One of my favorite people is Tammy Stanley who is one of the co-authors in the book Direct Selling POWER.  Tammy’s chapter deals exactly with this issue, and she called it, The Art Of Persuasive Selling. The chapter is subtitled “How to Influence Prospects with Suggestive Booking Bids.”  So I’m going to borrow, if I may, from Tammy to answer this question.

First off, think about your behavior – before you became a consultant – as you were driving to a home party.  Didn’t you decide how much money you were going to spend and didn’t you decide, before you even got to your friend’s house, that NO WAY would you book a party?  I know I have.  I know lots of people do that.  So do the guests coming to your parties.

Have you ever been at a party and the consultant found out, either from you or your hostess, that you are a consultant and she’s interested in trading parties?  You know, she’ll have a party for you and you’ll have a party for her.  Have you been resistant to doing that?  Why?  Because with a full-time job, a couple of kids, and now a part-time job – you’re busy.  The idea of squeezing something else into your busy life is less than desirable, even if it means getting a booking.  Getting that booking is costing you having a party.  What are your guests thinking?  I’m too busy to have a party.

What are the reasons people (and you) don’t book a party?

  • too busy
  • don’t know many people
  • house is too small
  • hosted a party in the past and it wasn’t very good

So the objective here is – what can you say that addresses the very issues why people don’t book?    See, all of us tell them all about the free products that they will receive when they book a party.  Anyone who has been to one selling party already knows they can get products free if they book.  You’re not telling them anything new!  Do people book to get free products?  Yes they do.  But the idea here is to get more people to book.  What Tammy suggests you do is – get inside their head to get more bookings.

What wording seems better to you when you thank your guests for coming?  “I’d like to thank everyone for coming tonight and I have a very special gift for our hostess ……” OR, as Tammy suggests, “I want to thank all of you for coming tonight.  We all seem so busy these days, and I think one of the most positive things about a home party like this is that it gives us a chance to build a sense of community with our friends, family and acquaintances.  When we feel a part of a community, we feel good about ourselves and we increase our capacity to get through some of life’s challenges.”

Is there anyway a person sitting there could disagree with what you just said?  No.  As a matter of fact, she may well be nodding her head in agreement with you.  Get them to agree with you that holding a party is a good thing for her and her friends.

What’s are the biggest complaints you hear from people today?  Not enough time and not enough money.  ALWAYS coach your hostesses to follow the KISS method – Keep It Simple Silly.  Absolute death to getting bookings from a party is when the hostess has gone overboard in the kitchen.  When guests see all kinds of things to eat they think, “I don’t have the time to make all of this and I sure don’t have the money, either.”  What does your company provide the hostess when her guests book?  Remind her of that and let her know that the one of the things she can do to get more bookings is to keep it simple.  Part of your job is to point that out to the guests.  Tammy suggests you say, “I like all my hostesses to save time and money.  That is why I suggest exactly what our hostess tonight has done – a bowl of pretzels and a bowl of chocolate candies alongside a favorite beverage.  Hosting a party really can be simple because your friends care more about getting together.”

Isn’t that true?  Don’t friends care more about getting together?  Do you think your guests will agree with that statement?  Do you see how you are “moving them along” to getting them to saying yes to booking their own party?

These are the kinds of booking bids that will get you booked.    Talking about booking from the guests’ point of view and overcoming their objectives to bookings before they even have an opportunity to voice it, is a way to get your calendar full.  Think about what people have told you as to why they aren’t booking and come up with a way of overcoming that objective, and say it as part of your demonstration, before they even have a chance to voice it to you.

Did you like what Tammy had to say about booking?  Doesn’t it make sense?  What I shared with you is just a snippet of her chapter.  Something else I’d like to share with you is that I think Direct Selling POWER is a fabulous book.  There are things in it for every level of direct sales.  Whether you have just started or have a team of thousands there is information in Direct Selling POWER for you.   Because I’m so convinced that this is a great book and needs to be in the hands of every person in direct sales I went into my website and did a couple of changes.  Usually the book sells for $24 plus shipping and handling which brings it up to $30.   But if you go into my website at http://www.booksellrecruit.com click on the PRODUCTS button  and order the book before Monday August 2, 2010, I’ll send the book out to you for only $20 and I’ll pick up the shipping.

Reprinted with permission of Ruth Fuersten at http://www.booksellrecruit.com/sq

CHOOSE Success,


There has never been a better time or opportunity to build wealth online working from home in front of your computer. The Internet has become a powerful money making machine. http://scentsationalcandlebusiness.com

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!