Chapter 10
Coaching Your Host
In This Chapter
Understanding the key role hosts play in your business
Figuring out why hosts do what they do
Coaching on attendance
Maintaining excitement and engagement
Keeping your host informed
Coaching online
When you want to reach new people with your products, services, and opportunity, the most efficient way is to do a party (also sometimes called a show, workshop, class, herbal hours, or trunk show). When people host your event, whether in their home, workplace, or service establishment, they are lending their excitement and circle of friends to you for the evening. That means they become your business partner for the evening. The company usually gives them rewards for taking the time and introducing the product line to a new group of people.
Your host wants to have a successful evening even more than you do — after all, you’re investing your working hours in them, but they’re investing their very limited recreational hours in you. Plus she’s trusting you to help her create a fun evening for her friends. That’s an important fact, which I come back to later in this chapter.
To help your hosts have successful evenings, in their eyes and your own, you need to give them some encouragement and instruction. Host coaching is an integral part of your business. It can literally make or break what happens at your party. It is your responsibility to coach your host on how to achieve success at her party. You don’t have to spend a lot of time coaching your host, but it is important to connect with them and pay close attention to the details.
A host who has a great experience with you is your best prospective team member. She likes the sales method, she is enthusiastic about the products, and most importantly, she likes you.
Understanding the Host’s Motivation
The main reason people book parties today is to have fun. If guests are having fun, they will be more likely to book parties themselves, and if you mention, “When you have your party your friends will appreciate it, and I will make sure they all have a fun time,” you are more likely to pique someone’s interest.
Hosts like free and discounted products, but they prefer to offer their guests a benefit. Because Hosts are interested in making the party a fun and beneficial experience for their friends, be sure to talk about those benefits. Make sure your host knows what the customer specials for that month are and coach her to tell her guests what they will learn that evening and the value they will receive just for going.
Some companies have booking programs in which a host receives a gift if a certain number of people from her party also book a party. People want to help their friends, so if they know the host will receive something extra, they may be more inclined to set a date with you.
But really, the most important aspect to selling your parties is all the fun her guests will have.
In all my years of experience, and my participation in many parties, surveys, and focus groups, I have been able to gather valuable information that will help you understand why someone would host with you, and what does and does not motivate them. In the past few years I’ve interviewed groups of independent representatives on what their greatest challenge was with their business. They often quickly respond with, “I can’t get bookings.” Then they amend their answer: “Actually, I get them booked but I can’t get them to hold.”
I asked a number of hosts why they would book a party and then cancel. Here is a typical answer:
- When I booked it, I was at my friend’s, and we were having a lot of fun and the representative said it would be easy and fun and my friends would love it. I thought, Okay, I’ll do it. The very next day the rep called and told me I needed to make a list of 40 people. I needed to work on five outside orders. If someone can’t come, try to get her to book for an advanced booking. She wanted me to make a list of everything I wanted and she wanted to make sure we got enough people there in order for me to get everything I wanted. I decided then it was just too much work. I was having the party for a fun time with my friends, not just so I could get free stuff.
Although the requests this person mentions have been effective techniques for successful parties in the past, the sheer number of steps and volume of work can easily become overwhelming to today’s host.
In my focus group research, the number one reason why people don’t want to book is they don’t want to have the party and earn rewards at the expense of their friends. They are more concerned about what their friends will get.
When you’re host coaching, emphasize the benefits for the host’s friends, not just what the host will receive.
Coaching on Attendance and Outside Orders
Getting a booking is great, but of course, it’s just the beginning. Most of the work happens after you get the booking, and a good part of that work is in helping the host understand what she should do to have a successful party.
Regardless of how simple the process is, if you don’t talk to your host between the time you booked and the night of the party, attendance will be low, and there will be few, if any, outside orders (orders from those who weren’t able to attend).
When it comes to making a party fun, remember, the more the merrier. To help her succeed with inviting her friends, make sure you give her a few things she can say — scripts about what’s in store for her guests. That way, when she’s inviting friends, she’ll feel good about telling them what is in it for them.
When asking her to invite a friend and encouraging that guest to bring a friend, tell her to think of a person that she knows is a good friend to her friend and suggest them by name: “Hey, Carol, you should ask Debbie to come with you.” This makes people feel special, gives them an idea to act on, and will likely increase attendance.
Another way to boost attendance is to give her samples of texts she can send out to her friends, as well as letting her know when to send them. Have her send a text the day after booking, mentioning Save the date for a great Girl’s Night In.
Next, give her a sample text she can send one week before, reminding guests I’m looking forward to seeing you next week at my party! Bring a friend.
Then, on the day before or the day of the party, have her send one that says Don’t forget! Tonight is our fun night! Hope to see you there.
The host should text friends one at a time. Ask your host to use the copy and paste feature on her phone to easily send these texts in individual messages. Sending a group text or a group Facebook message is a sure turn-off, because potential guests will undoubtedly get multiple replies meant solely for the host. Group texts also make her guests feel like she only cares about the quantity of guests and not necessarily who is there.
In addition to helping her get great attendance, coach her on how to get outside orders — orders from those who aren’t able to attend the party. This can include coworkers or friends and relatives out of state. Your host can send non-attendees a link to your online catalog and personal website. These outside orders can be your connection to repeat orders, and even new bookings and team members.
Let your host know she can get outside orders:
- “There is never a perfect night for everyone, so if someone is unable to make it or you would like to include out-of-town guests, please send them to my website where they’ll find a link to your event. Any orders they place will count towards your party sales. And if you need any extra catalogs for your workplace, just let me know.”
By telling her this, you are emphasizing convenience rather than appearing to be requiring more work for her to do.
Keeping Your Host Excited, Engaged, and Informed
Host coaching is an integral ingredient in the recipe for a successful party. In fact, it may be the single most important contributor to the success of your business.
The most important reasons to coach your hosts is to keep them excited and engaged. They also want to be informed so they know what to expect. This builds trust and a strong partnership with your hosts, which typically leads to increased bookings and sales as well as repeat business.
The more excited they are, the more their guests will be excited, and the better the attendance will be. The more engaged your hosts become, the more motivated they’ll be to make the party a success. The more information your hosts have, the more they can prepare and the more they feel included in the process.
Building excitement
It’s important to build excitement for your host. Why? Because excitement is contagious. If you are excited, your host will be excited, and her guests will be excited.
Here are some examples of what to say to your host:
- “I can’t wait to meet your friends!”
- “Your friends are going to love you for having everyone over for a fun night of shopping.”
- “There’s nothing better than a night in with your friends shopping for amazing products.”
The number one reason people book parties is to have fun — fun for themselves and fun for their friends. So always lead with this. The more fun your hosts and their guests have, the more likely you are to gain additional bookings and recruits.
You can also get the host excited by talking about the products. Remember, your hosts fell in love with the products enough to host a party of their own. If your hosts are excited about the products, they will talk about them with their friends. This will get their guests excited about catching up with friends and sampling your line of products.
Giving your hosts some ideas about what to say to her friends can help ensure the excitement builds:
- “This is going to be so much fun, you’re going to love it.”
- “Mary, you won’t believe the quality of these products. I just know you will fall in love with their mascara and lip stain. I thought of you right away!”
- “I’m having all the girls over for a spa afternoon! I think it’s about time we all get a little bit of pampering.”
- “I’m having a food tasting at my house tonight! We’re going to learn how to make quick, easy, and delicious meals in under 15 minutes. The company has some amazing deals happening this month that I just knew you wouldn’t want to pass up.”
Hosts will sell that excited feeling, as long as you continue to drive excitement for them.
Keeping your host engaged
Keep your host engaged and committed to moving her party forward. Encourage her to post and create an event on Facebook, bring catalogs to work, collect outside orders, and send out reminder texts. Keep her in the loop and engaged with different things to do throughout the process. By giving her a few, simple responsibilities she will work with you to create a successful party. The more engaged she is, the more likely she is to be committed to trying to create the best party possible.
One game that many representatives find effective is a 50 square raffle. You create a sheet that has 50 squares labeled 1 to 50. Each square is worth $2. Before the party the host sells off these squares. After the party a number is drawn from the squares, and someone wins $100 worth of product credit. This not only increases your party average by $100, but it keeps the host in contact with her friends and talking about the product.
Another game that some representatives play to keep their host engaged is host bingo. The host gets a bingo sheet with multiple tasks (and a free space in the middle), and if she gets a bingo, she receives an additional gift. Some of the tasks are things like get ten guests, get two outside orders, post your event on Facebook, and so on.
Keeping your host informed
You want to keep your hosts informed. Share logistics such as I’ll be arriving a half hour early and We’re going to do these specific things at the party and What area of your home can I set up in?
Make sure you go over these details with your hosts because without them, they won’t know what to tell their guests; they also won’t know what they are supposed to do to prepare for the party. If you’re not keeping your hosts informed, and if you’re not talking to them until the day of or the day before, then you’re likely breaking down the trust that they can count on you. They then might feel like they want to cancel, which will not help your future bookings or inspire their help in getting additional bookings.
This section lays out tips that will help you with your host-coaching communications. You won’t spend much time on any one of these contacts. Instead you’ll focus on trying to reach out and “touch” the host ten times. These ten touches are given here in order from the day you book your host to following up with them after the party.
The day you book your host
If your booking is from a prior party, your host will already know a bit about what to expect during the party. You will also want to have host packets on hand to give to your host (Chapter 6 discusses host packets). So give out a host packet and go over it a little bit that night:
- “Take this home, go over it, and start inviting your friends. I will be making a Facebook Event for you, so make sure you add me to your Facebook friends so I can invite you to it. Once we do that, you will be able to start inviting your friends to the Event page as well.”
Let them know that you’ll get their party registered with your company and be sure to put all of their contact information in your calendar on the date that you scheduled with them (this is a good example of why it’s important to have your calendar with you).
Try to get them a sample of your product and let them know how much you appreciate their help in getting your business started. Be sure to get them a host packet as soon as possible, in person or by email.
The day after the first contact
Making contact with your host this day is critical. There isn’t a lot to say yet, but it’s important that you say it. All you have to do is send a quick email:
-
Dear Mary,
Thank you so much for booking your party on _____ , _____ (day, date). We’re going to have a fantastic time. Read through the host packet, and I will be calling you in a couple of days. If you haven’t started making your guest list, get started working on that. Also be sure to remind your guests to bring a friend — this will help with attendance. I want this to be a wonderful experience for you and your friends.
If you’re texting, you can shorten it:
Thank you so much for booking a party. I’m looking forward to your party on ______ , ______ (day, date). Don’t forget to send out a friendly text to your friends telling them to save the date.
Again, this contact time is quick. What it does is it tells your host, Wow, this girl knows what she’s doing, she’s on top of her game. Or, Wow this is serious, I better get with it. We’re really doing this thing!
The first phone call
This call is usually within three to five days after the host books:
- “Hey, Mary, I want to talk to you about your party. It won’t take more than a few minutes. I thought this would be a good time to pick out the products that you want to show at your party, and I just wanted to see if you had any questions after going through the packet of information that I gave you. Also, I wanted to make sure you’re comfortable and aren’t confused about anything.”
This is the time to go over a few details. Remember, make this call short and sweet, so your hosts aren’t overwhelmed with too much information. It should only take a few minutes. The key thing you want to focus on during this call is inviting people.
- “I put a little sheet in your host packet about inviting people. Let them know that I have some great customer specials going on.”
You can briefly mention all the great things you have going on for the guests. Put some information in her host packet about joining. Ask her if she had a chance to look at it and if that’s something she would ever consider doing. If she replies no, tell her to please feel free to pass the info on to a friend. If she replies yes, or begins to ask questions, proceed from there. (See Chapter 14 for more on attracting new team members.)
When the invitations are sent
Most companies provide invitations for you to give to your hosts to send. There are postcard invitations that you can mail as well as online invites you can use for Facebook, texts, and email.
The combination of a digital invitation and a paper invitation is very effective, especially now when people’s email inboxes are so full. People actually appreciate invitations in the mail and are more likely to read them and respond to them.
After the invitations are sent out, let your host know the following:
- “Everyone on your guest list has been invited, but don’t expect everyone to RSVP. Make sure you follow up with an enthusiastic phone call asking your guests if they received it. Ask them if they can come, and tell them that you can’t wait to show them these amazing products.”
You can also give her examples of texts they can send their friends:
“Hey Trish! Just wanted to remind you about my girls’ night this Friday! We are going to be sampling some great wine! Don’t forget to bring a friend.”
“Cooking party at my house Tuesday at 8pm! We will be learning how to make freezer meals!”
“Jill, I can’t wait to see you on Sunday for my spa party! You should definitely bring Patricia, she would love it!”
That is going to go a long way in creating some more excitement for your party.
The booster call
This call happens about five days prior to the party — right around when your host will start getting a little panicked. This happens because she has started to hear from some of the guests who can’t make it, and she’s begun to doubt herself. She’s a little nervous, especially if she only has four people coming. If she’s been really busy at work, she’s started asking herself why she agreed to a party in the first place.
As the coach, you’re going to encourage her and let her know she can do this. So when you call up your host, and she’s feeling down, you’re going to boost her up. If she only has four guests coming, tell her to have every guest bring a friend. Suggest one of her friends that you know, or maybe mention a neighbor. Having your host reach out to her guests will go a long way, especially if your host knows this is the way to be successful.
Assure your host that everyone is going to have a fantastic time, and not to worry. More important, tell her you’re going to have fun with everyone who attends.
Your job is to boost her up, make her feel good about having the party, and stir up excitement.
This is also the call where you go over the logistics. Tell your host when you’ll be arriving and let her know if she needs to provide anything for the party.
The day of the party
Confirm the directions. Even with a GPS or phone navigation system, bridges have a way of going out, and road construction has a way of popping up when you least expect or want it to. I also like to use this call to get the host pumped up for the party again. Sometimes what happens between the booster call (five days prior) and now is that she originally only had four people coming, but now she has 15! Confirming that number is important. You need to make sure you have enough catalogs and other materials ready to go. Also, now she is excited about the party again.
Make sure you arrive early, with enough time to get everything set up. A half hour is the optimal time, allowing you time to set up, have a chat with your host, and be ready by the time people arrive so you look professional. This also helps you avoid rushing around at the last minute. This is also where the host will often ask you more questions about the business opportunity.
You want to be poised and you want to be able to meet and greet the guests. Tell each guest that you’re happy she came. Ask each one if she’s familiar with the products and the company. Make sure your interactions here are enthusiastic and sincere.
Closing the party
Closing your party is the process of officially ending the time you can receive orders for a particular host’s party. When you close the party may depend on your host. Some want to close the party at the end of the night, but usually the host wants to keep the party open for a few days. I recommend choosing a certain day of the week on which you close all your parties. For me, it was always on Friday. If I had a party on Monday, I simply told the host that I would be closing on Friday.
Regardless of when you close the party, make sure that before you leave you give them a goal. Tell your host what the sales are right now and what she’s earned so far. Let her know how far away she is from the next level of host rewards and how little effort it would take to get her additional specials, free credit, or half-priced items. If your host says she’s expecting two more orders, write those names down so when you’re following up with her, you can ask about those remaining outside orders. It makes the closing process more efficient.
If your host wants to close the party that night, tell her ahead of time to make sure she collects the outside orders before the party.
Thank-you note immediately after
Mail your host a hand-written note after each party. You don’t have to do this, but the gesture goes a long way. Be sure to include a magnet (some companies offer this) or your business card with a reminder for reorders. Let your host know that it was a pleasure meeting her friends and that you had a wonderful time.
Another good idea is to type up a generic letter and put it in with the thank-you note. This letter will be all about the logistics. It should say Thank you so much for having the party. You still have time to get another booking (if your company has a booking bonus program). Your party order should arrive in about ___ business days, and you’ll have a packing slip to go with the orders.
This typed letter is to let her know what to do when her order arrives. That way she’s not lost. You can also let her know to call you with any questions she might have while going through the orders.
Two weeks after the party
This is a follow-up call to ask your host if the products arrived, if she’s enjoying them, and how her guests like them. Also ask your host if she’s heard any feedback. Her guests may feel more comfortable telling her about something that they might not tell you.
Then you can follow up with the guests and let them know you heard that they loved a specific product. You may get more orders this way (if any of the guests or the host has run out of the product or wants to know the current month’s specials), and you might even be able to pick up a booking or two. (If you know that the product hasn’t arrived yet, adjust the follow-up call date slightly, but keep it relatively within that two-week period.)
The follow-up call demonstrates that you are conscientious and friendly and reminds not only the host but the guests that you are a professional independent representative who cares about them.
Host Coaching Online
Host coaching online happens when your party is conducted on an online platform (Chapter 11 covers online parties in detail). For example, a Facebook party. You coach your host in pretty much the same manner, although most of your contact will be via email, texting, or Facebook messaging.
Choosing which friends to invite and knowing how to invite them are two big considerations. First, you don’t want your hosts to invite all 467 of their Facebook friends. That is too many, and it’s not very inviting when everyone is getting the same pop-up on their computer.
A good rule of thumb is to stick to around 50 friends.
Regardless of how the party will be set up, everyone the host is inviting should receive a personal message from her. You can help your host type this up, but it should be very personal:
- Hi, Maureen. I’m having an online party on ____ (day, date) and I would love for you to attend. We are going to ______ and _______ (list a couple of fun things that will happen). I really hope you can join us.
Do not send this as a group message. A group message to 50 people will turn into an annoying disaster when people begin replying. You can copy and paste the same message to individual text messages.
Finally, have your host gather as many phone numbers as possible. That way she can also follow up with phone calls or texts. And get an address for where to send the thank-you note to the host. You can treat this as a normal, in-home party, but just remember that a lot of your conversation with your host may be online.
Host coaching should be fun. Most of the “ten touches” of contact will happen very quickly, but it is important to do them all. You’ll be happy because you will have a successful party, and your host will be happy because she will feel that you care about her.