Host a Party and Share the Rewards

rebeca Tuesday, September 1, 2009

“Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.” ~ Margaret Mead

As busy parents, it’s often difficult to find meaningful ways to give back to society without pushing our schedules or pocket books to the limits. But, I think we can all agree on the importance of maintaining some social responsibility within the family. Not only is it fulfilling, but it allows our children to learn benevolence, while reminding everyone to be grateful for what we do have.

So, at the start of each month, The Average Parent gives you easy tips to give back, volunteer or help the community. This month’s tip was inspired by the Lia Sophia party I recently attended.

It’s no secret that direct sales parties are a lot of fun. The sales consultant does most of the work, a bunch of friends get together for a fun evening and you get to shop from the comfort of home. But, what if you were able to turn that into a donation for a local charity? After scoring $400 worth of free jewelry from a recent party, that is exactly what Indianapolis mom and 360Rugs.com partial owner Tami Nuhfer has done.

“I realized that $400 could really help a lot of local families who are struggling right now,” she said. “So, I decided to host another party right before Christmas and donate all the rewards.”

You know how these home parties work…typically they entice customers to host a party by offering plenty of rewards in the form of free and deeply discounted merchandise. So, in this case, Tami is choosing to hand over those rewards (in the form of cash) to others who need it more.

Most direct sales consultants will agree to this set up, and you can do the same thing with very little work. All it takes is a few friends, some snacks and a place to hang out. If you don’t feel like giving your toy-covered family room a scrub down for the event, it’s no problem; you can host a party at the local community center or pizza place. Some people have even had great success hosting a lunchroom party at work.

At the end of the day, it’s fun to party with friends…but it’s even better to party with friends for a good cause.

Here are some tips for great results:

-Consider scheduling the party around the holidays (Oct-Dec) when people are already spending on gifts.

-Invite more than one company to host, further expanding the product selection for your guests.

-Only work with representatives who are willing to donate 100% of the profits…not 10% or 15% of sales. This reduces any perceptions of conflict or commercial benefit. Your representative still has a great opportunity to reach new audiences and broaden his/her customer base.

-If you have a specific organization receiving the donation, invite a representative to participate in the evening. A five minute speech and some literature on the organization can go a long way toward recruiting new volunteers or engaging your guests.