Booking Parties

Parties are the life blood of the party plan industry. With Thrive, we are lucky enough to be  have a large online and blogger following, but parties are the best way to show many interested individuals our delicious products and answer their questions. Parties are a great way to get people talking about and sharing our amazing products with their friends and family. Parties can truly make us!!!

I am guilty of not working to get parties. But I am making a commitment, today, to start booking those parties! The market is too perfect for our industry to not work to get a piece of the pie! And more importantly, the home store, food storage, and emergency preparedness is too important to not share with as many people as I possibly can, and parties are the easiest way to share this information.

I've worked with many party plan companies. And I can honestly say Shelf Reliance has something really unique to offer. Unlike many other party plans, many have never been to a Shelf Reliance Party or anything like it! Shelf Reliance in unique to the party plan industry and with its party plan, Shelf Reliance is unique in the food storage and preparedness industry, as well!! Plus, With Shelf Reliance, our customers get the best available price at our parties! So let's Party!!!

How do you start booking Parties?

• Have your own party. A kick-off party is a great way to get people interested in your product and get things moving with your customer base. It's also a great way to book more parties and make sales. Hosting your own party can be less intimidating for a new consultant. And you get the hostess benefits too! A kick-off party isn't just for new consultants! It's great for 'restarting' your business, for boosting business, or just for a weekend when you don't have a party booked. You can host you own party anytime!!

•  Ask EVERYONE,every party guest, to host a party! If they say no, that's ok. You haven't lost anything by asking. But, If they say Yes, then you get to share Shelf Reliance with that many individuals! Many times people are on the fence, and a no can be turned into a yes with just a bit of convincing. If she says "I'd love to have party when such and such is finished" or "...when my family is in town" or something to that effect, write it down! Call her in a few months and try to book that party! If she declines for other reasons, suggest a catalog party. She still gets hostess benefits, and gets to share Shelf Reliance with her friends but doesn't feel she needs to host in her home. You could also offer to allow her to host her friends to a party in your home or in her office during lunch! We are offering our customers an opportunity to earn free and reduced price products that are good for their families and products that can be life saving in an emergency! All we ask is that she allow us to introduce Shelf Reliance with their families and friends. We should offer this great opportunity to each and everyone of our customers!

• Make your hostess feel special, and do so in front of her guest. Present her with a small gift for hosting a party. Rena has made some adorable party gifts using a #10 can and creativity!You could also give one of our products: possibly a pouch or pantry can of Thrive goodies. We also have several useful and inexpensive survival products that would make great gifts. Compliment her home. Ask her questions. Have her help you make the snacks your serving. Compliment. Compliment. Compliment! She is the lady of the evening. Help her and make sure her guest see how easy hosting a party is and how much fun it is. Talk about all the free and half price goodies she can earn. Have her tell her guest what she is hoping to get with her hostess credit. You want her guest to want to be the host, to be the lady of the evening, to want to get all those goodies!! When you treat your hostess great, you are going to have hostesses who keep having parties and guest who are going to book their own parties! It will keep your business booming!!

• Talk about hosting a party throughout your demonstration. Remind your guest that you offer special prices at parties.She will want to share special pricing with her friends. When you talk about Thrive and the great specials and packages, remind your guest that when she host a party, she can earn credits to get these great foods for free! When you talk about our great shelving or survival products, remind your guest; she could have this for free by hosting a party!

• Give incentives for booking with you. We are so lucky that Shelf Reliance offers great hostess benefits! Talk those benefits up! You could also gift your hostess for reaching certain goals such as having x guest at her party, or party sales of x amount or more. Again, there are lots of great Thrive or Shelf Reliance products you could gift. Or, again, Rena has made some great gifts. Get Creative. (We'd Love to see your ideas!) If you give these added gifts to you hostess, talk those up as well. You could also put "booking stickers" like those available at the booster, in your catalogs next to items you gift or high-ticket items your customer may want to use her hostess credits toward purchasing. This helps encourage each guest to book a party.

• Talk about special party pricing. We have a really unique program and offer our lowest pricing to party quest and Q club members. Talk that fact up. It will help boost your Q sales, it encourages guest to order at your party, and it encourages guest to book and share those discounts with her friends!

• Have fun! Customers love shopping and learning together in a fun environment! This is a party, after all! So have fun! Customers who enjoy your party are more likely to book with you, and share the fun with her friends as well!!

Lets get those books filled with parties! Go get your calender. Pick a date to have your own party and circle each day in the next 3 weeks that you would like to book a party! And start working toward filling those spots! Tell your guest about your goal, and let them help! I will hosting my own party March 31st. And I've set my goals for when I would like to book future parties!

When will you be hosting your next party? What is your best strategy for booking parties? Questions? Comments? I love them all!

Keep Thriving Divas!

-Tawny