Across the board, I hear WineShop at Home consultants and people who are considering becoming consultants voice the same concern: how do I consistently find new hosts for my tastings?
When I hear this, I always jump in to remind people that unlike most direct sales products, wine is an ultra-consumable product. If I sell baskets and I have a house full of baskets, I would be the crazy basket lady, right?
Now… if I have a house full of wine, on the other hand, I’m suddenly the super-cool lady who everyone wants to be friends with! My new neighbors are so excited to move in!
(Side note: I have a friend who works at a high level in a direct sales candle company. She had so much inventory in her house that her neighbor actually complained about the overwhelming fragrance that wafted out into the street! Let me tell you something: I have never, ever, ever had anyone complain that I had too much wine in my house. Just sayin’…)
Purses, jewelry, candles, olive oil, skin care… while those products are probably great, they simply don’t come with the same enthusiasm that people feel for wine.
That enthusiasm is EXACTLY why the act of finding new hosts for your tastings is really not much of a problem. In fact, many consultants have what we call “Booking Chains,” that is, groups of friends who take turns hosting a WineShop at Home tasting every month.
You know you’ve done your job when you have a couple booking chains running – so here’s how you can keep things fun and fresh, even when you’re leading a tasting with close to the same group of people every single month.
It’s Not about the Big Sale
Booking chains are really great because they keep you working. Once you get to know the group a bit, you’ll feel more comfortable around them, they’ll feel more comfortable around you, and in fact, things become easier because everyone already knows the drill. Often these parties become more informal and very fun.
With booking chains, the goal isn’t to kill it with a huge sale every month. Instead, what you really want is for them to buy enough wine to get them through to the next tasting in six to eight weeks.
When I do tastings for my booking chains, I go into it knowing that I’m likely going to sell 1-2 cases of wine. I’ll encourage them to bring new friends to the event, and I know I’m golden if I get the next 2 tastings on my calendar. The thing with booking chains is you don’t want to build your entire business on them, you want to use these repeat tastings to fill in your calendar Helping you go over the top for sales and tastings in a month.
Leave Your Worries at the Door
It’s tempting with booking chains to get worried that they’ll get bored. Don’t! As soon as you come home from a tasting with the group, send out a Facebook invite for the next one. They’ll be so excited since they had a good time that they’ll likely RSVP rather soon and have something fun to look forward to.
Do your best to get to know their taste preferences, and try suggesting a themed tasting (need some ideas? Check out my top 10 favorite themes.
The bottom line is, when people drink wine with people they love, they have a good time. You don’t need to do anything other than show up with some delicious WineShop at Home wine and a good attitude – and it will likely be a success!
If you see the potential for a booking chain, jump on it. They can be fun, bring in money to your business, and help you meet new people who might host or join your team. You can do it!
If you’ve been thinking about joining WineShop at Home, let’s talk. Click HERE to connect with me directly.