If you are in direct sales or party plan business, you know that things can be a bit frustrating from time to time. We did a poll on our Facebook page recently regarding your biggest fears and frustrations in the direct sales business. The reason why we decided to conduct this little research is the fact that we can help, encourage, and learn from each other. Following are the ten most common frustrations we deal with, and we also suggest ways to overcome them. However, tips included in this post are quite general, but you will find more detailed information in our free book called 10 Power Tips that Every Direct Seller Needs.

How To Fix 10 Things That Frustrate You Most In Direct Sales

1.     Low Party Sales, Low Bookings, and Low Recruit Leads

To avoid low sales, bookings, and recruit leads, first, try getting more party guests to show up. If we can find ways to get more people on average to show up to every single party we do, then your sales, bookings, and recruit leads are going to increase.

Once your guests are there, the next step is to figure out how to get them to place an order, book a party, or join your team. One way to accomplish this is to use – a wish list. What I’m talking about is having a wish list that’s printed out with the names of the products that you are showing from your kit.

What we’re going to do is show our products in bundles or combinations where you might be showing even six to ten products altogether. You should also put the products into guests’ hands and with the wish list in front of them build a desire to own these products. Ask your party guests to mark at least three products they would like to have.

What we are doing here is increasing the desire for your party guests to want to own lots and lots of products, more than they can afford at the moment. What we are ultimately trying to do is to create a problem for them where they start to fall in love with so many products, that they realize they can’t afford to buy them all today.

This is the part where you offer them the solution to that problem – they can get those products for free or at a discounted price if they agree to book a party with you or join your team. However, make sure not to use salesy and pushy language. All you have to do is build up a desire in your guests and put the products in their hands!

2.     How to Fix Party Guests That Don’t Show up to either In-Home Parties or Facebook Parties

Many times we think, “Look, it’s all up to the hostess to get the party guests there.” But, the question comes back to what we are doing as a consultant to help and support the hostess so that she knows how to successfully get people to show up to their party.

Whether it’s an in-home party or a Facebook party, the steps are pretty much the same, and it all boils down to 5 P’s of hostess coaching:

• go through the party pack
• post a letter or a confirmation card in the mail
• phone call number one
• phone call number two
• set up for success on the day

As soon as you get the booking, sit down with your hostess and help her create a guest list. We aim to get 20 people invited so that even if only half of them show up, the hostess is well on her way to achieving awesome host rewards and bonuses.

Another way to implement some of your host coaching steps is by picking up the good old-fashioned telephone. I find that party plan consultants are not using the phone very much anymore. They’re reverting more to text messages, Facebook messages, all those kind of digital, techie, and not as personal methods of contact.

However, at the same time more and more party plan consultants are getting so annoyed because they’re not getting as many people as they want showing up to their parties. I believe the two are directly linked. If we make an effort to personally talk to our hostess on the phone, we will find out what she’s going through and what kind of support she needs.

3.     Fix Objections

First, when you get an objection to recruiting, booking, or buying, don’t get personally offended. You will hear more NO’s than you will hear YES’s, but it’s the YES’s that are going to build the momentum in your business. So, just understand that the NO’s would be there, but it’s always bringing you one step closer to the next YES.

If you’re getting a time objection to booking, such as, “Oh, I don’t have time to book a party,” my best suggestion is to go back and have a look at how well you are creating the desire for that party guest to really want to own your products. If you can build that wish list and build the desire for your party guests to want to own lots of products, you are actually taking away that objection before your guest even thinks of saying NO to you.

When it comes to joining the company, you might have someone that says, “I don’t think I really know enough people to be able to do this kind of business.” What I personally do is share my personal story about what I’ve done when I moved here. Basically, go out there, do promotional work, and meet new people.

If your party guest says “I love all these things on my wish list, but I can’t afford to buy it all,” make sure that you have explained to every single party guest that they have an opportunity to say YES to the free products and discounts by saying YES to being your next host.

4.     How to Fix Getting Nothing from Vendor Events

When it comes to vendor events, the number one goal is not sales or leads, but to get bookings on the day. It is always better to ask for a booking when a person sees the products, picks them up, and tests them, than it is to do a phone call, a follow-up email, SMS, or Facebook message.

5.     How to Use Social Media

Social media can help you build your business if you follow these five golden rules:

• Interact. When you’ve got people commenting, liking, messaging, try to get back to them as soon as you can.
• Post original and interesting content
• Do not be salesy and spammy
• Find out what’s working for you on social media so that you can repeat more of the things that work and stop wasting your time on things that do not work.
• Embrace the change

6.     How to Fix Hosts Who Cancel a Party

If your hostess cancels a party, consider that your fault because you did not do proper coaching. The first thing you should do is to find out why she canceled. There is an acronym to help you overcome this objection which is AEIOC—Acknowledge (maybe you need to cancel your party), Empathise and Isolate (ask your hostess what is going on, and explain that even three people is enough for the party to proceed), Overcome (come up with a solution and a suggested fix), and Close (tell your host it is too late to cancel anyway, and that it’s okay if only three people showed up so you can cassually meet up, have fun, and discuss the products).

7.     What do we do if we’re Trying to Recruit, But we are Not Getting Any Results?

Another interesting phenomenon I have noticed that we are better of recruiting while talking to the group, but we get nervous when it comes to asking each party guest one on one, “Would you like to learn more about doing what I do for the generous income opportunity?” One-on-one time is a great strategy that can help you increase your recruiting success. Don’t be afraid of it; embrace it!

8.     How do we Fix Our Fear of the Phone?

As I already mentioned, consultants prefer sending texts than making phone calls. However, phone calls are much more personal than texts – you can actually feel the person’s excitement and their tone. You have to make an effort and commit yourself that you will use the phone more often. Once you see the increased results and understand that it has a positive impact on your sales, bookings, and recruit leads, you will be motivated to use the phone more often. Consider it a tool for success that is working for you

9.     How to Rebuild Bookings When They Have Run Out?

If you do not have the number of bookings that you would like, what you should do is spend the time that you would normally spend doing parties, on promotional work. This way you will build new leads AND land new bookings.

Do promotional work for as many hours per week as you want to be doing parties. The goal is to get you there where all your bookings are coming from parties.

10.     How to Fix Not Knowing What to Say so That Your Party Guests Want to Book, Buy And Join?

• First, use the wish list. Get the products in their hand. Show them all the generous rewards that hostesses get and invite them to be on your next conference trip somewhere around the world as a consultant with your team.
• Also, use the words that are not pushy and not salesy, words that attract people to want to say yes. Rather than asking people, “Do you want to book a party?” try with, “We got so many free products to give away today, and in fact, I’m looking for the first three ladies who would love to say yes to the free products like our hostess is doing today?”
• Instead of talking about, “What are you going to buy?” we can talk about becoming our next valued customer and, “What have you chosen to spoil yourself with today on your wish list in support of our hostess?”

Bottom Line…

According to people who took our Facebook poll, the ten biggest frustrations in party planning business include:

• Low sales, bookings, and leads
• Guests not showing up
• Objections
• Failed vendor events
• Social media
• Party cancelations
• Failed recruitments
• Fear of the phone
• Rebuilding bookings
• What to say to get bookings, leads, and sales

All of these frustrations are common and can be an obstacle on our way to success. Luckily, they can be overcome and used for your personal growth as well as for building your business. Sign up to get our free book 10 Power Tips that Every Direct Seller Needs for more specific suggestions and tips and enjoy your success!

Lots of success!

♥ Melanie Parker, Party Plan Success Hunter! xo

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