1.
Advertise
Advertise your party everywhere that you can think of.
Exchange links with friends. If you have your own website,
offer to announce a friends specials if she announces your
upcoming online party.
2.
Newsletters
There are loads of online newsletters. Many of them
will even advertise your upcoming online party for free.
Just ask.
3.
Yahoogroups
There are of hundreds of YahooGroups. These groups
are a wonderful way to interact with people. Networking is
the key to any online business' success. Use them to
your advantage. If you are not sure if a group allows
advertising, just ask. *If a group doesn't allow
advertising, get familiar with changing your signature line on
your emails and add your upcoming party announcement.
We do suggest not signing up for a list just to advertise.
You always stand to gain what you give.
4.
Invitations
Invite everyone that you can think of. Throughout
the years of offering online parties, we have found that the most
successful parties are those that plan and invite. You
cannot hold a successful in-home party and never announce it,
right? We suggest one upcoming party announcement, one
reminder the night before (for those that don't read mail daily)
and one "party-now" reminder. Our lives can get so
busy that we simply forget. Invitations & reminders are
important.
5.
Have a Party Hostess
Once you have booked your online party, announce to your
friends, family and acquaintances that you are looking for
hostesses to reap the rewards from your online party. You
can attract hostesses by offering "free" use of your
party room for that party. This is two-fold: You are
getting the profits from the party as a rep and your hostess is
actively announcing "her" upcoming online party.
Don't forget to check out our Rebooking incentives. Many of
our clients have had such success with this, they have booked
their party room by the month to continue their success.
6. Party Games
Everyone loves a party game! There are many games
that can be played online during the party. Popular ones are
Search The Catalog & Answer Questions, Word Scrambles, and
Trivia. The sky's the limit here. Besides the
information we have here, check out http://networkofconnections.com/resources-partyplans.htm
for more Party Games and Ideas.
7. Specials
We cannot say enough about specials. Competition is
fierce these days online. Make your party "the"
party to come to. Meaning, offer a percent off either for
everyone or for the 1st or 5th order for example. Free
shipping is a good one too to consider.
8. Drawings or Giveaways
Drawings and Giveaways are a whole lot of fun.
Everyone loves a freebie. This can be something as
simple as a free coupon on their next order, a buy XX item and get
another for half price, or even a raffle type drawing for a free
item. Be creative and adjust according to your company.
9. Information Request Forms
Information Request Forms are located in every one of our
party rooms. Use these to your advantage. One of the
standard check boxes on the form is "Add me to your mailing
list". This is a great way to build your customer
database. Use these forms to advertise your next
upcoming online party, email specials, or announce new products.
We recommend using these forms to select your drawing or giveaway
winners.
10.
During your party
Be attentive to your visitors. We suggest greeting
every guest, give them brief instructions to fill out your
Information Request Form, point out your shopping link &
specials and then checking with them within a few minutes to see
if they have any questions. It's not best to let a guest
come in and sit without interacting with them. Be prepared
to stay late with a guest to talk further. This is at no
additional charge, of course. We do not close a room at
the end of a party for your convenience. We do suggest
making a set time to hold your game or giveaway announcement.
The best time is when there is the most people located in your
party room. Tip: Make your guests
feel comfortable. Getting to know your clientele is very
important to the future success of your business.
Keeping a client happy is a guaranteed return customer.
People like that one-on-one business relationship. Once the
sale is made, that is not the end of things....
11.
Make a party plan
Keep in mind that online parties are similar, yet
different to "in-home" parties. We have found that
it is difficult to plan a minute-by-minute talk session because of
the convenience of coming in and out of a party room at guests'
leisure. People will come and go throughout the evening.
So doing only one introduction or "welcome" would not be
fair to those coming in late.
12. Considerations
Consider the time zones of the world. If you
schedule your party from 5-7pm EST, this means that it is 2-4pm
EST on the West Coast. Many people are not even home from
work yet or picking their children up from school. We
recommend either keeping your party open late or renting a monthly
room to take advantage of 24 Hour Open Room option. Note:
This all depends on the bulk of your clients needs.
We schedule all of our parties in EST. We do this to
stop any confusion over the different time zones by keeping
everyone on the same time thoughts.
Also, consider that people have various things that come up and
interfere with their plans. Don't fret if one or two of your
friends couldn't make it for one reason or another. We're
here to work with you and can leave your party open a day or two
to help.
13. Verifying Your Party Room
We always send a direct link to your party room at least
24 hours prior to your party date. Please, make sure that
you go through your room and verify everything. We
also need you to verify with us that you received our
"TEST" Information Request Form and Secure Order Form
(if app.) prior to your party. This is very important.
Some freebie email accounts can have problems with receiving mail
and we'd hate to see you lose something important, like an order.
We can carbon copy a private folder for you if you request this.
We can also make any changes to your room prior to your
party.
14. Last but not least...
HAVE FUN!
15.
After The Party
A quick "thank you" email/note is a wonderful
addition to the end of your party. Although it takes time to
send a confirmation of an order and a confirmation of delivery, it
is simple etiquette. Remember, even if a customer didn't buy
at your online party when they visited, they may make a purchase a
few days or weeks later. A simple "thank you for
visiting" can do wonders and may bring in that sale even
sooner than expected. Don't forget to make use of your
Information Request Forms.
Afterthought
Consider building your downline and renting a monthly
room. Split the costs with your downline and allow them
unlimited use of your party room. What a great way to help
them while helping yourself. This can even be a special
bonus to offer your potential recruits -- free or discounted use
of your online party room!
Email us if you have any additional questions: staff@themouseconnection.com
©Julie Ryals 2001
About the
author:
Julie Ryals is a work at home mother of 5, owner of
TheMouseConnection.com and co-owner of NetworkOfConnections.com
with Vicki Randall. She has over 5 years experience
with networking online, web design and helping other like women
succeed.
No part of this article may be copied in part or whole without
strict written permission
from Julie Ryals.
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