There are two types of consultants. One who has no idea how powerful a Facebook event could be for their business or the consultant who completely relies on Facebook for every ounce of interaction in their business….and knows how to ROCK IT. Facebook events have been gaining momentum and popularity especially during the 2020 current state. I mean it has been the only way people have been able to keep running their business. Many direct sales consultants are extremely successful with them and some have found themselves having to start from scratch and learn how to do them because in the past they have chalked them up as “not their thing.”
I have run my business on Facebook events and the minute “LIVE” started, I was all over it. I think it is absolutely the coolest thing in the world to remember my mother’s Home Interior Parties with all those ladies at my house and now we can do the exact same party but only virtual.
A Facebook event is when we, as the consultant invite our own friends or family or friends and family of a Hostess to join us on Facebook for a “live” party or for a set amount of time. During that time, posts are made within the event that discuss our products, the Scentsy opportunity and also why someone would want to host a party. During my Facebook events, there are things that I do unique to me, so that people will remember, Jilleysue the Scentsy lady. All of the orders, bookings for future events and chats about joining the company will take place via Facebook Messenger or text.
Be Very Aware of Facebook Rules
We all know what we call it. Yes it’s called Facebook Jail. It’s awful right? It feels like you are literally sitting in jail and can’t connect with anyone. You instantly understand how much we rely on Social Media. For those of you that don’t know Facebook jail is when you get that message that pops up that Facebook has restricted you from using some of its functions. Sometimes you can’t see pages of people you are not friends with. Sometimes you are restricted from posting in events or groups. Sometimes Facebook will freeze your personal account or completely delete some of your posts. There are a wide variety of ways, I have seen Facebook freeze accounts.
Facebook is well aware of our industry. They actually altered their algorithm at one point due to the fact that they were very aware of how much Direct Sellers use Facebook to build their business. What I truly believe happens is that some people do not properly Hostess Coach so that people know what they are being invited to. What ethically should happen is for people to personally invite their guests and let them know you will be inviting them to a Facebook event. When you don’t communicate what will be happening, people are very likely to hit the SPAM button especially if the consultant is doing the one inviting and your guests don’t know who that person is. I believe the clicking of the SPAM button is the real reason direct sellers are being penalized by Facebook. Even though you may not be doing anything wrong literally, Facebook decides how they want things run and we are at their mercy. We are lucky with Scentsy, that we have a variety of event types. Practice a mix of our options and try new things. Mix tote parties with Facebook if you have to work from home. Try to throw a home event or event in the mix when you can. Never rely solely on one online platform.
10 Tips for a Successful Direct Sales Facebook Party
1. Keep the Facebook event very simple. You want your business to be able to be duplicated by your team. Even in Facebook events, you have potential people who might want to join your team. When they see they can have events and stay in the comfort of their own home, it becomes very appealing to some. However, if you make the event too complicated, they believe they could never do something like this.
You don’t need edited videos or custom pictures or complicated incentives. These are all great, but your Facebook party system CAN evolve and now we have the amazing tool of Facebook LIVE. All you need is a few pre-posts, a custom album to make shopping easy and then GO LIVE. A quick 30 minutes showing the top products and what people love the most to see is how you incorporate Scentsy into YOUR OWN home. Have your event look just like your home party but simply online.
2. Make sure all of your posts and images are within Scentsy compliance. Google and Facebook take copyright infringement issues very seriously. You can not just take images off the web and alter them or make them your own without permission from the owner. Create your own personal brand. Canva and Picmonkey are easy to learn graphic designing platforms. They make it something every one can use. Decide what images you need and take the time to create your own look and feel so that guests remember you. I love to use my own personal images that I have taken in my own home. Everything should look aesthetically pleasing, but don’t get caught up in graphics being perfect. You will get better with time and practice.
3. As Gary Vee (Business & online guru) always says, “Roll out the red carpet for 10, rather than worry about having 100 who aren’t talking.” Keep the party small, you will be able to give each person personal attention and connect with them more. This will allow you to remember people by name and also invite them to your VIP group. Remember you want to build that relationship from start to finish. The experience defines YOUR personal brand. You want to stand out in every aspect of your business. Simply regurgitating the same thing other consultants do will make you forgettable. Show who you are. Laugh and have fun. Don’t worry about knowing everything. Just be yourself.
4. Ask your sponsor to add you to a “mock party” that has been done by her or another consultant. There are a ton out there. Find the one that works best for you whether it is a catalog walk thru, a bingo party, or just a live event showing off your favorite products. All work well and you can switch them up especially if you have repeat hostesses.
5. Pre-Set. Get your Facebook event set up well in advance. I usually make sure it is at least 10 days before. Once the hosts start personally inviting the guests, I make sure that I start introducing myself. I also have them fill out a google form, so that I can learn a little bit about them. If they fill out my google form asking them questions like, “What are their favorite scents? Have they tried Scentsy before?” I set a time frame and if the guests fill out my form in the 48 hour period, I send them a sample packet with new releases or anything I have on hand. Yes, this has to be within your budget, but I find if I can get fragrance in their hands, they are more likely to purchase the scents and/or types of products I have sent them.
Also in the event, be sure there is the first post there before you invite your host. People want to know the event is starting not show up to an empty room right? Remember Scentsy online should be the same way it would be in person. Decorate for your party girl! DECORATE! I love to grab my phone and do a 1 minute quick video that is personalized to that host introducing myself.
6. Give your Host pointers about what she can say to people to invite them. Give her an exact script and let her know she can change it up into her own words. You can say something like, “Hey girl, I’m thinking of having a Scentsy event right here on Facebook since I have no time to really do it any other way. Its less than 30 minutes, perfect for most of us. Come join me. Jill is super fun and you get to actually see some of the products lit up & use.” You can also suggest she posts something along those lines on Facebook. This way she can invite the people that want to come and then she start her messaging and texting. I always let my hosts know….”tell your peeps this is so much better than driving, they can stay comfy in their pajamas.” 🙂
7. As I said above, remind your host to personally invite anyone you are thinking will want to come to the event. Email and Group messages are just too impersonal. Private messages work wonders but do not copy and paste the same message to every guest. People can tell when you are being authentic. Customize the message to them so they feel warm and fuzzy. You can also post the event link on your host’s profile and give her friends and family the option to join. People like to have a choice. I have mailed post cards before, but for the most part, I will always call or text. Never add people you don’t know. When you do a bulk invite, it just feels spammy. You wouldn’t bulk invite to a house party, don’t do it online.
8. If you are going with the sample packets, be sure to have a cut off when it comes to filling out your form. If 8 people fill out the form, that is all you send. Be firm on this. You don’t want people trickling in 48 hours before the LIVE event and having to scramble to send out packets. Set a boundary and soon all your hostesses and guests will understand what is required.
9. You must show up as a consultant. You can’t expect to book this event and then the night before send one reminder. You need a system and you need to help your host have a system. Reminder, the better your hosts do, means she could possibly want to do what you do. I post in the event every day something simple but I really focus on making sure the host knows what to do. Let your hostess know that she needs to do the same thing online that she would do in person. She needs to remind people, text people, tag them in the party. People get busy and forget. The party will be the most successful if you work together with invites and reminders. Remember when you do great host coaching and she does well planning your event, this could easily turn into someone joining your team. Hosts make the best business owners.
10. For every catalog season, update your system and be ready. Have your graphics ready, your outline updated, your packets pre-done. If you run with your tail between your legs, you will never get your rhythm and you will feel like you just aren’t successful. On top of that, your events will never be what you want them to be. The minute the new products are show to you, start planning out what you plan to do for the new season. Create a folder for each host and follow a checklist of things to do so that you don’t forget anything.
A successful Facebook event can truly change your business. You can connect with more people and increase your personal volume. Don’t miss out on this type of evet because you think it is too complicated. It really isn’t. In fact the more simple you keep it, the more apt you are to grow your team and inspire others to learn from you. Follow these steps and be aware of what you doing. Plan our your Facebook events and avoid the dreaded Facebook jail by creating an experience that is uniquely your own.
Practice makes perfect. 🙂 Go get ’em GIRLBOSS!
Love the idea of Facebook parties? Think that would be the perfect way to fun your own Scentsy business?
