Top 8 Tips For Your Classes

Want to have successful classes?  Follow these eight tips!

1.  Be Passionate!

Your energy / passion / enthusiasm etc MATTERS!  If you aren't passionate about these products, your customers won't be either.  Use them!  Figure out how they benefit you and then be excited and happy as you share that with others.

Focus on the enthusiasm and excitement in your voice before, during and after your classes.  Otherwise, your classes won't go very well.

Enthusiasm and passion are much, much more important then knowledge.  You can always say "I don't know," and then get back to someone with an answers, but you can't change the amount of enthusiasm they feel from you.  Make sure everyone you interact with at your classes knows you love THRIVE and that you want to share it because you care. 

2.   Don't Call it a Party

When you call your class a "party,"  people imagine Tupperware, Pampered Chef, and Scentsy.  There is nothing wrong with those companies, but they do bring to mind some stereotypes that may not apply to the classes you will be teaching.  I feel you will get more people to attend if you call it a class.

• Just For Women?  Many times when someone hears "party" they imagine a group of women getting together to gab and gossip.  But THRIVE Life is not just for women.  Men benefit from our products just as much as women do since everyone needs to eat!  Plus, many men are interested in our rotation systems (so they don't have to build them for their wives), and our outdoor / e-prep supplies.  Men are much more likely to come to a "class" than a "party." 
• Discretionary Products?  Many times when someone hears "party," they imagine high quality products that they may want, but don't necessarily need.  So, they avoid coming as a form of discipline.  But food is not a discretionary item.  Everyone needs to eat.  By calling your party a class, you avoid the stereotype that your focus will be on products no one really needs.    People value education, and they will come to a class when they may not have come to a party.
• Expensive Products?  Many times when someone hears the word "party" they imagine high quality, but expensive items and lots of pressure to buy them.  They can often get a similar item for significantly less at their local Walmart with less pressure, so they don't bother coming to the party.  But THRIVE foods aren't expensive.  They are comparable in price to the grocery store, but are healthier and take less prep time.  Purchasing THRIVE does not have to increase your spending, it can't simply replace some of your grocery budget.  And our food rotation systems are offered at their lowest price from a consultant at a class.  By teaching a class instead of holding a party, you are offering education even if they don't purchase which significantly lowers the pressure they feel.  They will come, learn, and want to buy naturally based on what you teach them instead of feeling like they have to make a pity purchase.

3.  Over Invite

On average only 1/3 or even 1/4 of those you invite will attend.  You will probably be surprised at who says yes, and who says no. Don’t take “no’s” personally. Most “no’s” are because of timing and have nothing to do with you.  Many "no's" are actually just "not now's."

In my opinion, the perfect (not to big, but not to small) class size is 6-8 people.  So, make sure you invite 25-35 people to each class!  Make good use of the 100 leads in 10 minutes document from the PATH.  List everyone you can on that document (and encourage your hosts to do the same when you aren't hosting the class).  Don’t decide for others if they are interested or not.  Just extend the invitation.   

 

4.  Take Your Host Coaching Seriously

Nothing will more directly affect the success of you classes than how well you coach your host.  If your host is casual and low key about the class, her guests will be too.  But on the flip side, if you host is passionate and excited about THRIVE and her class, then her guest will follow suit.  They trust her and are likely a bit skeptical of you! (basically, tip #1 applies to your host as well!)

Eventually, you may not know any of the guests at a class and they won't know you.  But they will know and trust your host.  You need to be sure you do all you can to support and help her.  Take just a minute to review the Host Coaching Videos from the PATH:

One other piece of host coaching (not really found in the PATH) that I've found to be essential to a successful party is make sure she understands 2 important things:

1. Make sure she understand that you need RSVPs.  This will help her to Call-Mail-Call (mentioned next) and allow you to not waste food and time preparing for people who may not come.
2. Make certain she knows this is not "open house" style and that you will start on time with an actual 20-30 minute class presentation.  Open house style classes don't work because there isn't a way for you to teach a class!  So, you end up teaching each person individually and it takes an enormous amount of time.  Plus, people who come to an open house rarely expect to purchase.

5.  Focus on Call-Mail-Call

The PATH teaches you to encourage your hosts to use the Call-Mail-Call system to invite their guests.  But when you are the host of your own class, you should use the Call-Mail-Call systems as well!

Make sure you master Call-Mail-Call when you host your own classes.  Don't be afraid of it.  This is the #1 thing I find most new consultant don't do, at least not fully.  And if you don't do it, you will quickly find yourself dead in the water with no class leads.  So, fully invest yourself in it!  If you practice it and see the positive results from it with your self-hosted parties, it will be far easier for you to teach your hosts to do it.


You can quickly review Call-Mail-Call by clicking on the review below:
.

6.  Focus on Solutions to Problems.

Ask questions from the very start of your classes that get guests thing about PROBLEMS in their lives....problems you know THRIVE can solve.  If you get them thinking about problems they have and then during your presentation offer the solution, THAT is when they will buy from you...When they realize that you offer solutions!

But if they don't see any "problems," then your solutions don't matter and they won't feel a need to have THRIVE.  So, get them thinking....ask questions like "How often do you eat fast food?"  or "How much time do you spend preparing home cooked meals for your family?"  Use the quiz you can download as part of my class binder for ideas. 

7.  Focus on the building a home store through the Q, Hosting and Consulting

If all you ever do is enter one time orders for THRIVE, your business will be much more difficult than it needs to be.  Your will constantly be looking for more leads and classes.  Instead, focus on things that grow your business long term.  Those three things are (1) The Q, (2) New Hosts, (3) Consultants.

The Q

When you create a Q, you create residual income for yourself.  I have enough Q customers now that I would earn nearly $1000 / month even if I held NO classes and made NO one time sales that month.  So, creating Qs is important to your business!  It is also good for your customers, so it is easy to sell.  You don't  need to feel "guilty" selling it to them b/c it really is the best way to purchase our products!  The Q offers them the lowest pricing on our products and the opportunity to earn points toward free product!  Qs are better than one time purchases....for you AND your customers.  So, focus on the Q at your classes.

Hosts

New hosts are the lifeblood of your business....especially at first.  Once you have an established team and Q customers, you can go a few weeks without having a class.  But at first, regular (4-8 / month) classes are absolutely essential to building your business.  And once again, hosting is easy to sell b/c it offers something great to your customers: FREE and discounted product!   So, focus on the hosting opportunity at your classes.

Consulting

Building a team is essential to your success as a Business Building consultant.  If you don't build a team, you will never be able to earn full time income.  But, as you know from the Savvy Shopper training, being a consultant benefits everyone, even if they don't plan to sell THRIVE full time.   So, offer the opportunity to everyone!  At every single class you teach, don't be afraid to let guests know the opportunity is there and how it can benefit them!

Each class you teach should touch on those three things.  If someone asks if they can just place a one time order, tell them yes, but remind them that The Q, hosting or consulting will allow them to get their products for less.
And again, find ways to help guests see how one (or more) of those three things solve problems they have in their lives.  Maybe they want to put their daughter in dance lessons (a Q driven home store will save them money).  Maybe they want to buy a home (becoming a consultant will help them earn money).  Maybe they don't have home cooked meals as often as they'd like to (the home store allows this to happen more often).

7.  Followup

Followup is essential in a direct sales business and the best way to do it is by phone!  There are many ways you can followup after your party:

• You will inevitably have people who RSVP "Yes" who don't show up.   Call them within 24 hours.  Let them know they were missed and ask if they are well.  Then ask if they would like to host their own class at a time that works better for them and / or place an order at party pricing.
• You will have guests who want to "think about it" or "talk to their spouse."  Before they leave the class, set a specific time when you will followup with them and then do it.  "No problem.  I will just give you a call tomorrow around 6 pm to followup.  Will that work?"
• You will have guest who order or create Qs.  When you see that their order has shipped, follow it.  Call them a day or two after they receive it and ask if they have any questions.  Send them a recipe or two that they can make with the things they ordered. 

 Effective followup requires you to be skilled at resolving concerns.  Take just a minute and review the information from the PATH on how to effectively resolve concerns:

Bonus:  Book Classes From Classes

The THRIVE Life double dip program makes it easy to book more classes from your current classes. During each class try mentioning something like this:

"THRIVE Life is serious about getting their healthy food into every home, so they want to give it to your for free! If you purchase as part of Jane's class, THRIVE Life will set aside some free and discounted product for you that you can claim when you host a class of your own, even if no one at your class purchases (which won't happen). When we are done tonight I will get out my calendar and you can each let me know when you'd like to host your class and claim your free product."

and during each followup phone call, say something like this:

"I mentioned this at Jane's class, but wanted to make sure you were aware that if you (or since if you they already purchased) purchase as part of Jane's class, THRIVE Life will set aside some free and discounted product for you that you can claim when you host a class of your own.   When would you like to do that?"

Good luck with all those classes!  As you have successful classes, come back and leave your own tips in the comments!