I was talking with a coaching client and she commented that she had four shows postpone the previous month.  For many consultants this would be a disaster.  Yet this young woman went on to tell me she’d had over $6000 in sales and she was very pleased with the month she had had.

You may be asking yourself how she could have four shows cancel but still have those kinds of sales.  Simple.She over books.  Her goal, month in and month out is to do eight shows a month.  She doesn’t start booking next month until she has all the shows she wants for this month.  Once that is done she books in a few extra shows as padding.  If all her shows hold — great!  If a few have to cancel due to weather or a family emergency she still has enough shows on her calendar to accomplish her goal.  This young lady is doing her business right.

People cancel on us.  That’s the nature of “the beast” of direct sales.  There are, however, things you can do to prevent people from canceling.  That’s what we went on to coach about in that particular call.  My young client would have loved to have held all twelve shows.  She wanted to know what she can do in the future to not get cancelations.

There are things you can do to prevent people from canceling.  One of the best ways is to take your business seriously.  Treat your business as a business.  What do I mean by this?

Many businesses do business by appointment.  The most obvious of all is your doctor and dentist.  Lawyers, accountants, counselors, even your cable service all do business by appointment.  So do you.  When you book a presentation you are booking an appointment.  You can make this point in your booking “spiel” by changing a few words.  Instead of saying, “If you’d like to book a party ….” you could say instead, “If you’d like to make an appointment with me to show your friends….”

Many consultants, while hosting coaching a potential hostess, will say something to the effect of, “If you’re not able to hold this date please let me know at least one week in advance.”  Have you ever made a doctor or dentist appointment and been advised what to do if you can’t hold your appointment?  I don’t believe I ever have.  The assumption is you will hold your appointment.  There have even been times I’ve walked out from seeing the doctor or dentist and made my next appointment for months or even a year away.  It is assumed I’ll be at that appointment.  So how do they do that?  How do they get us to commit to our appointments with them?

They give the impression their time is valuable and they are busy.  Is your time valuable?  If you don’t think it is why should a potential hostess?  Are you busy?  A woman with a husband, a couple of kids, a home, a full-time job, and a direct sales business is BUSY!  If you’re not as busy in your business as you want to be you need to give the impression that you are.  Statements like, “I’ll see where I can squeeze you in” implies a busy schedule.

When I coached my hostesses I would say, “This may be a party for you but it is a business for me.  Until we close your show we are business partners.  Your job in this partnership is to get at least ten people in your living room and $200 in outside orders.  My job in this partnership is to provide fun and a good time the night of your show, lots of tips and ideas for your friends and as many free, half-price and discounted items for you as I possibly can.”  I seldom had people cancel on me. 

Did some people back down from booking a show with me when I said that to them?  Yes.  Would these same people have called me a couple of hours before their show and canceled?  Yes.  That’s reality.  If they aren’t willing to commit to holding their show why are we willing to put them on our calendar?  I’d rather have four bookings I know will hold written on my calendar than eight shows that don’t hold.

By presenting yourself as a professional who is busy, and getting a commitment from your potential hostesses will drastically reduce the number of cancelations that you receive.