Our focus over the past month’s tele-seminars has been on Bookings. A few years ago I had set up a table at my bank as the featured small business owner. When I was in the bank this week, I noticed the featured business table was empty and realized we forgot to discuss this as a source for free leads on our last “finding business” call. Today I have a several regular customers and hosts who I met through the table I set up at the bank.
Balanced Home Business Requires Creative Marketing
Some of the techniques that we have discussed on the past calls do not necessarily bring in huge sources of business. I have gotten several emails from consultants saying that it seems like it is really too much work for the results. If you have the mind-set that “it is not worth it”… then that you are holding yourself back. All successful businesses use every marketing opportunity available. As a direct sales professional you must do that as well in order to have a balanced business. A balanced home business means that you also have a balanced home business marketing program. When you take advantage of all the small creative opportunities that are all around you, you will have a huge client base and unlimited lead sources for your business.
Public Speaking Creates Experts
A frequent complaint that I hear is “I do not do public speaking.” If you are in a home party plan business then you are a public speaker already. In the last tele-seminar we talked about using your expertise to offer your services as a free speaker to clubs, libraries and other organizations. This lead generation system is used by all types of sales companies. The home improvement center near my house frequently offers free seminars on some type of home improvement. During the seminar people either learn how to do the project and buy the material from the home center, or they decide it is too hard to do the project and they hire the home center to do the project. Either way, the home center becomes the expert and acquires customers as product users or on a larger scale in home remodeling services. This works in all sales businesses. When you offer your services as an expert you acquire product users, sales professionals and show leads. Performing home parties is establishing yourself as an expert. That system of public speaking is one of many that will work for any sales company, even if the company is not a home party-based referral system. If you sell baskets you could “speak” on “how to create a beautiful gift/center piece from a basket”. If you sell home decor your expertise may be “redecorating your living room in one afternoon”. Food or kitchen tool sales consultants may offer their “speaker services” as “fast meal time solutions” or something to that effect. Public speaking does not always mean standing in front of 100’s of people talking.
Home Business Bookings At Banks
Will you fill your calendar at the bank? No! Will you find a good customer? Maybe! Will that customer lead to further business? Most definitely! Is it worth your time? Absolutely! Your time to set up the table at the bank and invest in the literature is time and money well-spent, even though the potential may not be obvious. Even if you do not generate a single customer or booking from the bank table, your exposure pays off in ways that you do not know.
Don’t Sabotage Your Business Success!
If your attitude is that “it is not worth it” then you really should look at your business priorities. Every investment we make into marketing pays off. A balanced business utilizes every marketing strategy available, big & small, including the bank.
Our tele-seminar last night on bookings for filling your home party calendar was the most attended call ever! I get a printout of all the callers, and the actual number of callers participating exceeded 50! The entire Power Hour lasted 68 minutes and we probably could have talked for several hours. Bookings is a popular topic. We opened with finding business at libraries and other organizations that need special events. Did you ever think about offering yourself as a speaker for organizations that need special event services? We then chatted about literally hundreds of creative ways to find business, ending with customer service. Most sales consultants have done customer service calls to their hosts. Have you ever thought of doing customer service calls to your customers? It is likely that you have literally hundreds of leads if you tap into customer service calls to past customers. Customer service for your customers, not just your hosts, is an awesome way to find business and get bookings.
Customer Service Scripts
Several people on the call asked for the script for customer service that I referred to in the call so I posted it below. Your customer service calls should focus on the customers’ needs, not your desires. Listen to these excerpts of the Power Hour call. This is a 13 minute audio which includes the first 5 minutes of the call and the last 8 minutes. Elite Power Club members may download the entire call to MP3s from the private subscription members-only area.
Affordable Home Party Specific MP3 Training
Power UP For Professional Results is an 8-hour program on finding business in creative ways. Available in MP3 download or actual CDs sent to you, the program will teach you how to find business everywhere. All successful sales reps invest in their minds so that they can create a consistent income and a full calendar. The Elite Power Club is an audio-of-the-month club that provides you with 3 audios every month (or talking e-books) to develop your sales skills and keep your business rolling along. Perfect for keeping team meetings interesting. These programs provide insurance in today’s economy and are money well invested.
Related Links
Customer Service Script (This script is just one of several forms that the Elite Club has always had access to.)
Recently while on a personal day to another county in my area, I made a quick spur-of-the-moment stop at a library on my travel route and grabbed a card listing all the county libraries. The card had about 12 libraries listed with contact information. I already present events in my own county with various libraries. The events are a public service and also a lead-generation system for my business. All direct sellers can benefit from this source of free leads.
Time Invested Paid Off
I am really impressed with the return on my time invested. I spent one afternoon calling all the libraries on the list. About 4 hours total time was my investment. Those calls were received with terrific enthusiasm from the event planners. One library actually scheduled an event on the first call. That alone was enough pay-off for my time invested, but read on. I sent out hard copy information to 6 out of 12 of the calls. That is an exceptionally high rate of interest to the initial inquiry. I also sent an email to everyone I called, even if I had left a phone message. The following week, I made return calls to the libraries that I sent hard copy folders to.
Bookings Are The Result
My initial reason for stopping into the library was to be able to deduct my personal mileage from my income taxes. The result of this “whim”, or should we say inspiration, is that I now have 3 new library “gigs” on my calendar through the end of the year. I am also listed in the county library resource directory for special events. This is the county libraries’ guide to recommended library event providers.
Cold Call Libraries
Before you make your calls, set yourself up for success by planning. This is what you need to cold call libraries:
Get a list of area libraries
Know your offer (topic of event, fund-raising, etc.)
Write a script
Have a mailing piece (electronic and hard copy)
Schedule time for initial calls
Do the follow-up mailing (electronic and hard copy)
Schedule follow-up call time
Keep your calendar handy and be proactive in your conversation
The great part about calling libraries is that they answer their phones. Ask for the adult and/or children’s special event planner. Share your services quickly, in under 10 seconds and ask a question about their needs. When you stay focused on service, you will get really good results. Yesterday afternoon, I got a call asking for a date from a library for a special event next March. This library thing really works.
Home Party Plan Bookings Everywhere
If you do not have enough business, most likely you are not taking advantage of all the opportunities available to you. I guarantee you that any “library events” will generate new clients for your business. The people you meet at this type of event will be totally unrelated to your existing client base. The time invested in soliciting libraries will pay off. The people who attend library events will be your future party plan bookings.
Everyone in home party plan sales wants more bookings. In my opinion, one reason that this is such an issue for most sales consultants is the actual term, bookings. What exactly is a booking, anyway?
An invitation to someone’s home.
A scheduled show.
A home party.
A fun gathering.
A good time.
A get-together
Don’t they sound nice? Booking is a technical term. It is not friendly, nor is it encouraging to the guest, the consultant or the future host. It actually is sort of an insult that makes it more difficult to schedule shows.
Schedule More Shows
The first thing that will help you schedule more shows is to start using friendlier terminology. Does the dentist say to you: “I am going to extract your molar”? No, he/she says: “I am sorry to say this, but I am going to have to pull your back tooth.” I am sure you won’t be any happier about the situation, yet you will feel better about your relationship with the dentist. Sales is all about relationships.
To schedule more shows, stop saying bookings.
When you BOOK a show, you get this…
The host gets a XZY when she BOOKS 2 shows.
If you have three BOOKINGS you get a ……
Start using the phrases mentioned above:
When you invite me to your home, we will….
When you schedule 2 shows at your show, my gift to you is…
Whose house should we get together at next month?
Building Home Party Sales
There is more on scheduling shows in the category of building business. Both the Power UP Program and the Create A Cash Flow Show program have a full hour on BOOKINGS, I mean filling your calendar. Invest in your mind and it will always return to you in your wallet. Click the money for more info.
Home business expert, Deb Bixler retired from the corporate world & in 9 months created a direct sales business capable of replacing her $80,000 year job.
717-751-2793
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