Booking Ideas!

[artzechck3]

Lets get some new booking ideas going. I need some ideas to jump start my upcomming fall schedule. Right now I am having a drawing for a $25.00 gift certificate with all my August/September hostesses. Any other ideas?

[yministry101]

I would try participating at smal town taste of whatever town it is event with your products this would get people tasting them and get the word out.

[lastingstorybooks]

I like to offer and incentive for people to book parties that doesn't take a lot of money out of my pocket. Right now, I am doing "Party in a Pail". At each party, I fill 3 pails with a hostess folder (that has all the goodies that a hostess needs to hold a successful party, invitations, a Betty Crocker cookie mix, a bag of microwavable popcorn, a box of brownie mix, some fun plates and napkins that you can get at the dollar store and fun stuff like that. When they book a party, they get the "Party in a Pail".

For the fall I am to use the carvable foam pumpkins. I am not sure what to use for winter or spring yet...any ideas?

[gizmonl66]

Hi,
I love this ideas but what would you put into a pumpkin...still the brownie mix etc... what would you call it Party in a Pumpkin?!?

What about a Present/package/parcel(Peppermint party in a present !!!)?

Party in a Panda or Polar,

Party in a Pilgram's hat


For summer:
A Paint Can
Party in a Parasol
Party in a Parrot

General

Party in a pencil box ( Would this be possible, I wonder )
Party in a pentagon?!?
Party in a Pepsi Bottle ( a 2 litre)
Party in a Piano
Party in a Piggy Bank
Party in a Pipe ( water pipe)
Party in a Pizza box
Party in a Plate
Party in Pottery
Party in a Purse
Party in a Pyramid
Party in a Pan


Anything Pink or Purple eg Party in a Pink bowl...

Sorry I just got on a roll there!

Well, Good luck with the idea..I might try it myself sometime.

Gwen

[yministry101]

You could usea stocking for Christmas. I have done a party in pinch pitcher before to donate for auctions. I include a gift certificate for a free party for five guests, set of plastic cups, two koolaid packets, a muffin mix package and a thing of napkins.

[propartyplan.com]

I like to offer and incentive for people to book parties that doesn't take a lot of money out of my pocket. Right now, I am doing "Party in a Pail". At each party, I fill 3 pails with a hostess folder (that has all the goodies that a hostess needs to hold a successful party, invitations, a Betty Crocker cookie mix, a bag of microwavable popcorn, a box of brownie mix, some fun plates and napkins that you can get at the dollar store and fun stuff like that. When they book a party, they get the "Party in a Pail".

For the fall I am to use the carvable foam pumpkins. I am not sure what to use for winter or spring yet...any ideas?

I love you party in a pail idea!! Thanks for sharing!

[dab]

Thats an OK idea, but it doesnt seem like it would get people to WANT to book, it just kinda seems like if they happen to want to book....then you got some stuff in a pail that you were gonna give them anyway some way or another.

I need an INCENTIVE something that will get those people NOT wanting to book....to book...like those free 3 day 2 night stays at a hotel vouchers. They are only $0.15 + $15 processing fee...CHEAP for what youre getting. But I obviosuly already have that idea.

OH and those of you who are asking for incentives...www.twentydestinations.com is the site for that hotel thing.
they also offer a $1000 gift certificate for $3.00 which is awesome and exactly what im looking for.....BUT there are strings attatched....the certificate user has to pay out of pocket for the s/h. And the s/h costs are just as much as if you were to buy the things in a retail store.

Basically I'm looking for something inexpensive (for what it is) but something someone wouldnt want to pass up!

I've been looking around the internet for days but everything seems like a scam or you have to go through hoops to get it.

[jlange]

I think the point of the party in a pail is to entice those people that are interested in the product, but feel overwhelmed at the thought of actually hosting their own party. The stuff in the pail are the goodies they can use to have for their guests, therefore, all they need is the "pail" and to invite some friends, the consultant does the rest.

I like this idea - I do think it would work to get some people to commit

[smhgifts]

I agree with jlange. I was given a similar idea by a fellow consultant, but instead of a pail, it was a gift bag. Which could easily be changed depending on the season. I was told to put a hostess packet, a drink mix (lemonade, kool aid...), cookie/brownie mix, plates/napkins, a gift (if your company provides inexpensive gifts for you to purchase) or gift certificate and put some tissue paper on top and tie a rafia bow on it. This fellow consultant has been using booking bags for years with total success. She says that women love to get gifts and when she pulls out the bags they go like hot cakes. Women are busy and the one of biggest reason they will not host a party is because they are "too busy". Even if you offer free merchandise, this is not always enough for them to take the time to host a party. The booking bag helps to eliminate alot of the work for them.

[soylightvicki]

I'm not sure it's really that great of an idea to talk people into booking who really don't want to book. In my experience, most of those parties will be flops anyhow.

I have had reluctant hostesses book to have a girls night out or a reason to get together with friends, and it didn't go over very well at all.

For example, at one of my parties, the hostess basically told her friends to just come over to hang out - don't worry about buying anything. Because of her description of it being just a get together, not a candle party, many of the guests who showed up seemed irritated that they had to listen to me tell about my products. I even had one guest march up and angrily say, "Where's your cheapest candle? I don't really like candles and I have to leave early anyhow."

At the end of the night the poor hostess got nothing because her sales were so dismal. It would have been much better for everyone involved if she just didn't book. Mind you, this was HER idea to book - I don't talk people into parties if they don't want to have them!

In my opinion, it's much better to have hostesses who are excited about the products and want to have a great show for you, than to corral in people who are not very enthusiastic about the whole thing, and are more about an excuse to get together with friends.

I don't think it's bad to offer gifts or incentives to those who do book shows, I just think you're looking for trouble and negativity if you're out there desperately trying to talk people who don't want to have shows into having them.

[smhgifts]

I understand where Vicki is coming from. But, I also think an important factor to a successful party is host coaching. When I first started, I knew I should use it, but did not want to "bug" my hostesses.
Then the company I am with recently paid for a traning course for several of us consultants. It was with a consulting company that has over 40 years of direct sales experience and one week was the host coaching portion.
I gave it a try on my last party and was very happy with the results. This hostess booked a party after being "encouraged" by a friend. My first thought was that she was going to be upset with me calling her three times before the party. Especially since having the party was not her initial idea. But, she was not upset at all. She has 13 people show up and everyone was eager to spend thier money. We both had a successful night. I now realize that I have to really work with the hostess prior to the party and help her reach her potential. Even if she does not see her potential at first; after a few phone calls, she will start to see how easy it is to get products for free.
There are so many times I could have helped a hostess have a more succesful party if I had just put in the time to help her out more. I now understand that getting bookings take work, but so does the time between the booking and the actual party!