The people you talk with aren’t the party-hostess type. It may be that simple. They’re just not into having people over while someone tries to sell them something. Have you ever tried to convince your grandma to try skateboarding? Or tried to sell someone who only buys products made in the USA to purchase a foreign car? There are times that no matter what you say, you will not cause a cat to change her stripes.

You predetermine who would and would not be interested. You’ve decided in your head, “oh so and so wouldn’t be interested.” You don’t even give her the opportunity to consider it. You’ve already decided that her answer will be, “No.”  If you have these psychic abilities to read minds, this may be another career more suited for you, Oh Great Swami.

Maybe, just maybe, the words and phrases you are using make those you talk with want to run! You may say the words “home party” but the person you’re speaking with hears “root canal and IRS audit.” Perhaps saying the same thing with different words may be more palatable.

If you recognize yourself in any of the above scenarios keep reading:

Your direct sales company may permit you to sell in ways other than home parties.  Assuming you can, it may be a better fit for you to sell at craft shows or county fairs. More and more companies are allowing some degree of internet marketing; or maybe fundraisers might be your niche. If you’re getting nowhere trying to book home parties,  try some alternative methods before you frustrate yourself to the point of “this doesn’t work, I’m quitting!”

Stop pre-qualifying everyone and give people a chance to say yes, no or maybe so. Under no condition, ever, ever, use the word “favor.”  Your host wouldn’t be doing you a favor by agreeing to have a party. You would be doing her a favor by giving her the opportunity to earn free and discounted products. To think otherwise gives the message you’re not representing a company that has anything of value to offer.

Rewrite your script. Omit the words Home Party from your vocabulary. Which sounds more inviting: “Do you want to host a home party and earn hostess benefits?” Or “Free (cosmetics, jewelry, kitchenware) for large orders” ?  Both are offering the same benefits. Maybe “Open House” might bring more favorable results.

If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’re going to keep getting what you’ve been getting. It may be time to change it up a bit.

About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a WAHM from Michigan and a Superstar Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. She enjoys helping others start and maintain a candle business in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Deutschland and the UK. You can find Laurie at http://la.Scentsy.us or http://www.ThrivingCandleBusiness.com

So how do you determine the best way to establish who receives the prizes?

Know your hostess and the crowd.  If you decide that you’re in front of a group of guests who may be open to some games, then play some. People are by nature a bit competitive, some more than others, and a game is a great way to get the party started. It helps people become acquainted and adds a bit of fun competition to the festivities.

Assuming you have a competitive group, pick a game, anything from a trivia game about the products or a game of strategy and skill.  Another benefit to playing games is that it provides the perfect opportunity to find people to donate prizes to.  Depending on how much time you have and how many prizes you have to give away, you can award first, second, and third place a prize.  Or you can play a couple games and the first place winner of each game gets a prize.  Just be sure to give a disclaimer that each person can only win once!

Obviously if you get blank stares or groans when you announce a game, that may not be the best crowd for games. Instead have a simple drawing.  Invite each guest to enter the drawing and the first, second, and third names drawn each receive a prize.  The upside to this method is that a drawing is a great way to generate leads.  Instead of having people simply put their name on a piece of paper, they can actually fill out a pre-set postcard.

Consider asking for the following information:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Email
- If they are interested in becoming a consultant
- If they are interested in hosting a party (and earning free gifts)

Make sure you actually use the information you’ve collected to send out information about promotions and new products.

Whether you choose to host a drawing or ask your attendees to play a game, giving away prizes is a great way to introduce new people to your products and gain future customers.

About the Author:  Laurie Ayers is a WAHM from Michigan and a Star Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles.  She enjoys helping others start and maintain a candle business.  You can find Laurie at http://www.Scentsy.com/LA or http://www.ThrivingCandleBusiness.com