CHAPTER 15
It Pays to Play
GAMES ARE A FANTASTIC TOOL to include in your party plan tool kit. They can break the ice, introduce a little fun and excitement to the party, and help guests relax. But that’s not the main reason you play them. Games are the easiest way to identify guests on your prospect-shopping list and give you valuable insights into their personalities:
Who uses your type of products? She’s a top customer, host, and business prospect.
Who has hosted or attended parties? Past behavior is a surefire way to predict future behavior.
Who is having the most fun? Fun-loving people are great candidates to become hosts and consultants.
Who is the most competitive? They will love the recognition and rewards that come with a party plan business.
Who is talking the most? They may be the enthusiasts you are looking for.
Who is participating wholeheartedly? Talk to them about the fun and friendships that come with a party plan business.
Who is taking part reluctantly or halfheartedly? They may be disinterested or distracted. Don’t dismiss them as prospects. Find out more before you decide how to approach them.
These tips will help you make the most of the games you incorporate into your parties:
Play a maximum of two games at each party.
Don’t waste time playing games that do not move you closer to identifying a sale, a booking, or a business lead.
Choose a few simple games when you are new and gradually introduce more games as you gain confidence.
By all means experiment, but introduce games that you feel comfortable with. You need only a few tried-and-true favorites to achieve your host- and prospect-shopping objectives.
Rotate games so guests can see that you are not a one-trick pony. A party is not fun if it is predictable.
Make it all about the fun. Don’t give the impression that you are trying to influence a specific outcome.
Never attempt to coax a reluctant guest into participating. The more relaxed you are, the more relaxed guests will be.
Introduce your first game early. Being generous with gifts and rewards at the start of the party will warm guests to you and your presentation.
Wrap each prize with a host or business brochure, or pop prizes into your business or party bags. When you hand them to winners, say, “Congratulations, you have won … and there’s some information about our host rewards [business] that I think you’ll find interesting.”
Keep your costs down by stocking up with prizes when they are on special or by snapping up bargains when your local retailers hold clearance sales.
BOOKING GAMES
LUCKY DIP!
Preparation: Arrange gifts of varying shapes and sizes in a basket.
Play: Pick up the basket and say, “Who enjoys surprises?” Explain that anyone who books a party within the next five minutes can choose a gift from your basket. You may even like to set a timer to build excitement.
MYSTERY ENVELOPE!
Preparation: Print vouchers for the following rewards:
“10 percent off your order today!”
“$10 cash to spend at your party!”
“Choose any gift from my basket!”
Place the vouchers inside three separate envelopes and write the dates you wish to book first (i.e., your closest available dates) on the outside of each envelope.
Play: Show the envelopes and talk about the rewards that may be inside each one. Explain that the first guest to book a party on the date written on the envelope wins the reward inside it.
DEAL OR NO DEAL!
Preparation: Prepare six small boxes, numbered one to six, and randomly place the following rewards inside:
Three “instant gift” vouchers
One “$10 gift voucher to spend at your party”
One “$20 gift voucher to spend at your party”
One “$30 gift voucher to spend at your party”
Play: Set the boxes with the numbers facing the guests and ask, “Who wants to play ‘Deal or No Deal’?”
Explain that the odds are 50 percent that they will receive an instant gift and 50 percent that they will draw a party. By playing, guests agree to book a party if their box contains a voucher that can only be redeemed at their party.
Give each player a turn to select a numbered box and hold it up as you review the rewards that may be inside. Asking “Which reward do you hope is in your box?” will help build suspense and encourage interaction.
The fun is in the anticipation so don’t open the box too fast.
NB: You can involve all guests by encouraging them to guess what they think is in the box before you reveal its contents.
YOU GUESSED IT!
Preparation: Create a rewards board with cutouts of the products on your host’s wish list and products you want to promote, with the prices showing.
At the end of your one-on-one time, tally up the party total quickly so guests don’t start wandering off. Do not reveal the total to your host.
Play: Invite your host to the front to choose her free products one by one. Remove the pictures from the board as she does.
Guests take turns guessing when the host has reached her rewards total by calling out “No guess!” or “Guess!” as she removes each item. Guests who call “No guess!” stay in the game for another chance to win. The guest who calls “Guess!” closest to your host’s exact reward total is the winner.
TAKE A CHANCE!
Preparation: Assemble two dice, twelve envelopes (numbered one through twelve), seven mini prizes, three grand prizes, and four host reward brochures. Print twelve cards as follows:
Seven cards that say “Congratulations! You have won a mini prize!”
Four cards that say “Congratulations! Book your party and earn fantastic host rewards!”
Three cards that say “Congratulations! You are a grand prize winner!”
Place one grand prize card in the envelope numbered two or twelve (as the odds of throwing those numbers are smaller) and place the remaining two grand prize cards aside for guests who choose to book a party before the game begins. Randomly place the other eleven cards in the remaining envelopes.
Play: Place the envelopes and prizes in front of the guests. Explain that some of the envelopes contain a mini prize card, some a party card, and one the grand prize card. Say, “If you win a prize, it’s yours to keep. If you win a party card, you have to book a party.”
Show the grand prize and ask, “Who doesn’t like taking chances? If you book a party before we start throwing the dice, I will give you the grand prize regardless. If you intend to book a party anyway, this is the time to do it and I’ll bring the grand prize to your party. Does anyone want to claim the guaranteed grand prize before we start?”
Invite guests one by one to take the guaranteed grand prize, keeping the tone playful and relaxed. Then say, “Who wants first throw of the dice?”
Each player then throws the dice and takes the envelope, without opening it, that corresponds to the number thrown. Guests who subsequently throw the same number try again.
When every player has an envelope, they open their envelopes simultaneously and reveal their prizes.
As you distribute the prizes, say to guests who drew party cards, “You are the biggest winners, because look what you get when you host a party,” and then run through the host reward program.
PASS THE PARCEL!
Preparation: Wrap a gift with seven layers of paper.
Make up a poem that highlights the benefits of booking a party, or adapt the example that follows.
Hand the parcel to your host so she can start the ball rolling by passing the parcel to the guest who best fits the first verse of the poem. Each recipient removes a layer of wrap and passes the parcel to the guest who best fits the next verse you read out, until one guest unwraps the last layer to win the gift inside.
Pass the Parcel Poem
As our host I have great gifts for you.
But your guests can earn fun prizes, too.
Pass the parcel to the person who
Traveled the farthest to be with you.
Pass it on when you find the one
Who thinks shopping is such fun.
That when she’s out, just can’t resist
Adding more items to her list.
And now we’ll find another guest
Who thinks winning is the best.
If you like gifts that come for free
Just be the first to call out “Me!”
When you book your party date
We’ll have great fun, so please don’t wait.
And now we’ll find another guest
Who stands up taller than the rest!
Some of you have been a host
But who’s the one who’s done it most?
If you have been a host before
Add up quick, call out your score.
This party game is almost done.
We’ve nearly found the guest who’s won.
Let’s find the one we will delight.
Please pass the parcel three guests right!
We’ll now unwrap the final layer.
The parcel stops with this one player.
Thanks for joining in the fun.
Congratulations! You’re the one!
Preparation: Photocopy the “Host Challenge” card (see Figure 1) or prepare a tic-tac-toe grid and add the following tasks in the grid and a note on the bottom about gifts hosts can win:
Figure 1: Host Challenge
Play: Introduce the “Host Challenge” game during your host’s first coaching session.
If twelve or more guests attend, you can check both the ten+ and the twelve+ squares.
ICEBREAKER!
Preparation: Pen and paper for each guest
Play: Explain that you will ask six questions, and guests will award themselves points for their answers. The guest with the most points wins.
The questions are:
Question one: “How many parties like this one have you been to in the past two years?”
Award one point per party.
Question two: “How many parties like this one have you been to in the past six months?”
Award two additional points for each party.
Question three: “Have you hosted a party for any company in the last two years?”
Award three points for each party hosted.
SUPERSTAR SECRET
Show an extra interest in guests who have hosted parties. Ask, “Who was it with?” and make a positive comment in response:
“I know that company. Was it a great party?”
“I haven’t heard of them but it sounds like fun.”
“Did you earn lots of free products?”
Question four: “How many parties have you hosted in the last six months?”
Award three additional points for each party hosted.
Ask your guests for the contact details of the consultant who did their party so that you can call her up and suggest you host a party for each other. Professional contacts are valuable. Once you build a database of other party planners, you can help each other. For example, join together to hold a holiday gift fair.
Question five: Tailor the next question to your products. For example:
Jewelry: One point for every pair of earrings you own
Cosmetics: One point for every lipstick you purchased this year
Children’s books: One point for each book you read to your children this week
Scrapbooking, card making, and stamping: One point for each photo you have with you today [or displayed on your dresser]
Candles: One point for every candle you lit this week [or month]
Nutrition: One point for each nutritional supplement you take daily
Cookware and foods: One point for each time your family sat together to share a meal this week
Skin care: One point for each step in your daily skin care routine
NB: If a guest asks for clarification, try to answer in the affirmative. If she asks, “Do you count products twice if you use them day and night?” you can answer, “Absolutely.”
Question Six: “Who has been a direct seller?”
Award five points.
Invite guests to tally their points and then do a countdown to the guest who has the highest score. She is the winner, and the hottest prospect in the room. Take special note of all guests with a higher-than-average score, because they are excellent prospects, too.
SUPERSTAR SECRET
Ask guests who have been direct sellers, “Who were you with?” and offer a personal compliment:
“You come across as someone who would do really well at this.”
“I can see it. You have such a bubbly personality.”
CHOCOHOLIC DELIGHT!
Preparation: A box or bag of chocolates
Play: Explain that you love questions, because then you don’t waste time talking about topics no one is interested in. Hold up the chocolates and say, “Who loves chocolate? If you ask any question about my business, you get chocolate.” Segue each question into a commercial.
Question: “How many parties do you do each week?”
Answer: “Sometimes two and sometimes three. It’s my choice when I want to work. There is more demand for our products before Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Christmas, so that’s when I work more. Last year, my Christmas parties alone paid for our family trip to the Grand Canyon. It was an incredible family experience.”
GOTCHA!
Preparation: A roll of tickets
Play: Every time you mention your company name, the first person to call out “Gotcha” takes a ticket. The duplicate ticket goes into a bag and you draw a lucky winner at the end of your presentation.
LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT!
Preparation: Create a story about your business using the words “left” and “right” as often as possible (or adapt the following example).
Play: As you read the script aloud, guests count how many times you say the words “right” or “left.” For example, you could say:
“When I left my house tonight I was about to turn right out of my driveway before I realized I had left my catalogs behind. So I stopped the car, left the engine running, and headed right back inside.
“I searched left and right before I found the catalogs on the left side of the kitchen table, right where I had left them. I grabbed them, left the house, and headed right back to my car.
“As I live right around the corner from Stacey’s house, I only had to turn right out of my driveway, take the first street on the right, turn left, and drive two blocks. I had left plenty of time so I made it right on time.
“I reached Stacey’s house and turned left into her driveway. I was the first to arrive so I pulled as far as I could to the right to make room for someone else to park right next to me.
“Stacey had left the door open for me so I came right inside and started setting up my display, including the catalogs I had left behind. No sooner had I finished than people started arriving right and left and so now all that’s left is to make sure we all have a great time.”
NB: The correct answer in this example is twenty-seven.
Preparation: A roll of tickets
Play: Ask guests to set their handbags on their lap.
Invite guests to rummage through their handbags for items that start with each letter you call out. The first person to produce an item receives a ticket, with the duplicate going into the draw. “T” may produce a ticket or a telephone; “C” a calculator, chocolate, cell phone, or cash; “M” a mint or money. You can make the game more fun by accepting outrageous or creative answers.
To make it more challenging, invite guests to suggest a benefit of your business that matches each letter. Each suggestion earns an extra ticket and gives you a chance to share a commercial.
If a guest volunteers that “T” stands for time, say, “That’s a brilliant one. I work when I want to, not to someone else’s agenda.”
If a guest volunteers that “M” stands for money, say, “That’s the best part. I can earn a little or a lot, depending on what I want and how much time I have to work. With three children, I need to be flexible.”
WHAT’S IN YOUR BAG?
Preparation: A roll of tickets
Play: Invite guests to rummage inside their handbag for the most unusual item they can find, and then invite them to explain why it was in there. Not only will you spot your best prospects from the creativity of their answers, you will have a talking point when you follow up with them.
ORDER AND WIN!
Preparation: A roll of tickets
Play: Guests earn one ticket for each item they order, regardless of its value. The more tickets they receive, the greater their chance of winning the draw. Introduce the game during your closing presentation and remind each guest individually during her one-on-one time.
As an alternative, offer guests a ticket for every $10 they spend.
BAG LADY!
This game will reveal guests with the most passion for your products.
Preparation: None
Play: Challenge guests to produce the highest number of items associated with your products from their handbag. For example, if you sell beauty products, you are sure to find someone whose bag is bulging with lipstick, mascara, and hand cream. If you have a tiebreaker, the guest with the most number of your brand wins.
WHO AM I?
Preparation: Create a simple questionnaire that is appropriate for your products, such as this one I created for a gourmet food company called Home Chef!
Check which one describes your cooking style:
Creative: I love to experiment.
Competent: I never follow recipes.
Cautious: I meticulously follow the recipe.
Conscientious: It’s all about nutrition.
Casual: Whatever I can find in the pantry.
Convivial: I love to entertain.
Convenience: My microwave is my best friend.
Comfort: I’m a soup, meatloaf, mac and cheese chef.
Competitive: I love to attempt ambitious recipes.
Cook? I never use the words “I” and “cook” in the same sentence.
Play: Hand a questionnaire and pen to each guest and ask guests to check the description that best represents their cooking style. Invite them to share their answers. The game provides an entertaining interlude to the party, and it reveals insights into guests’ personalities that will make one-on-one time and follow-up calls a breeze.
I’M A CELEBRITY!
Preparation: Make a note of popular movies or television series, especially the leading characters. During coaching, ask your host which show her guests are most likely to be watching.
Play: Invite guests to nominate the character they most resemble in looks or personality.
Alternative ways to play the game are:
Freestyle: Guests nominate any well-known person they resemble.
Spot the celebrity: Guests nominate a well-known person who they think another guest resembles. Popular vote determines who came up with the best suggestion.
The next two games will help to fill time if you are waiting for latecomers. Although it is always best to start on time, you are never in complete control and you may as well use the time productively by engaging with guests and learning about their personalities.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU!
Preparation: Print a questionnaire for each guest.
Play: Distribute this questionnaire and invite everyone to find a guest who matches each clue and to write that guest’s name in as the answer:
Has two children under seven
You have never met
You have known the longest
Lives the closest to you
Was once a cheerleader (Prospect-shopping alert! Pay special attention as former cheerleaders are always hot prospects.)
Traveled farthest to be here
Adapt the question to your products. For example, who is wearing the most interesting jewelry?
The first guest to complete all questions wins.
HOST WITH THE MOST!
Preparation: None
Play: Invite guests to take turns sharing a quality of the host that they admire:
“I admire Stella because she is always there for me when I need her.”
“I admire Stella’s style. She always looks amazing.”
FAST FINGER!
Preparation: Choose an item in your catalog to focus on.
Play: When all guests have a catalog in their hands, you can say, “I am going to give you a clue that will identify one item in the catalog. The first person to find it and call out the page number wins.”
When the item has been found, take a few seconds to talk about why you drew their attention to it.
TEAM MEETING GAMES
TEAM TIC-TAC-TOE!
Preparation: Focus team members on nine key business-building activities by preparing a tic-tac-toe grid that features key tasks they must perform within a specific time frame. Purchase a punch or stamp that you will use to acknowledge that each task has been completed.
Play: Give all team members a tic-tac-toe card. Run through the tasks they have to complete and the time frame they have to complete them.
NB: Attending meetings will keep guests motivated and focused. Stipulate that they must attend a meeting to have their card punched or stamped.
When they complete a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line, they win a small reward. If they complete all squares, they win a bonus gift.
Variation: This game is the perfect way to focus team members on what they need to do to achieve an important promotion, such as the annual incentive trip. Dividing a long-term incentive into weekly or monthly segments will help them focus on what they need to do now.
SUPERSTAR SECRET
Work smart by rewarding team members with training or business tools, such as a CD, a book, or business cards, as prizes.
Your time is another work-smart reward. Your undivided attention over lunch or dinner where an achieving team member can enjoy one-on-one mentoring and recognition will make a highly effective reward.
IN TO WIN!
Preparation: A roll of tickets, a large glass jar, and a bundle of dollar bills
Play: Ask team members, one by one, how many parties they have held for the month. Put one dollar in the jar for each party they report.
Each team member receives one ticket for attending the meeting and one for each party they report. The more parties they have done, the more tickets they will receive and the greater chance they have of winning. When all parties have been reported, draw one ticket and the winner takes home the cash.
Variation: Hand out one extra ticket for every $100 in sales each consultant has achieved, and ten extra tickets for each new recruit they sign up.
Preparation: None
Play: Pair team members up and give them sixty seconds to discover an interesting fact about each other. Each one has ten seconds to introduce her partner. The pair who reveals the most fascinating facts about each other wins.
Variation: Challenge each partner to find out something that no one knows about the other and reveal it to the group.
TRUE OR FALSE!
Preparation: None
Play: Invite each team member to share one true and one false fact about herself. Other team members vote on which fact is true and which one is false.
INTRODUCTIONS!
Preparation: None
Play: Invite team members to introduce themselves, adding a one-word description of their best quality that starts with the same letter as their first name, for example, Enthusiastic Ellen, Determined Deb, Fearless Frances, Hard-working Hannah.
THE PERFECT PARTY!
Preparation: None
Play: Split team members into groups and invite each group to brainstorm one key element of a perfect party:
Persuasive presentations
Booking bonanzas
Spectacular sponsoring
Captivating closes
Nominate a team captain to oversee the discussion and ensure that everyone has a chance to contribute. Give each group ten minutes to brainstorm before inviting team captains to share the best ideas that were presented to the group with everyone at the meeting.
SHOW AND SHARE!
Preparation: E-mail all team members and ask them to bring their “best big idea” to the meeting. Bring sticky notes and pens to the meeting.
Play: Ask team members to write their best big idea on a sticky note and paste it on the wall around the room as they arrive, to form a “best big idea” gallery. During the meeting, invite team members to walk around the room searching for their next best big idea.
Hand out more sticky notes, and ask team members to write their next best big idea on it. They can take the note home after the meeting and stick it on their mirror where it will remind them to use the idea every day.
EMERGENCY ROOM!
Preparation: Invite team members to bring their toughest challenges or problems to the meeting. Place an “Emergency Room” sign over the door and ask your most experienced team members to dress in medical garb and act as the emergency team.
Play: Team members take turns being called to the front to pose their problem to the emergency team, who will take turns prescribing a course of action that will fix it.
At the end of every meeting, team members will share their “What I will do” and “What I will stop doing” commitments. Follow up at the next meeting to see who kept their word and what improvements they have made to their business.
PARTY PLANNERS Ph.D.!
Preparation: Choose a chapter from Be a Party Plan superstar; Be a Network Marketing superstar; or Be a Recruiting superstar.
Play: Base the content of your training on the chapter you have chosen, and ask team members to share one strategy they will commit to implementing in the month ahead. At the next meeting, invite them to share the difference it made to their business.
SUGGESTION BOX!
Preparation: Circulate a training topic to team members in advance of the meeting and invite them to bring their thoughts on that topic to the meeting. Ask them to place their idea in a suggestion box as they arrive, so that all contributions will be anonymous.
Play: Invite team members to take turns drawing an idea from the suggestion box and presenting it to the group.
Alternative: Invite newer team members to bring a challenge to the meeting and have them place it in a box. More experienced team members take turns drawing one out and recommending their best solution.
Preparation: Use your creativity and imagination to adapt the theme of a popular television game show to train on a key topic (such as improving product knowledge).
Play: Invite one team member to dress up and act as the host of the show, and incorporate the theme, format, music, and phrases of the show into the enactment.
WHAT AM I?
Preparation: Write the names of a selection of products on separate cards.
Play: Team members take turns drawing a card and taking a seat at the front, where they will represent that product. Everyone else takes turns asking questions that will help identify the name of the product. No one can ask what the name of the product is, and questions can be answered only with yes or no. The first person to correctly guess the product represented wins.
PLAY FAVORITES!
Preparation: None
Play: Ask new team members to choose their favorite product and teach them the best way to present it:
Focus on what the product will do (a benefit), not what it is (a feature).
Share one key benefit and no more than two supporting benefits to avoid oversell.
Have them ask themselves, “Would my presentation make me want to buy this product?” and then adjust their presentation accordingly.
Give team members two minutes to prepare and thirty seconds to “sell” their favorite product to other team members.
Variation: Challenge experienced team members by allocating a product to them and giving them sixty seconds to formulate their sales pitch before presenting it to the group.