the story of a wife who is busy all day taking care of others, too busy to to take care of her self, but nevertheless wants to look her radiant best when she catches a glance of herself in the mirror or in her husband's adoring eyes. That's what's in the tube of all day lipstick.
You can share your story with your client like this
Christy, this is my favorite lipstick. I can put this on in the morning and forget about it. Really. When I get to running around I never remember to put lipstick on. But with this, I don't have to. And when my husband walks through the door I know I'm still looking great. This color would look great on you. Here, try it".
Write your story down, or just write down those descriptive word pictures.
Even before you even get your product kit or brochures, sit down and write out what sold you.
What did you feel when you first saw these products?
How did you feel?
What stories did you see in your mind's eye.
Write it all down. It's okay if you don't think you're a great writer, just write down what jogs your memory and triggers those feelings that motivated you to buy the products.
Then take it a step further.
Why did you decide to go with a home party plan as a business?
Why this business? Why did you sign up under this manager?
Why this product?
Write it all down.
This writing will not only be a great reminder to you when you're lost in a sea of brochures and pamphlets and training materials. It is also the way you will introduce your self and your products to new clients. It may also be the way you introduce your self at networking functions. It's your story and it's your unique marketing approach. Apply liberally, and repeat.
Home Party Plan Success Tip #2: Circles of Influence
What's a 'Circle of Influence? It's those people who answer you back when you say "Hey, I had this idea."
Start with birthday lists and work your way out to co-workers and associates. Write down anyone and everyone that even "might" have a need for this product.
Please don't filter your lists. Don't decide for your friends what they need or want. Your job is to offer it to them, just like you would a cup of coffee. If they say "no" , it's not a big deal they're just not into coffee, at least not at the moment. But it's not your decision, it's theirs. So write their name down.
Home Party Plan Success Tip #3: Get involved in your community.
Make new friends. Extend your "Cicle of Influence" . Go to business and networking events, get involved in your community. Networking used to be about collecting business cards. Today it's about connecting and exchanging value and ideas. You might not even need business cards, just write down your email and phone number on a napkin. It's that real.
Our communities are going back to handshakes and community building. Keywords for these kind of relationships are reciprocity and authenticity which of course will add up to trust.
Home Party Plan Success Tip #4: Get to Know Other Consultants
Go to as many meetings and events with your home party plan company as possible and learn from other consultants. You can even extend your network by meeting other home party consultants from other companies. They have as much to offer in terms of experience and success and you'll learn tips and secrets that might different than your group uses.
You can eventually learn how to co-host events. One way to do this is to bring home party consultants together who offer different, but related products together to co-host a party. Here's an example; crystal dinnerware, candles and lingerie for a Valentines Day theme. Each home party sales consultant invites clients and the entire event is shared. Building completely cooperative relationships. This can be a lot of fun for everyone.
Home Party Plan Success Tip #5: Get to Know People's Stories
Just a reminder it's the story that sells. By now you should have heard lots of stories; about why other people got involved with your product, what kinds of success - and failures - they've had. Write it all down.
Start a blog full of testimonials, stories about the people you've met, how you met them and what you've learned from them, their stories and adventures. Practice sharing meaningful stories, getting to know people better and even extending a hand now and then.
This is where the "helping" others comes in. You help your clients by giving them what they need.
Your clients don't really need another tube of lipstick, what they need is to know they are appreciated and beautiful. What they need is to connect with other women and share their stories, laugh a little and have fun. You give them that opportunity by connecting with you, by connecting them with your product and others, by connecting them with their own stories.
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