We are excited to announce a new member to the Stratgeic Choice Partners team, Karen Peterson! Karen is a Certified Meeting Professional with more than 30 years of experience working with direct selling companies. She has a proven ability to meet clients’ meeting objectives while managing the essential details of an event. Karen specializes in vendor relations, contract negotiations, meeting specifications, budget analysis, air and ground transportation, off-site entertainment and food & … [Read more...]
What about the “Why” for your events?
Direct sellers love to talk about their “whys,” basically, the reason(s) they chose direct selling in general and their individual companies in particular. Recruiting and promoting are almost always framed in the context of understanding one’s “why.” And it’s a valid consideration. Basically, the “why” answers the question, “What’s my motivation for doing this?” Do your events deserve a "Why"? But what about your events? Don’t they deserve a “why” as well? The answer is, “Why yes, … [Read more...]
4 Critical Questions That Determine Your Convention’s Success
There are many things that direct selling companies share in common, but probably nothing more than the national convention. If we’re being honest, our businesses are truly driven by what occurs leading up to our national conventions and what happens after them. Whether you have a single conference once a year or several throughout the year, as you work at the home office of a direct selling company, you know too well how these events essentially dictate just about everything else you … [Read more...]
The Audio/Visual “Request for Proposal” Breakdown
In my last blog, “Should I Use the In-House Audio/Visual Company or an Outside Supplier?," we explored the reasons for considering an outside a/v company vs. an in-house supplier. Now it’s time to deal with the RFP (Request for Proposal) document itself. Begin with a Brief Overview Begin with a very brief overview of the event: who, what, where and when. Be specific as to dates, location and attendance. Here’s a typical overview: Typical Home Parties, the direct sales … [Read more...]
Should I Use the In-House Audio/Visual Company or an Outside Supplier?
By now you should have determined the “Big 3” of your event—your theme, schedule and budget. The next step is to focus on what will likely prove to be a major part of your budget—your audio/visual (a/v) and staging. This process begins by putting together a Request for Proposal, usually referred to as an “RFP,” for your sound, lights, staging and projection. Talk With Your Event Space Assuming your event is taking place in a convention center or hotel, you first need to think … [Read more...]
3 Important Considerations for Your Event Schedule
Today, I’d like to give you a crash course in schedule creation by: Suggesting some important general approaches Exploring the anatomy of a good schedule Giving you step-by-step instructions on how to create a schedule with “self-correcting” times General Approaches Probably the most important overall concept, for direct sellers at least, is to keep your audience’s time and money in mind. For your schedule, that means: Favoring weekend events over weekdays, … [Read more...]
How to Create a Direct Selling Event Schedule
For virtually all of your conference planning, you need to start with the basic commitment trio. The “Big 3” are your theme, budget and schedule. And out of those three, your schedule is the one component that will require the most ongoing time and attention. Event schedules will be updated and revised constantly, circulated widely and universally depended on as projects move forward and your event unfolds. Since this is the time of year when most direct sales companies are planning their … [Read more...]
Time is Running Out for Your 2018 Event
If your company is like most, your annual event happens in July or August. That means it’s coming up soon, and you’re busy trying to get more attendees. You know what the best tools are to promote your event? Quotes, impressions and testimonials from your 2017 attendees. People want to know what’s in it for them. They want benefits, specific benefits. How to Acquire Testimonials Ask Reach out to attendees via whatever channels you can … email, social media, newsletters, … [Read more...]
Now’s the Time to Start Promoting Your Summer Event!
With holiday happenings all around us, it’s doubtful your summer event is weighing heavily on your mind right now. But it should be. Here’s why: Many, if not most direct selling companies have leadership events in the early part of the year. That’s the ideal time to gather what you need to successfully promote your event. More on that in a moment. This is the time of year vacation schedules are being put together for 2018. Even if a consultant is not tied to a strict, planned vacation … [Read more...]
The Moment of Truth – Controlling Your Awards Night
This article is part of an ongoing series by Dick Wilson, titled “Awards Night." View the rest of the series HERE. Over the past several weeks, we’ve explored many awards night “before” considerations—what needs to happen in the weeks and days leading up to your event. Now it’s time to look at what you can do on the night itself to make the evening run as smoothly as possible. Here is my “Top 10 List” of awards night do’s and don’ts: Scripts – Have scripts, or something close … [Read more...]