HOSTESS PREP
Now that your party calendar is beginning to fill up, it’s time to prep your hostesses and get
ready for your first parties. One reason we recommend more than just a couple of parties in
your first month is to enable you to get comfortable very quickly. What might seem like a lot
of information and details to remember will soon become second nature.
hostess coaching guide
Your hostess is your most valuable business partner. When you help your hostess
succeed, you succeed. Sometimes the hostess is just as nervous as a new Creative
Partner. Guide her through the process to build her confidence and yours.
When you choose to purposefully lead your hostess through the process of party
planning, you both win. The proper preparation can help
your hostess earn greater rewards by filling her home, and
in turn, you increase your income and future business.
As you work with each hostess to create the best possible party
experience, help her imagine her house filled with her friends
and the fun they will have at her party. The most important
factor in filling her home with friends and family is having her
personally invite each guest. Encourage your hostess to invite at
least 30-35 guests to create a party with 10-15 in attendance. We
recommend using the branded Initials, Inc. party invitations.
Did you know
your hostess
is likely your next
recruit? It’s true!
Remember to
share the business
opportunity with her
at her party.
The following suggestions contain insight from current Creative
Partners detailing the steps they take to coach their hostesses. Review the material and
develop your own unique style of hostess coaching. Remember that your sponsor is just
a phone call or email away ready to answer questions and provide helpful insight.
Book party and send/deliver a Hostess Packet. Include the following:
› 2 Stylebooks – one for your hostess and one for her to show others who will be unable to attend the party
› 3 order forms for pre-orders
› SMART list to help your hostess expand on her guest list (located under the Resources tab in iOffice)
› 25+ postcard invitations
› Current Hostess Shopportunity and Current Customer Shopportunity flyers (located under the Resources tab in
iOffice)
› Flyers detailing additional bonuses or opportunities that may be offered for the month.
› Your contact information preferably on your new business card.
› A form for the Hostess to detail her ‘Wish List’ for earned products (located under the Resources tab in iOffice)
Send a handwritten thank-you note confirming the party date/time and share your excitement for her party. Remember to include your Initials, Inc. business card.
Explore the iOffice paying close attention to the Resources page for more information related to hostess prep. Review the Initials,
Inc. Policies and Procedures at your convenience. Pay close attention to the backorder, return and tax ID policies as well as the
Product & Quantity Update which can also be viewed in iOffice.
©2013 Initials, Inc.
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Call your hostess (Approximately three to four weeks before the party):
› Encourage a significant guest list of 30-35 or more with a personal
invitation to each. Happily provide additional invitations if needed.
› Emphasize the level of FUN achieved when a
party has lots of guests in attendance.
› Set clear expectations and help your hostess see the value in personally
inviting each guest with a postcard invitation and a phone call.
Coach her to see the unique value in using a personal touch.
› Create enthusiasm for the party by posting the party
date and hostess name on Facebook in a fun way.
› Ask the hostess to provide her ‘Wish List’ to you within three
days for her earned products. This will dictate her guest list
and encourage her to increase the invitation count.
The most successful
Creative Partners connect
with their hostesses regularly
via telephone, text or in
person. See each connection
as an opportunity to build
upon your relationship in
hopes of one day gaining a
new Creative Partner.
› Confirm when you will follow up with the next call!
› Find out if she is thinking of the business opportunity for herself. Share that the philosophy of
Initials, Inc. is to build strong business women. Reiterate that
Call Two (approximately 10 days to 2 weeks before the party):
Each phone
call with your
hostess is simply a
conversation to help
you establish clear
expectations and
lead your hostess
to understand
what she can do to
ensure a successful
outcome. Think
Happy. Hip. Helpful.
› You will likely remind your hostess of many key points you covered during the first call.
Your goal with this call is to maintain or increase her enthusiasm for her upcoming party.
› Encourage your hostess to extend a personal invitation to each guest.
› Instruct your hostess on how to use the postcards/electronic
invitations as reminders. Now is the time to send these.
› Encourage your hostess to reach out and call those from whom she has not heard. If
someone cannot attend, they are more inclined to book a party of their very own!
› Remind each confirmed guest that they are encouraged to bring a friend or two
to the party.
› Review the opportunity to take outside orders (either via the electronic
invitation/party event or order forms) for those who will not be
able to attend. This helps your hostess’ party sales climb.
› Discuss the refreshment menu. Remind her to keep them simple.
Call Three (Two to three days before the party):
› Reinforce enthusiasm.
› Check the number of attendees confirmed to attend.
› Strongly suggest the hostess make reminder phone calls.
They are truly appreciated by party guests and helps drive
attendance. This is important for a successful party!
› Reinforce methods for collecting outside orders
and the timeliness of these orders.
› Reconfirm your arrival time/directions to her home.
› Remind the hostess that Initials, Inc. accepts cash, checks payable
to you (the Creative Partner), MC, Visa and Discover.
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© 2013 Initials, Inc.
Help your hostess see
how to stretch her
list by simply adding,
‘Bring a Guest’ to the
bottom of the invite!
Use the Initials, Inc. custom
online invites available
to hostesses for FREE
at RedStamp.com!
Have an iPhone? Download
the free RedStamp app!
HOSTESS REWARDS
Hand-written notes
are a lost art and have
a dramatic impact on
the recipient. Incorporate
hand-written notes in your
communication strategy
for a personal touch and
watch your business soar.
Call Four (One day after the party):
› Express your appreciation to the hostess for her hospitality.
› Book a future party date for our next season and plan
a time for future follow-up if necessary.
› Remind the hostess that she has the opportunity to become an
Independent Creative Partner with Initials, Inc.
Final Contact:
› Thank the hostess by sending her a hand-written thank you note.
hostess rewards program
Most hostesses host a party to assemble their friends and family in the
hopes of having FUN. The Initials, Inc. Hostess Rewards Program provides
you, the Creative Partner, rich rewards to offer your hostesses. We have
a fully funded Hostess Rewards Program on our dime…not yours!
Hostess Rewards are given to hostesses on qualifying parties of $250 or
more in retail sales. This does not include tax, shipping, hostess free or half-price rewards, any
Hostess Shopportunity, or any full-priced purchases the hostess makes. Understanding the
Hostess Rewards Program will enable you to maximize your hostesses’ party experience.
YOU
GUEST
OUR HOSTESS
REWARDS
CHART
EARNED!
SALES
FREE
PRODUCT
HALF PRICE
PRODUCT
HOSTESS
SHOPPORTUNITY
FREE
SHIPPING
$250
$25
0
YES
FREE
$350
$35
1
YES
FREE
$450
$60
1
YES
FREE
$550
$75
2
YES
FREE
$650
$100
2
YES
FREE
$750
$125
3
YES
FREE
$850
$150
3
YES
FREE
$1,000
$200
4
YES
FREE
$1,001+
= 20% IN
FREE PRODUCT
4
YES
FREE
FREE PRODUCT REWARDS
Your hostess earns FREE products based on the guest retail sales from her party. Simply add the total of all guest orders
including orders collected prior to the party from those that were unable to attend to determine the level of Free Product
Rewards earned.
©2013 Initials, Inc.
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CALCULATE HOSTESS REWARDS
HALF-PRICE PRODUCT
A hostess earns half-price items based on the guest retail sales of her party. She can use these to purchase any fullprice item in the Stylebook at 50% off. These products cannot be combined with her Free Product Rewards.
MONTHLY HOSTESS SHOPPORTUNITY
A hostess is eligible to purchase the current month’s Hostess
Shopportunity. For each party booked from her party, she is also
eligible to purchase the Hostess Shopportunity at the booked party.
Booked parties must be held within 60 days of the original party date.
There is a limit of one Hostess Shopportunity per hostess, per party!
Make sure ALL party guests
whether placing an order or not
are entered into the system as
attending the party. This ensures that
your Hostesses will not miss future
Hostess Shopportunities.
FREE SHIPPING
A hostess does not pay shipping on her personal
order. This free shipping applies to the hostess’ order
only. All guests pay shipping based on our standard shipping rates (see order form for details).
Hostess full-price purchases do not add to the party’s guest sales total for Hostess Rewards
purposes. However, the Creative Partner earns commission on those full-price items, and they
add to your total monthly personal sales volume.
calculate hostess rewards
LET’S PRACTICE!
Imagine you have just completed a party. The results are shown in the chart below.
1. Determine the rewards your hostess has earned. Fill in the chart under ‘Current Rewards.’
2. N
ext, determine the rewards your hostess would earn at that level if she were to get one more $75 order. Simply
add $675 + $75 = $750 in guest retail sales. Fill in the chart under ‘Rewards at Next Level.’
CURRENT REWARDS
Guest Sales
Free Product
Half-Price Product
Hostess Shopportunity
Free Shipping
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© 2013 Initials, Inc.
$675
REWARDS AT NEXT LEVEL
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
Do you see how you can use the Hostess Rewards program to help your hostess stretch to the next level?
What do you think would happen to the rewards if your hostess had gotten two or three more outside orders
prior to her party?
In what ways did this exercise increase your confidence in the Initials, Inc. Hostess Rewards Program?
As you grow in your business, you will learn how to work with each hostess to maximize the success of each
party – for the hostess and you. Add any additional thoughts:
"To handle yourself, use your head;
to handle others, use your heart."
– ELANOR ROOSEVELT
©2013 Initials, Inc.
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iCHECK HOSTESS COACHING
WE SUGGEST USING THE CHECKLIST BELOW TO REVIEW
THE LAST 30 DAYS TO MAKE CERTAIN YOU ARE GAINING
MOMENTUM AND READY TO MOVE FORWARD.
Am I staying committed to my SMART List and calling 5 prospects a day to book additional
parties?
Is my eye on the goal for the next step in relation to the smartstart program? How does $150
FREE shopping spree sound? You're in Month 2…Go get it girl!
Am I finding my dialog is feeling more natural when speaking to prospects?
Am I going into my parties with 3 Hostess Coaching folders/envelopes?
Am I keeping up with sending the hostess a thank note reiterating our scheduled party date?
Is your iOffice making sense now that you have four weeks under YOUR belt?
Our successful Creative Partners recommend a five-step plan:
call #1 Contact Hostess three to four weeks before the party to encourage a
strong attendance and to get her Wish List. Let’s not forget the Thank
You card reiterating the date set! (Great cards available at Vistaprint
http://initials-inc.biz.vistaprint.com and RedStamp.com!)
call #2 Contact the hostess 10 days-2 weeks before party to review the
expectations so you can both have a successful party.
call #3 Contact the hostess 2-3 days before the party to reinforce your
enthusiasm and check in to see how many attendees will be coming.
call #4 Contact hostess the day following her party to express appreciation.
This is a perfect time to reiterate the goals set for her to obtain additional
orders before closing the party. The goal is to motivate her to get to the
next level on our Hostess Rewards Program so she reaps the benefits.
call #5 Send her a Thank You note in appreciation for hosting.
Do I have a full understanding of the Initials, Inc. 3-part Hostess Rewards Plan—free product,
1/2 -priced product, and monthly Hostess Shopportunities?
you are doing AMAZINGLY WELL!
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© 2013 Initials, Inc.