Do you offer a service or product that is promoted at parties? I have the pleasure of being affiliated with several direct sales companies and I love party planning. One similarity among these companies and the “party planning/team building” training is the encouragement to share a testimony about why you joined the company and how being a “______ Representative” has changed your life.
Today I want to encourage you to use that time wisely.
Most — if not all– of us have a “life testimony” that includes hardships, highs, lows, feast and famine….and in a comfortable “girlfriends-type” of scenario (which you and your party hostess have certainly worked to create), it’s easy to allow yourself to open up and share personal information. To a certain degree, this is the point. After all, you want your audience to see themselves in you and believe that if you are achieving your goals, they can too.
However, it’s important to remember that you are the professional of the hour. Party guests have come on behalf of their hostess (and friend) because she has promised a good time and great products offered by a professional representative. This is not the time to tell the story of your divorce and missing child support. (Even if it is true and significant to your personal testimony….save it for another time.)
Instead, create a professional testimonial statement that flows with positive energy. Try these:
- Quote your hostess. How many times has she told you she was excited to be planning a party? Share that while you make money, this opportunity also provides deeper satisfaction by allowing you to spread joy. Say: “Even when things in my personal life may not be as I wish, I know that when I walk into a room with a satisfied customer, she is happy to see me and trusts that I respect her business. To me, that’s what’s most important and with quality products from ____, I am confident in what I do….and that confidence impacts all areas of my life for the better.”
- Share a victory. Are you driving a company car or carrying a fashionable purse that has been gifted to you by the company? Highlight your successes and how the company shows its appreciation. Say: “In my previous profession, I learned to create my own personal rewards for completing projects and exceeding expectations. When I was introduced to this opportunity I was amazed at how much focus the company places on rewarding top performers and offering incentives at every level. My first gift was _______ and they got better from there. Representing ______ gives me a chance to ‘double’ my personal rewards. They reward me and I reward myself for every goal I accomplish. Can you say win/win?”
The idea is to know your audience and be prepared with a (true) winning statement (professional testimonial) that will tap positive energies in the room. Sad stories will inevitably invoke pity (intentional or not) and while pity may make you a few extra sales on site, it will not motivate people to join your team.
What are your favorite party planning/team building tips?
Submitted For Your Consideration 
Share a victory. It’s amazing to see this as one of the ways to “Save it for your Blog.” I wear a specific piece of jewelry and receive complements each time I wear it. It has gotten me to think…”I am sharing a victory about how great the product is.” We must do the same for ourselves.
Absolutely, Jewel!
I’m not sure I even want all that mess out on a blog…personal struggles up to a certain point need to be kept private… but like Jewel said, sharing a victory is always a great choice.
Complimenting the hostess and sharing great things about the other guests is a winning pattern…and easy when you listen and pay attention. I realized when I was in Paris, FR for the first time and met “amazing” people that I meet them all the time and everywhere because I look for it and expect to see it.
Thanks, Kathryn! I’m a believer that “you find what you seek”…. continue to usher in those “amazing” thoughts =)