How to market a party-plan business?

[SevernFlame]

Hi

I started up with Partylite back in May, but so far, it hasn't really got off the ground for me. Partylite is party plan, like Body Shop at Home, Tupperware etc, but we sell gorgeous candles and home fragrance items, plus a small body care range.

I've started sponsoring, but I've yet to really get any bookings (parties) or sales myself. I'm wondering if there are ways to promote my business that don't involve badgering my friends and family (already fed-up with me) or going door-to-door? I need to keep customers fairly local, although sponsors can be picked up nationwide.

Any advice appreciated, but I don't have a great deal of money to spend on marketing.

 

[eventdomain]

This sounds like the Ann Summers for body products, its a lifestyle business and very tough to accomplish, never mind turn into a business.

It's kind of like running a franchise, but very very small scale - 'consultants' get recruited to do ALL the work, while company owners get rich, but you won't be getting rich from this - might make some pocket money, but this will be tough to do.

These products can all be (and are) obtained from the high st stores etc, so why would anyone waste a couple of hours, sipping free wine and smelling bath salts with a bunch of strangers to make at most maybe £200? and how many of these party evenings will you get at most?

Perhaps its a girly thing :|

Anyway, the fact you're on here asking advice on Marketing, shows you have gone into this as a prospector, and likely short on the skills required to make a proper go of this. You won't be the only one to think of this, and will be one of hundreds of cheap sales persons recruited for this - and that's just for this single company - what about all the other party planners that do this. Bcos every party planner is in competition with you and every sale they make, takes it away from you.

But Retailers are you're biggest threat to the (your) success. What you need here is specialist sector advice eg: how to market a lifestyle product, but your also doing the service thing to in that you 'host' the evening, so your selling the evening/experience too.

From a sales point of things, you're success depends on:

1. How many will turn up to these parties/evenings

2. Number of products sold per evening

I advise you do some thorough research on this, as you'll need to be an exceptional saleperson to make anything from it.

 

[downsouth]

i'll be honest with you ang suggest you look to something else, have friends who have tried this and unless you have a massive circles of friends, groups where they also know loads of people you are always likely to be inviting the same people to the events.

The lady friend trialled something before last xmas, just about managed to make the minimum leading up to the xmas period for the 'fee' to be covered but after that she soon cancelled cos of lack of interest, and this a person who got many circles of friends.

Like Event said everyone's in competition with you, plus also you need to look at the products you 'sell' and see what real demand there is for this type of product

 

[SevernFlame]

Thanks for pointing out the negatives .

The reason I am looking for marketing advice is because I don't have a large circle of friends to contact, otherwise I'd be fine. However, I'm not going to let that put me off.

Yes, I completely agree that these are luxury, lifestyle products and that every other party-planner is in competition with me. You can buy similar, lower quality products in the shops, but you can't buy Partylite in shops - it's the best quality there is at less than the cost of 'designer' brands.

What I was looking for was any practical marketing advice that anyone could offer - if I knew marketing, I'd already be in that sector wouldn't I?

Does anyone have any other (useful) suggestions?

 

[streetslocal]

Whats the website address?

 

[SevernFlame]

Whats the website address?

I don't have a personal one yet and the company one isn't great.

 

[eventdomain]

Does anyone have any other (useful) suggestions?

The suggestions were useful, obviously they must have done some sales job on you when hypnotising you hehe.

but you can't buy Partylite in shops - it's the best quality there is at less than the cost of 'designer' brands.

And there's no competition right......

I don't have a personal one yet and the company one isn't great.

Oh dear, well that's important. But what's it say about their standards when they can't supply their sale staff with decent sales tools

 

[streetslocal]

I don't have a personal one yet and the company one isn't great.

Feel free to private message me the website address and ill send over some feedback.

 

[SevernFlame]

The suggestions were useful, obviously they must have done some sales job on you when hypnotising you hehe.



And there's no competition right......




Oh dear, well that's important. But what's it say about their standards when they can't supply their sale staff with decent sales tools

I'm fully prepared to accept that a lot of the marketing set-up is way out of date - a number of the other companies DO offer personal websites.

However, I am asking for help in how to get something going for myself.

I can appreciate that some of you have had negative experiences with this sort of company - it isn't easy to do and doesn't suit everyone. Would I be getting this much negativity if I was trying to market a product or business that was completely my own, I wonder? Do you just have a problem with network marketing?

But I'm not prepared to just give up without giving it a decent shot - so could somebody direct to some ideas for my own marketing please?

 

[XanderMarketing]

Hi,

Some ideas
- Flyers through doors (maybe magnets as they're different)
- Advertising in local newspapers/magazines - Advertorials are even better
- The radio
- Website has been mentioned but if you were to build one you would need a strategy to drive traffic to it for example through AdWords
- Radio (even very local web based radio stations)
- Would businesses like your products? You could go networking
- Facebook - advertise on profile, ads, groups, pages etc...

And ignore the negative comments on this thread. Whilst MLM does have a stigma attached to it people (not just the founders) have done well from it. It's also a great way to learn business skills like selling with a minimal investment. If you believe in your product then you should be fine.

Alex

 

[SevernFlame]

Hi,

Some ideas
- Flyers through doors (maybe magnets as they're different)
- Advertising in local newspapers/magazines - Advertorials are even better
- The radio
- Website has been mentioned but if you were to build one you would need a strategy to drive traffic to it for example through AdWords
- Radio (even very local web based radio stations)
- Would businesses like your products? You could go networking
- Facebook - advertise on profile, ads, groups, pages etc...

And ignore the negative comments on this thread. Whilst MLM does have a stigma attached to it people (not just the founders) have done well from it. It's also a great way to learn business skills like selling with a minimal investment. If you believe in your product then you should be fine.

Alex

Thanks for your positive input Xander, it's nice to see someone offering some constructive ideas!

I have dropped a couple of hundred flyers, but I know I need to do a lot more to get some responses. I do like the idea of magnets - hopefully peole would be less likely to throw them away.

I'm definitely going to approach businesses - probably beauty salons/hairdressers/hotels as I think they'd be most likely to be interested.

I like the idea of advertorials, do you have any tips on that?

Also any tips on website building - it will just be an information site as we're not allowed to sell the products online (DSA rules, apparently).

I'm on Facebook, and I'd like to join Twitter, but I've no idea how to use them for marketing, could you point me in the right direction?

TIA for any tips you can give.

I see you're also from my hubbie's home town!

 

[eventdomain]

I think this is a mad idea and won't work on a big enough level to make a living from it. Still, you will learn something from it, alas you'll lose from it too.

Leaflet drops, you aren't a chinese takeaway you know. Think about what you are doing and what people will do, bcos I assure you these leaflets will be binned or shredded.

Its too low a response rate eg: less than 1% will take notice. I know this bcos I've done it with business cards. For leaflet dropping 200 isn't enough, try 20k's worth, then you may see some results.

 

[SevernFlame]

I think this is a mad idea and won't work on a big enough level to make a living from it. Still, you will learn something from it, alas you'll lose from it too.

Leaflet drops, you aren't a chinese takeaway you know. Think about what you are doing and what people will do, bcos I assure you these leaflets will be binned or shredded.

Its too low a response rate eg: less than 1% will take notice. I know this bcos I've done it with business cards. For leaflet dropping 200 isn't enough, try 20k's worth, then you may see some results.

You clearly have a problem with this sort of business. Please butt out if you don't have something useful to say.

 

[eventdomain]

Fine, I warned you and you didn't listen, but thats fine.

Heck, it's not MY money or time hehehe

 

[iArtist]

Hi

I started up with Partylite back in May, but so far, it hasn't really got off the ground for me. Partylite is party plan, like Body Shop at Home, Tupperware etc, but we sell gorgeous candles and home fragrance items, plus a small body care range.

I've started sponsoring, but I've yet to really get any bookings (parties) or sales myself. I'm wondering if there are ways to promote my business that don't involve badgering my friends and family (already fed-up with me) or going door-to-door? I need to keep customers fairly local, although sponsors can be picked up nationwide.

Any advice appreciated, but I don't have a great deal of money to spend on marketing.

you can recruit mums to host parties via

playgroups
coffee mornings and so on

I know as a virgin vie rep I knew recruited via these places

You can in some cases even host your parties during the sessions

You could also join forums like netmums and make a request for hosts in your area.

Good luck

Leah

 

[stallfinder]

You could also try and book a table at some local events like pamper days/indulgence evenings. Lots of schools and charities hold them and towards Christmas there should also be some local Christmas fairs.