Here are a few tips I’ve learned over the years on how to may your Direct Sales Party a Success:

1. Don’t lecture. People came to PARTY so play games, award prizes, be silly. If they wanted a lecture they could have stayed home and listened to talk radio or the news. They want fun, so make it fun.
2. Details don’t matter - at least at first. If you give a detailed description of each product, you will loose the group. highlight 3-4 of your favorites or ask which products they are DYING to see. Later on in the evening they can ask you any questions they have about the specifics of the product.
3. Have commercials. During my home shows, I announce that I am doing a commercial. 30 seconds to talk about joining my team or having their own party. I do 3 commercials per party to keep it light and fun.
4. Have a cheerleader. I choose a super-fun gal to cheer-lead for me. When I say commercial time, her job is to say “yeah!!” If a guest participates, she cheers for them. This keeps the excitement level up and fun time rolling.
5. Have the guests tell about the products- this is a fun way to involve the guests and keep you from talking the whole time. I simply hand out catalogs and let guests choose a product from my display. They then become the expert on their product and take turns telling the group about it. It is neat to see who is really trying to sell it. At the end you can even vote on who did the best job and award a prize. (this also works great because they are grabbing their favorite product that they see, so you can get an idea of what they want to buy)
6. Publicly thank your host/hostess.  Give them praise and sincere thanks for inviting you into their home and introducing you to their guests.  You can even give her a small thank you gift.
7. Keep it short.  People are busy and don’t have time to sit and listen to you for 3 hours.  Keep your formal party time to 30-45 minutes.  Then they can visit, eat and leave when they need to and you are being respectful of their time
8. Close the party quickly.  You want to respect those who ordered the night of the party.  If you keep it open for 2 or 3 weeks, the odds of other orders coming in is very low and the people that DID order want their stuff.  I usually allow 2-3 days after the party to close it, but have also closed it the same night the party was help.  Either way, close it quickly to honor those who did order.
9. Offer value - more than usual.  This is a fancy way of saying go the extra mile.  Add something of yourself to what they are buying.  You can do this by  teaching them how to “coordinate outfits more effectively”, “how to get your house smelling like a 1,000,000 bucks” or “picking the jewelry to accent your face shape”.  Find a way to add value to what they are buying.  Plus, this is a great way to get guests to the party in the first place.
10. Take a deep breath and have fun.  Don’t be afraid to be a little silly.  A lot of times we get hung up on looking so professional that we loose the fun factor.  So what if they think you are strange.  Studies show that if the guests have a good time, they will spend more money.  AND if they have fun, they are more likely to host their own party or join you in your business.   So relax and enjoy yourself.

Follow these simple tips to have more enjoyable and profitable parties and you will truly find Direct Sales Success!

Awnya Boam

Time4Felt

Hi everyone! Sorry if I have been a little out of it…we just moved to Utah! Crazy I know!

Well, We have been here now for 6 hours and here I am to blog about it… ;o)

I am SO thankful for Direct Sales in my life because when my husband got this new job, I am able to pick up with him and move our family to a new state! Sure, I’m not there in person, but that’s where my website comes in handy. Then when I got here and finally had a chance to get on the computer, I had 3 (!) orders! (thanks Cory, Susan and Cheryl!! ) So not only am I able to take care of my growing family and their needs, but I am also thriving in my business all at the same time.

Just another reason why Direct Sales is only the best job EVER!! Come and see if it is for you!

Awnya Boam

http://www.time4felt.com/

Something that I have been trying out for the past 5 months or so are postcards to thank my customers for their orders. It is something short and simple and the cost is about 30 cents each after postage. I get them from Vistaprint.com from their free section, so I’m only paying shipping on them. There are a lot of designs to choose from, so I just pick the one I want and then type my message on the front and my address on the back.

It has been fun to hear what my customers have to say about it. Mostly positive responses or none at all, but how often is it that you get a special card in the mail thanking you for your order from anywhere? It is a little something extra that may make the difference between a return customer and someone who uses your competition next time.

Try it out and see if it works for you! Going the extra mile to say thank you can only make this world a happier, better, and more grateful place, right?!

Awnya Boam

http://www.time4felt.com/

I came to a realization last night while we were eating dinner…(which I will get around to telling you in a minute or two)…In my business lately, I have been doing many things that are perhaps a step or two above and beyond what I need to be doing.  For example, this week I have volunteered to take over one of the two weekly company wide chat group meetings that we have weekly.  Why did I do this?  I was really not sure!  My team consisted of 2 completely inactive consultants (until today, when I got another!) and because of our recent move, I really haven’t been selling in the volumes that I would be liking to…

So, here’s my realization—are you ready?

IF YOU WANT TO SOAR LIKE AN EAGLE, YOU DON’T CRAWL ON THE GORUND LIKE A SNAIL!

Meaning? Even though I don’t have the largest team, and I am not making the most sales (yet!) I am setting myself up for success and putting myself in a place where I have the potential to be successful.  If you have a mindset that you are going to be successful, then you will, right?
Well, although this may not have been an earth-shattering realization, it makes me think that I’m not crazy, which is good enough for me!

I’m sure that no matter what company you are with, this sounds familiar.  You are encouraged to write down the reason that you are doing business to help keep you motivated.  Sometimes you are even encouraged to share your WHY with others to get them to start up their own business. 

As simple as this sounds, it took me over 2 years to write MY why!  Why you ask?  Because there were so many reasons that I enjoyed Story Time Felts.  I listened to what everyone else had to say and it sounded good, so that’s the reasons I used. 

After long and serious reflection one day, I was able to discover my WHY.  However, this is not my point.  There are times in any business that will be difficult.  And there are even times you may question why you are in business at all.  These are the times that you need to find your why (which by the way you should post in a prominent location, perhaps above your desk) and re-evaluate it.  Look at the reasons that you started up your business and see if they still apply.  If they do, then you have a reason to press forward and continue working.  If your reasons do not still apply, then you need to decide if you really want to be in business after all. 
I know a lot of people that have “grown away from” the reason that they started their different businesses and in the end found something else that they enjoyed doing or that would service their needs better. 

Okay, so in summary…Define WHY you are in business and then at different times (can be good or bad) re-evaluate your WHY…see if you can add to it.  Remember that a WHY is more of a work in progress then a one time good deal.  If you put this into practice, then I promise you will be happy in whatever you do!

Awnya Boam

Story Time Felts Independent Consultant