by Mellonie » Mon Oct 17, 2005 3:39 pm
Well, it is true that the best place to get bookings is AT a party. Such as with an Open House, it should be done in a way that creates an atmosphere that is fun and looks like it's easy to do.
People are more likely to want to book a party with you not because your products are just out of this world, or that you blew them away with education, but because you were fun. You made them feel good, and they want to make their friends feel good (which makes them look like a hero, at the same time).
Secondly, they need to be able to look around and say to themselves, "I can do this." Simple snacks and beverages are best. The biggest mistake people make is throwing out a TON of food, or food that looked like consuming to make, or....the worse.....practically having it catered! If it looks too difficult and/or time consuming, they wont' want to do it themselves.
More importantly......don't stop at the word No. Ask "why". You can ask, in a very nice and non-threatening way. Such as, "Just for market research purposes, can I ask for your honest reason why you are not interested in booking a party? If it's personal, that's fine - you do not need to share your personal life with me, but for business purposes we, the company and I, would like to know, is it the product, our hosting rewards program, timing, etc.?" And then listen.
Their answers will give you a wealth of information to work with. You would be surprised at the number of people who DO want to host a party, but they have some kind of perceived notion that they think they must have or do and are convinced that they can't - which is actually easy to overcome.