Hostess Coaching is just as important with a home show as it is with Facebook. Stay in contact with your hostess, keep her excited about the books and her party. I give my home show hostess a hostess packet of a mini catalog, 5 order forms, a join me pamphlet, and a Successful Home show brochure all in a folder. Encourage your hostess to seek outside orders from those who won't make the party. Have her create a wishlist using the mini catalog so she can have a tangible sales goal to reach. Talk with her about joining your team and earning double free rewards at her party. The day before her party I will call or text her, get a final head count for who is coming, get any directions to her house I might need, and let her know I will arrive 20-30 minutes before the start of the party to set up. I also ask if she has a table available to set up on or if I need to bring my own.
Packing for your Home Shows
It's important to look duplicatable, for potential recruits, when going to home shows so always keep this in mind! I pack one branded box of books, and a bag with all my paper supplies and that's it! Take a few of your favorites and a variety of age groups and interests. Ask your hostess about her guests! What age ranges are they shopping for? What do they like? Make the most of the books to bring.
What paper products to bring.
I bring a bag with 10-15 boards in it. Each guest gets a board so if your hostess has 20 people coming bring more then that just in case. I take a binder (dollar store, or school supply sales have awesome deals) and cut out the binding. In the pocket place an order form and a drawing slip (like the one pictured) and a piece of paper for them to write a wish list. On the back in the clear sleeve I will put the current months or next months hostess rewards, so they see it. DO NOT put a catalog in your board, but bring the mini and a couple full catalogs in your bag! We will talk about why later. I also bring 3-4 hostess packets as well.
At the home show
Make sure you dress professionally for your home show. I wear a nice shirt and either a skirt or dress slacks. Once you arrive to your host home ask her where she planned to have the party and where she would like you to set up. There are a couple ways to set up but my favorite is placing all the books on the table by age range.
Introduce yourself to every guest, find out their name, who they are shopping for, and hand them a board and a pen. I also ask the guests to feel free to look at the books on the table and pick their favorite and take it to their seat with them. Jump in on the small talk with everyone. Get to know your guests and become a friend. Once everyone has arrived I quickly introduce myself, talk about the company, and plant seeds for hosting and joining. Usually my opening goes like this
"Hello! Once again my name is Rissa and I am going to be your literacy expert for the night. I have been with the company over a year now because my wish list was like this and my budget was not. Usborne was brought into the US in the 80's and we added Kane Miller, that's where the And More comes from. I want to thank the beautiful HOST for having us all here tonight and I am going to give her a ton of free books for her work of cleaning her house for us. If at the end of the night your wish list is long and your budget isn't we have 2 options for you. We can all come party at your house next time and give you free books or we can talk about how you can be just like me and get paid in money and books. We will talk more about those things later though."
Then I move on to the party portion!
"Hello! Once again my name is Rissa and I am going to be your literacy expert for the night. I have been with the company over a year now because my wish list was like this and my budget was not. Usborne was brought into the US in the 80's and we added Kane Miller, that's where the And More comes from. I want to thank the beautiful HOST for having us all here tonight and I am going to give her a ton of free books for her work of cleaning her house for us. If at the end of the night your wish list is long and your budget isn't we have 2 options for you. We can all come party at your house next time and give you free books or we can talk about how you can be just like me and get paid in money and books. We will talk more about those things later though."
Then I move on to the party portion!
The guests have picked out their favorite of the books you brought. I let them do the work for me! Let them tell their friends why they chose this book. What do they love? Who do they think it's perfect for? I will add my own little facts or secrets about the book when I have them but let them talk as long as they want about the book. After everyone has had a turn I will pick 2-3 more books someone didn't pick and talk about them. Then the games!
Games!
I always like to play at least one game. My favorite is the What if game! I hand the What if monster plush to my host. Then I read Jonathan James and the What if Monster. Every time I say "What if" they pas the plush to the right. Whoever has the plush at the end wins a mini book or free shipping from me! This gets the familiar with one of our titles and its a fun game for a fun prize!
I always like to play at least one game. My favorite is the What if game! I hand the What if monster plush to my host. Then I read Jonathan James and the What if Monster. Every time I say "What if" they pas the plush to the right. Whoever has the plush at the end wins a mini book or free shipping from me! This gets the familiar with one of our titles and its a fun game for a fun prize!
Following the game I always play pretend hostess! Call up one of the guests to be your volunteer. Watch the video to see how it's done!
PS this is an excellent video to show at Facebook parties too
:) or you can create your own!
PS this is an excellent video to show at Facebook parties too
:) or you can create your own!
After all that is said and done I pass out mini catalogs. I let them know if they don't find a book in there that they saw tonight and they want let me know because I have a bigger catalog that contains all 1800+ titles that we carry. Then let them shop. Go around and mingle help them find what they are looking for. When they are all done with their order I sit by them, take the board back, and look over the drawing slip with them first. If they marked maybe or yes to a party book them right then! Get excited and let everyone they are doing a party on what day and what they get for hosting with you. If they marked yes or maybe on joining pull out your phone and get them on the website to sign right there. Get excited! You have a new team mate! Then book their launch parties. Then move on to their order. Calculate tax and shipping and let them know how long shipping is taking. Thank them honestly for coming and give them contact information for you if they have any questions they think of when they get home.
When everyone is checked out and headed home I start packing up my books. Then I let the hostess know what her current party total is. Ask if there is anyone she thought would come to the party but didn't show. Then send her out to collect outside orders and have a goal to shoot for. Example: Home show ended the night with $437 in sales. Your hostess wants the current hostess special. She needs to go and find $63 more in orders, but if she finds $163 in more orders she will get $210 in free books! Give her the next closest reward level but stress a higher number! Then I talk to her about if she joined your team what her commission for the night would be, how many free books she would get and tell her what friends were interested in hosting a party if she joined (remember that's on your drawing slip). Then I thank her for having me, let her know I will call in 2 days but if she has questions before then to contact me and I am happy to help, then head out!
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