Can customers buy at any time?

This post is prompted by a conversation I had with my sister over the weekend. My sister wants some Tupperware, but she doesn’t want to have a party. Every consultant has pushed her to getting free Tupperware by booking a party, missing the point that she just wants to place an order, thereby missing out on sales. Also, as a result, she has a very low opinion of people who sell by party plan because the consultants she has met are too pushy for a party booking.

This brings the question – can your customers buy from you without booking or attending a party?

There are a number of people who aren’t interested in booking or attending parties (or get togethers, gatherings, or whatever your company calls them) and would much rather place an order from a catalogue when they are ready to buy. These customers may turn into loyal customers, buying from you regularly every few months with a consistent order you can count on.

I know there are some companies that will only put through orders on a party. If this is the case, you could add these casual orders to another party, thus giving your hostess some extra benefits, or even put through a number of casual orders at once as a catalogue party of your own. If you do this, you may consider doing a lucky draw for any extra hostess gifts or even as a reward for the largest order or most consistent order.

While booking parties are the lifeblood of your party plan business, don’t forget about sales from those who simply want to buy from you. Think about these people and let them order – you never know, they may change their mind one day, refer you on to someone who wants to book a party, or simply become one of your most loyal and consistent customers.