Interesting Article for Party Plan Moms and Dads

[lindastacy]

While I agree that re-imagining the home party is wise, I disagree with the basic premise of the article. The 20 somethings that are saying they'll never host a home party will think differently when they are 30 and 40 years old.

I think, like any other type of sales, it's all about knowing your target market. Asking a 25 year old to host a formal party is probably a mistake. But presenting her with the opportunity to show her friends the latest jewelry, try on great jeans, or learn to prepare fun party food is much more interesting. I am... well let's just say I'm older than 25 ... and I'm not interested in a formal presentation either. But if you invite me to learn how to organize my house, I'll be there. Know what your audience wants no matter what age they are.

[ChooseOrganic]

Great article. Already shared it with a bunch of people!

[LiveYourLife]

Originally Posted by SuzeeQue

I have found that I do better with Facebook parties than any other kind of party. It is hard to get anyone to want to do a home party these days. Going with what works!

I think it depends on what kind of product it is. With Passion Parties women enjoy doing these parties especially in the comfort of there home and then the private shopping experience you can't beat.

[ShayinSC]

I think it really depends on a lot of factors. The company, the individual, etc.

I, personally, enjoy going to home parties. (Although I don't usually host them because I live in the boonies and I have a houseful of kids. )

I actually like parties close to the holidays because it helps me shop without hitting the stores.

[jandamom]

Thanks for sharing the article! I so agree that as direct sellers we must be nimble and not get stuck within tradition.

Guy & Eva made a change last year from traditional jewelry parties. We now have Style Sessions where the focus is on teaching women how to accessorize based on their individual face/body shape or size, coloring, style, etc. The company has hired celebrity stylists to whip us Style Advisors into shape lol so we can pass on the knowledge. This can be done with a large group or even one-on-one which is nice.

The lure of a lot of free jewelry (or other product) is not enough nowadays, you have to keep your business current and fun!

[southhillcharms]

This is great! I will share it with my tea. Thanks for posting!!

[wahinmyjammies]

This is awesome, thanks!

[razorbackmama]

Interesting article, and I've noticed similar things. So I've started to make sure my parties are more of a party and less of a sales pitch, and I make sure I'm offering something of value in my presentation, not just a sales pitch. Hostess coaching is key too. The hostess has to stress the fun, not the product!

We do need to keep in mind that Jen Fong's expertise is in social media, not parties. That influences her opinion on this, I'm sure.

[matoozie]

Originally Posted by SuzeeQue

I have found that I do better with Facebook parties than any other kind of party. It is hard to get anyone to want to do a home party these days. Going with what works!

We do "Tasting Parties" or "Tasting Events" and most of it is socializing.

But there are some who have started doing FB parties. Can you tell me more about how you do it?

[JenFongSpeaks]

Originally Posted by razorbackmama

Interesting article, and I've noticed similar things. So I've started to make sure my parties are more of a party and less of a sales pitch, and I make sure I'm offering something of value in my presentation, not just a sales pitch. Hostess coaching is key too. The hostess has to stress the fun, not the product!

We do need to keep in mind that Jen Fong's expertise is in social media, not parties. That influences her opinion on this, I'm sure.

Hi Razorbackmama,
Just wanted to let you know that I actually do have quite a bit of experience with parties. I work with Luce, Murphy, Fong and Associates helping companies create and launch, which includes writing and evaluating their parties. I conduct parties myself on a regular basis as part of this work. In addition, I was CEO of a party plan direct selling company for several years, and had much experience with the party from that aspect as well.

I hope this is helpful!

Jennifer Fong