Becoming a party plan consultant is a perfect tool for having a lucrative career in direct selling. However, it is only possible if you know how to maneuver it right.
According to a report published by Statista, “Since 2015 the global retail sales from direct selling have increased from about 184 billion U.S. dollars to approximately 192 billion dollars in 2018.”
From the many nations where direct selling is present, the United States is apparently tagged at the “top direct selling market worldwide”.
Surprised?
To be honest, it’s not surprising at all because, let’s admit it, American people love direct selling products. There are tons of them in fact – although based on the report direct selling companies that sell wellness products have the most shares in sales. In fact, it makes up a whopping 33% in the whole direct selling industry, making it the “largest direct selling product category”.
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But as mentioned, direct selling companies have different products to offer – from food to fashion to health and wellness products. Basically, almost anything you can think of – whether it’s a want or a need.
Now, given the data we presented, especially the fact that there is a large market for direct sales in the country, it is not surprising that more and more direct selling companies are emerging. Needless to say, more direct selling opportunities for people like us.
Getting into direct selling particularly as a party plan consultant is one of the best career decisions you can make especially if you have been dreaming of making money through your own business. This particular career option is ideal for stay-at-home moms who want to make use of their spare time by making money through direct selling.
Having said that, today, we are going to share with you some important notes about direct selling particularly on how to become a successful party plan consultant.
If you are excited to learn more, then, let’s get started!
But first, as reference, below are the topics we are going to specifically tackle:
- What is a direct sales business?
- What is a party plan consultant?
- How much can you make as a party plan consultant?
- How to become a successful party plan consultant?
- What are the pros and cons of being a party plan consultant?
WHAT IS A DIRECT SALES BUSINESS?
You probably heard the terms “direct sales business” or “direct selling business” a couple of times already. In one way or another, you probably are familiar with companies like Avon, Amway, and Herbalife — these three being the top direct selling companies in the country according to the same report by Statista, which we mentioned earlier.
But the what is a direct sales business, really?
If you are not that familiar with this industry, direct sales refer to the process of selling products face-to-face away from the traditional setting, which is selling products inside a store.
In a lot of cases, selling products are done through presentations, catalog sales, and the most common of all, through in-home shopping parties.
To start a direct sales business, direct selling companies charge you a minimal fee in exchange for a “starter kit”. The kit usually includes everything that you need to get your business started.
Unlike a traditional business, you do not need a big investment to start a direct sales business. In fact, some companies let you start by spending as low as $99 only.
In a direct sales business setting, usually, your first prospects and buyers are your family, friends, and colleagues — basically, everyone within your circle. Once you have established your circle’s trust and confidence, you will then be able to build a bigger customer base by either marketing your business to people outside your circle, or by getting referrals. There are also direct sales companies that provide you with a few leads to help you get started with your direct sales business.
Unlike a typical business though, in a direct sales business, you earn through commissions for every product that you sell. Apart from that, some direct sales also pay a commission on product sales from consultants you referred to their program.
While there are a lot of things that make a direct sales business attractive to women particularly stay-at-home moms, one of the most popular reasons would be the fact that you get to do the work at home, at your own pace, and at your preferred time. Also, some direct sales companies offer endless earning possibilities, which definitely makes it even more appealing and worth it.
To fully understand the direct selling concept, watch the video below by The Audiopedia, which is very insightful:
WHAT IS A PARTY PLAN CONSULTANT?
So, now that you already know what a direct sales business is all about, let’s move on now to the real deal —
What is a party plan consultant?
Initially, you probably thought it has something to do with parties and events. While there is a bit of truth to that, a party planner or party plan consultant actually refers to independent consultants who are self-employed merchants.
The term “party plan” refers to a method of marketing products through parties and social events. Basically, as a party plan consultant, you use these events to display and demonstrate the product or products that you sell to those who are present in the event.
Normally, orders are taken before the event ends. Once sales are finalized, you, the party plan consultant gets to earn a commission from your sales.
Over the years, especially with the rise of the internet particularly the different social media platforms, party planners do not only conduct an actual display and demonstration of products onsite but also online.
Party planners these days have become even more resources conducting virtual gatherings to show off their products and make a sale.
To be honest, as a party plan consultant being resourceful and utilizing online platforms are great ways to make more sales, which means more commission. It is also a great avenue for you to invite more people to join and be party planners as well.
By the way, in some direct sales companies, you also get to earn for inviting people and building your own team of party plan consultants.
Oh, we just have to say that while some party plan consultants hold their very own parties or social events for the purpose of making a sale, in most cases, party planners lookup for gatherings like parties and corporate events through family and friends and would ask if they could set up and do their thing in these events – while some event organizers may require a fee, others do not.
HOW MUCH CAN YOU MAKE AS A PARTY PLAN CONSULTANT?
Now, perhaps by now, you are already wondering about how much does a party plan consultant earns.
Well, great for you, because in this section, we are going to answer that.
Technically speaking, every direct sales company have their own numbers when it comes to how much commission you get per product sale.
However, on average, a party plan consultant (by the way, they are also called direct sales consultants or independent consultants) may earn between 20% and 35% commission. So, for example, you sold $1,000 worth of products, and your commission rate was 20%, which means you earn $200.
So, if you are very hardworking and very determined, you can definitely earn a lot in a month — depending on your goals.
Please take note, though, that most direct sales companies offer a tiered commission plan based on monthly sales, which means the more products you sell, the higher your commission will be.
You see, a direct sales business definitely offers limitless earning as long as you do the work really hard. Needless to say, you are confident about your products, which is a very important factor when selling direct sales products. You have to believe in it, otherwise, you won’t achieve your sales goals, because selling, in the first place, will be hard.
Moving on —
HOW TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL PARTY PLAN CONSULTANT?
In this section, we are going to share with you some of the most important things you need to know to become a successful party plan consultant.
To be a successful party plan consultant, there are things that you need to keep in mind. These things include:
1. Believing and being confident with the products you are selling.
We mentioned this earlier. As we have said, in order to sell a direct sales product or any product for that matter, it is important that you believe in it, and that you are highly confident about it. More so, you yourself must be happy using it.
It’s hard to convince a customer to buy a product that you yourself do not use or do not believe in.
This probably is the most important thing you have to know as a seller or in this case, as a party plan consultant, because the end result of this is people believing in the product as well, which means more sales and more commission on your part.
2. Attend training sessions and participate in them.
A lot of direct sales companies we know provide training sessions not only to new party plan consultants but even to existing ones.
These training sessions are essential not only to learn but also, to help yourself build the confidence you need in making a sale.
When attending training sessions, make sure to participate fully in them. Put your attention on it. After all, there’s always something new to be learned.
Also, consider these training sessions as your way of networking with other consultants who, maybe in the future, can provide you with fresh ideas and learning on how you can improve your business. In some cases, they may even help you make a sale.
You know, one reality in direct selling is that it pays to be sociable and friendly.
3. Prepare a well-thought out party presentation.
Whether it be your first, second, or -nth time to present, make sure to always prepare thoroughly.
While you can have a standard template, remember that you also have to adjust it once in a while depending on the crowd and the event you’re in.
To help you prepare a well-thought out presentation, here are some reminders:
- Write your presentation
- Practice delivering your presentation
- Think of all possible questions to be thrown at you during your presentation, and prepare an answer for each
- Pay attention to aspects of the product that may have negative comments or may attract difficult questions
- Make your delivery and your presentation itself as natural as they can be
- Prepare prompts on cards to help you as you deliver your presentation, ensuring you do not forget or skip anything
If you have a trustworthy friend, you may practice your presentation with her and ask her to give comments and suggestions to make your presentation better.
Remember this, a properly prepared presentation will not only impress people but will also give you the confidence you need to be able to sell your products to an audience.
4. Make sure to keep your product display as flawless and attractive as possible.
As a party plan consultant, keep in mind that your product display serves as your shop window. Thus, it has to be flawless and attractive. Otherwise, potential customers will not mind looking at your products at all.
There are several ways or manners of displaying your products to make it enticing. If you are in doubt, you can always look for references online — just make sure though that the manners of displaying your products are aligned to what the product is all about. Like, do not put unhealthy food to attract buyers if you are selling health and wellness stuff.
As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect”. So, before you even display your products in the actual event, make sure to practice laying them out at home.
We recommend investing in attractive, high-quality fabrics, artificial flowers, as well as other suitable props you need for the display.
If you are still in doubt of your styling ability, ask a friend, or an expert’s help.
5. To achieve a successful party, be energetic and enthusiastic.
Nobody wants to get near a boring party plan consultant, that’s for sure. So, make sure to keep the adrenaline high not only from the presentation but up to the following hours of the party.
People are attracted to those who keeps a friendly smile, and someone who’s engaging.
So, while it can be nerve-wracking especially when it’s your first, having confidence and loads of enthusiasm and energy will help you get through it successfully.
6. Make sure to research about the party audience.
Before heading to every party or event, make it a habit to ask the hostess about the people who are coming to the party or event.
Try to find out as much information as you can about the age range, interests, lifestyle, careers, and other information that can be useful for you.
Once you know the background of the attendees, make sure to plan the party around it. For instance, if most of the attendees are moms, then, identify products that they may be interested in and make that the highlight of your presentation.
It’s basically selling the right product to the right audience. Otherwise, it’s a total waste of time and effort.
7. As a party planner consultant, always look for ways to learn more about the product and its field of reference.
Last, but definitely not least on our list is to always look for ways to increase your knowledge of the products you sell, as well as its field of reference.
This will help you big time in selling your products.
If you are selling kitchenware, for instance, make sure to learn about cooking in general, as well as finding the top chefs out there, exciting recipes, as well as new cooking techniques. Talk about all these at your parties and events.
Being knowledgeable is a great way to have that extra edge that could lead to more sales as well as party bookings in the future.
WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF BEING A PARTY PLAN CONSULTANT?
At this point, we are going to share with you a few pros and cons of being a party plan consultant. This, hopefully, will give you points to think about and help you gauge whether this is the career path for you or not.
PROS
- Small Start Up Requirement – As mentioned earlier, most direct sales companies offer low-cost start-up packages, which is great as compared to building your own business from scratch.
- Flexibility – As a party plan consultant, you are your own boss, which means you decide when to do business and how to make it work.
- Training and Support – Most direct sales companies provide training sessions as well as support to help you become successful in party planning.
- Limitless Earning Possibilities – The key to becoming achieving your sales goals is to be very hardworking and by being confident in the products you sell. The more parties and events you do, the more likely you are to sell and earn commissions.
CONS
- Ownership – Technically, a direct sales business is not your own. It’s the company that owns it so you have to follow its rules.
- Extras – Most direct sales companies charge you for catalogs, websites, etc. So, if you want to avail of these (which is necessary in most cases), you have to put aside some cash to pay for it.
- Customer Base – Initially, this can be very challenging. To be successful in direct selling, you have to really think about who you are selling to apart from family and friends.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON BECOMING A PARTY PLAN CONSULTANT
Direct sales and becoming a party plan consultant really provides lots of opportunities and earning potentials without having to invest thousands of dollars just to start it off. Needless to say, you can kick it off right at the comfort of your home.
So, with all that’s been said, do you see yourself signing up to become a party plan consultant anytime soon?
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