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TEN Extra
Tips To Have A Successful Online Party:
©2005 Julie Ryals :: TheDesignShoppe.com
1. Consider
the guests time zones when you are reserving your time.
If you rent a party room by the month, then you can
have multiple times set and add it all up as one party.
This is a benefit of doing a party online rather
that at home - in person.
How many times have you scheduled an in-home party
and this one has baseball, that one has a meeting, this
one isn't off work that time, that one is sick.
Online parties are the answer to broaden your range
of fitting it into everyone's schedule.
2. Run
a special of some kind. Calculate
in your savings of food, drinks, gas and time that you
will not have to fork out like an in-home party.
If you can, give free shipping.
Offer a discount with $X spent.
Do a buy one, get one half price sale.
Remember... everyone is having online parties these
days. Make
yours stand out.
Think: Why
would I come to your party over another rep selling the
same thing? Make
me want to come to yours!
3. Games =
win prizes. You
can go to the dollar store and get prizes to send out.
You can give out Mom Packs as prizes with an added
bonus tucked inside. Remember
the cost of shipping prizes!
Get things that would either be cheap like a
journal or mini calendar that you can ship book-rate.
OR... give something that you don't have to ship -
like maybe a gift certificate or ebook.
Anything. People
LOVE to win prizes.
4.
Surprises:
Do something that isn't announced.
If you have a web site, create some printables and
ONLY give access to that page to those that come to your
party. Surprises
are always fun! Advertise
that you will have a surprise AT the party, but don't tell
early!
5. Send
reminders: Don't
bombard people, they'll look at it as spam and get mad at
all the extra emails.
Send one email announcing the party two or three
days in advance. Send
one the day of. Send
one "party now".
Be cautious to follow group rules when posting
party invites or announcements.
6.
Reputable online party places.
Make sure that you choose a party place that is
reputable. So
many sites are offering online chat rooms just so that
they can benefit off the traffic that you bring in.
Make sure that it is YOUR party that is being
advertised and not a list of other party rooms on the left
hand side of the site.
If I have allotted $50.00 for myself to spend, then
make sure it goes to your party and not a party that I was
attracted to out of the links on the left while chatting.
If as also very important to check out this online
party site. There
are many free chat programs available today.
Go with a company that is actually paying for the
chat service. Otherwise
you could end up with people dropping in looking to
"pick up" women.
Many free chats have a hidden condition that their
chat room must be listed in a community so you don't know
who is sneaking in. Make
sure that it's a chat program that is going to be up and
running when you need it.
Don't get stuck after spending a ton of effort on
this online party online to find the chat program isn't
working. Test
out your party room first!
7. Greet
your visitors. Now
you have your visitors coming in - make them feel wanted.
Personally greet every one of them upon entry.
Appreciate your guests for taking the time to come
to your online party.
Watch for the shy ones and help them feel involved.
Remember you are not face to face, so it's a little more
work on your part.
8. Chit
Chat. Remember
to keep the chit chat universal.
Meaning, try not to exclude your guests from one
particular subject that you are talking about one on one
with another guest. You
want everyone to feel welcome.
Get to know each a bit.
And... even have a little introduction.
Remember to keep everyone going.
Don't let people just sit there unless they are
browsing through your catalog or site.
Keep talking and maybe even feature various
products along the way.
Open it up to questions at all times.
9. Organize
your party. Some
of the best online parties are scheduled out.
Let's say, the party starts at 8:00PM.
Greet from 8:00 to 8:10. Intros
from 8:10 to 8:20. Feature
Products from 8:20 to 8:30 and then do a game.
Back to featuring for another 10 minutes and play a
game. And so
on. This way
you stay in some sort of control and everyone stays on
topic. If you
break the games up throughout the party, they will stay to
play too. There
are tons of party games out there that you can play
online. Try to
pick some new ones or put a twist on some old ones.
The better online party places may even have games
they can setup for you!
Pre-plan is the key.
10. Don't
forget the thank you's!
Have all visitors enter a drawing of some sorts
- just for stopping by.
Most bigger online party places will create a
simple feedback or drawing form for you included in your
party. This
form comes right to you with the specified information.
This way you will have everyone's email that
visited. Remember
to not use this to spam them later.
Send a thank you note to everyone for coming and
extend an offer to shop until XX date when the party
closes.
©2005
Julie Ryals
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