Why Focus on Bookings?

Bookings provide you with an environment to present your products, opportunity, and superior personal service, as well as the chance to turn your prospects into customers and business associates. In essence, bookings transform you from an outsider into a professional because they give you the time and place to conduct business.

So put yourself in business by filling your schedule with opportunities to share your benefits with others and make a difference in their lives.

Get Psyched!

The first steps in filling your schedule with parties is to strengthen and solidify your belief in what you have to offer future hostesses. Take a moment to reflect upon the many benefits your hostess, your guests and you will enjoy as a result of a successful party.

Describe what you love most about our hostess program.

List the free products, discounts and benefits the hostess of your highest party received. Remember how excited and grateful she was.

What do your guests enjoy about your presentations?

How do you benefit every time you hold a group presentation?

Identify Your Calling Style

When it comes to making calls to schedule either parties or opportunity interviews, most consultants have a preferred style. Yours may be to carry your list of names and numbers with you and use stolen moments to call a prospect. This lighthearted approach prevents some consultants from over-thinking the process. As long as you approach each conversation with a clear intention of what you want to have happen during the call, you can make calls on the fly.

On the other hand, some consultants prefer to maintain a single focus in an environment they know won’t take them by surprise. If you’re among them, a block of time set aside on a pre-determined day might be best. Decide upon your preference and what approach fits within your unique lifestyle. Arrange your schedule accordingly.

How do you prefer to measure your calling performance?
○      A specific number of calls made throughout your week
○      A specific time blocked on your calendar to make your calls

Set Your Intentions

At the top of your Prospect List, place these desired outcomes in the order of their importance to you. You want the person you call to:
○      Book a party of her own
○      Attend a party or open house
○      Schedule an individual opportunity interview
○      Refer a friend who may be interested in your jewelry or business opportunity
○      Give permission to call her back

Plan Your Conversation

While you may begin with the help of a script, the sooner you gain experience, the sooner you can personalize your approach to fit your personal style. This will result in a more natural presentation and one that will resonate with others. You might consider customizing the script to support the top three intentions you identified in the above exercise.

Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway

For some, scheduling parties and opportunity interviews is one of the most challenging aspects of growing their business. If this is something you can relate to, just say, “Ready, Set, Go!” and jump in. Then answer the following questions, which will guide you through a process that can neutralize your fears.

What is your greatest fear with regard to asking for a booking?

What’s the absolute worst thing that could come from asking?

What’s the absolute best thing that could come from asking?

How will booking more parties bring you closer to your goal?

What are you willing to give up to get more bookings?

Establish a 60-Second Pre-Call Ritual

Take the time to put yourself in the right frame of mind before making calls. You’ll need only a few moments to prepare yourself for success. Here’s an example many have found effective:

Sample Pre-Call Ritual:
1.     Review my “Why” for building my business.
2.     Review my short-term and long-term goals.
3.     Say out loud my intention for my call. I state both the intention I’ve selected from the top of my Prospect List and my personal intention – to make her smile or give her hope, for example.
4.     Let go of the outcome and enjoy the process!

Reward Yourself

Whether you make three phone calls to people on your list during a quick break at work, or schedule a marathon session of “roll dialing” for an entire hour one evening, treat yourself to something special so you are rewarded for enlarging your comfort zone. The more you do it, the easier it will become.

Moving Forward

So often our success with AZULI SKYE is more closely related to the person we become in the process, rather than to the words we say or the actions we take. Be the kind of person to whom others are drawn. A positive attitude, a caring spirit and an uplifting disposition are the true secrets to filling your schedule!

Mastering the art of booking is the greatest gift you can give yourself.  Bookings are the lifeline of your business because they ensure sales, income and business for years to come.  Make it an important goal to learn how to effectively ask for bookings.  Once you learn this, your schedule will remain full and your business will continue to grow.

Why Hold Parties?

Parties are an important part of your business building strategy because:

• They are the primary source of sales, new customers, future party dates and potential team members.
• They give you the opportunity to introduce new groups of people to the joy of purchasing beautiful jewelry.
• They are the learning ground where you can fine-tune your sales, booking and sponsoring skills, which are essential to your long-term success.

The Party is important to others because it will help them:

• Enjoy a unique and fun way to entertain friends and family!
• Have an opportunity to purchase beautifully handcrafted jewelry.
• Give guests the opportunity to learn how they can earn free jewelry by hosting an AZULI SKYE party of their own.

Remember, you have something great to offer! Feel proud to offer such a unique and valuable experience to your Hostesses and guests. When you are proud and excited about all you have to offer, you will lay the foundation for your booking success!

Keep reading to see our Memory Jogger exercise!

•     Immediate family, friends, relatives and neighbors
•     Co-workers and business associates
•     Children’s teachers, PTA members and baby-sitters
•     Beauticians and manicurists
•     Clergy leaders and members
•     Childhood friends
•     Book, music or craft club members
•     Exercise and aerobics classmates
•     Kids sports team members
•     Fellow tennis players and golfers
•     Bridge, chess or social groups
•     Service organization members
•     Religious groups
•     Political organizations
•     Real estate or insurance agents and brokers
•     Your travel agent
•     Hospital staff and volunteers
•     Retail store associates
•     Financial or legal professionals
•     Medical professionals
•     Teachers, professors and classmates
•     Library & Restaurant staff

As you build your prospect list be careful not to prejudge whether or not someone will be interested.  Many of your most valuable leads will come from the most unexpected sources!

When you ask for a booking you will occasionally encounter booking objections. Perhaps the customer is too busy, her house too small, she has few friends, or she has had little success with similar events. Accept objections as a natural part of your business and learn to overcome them effectively. This is another important step in mastering the art of booking the home party.

First, learn not to take “No” personally; recognize it simply as a request for more information. Consultants who expect objections and learn to respond to them effectively can often turn a “No” into a “Yes.”

Following are some examples of the most common reasons why Hostesses hesitate to book, along with appropriate responses. Become familiar with objections so you’ll be able to effectively recognize and respond to them.

Are you nervous about what to say when making those booking calls. Put these scripts  to use and you will see your business grow by leaps and bounds!

Tips for successfully getting bookings:

• Speak positively and with enthusiasm
• Make an irresistible offer
• Have some dates you want to fill
• Always acknowledge the individual first
• Give the hostesses 2 dates to choose from

Here’s a sample script for calling a friend or family member. This script was created for my company, AZULI SKYE, but can be easily changed to fit your business.

“Hi Christy, this is Deb. I am calling because I have some exciting news to share. I have just started my own AZULI SKYE jewelry business.  Have you ever heard of AZULI SKYE?

No … well, it’s this great new company that offers high quality, affordable jewelry through really fun home parties

Hosting a party is so simple and the hostess program is unbelievable! … Most hostesses get at least $100 in FREE Jewelry and many get $400 or even more.  Plus AZULI SKYE offers huge discounts for hostesses.,  Because I’m a new consultant, my 1st hostesses will receive an additional free gift as a thank you for helping me get started.

But that’s not all … They even offer a special sale for all the guests at a party … For every two items they buy, they can get a third lowest priced item for Half-off!

So, I called you because you are one of my most reliable friends.

It would really mean a lot to me if you were one of my very first Hostesses. You and your friends are so much fun, and I know that you will all fall in love with AZULI SKYE’s gorgeous jewelry.  I am so excited about AZULI SKYE, and with our incredible Hostess Rewards Program, I know you will be, too!

So what do you think?  Will you be one of my 1st hostesses?

Would you prefer a weekday party or a weekend party? _____.  Great, I have ______ or ______ available.”

So don’t be afraid, the phone is your friend!

The Who Do You Know list is your most important tool for booking parties. After completing your list, place a star next to the people you think are most likely to hold a party or may be interested in the opportunity. The more you talk to people about holding a home party of their own, the more confident you will feel and the more courage you will have to call the rest of the people on your list.

However your friends respond, keep in mind that it is not personal. Their decision to have a party depends on what is going on in their life, and is not about you. Enjoy the process of sharing, and keep asking everybody you know. Only a small percentage of people will host a party, so the more people you ask, the more home parties you will book!

Use the memory jogger below to build your list.

MEMORY JOGGER

• Immediate family, friends, relatives and neighbors
• Co-workers and business associates
• Children’s teachers, PTA members and baby-sitters
• Beauticians and manicurists
• Clergy leaders and members
• Childhood friends
• Book, music or craft club members
• Exercise and aerobics classmates
• Kids sports team members
• Fellow tennis players and golfers
• Bridge, chess or social groups
• Service organization members
• Religious groups
• Political organizations
• Real estate or insurance agents brokers
• Your travel agent
• Hospital staff and volunteers
• Retail store associates
• Financial or legal professionals
• Medical professionals
• Family counselors or social workers
• Teachers, professors and classmates
• Library & Restaurant staff
• Friends who love products like those you sell

Did you know that the average person knows hundreds of people? However, most of us don’t even realize how many people are within our sphere of influence because we’ve never taken the time to look. By completing your Who Do You Know List you will begin to discover how many people you know. Completing this is the first step to filling your calendar for greater direct sales success.

The Memory Jogger below will help you think of the many people you know. Make completing this form fun. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Gather your personal address book, some business cards you’ve collected and any directories of organizations you belong to. Prepare the timer and then… Ready – Set – Go! List all the names you can think of without stopping for 10 minutes. At the end, marvel at the variety of names. Now it’s time to go back and list the phone numbers so you will be prepared to make calls. The true secret to success is to NOT stop there. Continue adding new names every day.

As you build your prospect list be careful not to prejudge whether or not someone will be interested. Many of your most valuable leads will come from the most unexpected sources.

MEMORY JOGGER

• Immediate family, friends, relatives and neighbors
• Co-workers and business associates
• Children’s teachers, PTA members and baby-sitters
• Beauticians and manicurists
• Clergy leaders and members
• Childhood friends
• Book, music or craft club members
• Exercise and aerobics classmates
• Kids sports team members
• Fellow tennis players and golfers
• Bridge, chess or social groups
• Service organization members
• Religious groups
• Political organizations
• Real estate or insurance agents brokers
• Your travel agent
• Hospital staff and volunteers
• Retail store associates
• Financial or legal professionals
• Medical professionals
• Family counselors or social workers
• Teachers, professors and classmates
• Library & Restaurant staff
• Friends who love the category of product you have to offer

Consultants who maintain a positive, confident approach to booking, and believe in the benefits of their hostess program, find it easier to schedule the number of parties they want to hold. On the other hand, consultants who do not expect to receive bookings, seldom do. You’ll enjoy your direct sales business more and have greater success when you expect success and maintain a positive attitude toward filling your calendar with bookings.

When inviting people to host a party, keep in mind all the benefits your hostess will enjoy as a result of her successful party. She will receive free and discounted product while enjoying the company of friends during her party! A home party is a win-win situation for you and your hostess!

Ask Lots of People

Another key to keeping a full schedule is to ask everyone you know to book a party. In fact, the more people you ask for a booking, the more parties you will have and the sooner your income will grow.

Naturally, you will first look to your immediate circle of friends for support and encouragement. These are the individuals who will likely want to help you get your business off to a great start and are most likely to say “yes” to your request to hold a home party. Only after you have contacted your immediate circle of friends and acquaintances, should you tap into other groups of potential customers.

The appointments you make for future home parties are called bookings. Mastering the art of booking is the greatest gift you can give yourself. Bookings are the lifeline of your direct sales business because they ensure sales, income and business for years to come. Make it an important goal to learn how to effectively ask for bookings. Once you learn this, your schedule will remain full and your business will continue to grow.

Booking Your First Parties

Your first and most important party is your Grand Opening. By now you have set a date for your Grand Opening and are working toward its success. Don’t stop now!

To get your business off to a quick and profitable start, you must also schedule additional parties that will be held during your first weeks in business.

New consultants should schedule 8 parties (which includes your Grand Opening) within eight weeks of signing up. Experience has shown that this is the best way to become comfortable with your presentation, and begin earning a substantial income right away. When you hold numerous parties you increase the likelihood of achieving your Fast Start goals.

Why Hold Parties?

Parties are an important part of your business building strategy because:

• They are the primary source of sales, new customers, future party dates and potential team members.
• They give you the opportunity to introduce new groups of people to the joy of your beautiful products.
• They are the learning ground where you can fine-tune your sales, booking and sponsoring skills, which are essential to your long-term success.

The party is important to others because it will help them:

• Enjoy a unique and fun way to entertain friends and family.
• Have an opportunity to purchase your beautiful product.
• Give guests the opportunity to learn how they can earn free product by hosting a  home party of their own.

Remember, you have something great to offer! Feel proud to offer such a unique and valuable experience to your Hostesses and guests. When you are proud and excited about all you have to offer, you will lay the foundation for your booking success.