Hostess Coaching for Big Parties

Have you ever had a string of small parties where you started to wonder, “What am I doing wrong?”

Or even worse, cancellations, ugh.

I am here to tell you that this is normal, and it happens to everyone in direct sales at some point.

Follow along below to learn hostess coaching tips for big parties AND how to automate it, so you never miss a beat!

I always tell my wife “Make sure every time you leave the house it’s worth it!”

But how do you do that?

By making sure that every party you have is a big one with hostess coaching!

Successful hostess coaching:

• Increases party sales
• Increases bookings
• Helps recruiting
• Reduces party cancellations

Host coaching is easy to do and doesn’t take too much time. Then why aren’t more direct sellers doing it? Sometimes you are unsure what response you will receive. Or even don’t know what to say.

Sometimes you have so much going on that host coaching is the last thing on your mind, even when you know you should do it.

How do you overcome this?

Remember, your host told you that she wants to have a party with you!

But she doesn’t really know what to do.

She expects you to help her be successful.

You are the expert after all!

Host coaching begins at the party. Think about the following two examples:

You attend a party expecting to have fun with friends, learn about new products, and pick up something new. Instead of this happening, you get there, and nobody else is there, or just one or two other guests are there (not always bad).

You sit through the most boring presentation while hoping it will just be done already.  Then, when the presentation is over, you make a small purchase to support your friend and leave.

Did you notice the difference there?

One party was fun and lively. You had a great time and learned about real uses for the products. You wanted to buy and not out of obligation to help your friend either.

You had so much fun and liked the product and consultant so much that you wanted to book a party yourself, and you can’t wait to have it!

In this example, you are very likely to be excited to invite and share your party with as many people as you can. You are likely to be involved and have a long list of products you want to earn for free.

You just need to know how it all works.

This is precisely where you, the consultant come in.

You make it easy for your host. The easier it is for your host, the more likely she will be to complete her tasks. For example, how much would you do if you were invited to host a party for someone then did not know what to do nor received any guidance?

How can you make it easy for your hosts?

• First, make sure she knows what to expect and what you expect from her. You can do this when you go over the hosting packet.
• Help her invite her guests. Give her ideas on who to invite. Ask her to invite her guests personally for the best results.
• Send her an invite she can easily send out.
• Give her wording to use when she calls, texts, and Facebook messages her contacts.
• Offer to mail the party invites for her.
• Let her know what she should be doing and when.
• Help her create their wish list.

Most importantly, keep in touch with her to see how she is doing. Is she inviting? How are her invites going? Does she have a large wish list? If not, help her make one!

Here is a big thing to remember: incentivize the behaviors you want.

• If you want a large number of people in the room, offer a prize to your host if she has at least that number in the room.
• Or offer each guest a free gift if they bring another adult guest with them.
• If you want a lot of outside orders BEFORE the party, offer something free if she exceeds that number.

Many consultants I know are very successful in making this fun by using the Tic Tac Toe Challenge. If you are not familiar with this, the Tic Tac Toe Challenge rewards your host with prizes based on completing the tasks.

Now you know what you need to do. What’s the best way to communicate with your hosts?

The easy answer:  whichever way is easiest for you and gets the most response from your hosts. You can even ask for her preferred method and tailor your communications to her.

But remember, personal communication is the best. So whether it is phone calls, SMS texts, or emails, it must be personal.

Hostess coaching for big parties scripts

Below is a very successful template used to keep the excitement, incentivize bigger parties, and is easy to implement (more below the template on that).

Make sure your host has your hosting packet

Typically this is done on the night of the party when your host books her party. If this is for a Facebook party, you will need to mail this as soon as she books.

This hosting packet includes your Tic Tac Toe Challenge, host rewards, catalogs, order forms, business opportunity brochure, and customer specials.

Thank you and what to expect

With this message, it is essential to thank your host and keep her excitement going.

It is also important to make sure she is completely clear on what to expect and that you are here to help along the way. Many consultants send a fun image for this.

Party Invitation

Send your host a shareable party invitation in electronic form. This can be made in Canva or Snappa. You can also offer to mail party invitations to her guests if you prefer. Make sure your host has plenty of time to invite before the party.

Invitation Check-in

Check in with your host to make sure she is inviting guests to her party. A simple, “How are your invites going” can start the conversation and see if she needs any help.

This check-in is a great time to incentivize behavior by offering prizes for getting a certain number of adult guests at the party or a certain amount of outside orders before the party.

Wish List

Make sure your host has a written wish list of items she would love to get free from her party.

This written list helps keep her excited about her party and focused on getting as many guests to it as possible.

In addition, remind your host about the host specials and other ways she can get more for free.

Prior Day Follow-Up

This is your reminder to your host to make sure she personally connects with her guests and reminds them about the party the next day.

Also, get a headcount for who will be attending.

This is less about helping you plan supplies and more about coaching your host to get a few more there if the number is low.

Day of the Party Host Coaching Call

This call is the last time you will speak with your host before the party. Verify her address and remind her when you will be there. Ask her if there are any specific products she would like to see at her party. Keep it short and to the point.

Now it’s your turn:

What’s your #1 tip for hosting big parties?

Or, how do plan on implementing host coaching into your business?

Either way, we’d love to hear from you. So go ahead and leave a comment below right now.