Your Questions Answered!

Questions from Facebook

1) Is it wrong to flat out ask people to host a party for you? I've had minor success having no real parties but I want to take my business up to the next level and feel like I am stumbling around in the dark when it comes to trying to get parties on the books. I am now considering just flat out asking family & friends to host parties so that I can get the ball rolling again. (Hard to pick up speed when you let yourself run out of gas).

When you are first starting your business, or looking to take it to the next level, you want to build your foundation with bookings.

A great way to get your first bookings is through your Launch Party. Have a party at your home, launching your business to your FRANK list – Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances, Neighbours and Kids’ Friends’ Parents. One of the key ways to book a guest at your launch party is your enthusiasm and excitement! People enjoy being around people who are excited – so share your passion!

Did you know that statistics prove that Consultants who start with a Launch Party and at least 5 additional parties on their calendar (get these from guests at your launch party and those who couldn’t attend your launch party) have a higher rate of success than others? By working to get those first 5 parties, you are laying a firm foundation for your business.

If someone says “no” don’t take it personally – it happens to everyone. Just move on to others you know. If you continue to offer, you are going to find people who are interested. Remember, hostesses have the opportunity to spend time with their friends all while earning host rewards through your products. What’s not to like!?

Here is a sample script you can use;

“Hi Diana. Have I caught you at a good time? Great! I’ve just started a new business and it would mean a lot to me if you could help me by getting a group of friends together to have a party. I’ll make sure you all have an enjoyable and relaxing time. Will you help me?”

2) When using the F.R.A.N.K. system how do you handle family? Mine doesn't seem supportive.

Your FRANK list is perfect for when you are in the early stages of your business. You can use the contact list as a resource for potential guests, hosts and even future team members.

Your FRANK list is;

Friends Relatives Acquaintances Neighbours Kids’ friends’ parents

To begin creating your list, scroll through your contacts on your phone, your address book and your friends on Facebook. Commit to making 6 calls a day from each list.

Your relatives, or family, are actually the least likely to help you out. You will actually build a successful business off of the people you don’t know at those beginning parties. So if your family isn’t supportive – move on. Find some key people from your friends, acquaintances, neighbours and kids’ friends’ parents. Remember, the goal is always to make a guest at a party your next hostess!

Remember to also ask them for referrals – who do they know who would love to spend a few hours with friends at a party?

Begin your list in a notebook or on your computer and keep adding to it! You’ll soon discover you’ll never run out of people to call about your new business.

2) How often do u post on your fan page? Should you post only business related items?

Your Facebook posts should be thoughtful, meaningful and strategic. You want to get your fans interacting with your posts as much as you possibly can and one way to make sure this doesn’t happen is to post too often.

Using the Insights on your Facebook Business Page, you are able to see your Facebook peak times - meaning, what time of day are most of your fans online.

Think of who your customers are; are they working women, single women, or moms? What do those women do in a day? For example, mom’s wake up early to get the kids ready for school, lunches packed, etc. So there is really little time for Facebook during their morning routine. After that they are either shuffling off to work or going home to take care of the house. They are not spending too much time on Facebook here either.

By the time late afternoon comes around, it is time to pick up the kids and get dinner started. Then dinner at 6, bath at 7 and then bedtime for the kids at 8. This is why we typically see Facebook pick up around 8-9pm. Women are finally taking a well-deserved (though small) break from their day. This is typically the best time to post!

We suggest posting once per day. Twice if you have something really important to say. But otherwise, we don’t over to overload our fan base with posts. We know these people and businesses – and we usually “unlike” their page!

We follow a 90-10 rule when it comes to content (what to post). 90% should be about lifestyle, fun ideas, tips, tricks, etc. And 10% should be about your product or business. Facebook is a place where you create a desire for your services or products. So even though your end game is to book parties, find recruits, increase sales and grow your presence – we DON’T want to mention our business every single day. People don’t respond to a hard sell.

Instead try posts like inspirational quotes, recipes, fashion tips, skin care secrets – depending on your business.

4) With the 2-2-2 follow-up. What happens after two months if someone hasn't reordered? Should you just call them two months later?

Continue to reach out! E-mail them to let them know you tried to contact them. Just continue to make them aware of any specials or promotions going on with your e-mails and customer communication.

5) What's the best way to send out mass emails? We seem to have new promotions every week, I want them to have the info but not be a nuisance.

Information overload is certainly a problem with our fast paced society. Especially when companies are coming up with new promotions every week for you to use to drive your business (which is a good thing!).

Decide what’s most important and plan your communication. This also can depend on the timing of the promotions. For example, is a promotion a one day only event? One week? One month?

Send e-mails bi-weekly or once a month. Highlight the most important promotions that you want to push. It’s just like our products! When we have a party – we can’t possibly cover every product in the catalog. But we want to make sure they are available for our customers to see.

Post your promotions and specials on your Facebook page! Every e-mail you send out, remind your customers to check out your Facebook page for all promotions and tips. Let them know that there are new deals all the time and the best way to stay in the loop is through your social media.