Barb's Better Booking Checklist —For Direct Sales Home Parties

I learned quickly in direct sales that I had to approach booking parties with a plan or I would not book parties. Thus when I decided to become a booking expert and truly master the skill, my booking average went up to 3-4 bookings per party.

Because my success was not without struggle, my experience helped me relate to the discomfort involved with asking for parties and ultimately made it possible for me to help others overcome it. I will never forget how uncomfortable I felt when I first started. Learning can be painful but building skill is priceless.

I perfected my strategy when I fused the mindset of booking parties with my method of securing new commitments on the calendar. I broke down the mechanics into the following formula:

• Guests are more likely to book when they anticipate you to invite them. Set the stage for bookings.
• Guests are more likely to book parties when they know you, like you and trust you.

Read on to see how many of the booking steps you practice from my 'Barb's Better Booking' Checklist'. As you can tell, it is not one single action that yields more bookings, but many small intentional actions that will improve results. See if you can incorporate a few new steps into your booking protocol, steps designed to enhance the know, like, and trust factors for you.

Barb's Better Booking Checklist

___1. Build Party Attendance - It is hard to book a party or earn money with a chair, sofa or lamp so remember, the more people at the party, the more potential for prosperity (for you and your Host). Make sure your Host is talking up the benefits of attending the party. Emphasize the education, as well as the fun factor, as the combination draws a bigger crowd.

___2. Challenge Your Host To Help - Ask your Host to have a booking waiting for you before you arrive. Enlist the Host to help you and make it worth your Host's worthwhile.

___3. Offer To Call Each Guest Before The Party - As a service to your Host, offer to call each guest to confirm their attendance, and in doing so encourage them to bring a friend. Making a personal connection with potential guests prior to the party helps you build the "know, like and trust" factor and establishes your standard of customer service. Even leaving a voice mail can highlight your professionalism and show how you support each Host. Most direct sellers overlook this step, so making pre-party calls will set yourself apart.

___3. Arrive Early To Be Booking Ready - Arriving before guests allows you to not only to set up early and chat with your Host but also frees you to greet guests when they do arrive. Take advantage of the opportunity to build rapport. Ask your Host to share a little about each guest with you. Who likes to have parties? Who is involved in organizations? Who might appreciate free products or want to earn some money? Make notes on your guest list.

___4. Greet Guests With Interest - Learn something special about each guest in your pre-party chat. What do they do? Where do they live? How do they know the Host? How familiar are they with your product line?

___5. Remember Guest Names - When you sincerely address guests by name, you communicate that they are important to you. If you cannot remember everyone's name, consider using name tags.

___6. Decide To Deliver Booking Bids - Determine before you start when you will deliver 3 booking bids to the group. This means deciding when you will invite others to consider booking and what you will say in each invitation. Be prepared, not scripted or robotic. Be direct or you might drive home and realize you forgot to ask.

___7. Promote Your Host Benefits - Promote the benefits of being a Host through both your verbal and non-verbal communication. Pass around Host specials. Refer to the Host program. Inform others what Hosts can earn when they open up their homes for a party.

___8. Highlight Your Host - Make each Host feel genuinely appreciated and special. Without their hospitality you would not have a vehicle to build your party plan business. Publicly acknowledge your Host today and others will be more inclined to Host in the future.

___9. Party With Play - Always remember, it is a party you are promoting. Infuse fun and laughter into your party process and bookings will follow. The more your guests enjoy the time together, the more they will want to repeat the experience and get their own friends together. It is up to you to create the party atmosphere.

___10. Give Personal Invitations - Ask each guest individually to be one of your special Hosts. "Would you be willing to invite me into your home to host your own party [or get together]?" Do not pre-determine who will and who won't say yes. Ask everyone. This single practice boosted my booking results tremendously.

With practice, you will increase your bookings and build a business with solid confidence. Develop your style so that you are using the most effective word choices that work for you. Challenge yourself to get to a point where if your calendar ever looks slim, you have the power to rebuild it. With this knowledge you will attract others intentionally to schedule with YOU!

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About The Author
Barb Girson, International Direct Selling Industry Expert, Trainer & Coach, helps companies, teams & entrepreneurs gain confidence, get into action, & most importantly... grow sales by sharing her "Strategies That Stick™". Barb is a highly interactive, creative speaker and author offering customized, professional skill development programs for workshops,meetings and teleclass training programs. Visit www.MySalesTactics.com to join her mailing list & get invited to her next FREE teleclass.

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