Whether you’re selling candles, gourmet food/spices, jewelry, home decor, makeup or any other product line an open house format will work best.  This will be your official launch party for your new business so you can showcase and roll out the entire line you will be selling.  Referrals will be a wonderful tool in your business; so if people don’t know about your offerings, they won’t be able to give your referrals.  Start with a date.

Prepare

Carefully consider the date for your launch party.  You want maximum exposure, therefore choose a day when the majority of your invitees can come. Remember that no matter what date you select, it won’t be good for some people; just accept that.  Be sure to over invite.  You could invite 150 people and have 12 people show up, and that’s actually a good number of guests!

Weekends tend to work best.  Stay away from holidays unless you know people don’t mind coming.  More people will come if you give them at least a two or three week window before the event.  Ask for R.S.V.P.s so you can get a head count for food. If you don’t get a R.S.V.P. (and chances are you will not receive many) it is vital that you follow up with a personal phone call.  History has shown only those who R.S.V.P. or whom you actually speak with will show, and even then you’ll have some no-shows.

Once the date is set, the fun begins.  It’s time to plan your strategy for the party.  Keep a few goals in mind that you want to accomplish at the party:

* Let people know about the products
* Provide a non-threatening atmosphere with no sales pressure
* Have products available for sale
* Have recruiting information available
* Provide simple snacks

Most direct selling companies provide a starter business kit so that you will have enough supplies to have a show of your own.  You don’t have to keep an inventory for your open house.  It is okay to use your products as advertisements and take orders; just allow enough time to for delivery of the orders for those who purchase for the purpose of gift giving.

Planning

Above all else, keep it simple.  For an open house, there is a window of time when people talk with you, mingle, eat and look at products.  It takes the pressure off since you don’t have to be standing in front of a group the entire four-hour period.

Have a table with your products prominently displayed as well as marketing collateral including business cards (and samples if applicable) to give visitors a way to contact you later if they find that direct sales is an opportunity they are considering.  A table for the food and drinks also keeps you from feeling like you’re waiting on your guests and gives them an opportunity to do as they please according to their time frame.

Present

On the day of your launch party, decorate your mailbox with balloons and/or yard signs to alert all attendees.  Also place a sign on your door that invites guests to “come on in.” Your main assignment for the day is getting introducing your new business and the product line.

Use this opportunity to book hostess parties, sell products, and let people know who and how easy it is to order.  If you have a website or webstore, encourage orders online.  More importantly, relax; have fun; you don’t have to have all the answers; and remember to keep it simple, as you want others to see how easy it is!

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

Rather consider it more that you are cheating your hostess out of her benefits if you don’t properly coach.

Coaching doesn’t always work – some will let it go in one ear and out the other.  But that doesn’t give you an excuse not to do it. Coach the same each time so you cover all your bases; don’t take short cuts. The better you become at it the easier it gets.  If you think she doesn’t need a portion of the coaching, ask her to just humor you so that you can continue to give her uniform training.

One of the most important things to educate your hostesses on is that their guest list and its importance. This is the key to the success of their show. Remind her that often 30 invites can do out and only one person will show. It’s vital to invite many, many, many!  Next on the list of importance is their follow thru with those who have not RSVP’d (and that will be a long list) or for those who can’t make it. She should ask every non-attending guest if she wants to order from the catalog.

The snacks are secondary.  Whether it’s a bowl of chips or an impressive spread, the guests are coming for your product display. It should not be any work for her.  Easier said than done, I know. Many hostesses fret over cleaning the house and having just the “right” food.  If your hostess is wigging out, offer to bring her a batch of cookies and you’ll even push the vacuum for her.  Really, she needs to relax about the house.

Generally it is not a good idea to hold her party open for days (or longer). All the order collecting should be done prior to the party. If there happens to be some people who RSVP’d that they come and then later did not show, she can always call for their orders the very next day. Remember each time you need to make another trip to the hostess it eats into your profit margin – in both time and gas. If you let your hostesses know in advance to get advance orders, they will usually do what you tell them to.

It is equally important that you remind your home party hostess what she is getting out of hosting the party and that getting every item of her wish list for free is your goal for the party.

Effective coaching increases attendance, sales and your paycheck!