Create A Cash Flow Show

Party Presentation Tip

Are your home party plan sales in the dumps?

Would you like to have higher show sales at every party?

The following is a simple marketing tip that will fine tune your presentation skills and guarantee that you make more money at every direct selling party.

Home Party Business Strategy

A simple business strategy is to make your home party presentation more interesting. The easiest way to increase your party plan show average is to incorporate adjectives into your party presentation. Unique and varied adjectives will make your presentation more interesting and keep your customers focused on you. Frequently when I observe other sales consultants’ shows, I notice that they use the same word choices multiple times.

They often say something like:

• This is my favorite…
• I really like this…
• This is my favorite…
• No, I really like this…

It seems as though every consultant not only has her or his  favorite product, but also  a favorite set of words. Think about it, what do you say at your show over and over again?

Start to incorporate new adjectives into your show. Write a list of adjectives. Over the next few days listen to other people and jot down adjectives that you hear  other people using. You should be looking for cool and unique words. Listen carefully to professionals    in other business fields especially. Add the adjectives that people in finance use. What kind of descriptive terms do people in hardware use? Another place to find good adjectives is in your product catalog. The home office already put time and money into describing your products, and chances are they have a wide variety of interesting descriptions. In those descriptions, you may find  the perfect adjective to use for that item.

After you have an extensive list, start adding these to your show by linking them to specific items or pieces of information. Even if you are not yet entirely comfortable  saying the new description, just put together the list.

Marketing Your Home Party Products

You will find that it becomes easier to market your products when you are using a wide variety of descriptors.  Chances are your home office has already assembled an impressive list of adjectives in your catalog.

• A dish with the opulent French vanilla glaze
• The Rugged carry-all bag
• Unparalleled customer service
• Deluxe cheese grater
• Royalty rich burgundy satin
• Girly-girl satin undies
• Handy cuticle remover
• Seductive cinnamon aroma

Do you get the idea? Notice that all of the above adjectives are not features of the product. For example with  “stainless steel whisk, therefore it is dishwasher safe”, stainless steel is an adjective but it is also a boring feature of the whisk. You would be better off describing it as “a breeze to clean; the whisk is dishwasher  safe”. The feature of the product is usually only a good adjective if you can spin some humor into it. “This is titanium reinforced alloy” is such a ridiculous statement that you can say it and it will sound funny.  Generally, it is better to stick with adjectives that paint pictures or evoke emotions rather than features of the product.

So, now that you have a list of adjectives linked to all of your products and information, it is time to start practicing. It is OK to use the same adjective with each product at every show. Once you memorize your adjective list and use them  at several shows it will become second nature. It is a good idea to re-look at your adjectives every time a new catalog comes out. Once you do this exercise you will continue to hear new adjectives all the time to add to your arsenal. Interesting word choices will keep the attention of your guests and keep them focused on you.

Sales will increase and your shows will be more fun when the guests are more attentive to you. The Cash Flow Show program of show organization is a complete set of home party plan skills that will guarantee to double your show average.

It is good to listen to other peoples adjectives, especially those used in other industries. Let’s put together a huge list of adjectives!! Comment below and give us some of your ideas for good adjectives that you may be using or may have just thought of.

Please feel free to reprint or publish anything on this website for personal or training purposes. We only ask that for online publication you select an excerpt from the article then link back using the permalink to the original article. For off-line purposes please print each article in it's entirety and include the following credits. Reprinted with permission from:
Deb Bixler www.CreateACashFlowShow.com 717-751-2793

Home Party Plan Theme Shows

Your home party show must be fun for the guests. A reputation for fun shows will bring you a steady supply of bookings. If your home party bookings or your attendance are low, then you may want to consider theme shows. Depending on your product line, there are a wide variety of theme shows. There are two types. One type revolves around a product or service and the total show changes depending upon the theme. The other type is a theme that changes from the guest perspective and your presentation is always the same.

On first reading the above statement you may be confused. Let’s talk about the latter type first. Examples of theme shows that change while your presentation remains the same are: a Mexican theme, a luau theme or a pool party theme. In those themes, the decor, the food and beverage and maybe attire would change, possibly even the music, but your presentation would basically follow the same format. These are the types of theme shows that I do. I only run theme shows in January to give that month a special meaning and really nothing changes for me regarding the demo. I may change up the recipe a bit, get out my Hawaiian shirt and offer a prize for the best tropical hat or shirt, but other than that all is the same. This is an easy way to create themes and interest in booking a show. When you say at your show: “Next month I have two themes: Tropical Vacation and Margaritaville” you will create desire for booking a show with your guests.

Here are some shows that keep your regular demo routine:

Chocoholic City
Pool Party
Pajama Party (This was really fun! Everyone arrived in street clothes, changed when it was time to leave, and we all drove home in our PJs!)
Hospital Party
Disco or ’70s show
Hawaiian Luau
Tropical Vacation
Margaritaville
Mexican Fiesta
Patriotic Theme (I usually call this the Red, White and Blueberry party)
Wine and Cheese Part

Theme Parties Will Boost Party Plan Sales

A theme party will boost your sales if you focus on a product or service that has good value. A theme show that changes your whole demo is a little more complicated and needs to be thought out a little more thoroughly. A theme show should highlight your most valuable service or product. For example if you work for a cosmetic company, a theme show highlighting your anti-aging line might be called “The Fountain Of Youth”. You could call a theme show highlighting your lipstick line “The Lip Tickler”. It sounds like fun and most likely will sell many tubes of lipstick, yet may not generate as many sales as the Fountain of Youth show would. Another example would be if a kitchen tool company consultant has a Cookie Swap show. The theme show will probably sell a ton of cookie presses. But if the same company had a “Cook Once, Eat Twice” theme show highlighting the pots and pans, the sales would be a lot higher. Make sure that you create a theme show around a product or service that will generate higher sales. The inexpensive items will still sell, you just do not have to focus on them as a theme.

Seasonal Theme Shows For Party Plan Increase Bookings

Some shows with seasonal appeal may also be good for sales. Seasonality always brings a sense of urgency which is good for sales and bookings. The above-mentioned cookie show or even the wine and cheese theme may have a seasonal appeal in December that would help with bookings in a month when sales could be down. Pool parties in the summer, romance or couples parties in February, or even a men’s football party in the fall for early holiday shopping for spouses could increase party plan bookings in different seasons.

Theme shows can definitely increase bookings, so think about how you can serve the needs of your customers to create themes that would bring value to their lives and bookings to your calendar.

Theme Training For Team Building

Sales leaders can incorperate the same themes into their team training meetings and team building activities.  Sales meetings, like your show must be fun in order to get good attendance.  Try out some of these show theme at your next team meeting and use them for team building training ideas.

Please feel free to reprint or publish anything on this website for personal or training purposes. We only ask that for online publication you select an excerpt from the article then link back using the permalink to the original article. For off-line purposes please print each article in it's entirety and include the following credits. Reprinted with permission from:
Deb Bixler www.CreateACashFlowShow.com 717-751-2793

When I was 18 years old, I started my career in food service as a waitress. I was a good waitress because I always felt as thought I was acting, on stage every time I walked out onto the floor. I got big tips and had repeat costumers asking for me when they returned. The home show is a big stage and you are the actor. When you become good at acting by scripting your show, you will be good at getting bookings and getting invited to other homes for shows.

A script doesn’t mean you are not able to ad lib, it just means you have a plan that is designed to generate sales and get more bookings. Scripting out your “close” of the show is the best way to get more bookings.

The end of the show is the most often overlooked part, and along with the home party show open it is one of the most important parts. Like the show open when you script it out, you will have a better chance of getting the results you are looking for, which are more sales, bookings and recruits. The wrap-up should include the following:

• Product recap: This usually would be your collections or other high price items.
• A short talk on bookings: I would recommend linking this to the collections, i.e. “When you host a show you would get the whole set for half price!”
• Sharing the opportunity: This can be tied into the prize drawing slip.
• ”Thank you for coming and for inviting me to your home.” I use this as the lead-in to the prize drawing.
• Gathering of data: Whether you use a prize drawing or get this info from the receipt, it is important to get participants’ names and email addresses. I do recommend that you do a written prize drawing specific to gathering data. This gives you another opportunity to mention bookings and recruiting.
• Tell them what you want. I recommend that you actually say: “I encourage you to check yes for more information on inviting me to your home or making money and having fun with Company XYZ.”
• Tell them what is happening next. What do you want them to do? Where are you going to collect orders? What should they do next?

Whenever I visit another sales consultant’s show, I notice that the beginning and the end of the show are frequently overlooked in the planning of the presentations, and therefore are weak. The home party show opening needs to grab the attention of the audience and set the tone for the show. The show close should leave them with a call to action which includes what to do next, and an invitation to schedule a show or sign up to become a consultant. A good close will increase your home party bookings. Don’t just trail off into the sunset leaving the audience wondering if it is really over and what they should be doing next.

Please feel free to reprint or publish anything on this website for personal or training purposes. We only ask that for online publication you select an excerpt from the article then link back using the permalink to the original article. For off-line purposes please print each article in it's entirety and include the following credits. Reprinted with permission from:
Deb Bixler www.CreateACashFlowShow.com 717-751-2793

Write A Home Business Plan For Tax Deductions

All successful businesses have a business plan. A business plan assists you in achieving your goals in business as well as increases your tax deductions.

I am often asked what are the secrets to success in a home business. At first I thought that there were no secrets. Now I am starting to realize that the true secret to success in any business is to treat it like a business or a profession. That doesn’t mean that you must work full time it just means that you must act like a professional. When you treat your business like a hobby you will get hobbyist results. When you treat your home party business like the professional earning opportunity that it is you will earn a consistent pay check. The size of the pay check will be in direct relationship to the time invested. Professionalism is an attitude not a time commitment.

Listen to the hour long recording which we recorded during the Power Hour last year. This Power Hour call is a direct sales training seminar on how to write a business plan for home party companies.

(Please remember that this recording took place in the past so any specials or offers made are expired.)

Business Marketing Plan-IRS Home Office Deductions

All successful businesses have a business marketing plan. Your business plan is a perpetual work in progress and it provides you with a marketing path to follow in your business and it makes you IRS compliant for taking the home office deduction as well. It will change from time to time. Your business plan will provide you with goals and clarity for your business and keep you in compliance with the IRS for your home office deduction.

How To Write A Business Plan

When you write your business plan like a professional and update it yearly you will be setting yourself up for business success. As you listen to the audio recording you will learn how writing a business plan will keep you on track. Many people have a plan but never write it down. Take the time to write out your goals and the actions that you will take to reach your goals so you have a way to gauge your success and determine how you are doing.

IRS Business Plan Templates

The IRS expert accountant approved direct sales business plan template for direct sales and home businesses is part of the Power UP For Professional Results program. A good business plan will set you up for success in your home party business and also give you the security you need for you home office deduction when dealing with the IRS.

Please feel free to reprint or publish anything on this website for personal or training purposes. We only ask that for online publication you select an excerpt from the article then link back using the permalink to the original article. For off-line purposes please print each article in it's entirety and include the following credits. Reprinted with permission from:
Deb Bixler www.CreateACashFlowShow.com 717-751-2793

Plan The Start To Your Home Show

On a recent Power Hour tele-seminar we covered the topic of how to have a home party script to open and close your show . First impressions are important during your show, just like they are when you meet someone for the first time. When you think about it, at a home show you are meeting most of the audience for the first time. Take the time to plan and script the opener for your home party, so that you can grab them from the start.

The Opening Of The Show

The opening of your home show includes the following important parts:

• Thank The Host: Start with a thank you to the host and guests for coming.  It is good to start here because most people do not listen from the get-go.
• Introduce Yourself: Do this by telling them your name after you do the thank you phase.  Do not do this first as no one is listening.  Tell them your name and a short “I am so glad to be here!” line.
• Ice Breakers: Your audience should connect with you and each other during the ice breaker and it should serve a value to you in accomplishing good use of time.
• Testimonials From Guests: The best way to get good testimonials is to go around the room and have each guest give his/her name and favorite product.  This becomes the ice breaker and you reinforce the testimonials with product knowledge.  You do not have to discuss products during your show that are brought up in this phase.
• Talk About Your Collections: If your company has any big value collections they should be introduced in the show introduction.  These are items that if you discuss one, you are able to sell them all. Examples may be a set or collection of dishes, pottery, pots and pans, anti-aging collection, etc.
• Talk Bookings: This should be brief and not very detailed.  Just something to plant the seed.  An example may be:  “Those of you who see more today that you would like to buy, then you may want to think of scheduling a show.  When you invite me to your home, you get free products, half-priced items and really big discounts.” Done!
• Talk About Your Opportunity: I find the best way to do this is to tell your story.
• Tell Your Story: In less than thirty seconds tell the audience what it used to be like, what happened to make you change, why you picked your company as opposed to any other, and what it is like for you now. Then end with an invitation.  An example is:

“I was in the food service business for thirty years. I loved it.  I made a ton of money.  I had lots of friends and I also had a lot of stress.  One day I realized that I was giving my whole life to someone else’s business.  I was missing all the holidays and special occasions. About this time I went to my very first home party and realized everything going on in the room was exactly what I loved about my job.  To make a long story short, I quit my full-time job and now I sell (My Company) full time and I love it.  I go to parties every day, I have lots of friends, I eat, I talk and I get paid for it.   I invite you to watch what I do here today and for those of you who are interested in learning more about making money and having fun with (My Company), get with me after the show and I will give you more information.”

• Show Overview: Give your guests a good idea on how the show will proceed.  This should include and not be limited to how to order, how long it will take, what the theme is, that it will be fun, etc.

Direct Sales Consultant’s Attitude

The direct sales consultant’s attitude will make or break the show. If the direct sales consultant opens the show with little enthusiasm, then the guests will not be attentive. Your excitement and enthusiasm will set the tone for the whole show.  The bigger the audience, the more upbeat you must be to keep their attention. Move around, wave your arms and over act. When you show excitement and upbeat enthusiasm during your show opening, then your guests will stay with you throughout the show.  You, the direct sales consultant, must set the tone for the show!  You are the leader!  The guests will follow your lead.   Join the MP3 download club to listen to the entire Power Hour tele-seminar on Scripting Your Opening as well as 12 hours of previously recorded tele-seminars.

Please feel free to reprint or publish anything on this website for personal or training purposes. We only ask that for online publication you select an excerpt from the article then link back using the permalink to the original article. For off-line purposes please print each article in it's entirety and include the following credits. Reprinted with permission from:
Deb Bixler www.CreateACashFlowShow.com 717-751-2793

GTXpress101.com Infomercial is Powerful

When you incorporate infomercial techniques into your home party show you will create more desire for your product, services and opportunities. Here is a testimonial for the power of creating desire through the techniques of infomercial style sales presentations. Check out the previous article posted last month on infomercials.

Infomercials Sell Products

Last week I flipped around the TV channels while eating a snack before bed and the infomercial for the GTXpress101 was on. I am a trained chef who rarely watches TV. My first thoughts were ‘Yeah, right, this should be good!‘ Before the infomercial was over, I was thinking ‘Maybe I should get one – this looks so cool and easy.’ The actual infomercial was repeated twice in the course of 30 minutes, back to back. I watched with amazement all the way through both segments.

The GTXpress101 Cooks Everything in Minutes

The GTXpress101 can create an omelet, strawberry shortcake, pancakes, chicken cordon bleu, or stuffing (to name only a few) in minutes. Now as a culinary graduate, I too can make all of those things in minutes and frequently do, yet I was thinking that I should get one. The power of the infomercial is definitely compelling. The study of infomercial techniques can certainly enhance the home party’s ability to create desire.

Read Infomercials Sell Products

Click the $$ to learn how to make more money every time you leave your house to hold a show.

Please feel free to reprint or publish anything on this website for personal or training purposes. We only ask that for online publication you select an excerpt from the article then link back using the permalink to the original article. For off-line purposes please print each article in it's entirety and include the following credits. Reprinted with permission from:
Deb Bixler www.CreateACashFlowShow.com 717-751-2793

Infomercials Are Powerful Sales Tools

Did you ever watch an infomercial and by the time the show was almost over you were on the verge of ordering the product, even though when you started to watch you had absolutely no interest? Infomercials are powerful sales tools that the home party sales rep can duplicate to increase desire at the show.

Infomercial Key Elements

Every infomercial has six key tools or techniques, that when put together in a systematic presentation always create desire for the product. Every infomercial includes:

1. Product Knowledge
2. Repetition
3. Testimonials
4. Sidekick
5. Urgency
6. The Wow Factor

Incorporate Infomercial In The Home Party

When you take all of those sales tools and put them into your show, your guests will develop desire for your product, opportunity or services, even if they came to the party with little or no interest.

Product Knowledge: It doesn’t matter what company you are with: you are an educator. You educate your audience in the benefits of your product or services. Your mission is to teach them how owning or becoming a part of your organization will enhance their lives.

Repetition: The amount of time you spend on a product should be in direct relationship to the value. The collections, large price tag items, and your opportunity to schedule a show or become a sales rep, need to be repeated in new words throughout the show.

Testimonials: Solicit testimonials from the audience, and tell stories of testimonials of people you know. Quote outside experts.

Sidekick: Find a sidekick at your show. It should be easy. Anyone who likes to talk. The host and/or past host is good, a loud guest, or the one who has all of your products. You bounce off of them. Bring them into the banter with questions and attention.

Urgency: You can establish a sense of urgency with monthly specials, expiring products, or even with a statement. How about: “It is only six weeks until summer, ladies, and this pedicure set will give you gorgeous feet and toes by the time you dig those sandals out.” “You all will want to mark this on your order, so that it is in your kitchen by the time you are packing your cooler for the Memorial Day picnic!” Create a sense of urgency in a variety of ways.

The WOW Factor: “”Look at that… I can’t even believe it myself!” People buy emotionally. When people get excited, have fun and are impressed, they get emotionally involved. Bringing the WOW factor into your show and raising the excitement level will connect your guests to your mission.

Study Sales Techniques

When was the last time you watched an infomercial? Sales is the art, science and skill of creating more and more desire in the marketplace for your product, service or opportunity. Check out a couple of infomercials and study the techniques used to create desire. When you study successful sales professionals you will create a system to generate more cash at every show. The system of infomercial creation is just one of the many home party systems you will learn on the 8 CD home study set Create A Cash Flow Show. Increase Home Party Sales

Please feel free to reprint or publish anything on this website for personal or training purposes. We only ask that for online publication you select an excerpt from the article then link back using the permalink to the original article. For off-line purposes please print each article in it's entirety and include the following credits. Reprinted with permission from:
Deb Bixler www.CreateACashFlowShow.com 717-751-2793