TEN Extra Tips To Have A Successful Online Party:
©2005 Julie Ryals :: TheDesignShoppe.com

1.  Consider the guests time zones when you are reserving your time.  If you rent a party room by the month, then you can have multiple times set and add it all up as one party.  This is a benefit of doing a party online rather that at home - in person.  How many times have you scheduled an in-home party and this one has baseball, that one has a meeting, this one isn't off work that time, that one is sick.  Online parties are the answer to broaden your range of fitting it into everyone's schedule.

 2.  Run a special of some kind.  Calculate in your savings of food, drinks, gas and time that you will not have to fork out like an in-home party.  If you can, give free shipping.  Offer a discount with $X spent.  Do a buy one, get one half price sale.  Remember... everyone is having online parties these days.  Make yours stand out.   Think:  Why would I come to your party over another rep selling the same thing?  Make me want to come to yours!

3.  Games = win prizes.  You can go to the dollar store and get prizes to send out.  You can give out Mom Packs as prizes with an added bonus tucked inside.  Remember the cost of shipping prizes!  Get things that would either be cheap like a journal or mini calendar that you can ship book-rate.  OR... give something that you don't have to ship - like maybe a gift certificate or ebook.  Anything.  People LOVE to win prizes.

 4.  Surprises:  Do something that isn't announced.  If you have a web site, create some printables and ONLY give access to that page to those that come to your party.  Surprises are always fun!  Advertise that you will have a surprise AT the party, but don't tell early!

5.  Send reminders:  Don't bombard people, they'll look at it as spam and get mad at all the extra emails.  Send one email announcing the party two or three days in advance.  Send one the day of.  Send one "party now".  Be cautious to follow group rules when posting party invites or announcements.

 6.  Reputable online party places.  Make sure that you choose a party place that is reputable.  So many sites are offering online chat rooms just so that they can benefit off the traffic that you bring in.  Make sure that it is YOUR party that is being advertised and not a list of other party rooms on the left hand side of the site.  If I have allotted $50.00 for myself to spend, then make sure it goes to your party and not a party that I was attracted to out of the links on the left while chatting.  If as also very important to check out this online party site.  There are many free chat programs available today.  Go with a company that is actually paying for the chat service.  Otherwise you could end up with people dropping in looking to "pick up" women.  Many free chats have a hidden condition that their chat room must be listed in a community so you don't know who is sneaking in.  Make sure that it's a chat program that is going to be up and running when you need it.   Don't get stuck after spending a ton of effort on this online party online to find the chat program isn't working.  Test out your party room first!

 7.  Greet your visitors.  Now you have your visitors coming in - make them feel wanted.  Personally greet every one of them upon entry.  Appreciate your guests for taking the time to come to your online party.  Watch for the shy ones and help them feel involved. Remember you are not face to face, so it's a little more work on your part.

 8.  Chit Chat.  Remember to keep the chit chat universal.  Meaning, try not to exclude your guests from one particular subject that you are talking about one on one with another guest.  You want everyone to feel welcome.  Get to know each a bit.  And... even have a little introduction.  Remember to keep everyone going.  Don't let people just sit there unless they are browsing through your catalog or site.  Keep talking and maybe even feature various products along the way.  Open it up to questions at all times.  

9.  Organize your party.  Some of the best online parties are scheduled out.  Let's say, the party starts at 8:00PM.  Greet from 8:00 to 8:10.  Intros from 8:10 to 8:20.  Feature Products from 8:20 to 8:30 and then do a game.  Back to featuring for another 10 minutes and play a game.  And so on.  This way you stay in some sort of control and everyone stays on topic.  If you break the games up throughout the party, they will stay to play too.  There are tons of party games out there that you can play online.  Try to pick some new ones or put a twist on some old ones.  The better online party places may even have games they can setup for you!  Pre-plan is the key.

 10.  Don't forget the thank you's!  Have all visitors enter a drawing of some sorts  - just for stopping by.  Most bigger online party places will create a simple feedback or drawing form for you included in your party.  This form comes right to you with the specified information.   This way you will have everyone's email that visited.  Remember to not use this to spam them later.  Send a thank you note to everyone for coming and extend an offer to shop until XX date when the party closes.