Yesterday I did a zoom call for a coaching client’s team and one of the hot topics was how to hold a successful Black Friday Event. They were from all over the world, Alaska, Florida, Colorado, California, Georgia, and Okinawa, Japan.
Black Friday is THE hottest selling day in America. It’s that day when people are focused on one thing only and what is that one thing?
SHOPPING!
Shopping for holiday gifts- Shopping for BIG specials
- Shopping for themselves
- Shopping for the sake of shopping!
This is why people shop on Black Friday!
People are going shopping anyway, so having a Black Friday event at your own home is one of the best ways to maximize your holiday sales! But the best part is building the relationships with your customers and hostesses. This is a special event where people are happy and in the holiday spirit and it’s this atmosphere that will build your business faster than any online event.
I recommend these 8 steps to prepare for your Black Friday Event
#1 Send Invitations! A smart online invite is a great way to generate interest! Make it personal and appealing. Places like Paperless post allows you to create something fresh and exciting. I always recommend sending a reminder post card in the mail. It could be one of your own postcards or create something with an image of your holiday special on Vistaprint. The key to inviting is in the follow-up. So, if you send an email invite, and follow-up with a postcard reminder, and follow-up with a quick phone call a couple of days before you will cover ALL the different communication aspects. Online – they see it.. A post card.. they touch it.. and a phone call they hear about it and remember it! They will be excited to know how much fun they will have and how you’re looking forward to seeing them attend your Black Friday event. Plus, you’ll get solid commitments and know how many will attend.
#2 OFFER a “Bring a friend gift!” Most people shop with friends on this day, so offer a special gift for everyone who brings a friend to your in-home Black Friday Event. This is the perfect time of year to add new customers and new hostesses to your data base.
#3 Get your home decorated. You want your home to reflect the holiday cheer they will experience in the mall, but with more ambience and a less stressful shopping environment. You can easily do this in your home with some simple greens and holiday décor around your lovely product arrangements.
#4 Set up a festive display of your Black Friday SPECIALS. Have your specials very visible. Create HOLIDAY GIFT SETS. Offer three price points, a low, a medium and a high price point. It’s a proven fact when people are offered three price points, they always choose the middle price point. So have lots of the middle price points available.
#5 Offer a door prize! Make your customers feel extremely special with a fun door prize when you greet them at the door. In fact, greet them with a huge smile and if you have many people, hire a friend to help you. Having a special greeter at the door to hand them a ticket for a special door prize, and maybe a cup of hot apple cider sets the tone for the whole event.
#6 Set up stations to sample products! You want people moving around, enjoying the environment. Set up stations for them to sample your products and maybe even have a small plate of cookies to try at each station. Make it a unique experience, so they get to “try” the products. Have your BLACK FRIDAY “specials” very visible at these stations.
#7 January bookings! Create a very fun check-out station with hostess 
packets dripping with ribbons and a card that says Book a “Toast to the New Year Party!” You want to get your FIRST of the year 10 bookings nailed before the end of the year! Create a big HOSTESS Basket that let’s them know they will be in the drawing for this basket if they are one of the 10 hostesses who book with you. Follow my 6 Steps to becoming an expert at check-out from your planner.
#8 Have your DIRECT SALES PLANNER OPEN to January with your green sticky notes very visible showing your available dates you want to fill! Let them know that at these special “New Year’s parties” you will bring the champagne and glasses and all they have to bring are their New Year’s Resolutions and get ready to have a FUN New year experience with you!
Make your Black Friday event an ANNUAL event that people look forward to every year! Remember, this is an in-home experience, not an online experience!
Your job is to make everyone FEEL like they had the best shopping experience ever at YOUR Black Friday event, where they didn’t have to battle the crazy crowds in the mall. They got to experience a very fun, inspiring shopping atmosphere at your home and their shopping needs were met. They will remember this special time with you at your home and the word will spread like wildfire and help you grow your business.
If Black Friday is not an option for you, then take these ideas and hold it on Cyber Saturday, Sunday or Monday! The point is to make the effort to meet and greet people face to face and truly build solid relationships with your customers and hostesses. You may make sales with an online event, but when you build those relationships with people face to face, you will gain loyal customers and hostesses and also get your January booked solid!
Follow the CALENDAR CONFIDENCE system, laid out for you in your 2017 Direct Sales Planner now! When you appear as a confident, organized and professional direct seller, people will love to book a party with you.
Get 2017 booked solid now with your Direct Sales Planner and learn the systems to making it happen in the Companion workbook.
Comment below if you’re holding an in-home Black Friday Event!
