| 5/25/99
This was in response to a request for help having
successful book parties (silent shows, catalog parties, etc) from the
onelist groups.
Dear Jennifer,
I would like to pass along a few facts and personal thoughts on book
parties.
When I was begged to have my very first party, 2 friends
NEEDED 1 booking so I booked a catalog party. I got my hostess kit and had
3 weeks to close. I plopped the catalogs out at work and spent little or
no time working on bookings or orders. I kept putting the date later and
still got no orders. I NEEDED the Lighthouse for a gift to a friend
so I had to change it to a show party.
At the show, all my friends that did not want to order
before spent over $800 ( I THINK) at the show!
When people SEE your candles and all the things you do
with them, they want them! People thought they could get better prices at
the store till they saw how good [company] candles are. At book parties,
you have little chance at getting more than one bookings if you get that
one! With book parties you have no chance to really make a good
pitch about joining [company]. Just think of all YOU miss with a
book party, not to mention all the catalogs you put out and often never
see again.
At STAR GAZERS we have talked about the importance of
the candle show! It's the good SHOW that makes GREAT parties!
If someone tells me they want a book party, I tell them. "If you are
going to be asking all your friends to buy candles from you, why don't you
have them all come together one night at your home and I'll make the pitch
for you? You'll see all your friends and they will see all my
candles! Book parties can be a lot of work on the hostess as you have to
do MY job as well as yours. It will save you time and you will have more
fun. Most all my hostesses that have a show, earn over $125 shopping
spree!" You will find that if you can get them to do a book
party, you can get them to have a show.
People forget that they have to do all the selling for a
book party. It is a lot of work. For that reason, most book parties
are a flop! The truth is that very few book parties ever happen.
When they do, they often have no bookings and you almost never find a new
consultant from them. I will let a hostess do a book party if she has one
of these things going for her.
1) She had a party with over $250 in outside
orders BEFORE the show AND one
booking!
2) She and her friends have all been to many [company] parties and know
our
product!
3) If I think that she is really excited about it, I'll book a catalog
party.
I call her after a few days and talk her into a show
when she sees how hard it is! This MUST be done while she is still
excited.
I know many people have had great book parties and I'm about to hear about
them all. You will find that for every great catalog party people
talk about they have forgotten to tell us about the 5 that never happened
or were a nightmare! I'm telling you this in hopes that it will encourage
you not to settle for less in your [company] business. You have
GREAT phone skills as you were able to get the 3 bookings! That's
GREAT! You will go far in [company] with that drive. Work on
making those catalog parties a show and your business will grow!
Best wishes, Hank
P.S. [company] does not encourage book parties.
|
