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Online parties are similar to home parties, except it allows the guests to stay at home, in their pajamas if they like. This makes for a more relaxed atmosphere, there’s no setting up for your hostess to do, there’s no hauling your items to your hostesses house and there’s no display case to set up.
While each party will vary in the number of guests, the number of party orders, and the length in time the process of the steps to have an online party is basically the same. So follow these steps to help make your online party successful.
Just like a home party, an online party has to be planned and set up. The planning and setting up is one of the major steps in planning a successful online party.
Finding a Hostess
The first step to setting up an online party is to find a hostess. The Hostess is a big part of your party, they help you in the planning by inviting their friends and family.
A) Consider Friends and Family as potential hostesses
B) Email Groups and Message Boards to ask for a hostess
C) Mystery hostess party - This is where you would invite your guests and let them know one of them will be receiving the hostess benefits. At the end of your party draw a name from among the members who have come to your party and give them the hostess benefits.
D) Multiple Business Parties (fairs) - Pair up with one or more business owners to do a multiple business party. Each business could take turns telling about their business or you both could just do the party together, working on each others business as well as your own. You could swap each other’s hostess benefits, keep your own or give the hostess benefits away as a prize.
E) Swapping Parties - People love to swap parties. Put out an ad requesting other direct sales representatives to swap online parties with you. This is a good way to get hostess all year around but during the holiday season this is very popular. You benefit from this in two ways, you get a host for your business and you earn free products by hosting for the other rep.
F) Host your own party
Here are some good host incentives you can offer to your hostess. You
will want to find what best work for your circumstances.
A) Percentage in Free Products - A percentage of total party sales before shipping/handling and taxes, in free products. You can decide whatever amount you want to be that percentage. 10% is a popular amount.
B) Free Products - Give your hostess a free small product and let them know that when there party reaches an x amount in sales that you will give them more free products.
C) Gift Certificates - Offer your hostess gift certificates for hosting, you will want to tell them they need x amount of sales to get the gift certificate. Try to keep the amount of sales needed an attainable goal. Remember to include all the details needed to use the gift certificate.
D) Discount Card - Offer your hostess a 10% discount card good for future purchases up to a year. If they want to renew the card they will need to host another party. This is a good way to keep your hostess returning to you as a customer and a hostess.
E) Hostess Gift Basket - Fix up a gift basket, take a picture and put it up on your site, and let the hostess know, that the hostess with the most sales during a particular month will win that basket. This will get your hostesses competing against each other for the gift basket, which will boost party sales. It will also give guests an incentive to become a hostess since they would like a chance to win the gift basket.
Getting a
Chat Room
You will need a chat room to have your online party in. At a home party
there is a certain room where the party is held. The chat room is that room
for an online party. You need this so you can tell your guest about your
business, specials, play the game etc....
There are several places on the internet to get a chat room. Again you will want to do some research and find the best one for your needs. You have the option of getting your own chat room and hosting it on your site or paying for a party room.
Below are some free chatting rooms and some party rooms that you can get for a fee.
A)
Bravenet- offers a free chat room to be hosted on your own site. Just copy and paste the script onto your site and your chat room is ready. Bravenet offers many things great for work at home moms. B)
Parachat
- Offers a
free chat room to be hosted on your own website. Just copy and paste the
script onto your site and your chat room is ready
C)
The Mouse Connection
- Offers party rooms hosted on their
server. Fees vary. There are many features that come with these chat rooms.
These are just 3 rooms we have either had a party in or been to a party in. These are good for online parties. If you would like to research online party rooms more do a search on yahoo or google for free chat rooms or online party rooms.
If you want to get a feel of each room, you could always host a party for others. This gives you hands on experience of how the rooms work.
Figuring out Specials
Guests will ask you about your specials, make sure you know them by heart or have them close by so you can respond quickly.
Whatever you give as a special make sure isn't going to leave you with no profit though. Here are some good specials that have worked for us:
A) Free small product with an order - This is good for bringing in orders makes people curious what they will get for free. Just about everyone loves FREE.
B) 10% off price - This will come out of your commissions/profit but it could bring in extra sales that might not have come in without the discount.
C) Free Shipping - This special is really popular but be sure it doesn’t take all of your commissions/profit to offer it.
Once you have figured out where to set up your party page, you have to decide what to put on the page. The following is what we recommend:
A) Who your hostess is.
B) Any specials you and/or your
company has going.
C) A link to your website and/or the companies website.
E) How you would like the guest to order - via email or website. If via email include your email address.
F) Payments that you are accepting - if you are accepting paypal or any other form of online payment include your id that is needed for payment.
Games
You want to have games at your party to get your guests relaxed, interacting and having fun. The number of games you play is at your discretion. You don’t want to have too many games where your guests don’t have time to look at your specials and site, but if your having a long party you will want to have several games.
Games add a little competition to your party, which encourages more participation. There are many games that can be played at parties.
Prizes
Once your games are figured out you need to decide what prizes you want
to give away. For each game you have you will want to have a prize. When
picking out a prize pick out one that is suitable for the game. For example
if it’s a harder game you might want to pick out a better prize than if it’s
an easy game. There are many different prizes that you could give, below is
just some suggestions for a prize.
A) Gift Certificates
B) Product
C) Gift Baskets
Preparing
Invitations
You have to let people know about your party. You do this by sending out
invitations. An invitation to an online party is like an ad, but instead of
trying to sell your product you are trying to get them to come to your
party. You will want it to entice people to come, by showing them why they
should come.
Sending
your invitations
Send the invitations to all your friends, family, any online groups you
belong to and place on message boards you are a member of. Do not to send
them to people you don’t know or groups you're not in, this can be
considered spam if you do and you don’t want to get in trouble for spam.
There is a service that will send an invitation via email for you about your party called Evite.
Message boards and Yahoo Groups are a great place for announcing your party. Remember before you post your party announcement on a message board to read their rules and introduce yourself. Become a member of the community it’s a great way to network and market your party. Here are a few of the messages boards we are a part of and allow party announcements:
Send out your party announcements a few days before the party, then the morning of the party and then right before the party. This will let them know ahead of time about the party and remind them of the party also.
You have your party all setup; now it’s time for the party.
You will want to be in your party room before time for the party, just
incase guest show up early. We usually show up about 15 minutes before the
party.
I like to have all my
information for the party typed out ahead of time and then you can just copy
and paste it. It makes for quicker response time to questions asked as
well.
Introduction
of your business
Greet your guests
when they come into your party. Let them know who you are and that you are
glad they are there. Chit chat with them while you are waiting for more
guests to show up, get to know them, ask how their day was, etc. Help create
a relaxed atmosphere.
You will want to wait a few minutes after time for the party to start to give more guests time to show. There will be more guests that will come in later during the party, be sure to greet them and welcome them when they come in. Sometimes the chat will get quick and it will be hard to keep up don’t stress, if you think you missed a question or comment just let your guests know, they will be happy to ask again.
Sales Specials
You have your party page set up with the specials on it, but you will want to tell your guests what they are too and let them know where on your party page they are located. This keeps them from searching for the specials and gives them more time to look at the specials and your site.
Give your specials several times during the party but don’t get overdue it.
If you have a special that is just for your party guests, make sure you mention that they are getting that special for attending your party. It lets them know they are special.
Games and
prizes
You have your games and prizes figured out, pick a good time to play
them usually after everyone has had a chance to look through your specials
and site.
Talk about the game you are going to be playing through out the party. Building your guests interest in playing the game. Tell them what you're playing and what the prize will be and the approximate time the game will start.
When its time for the game ask your guests if they are ready to play a game, some might still be shopping and looking around. That’s ok, ask them to let you know if they have any questions and when they are ready. You will start the game when everyone is ready.
Hostess
Rewards
People love to get free stuff, so be sure to talk about what the hostess
is getting for free tonight. Then tell you guests they could get the same
thing for hosting an online party with you. Go over your company hostess
plan and any extra’s you give your hostess.
Then ask them to let you know if they want to host a party and earn free products. If someone agrees then try to set a date for the party, if for some reason a date can't be set right then ask for a email address so you can contact them about setting a good date for their party.
Recruiting
Leads
Talk about
the business opportunity your company offers, commissions, what comes in a
kit, the flexibility of the company. Let them know what’s so great about
your company.
Let your guests know that if anyone would be interested in signing up to let you know, you will help them in anyway you can. Give your email address and let your guests know if they would like more information or have any questions about signing up to just email you.
You could give your phone number if you want to have them call you instead of email. Or you can give them both and let them decide which way to contact you if they want to sign up or for more information
If someone would like to sign up, ask for their email address, snail mail address or phone number so you can send or call them with more information about signing up.
Chit Chat
Make room for general chitchat all through your party. You don’t want it
all to be business but make sure to participate in the chitchat, so when you
need to gear it back to business you can do it easily.
Closing the Party
A lot of times online parties don’t end right when they are scheduled
to, so plan on being there longer than what is actually scheduled. When
everyone is getting ready to leave (they will usually leave at different
times) be sure to thank them for coming and let them know you will be in
contact with their total (if they ordered and if you hadn’t already gotten
their total to them).
Also let them know you hope they had fun and you hope to see them again. Ask if they would like to be added to an invite list you are making for upcoming online parties.
Be sure to thank your host for hosting and let her know you will be in contact to let her know what she has earned from her party. See if she has any questions for you.
This is just a basic way to have an online party. You will want to do what feels comfortable to you. Play with the ideas, do what works best for you. Remember the most important thing is for everyone to have fun.
Have Fun!
us your online party tips.
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