It’s easy to let the holidays just be a holiday from everything. But it’s an important time to stay on top of your business, just as it is to spend time with your loved ones. These are some great tips below from Shaklee on engaging others in your business.

“Keep Your Business Thriving with a Holiday Open House

We know some Business Leaders who actually have their best months of the year in November and December, leading right into a fantastic January. So we checked in with a number of these season-savvy leaders to find out their secrets.

Many of these Leaders host holiday-themed events that attract people to their homes for a fun, celebratory introduction to the world of healthy Shaklee products. They put together some creative ways to express gratitude to their customers, strengthen their relationships with them and introduce them to products they may not have experienced. And of course, they introduce new people to the products and the opportunity at the same time.

Here are some of these ideas – just in time for you to plan to do something similar in your business this year.

Christmas Open House, Mary Jackson, Key Coordinator, NC
Mary Jackson, Key Coordinator, NCWe run our Christmas Open House for three consecutive days, and on those days anyone can drop by between 11 and 5. It’s a great time for our family and team, we see many of our long-time local customers, and we encourage them to invite their friends. It serves the dual purpose of customer appreciation and introduction of Shaklee to new people in our community.

I send out postcard invitations a week before the event. The two days prior to the event, I make dozens of quick phone calls trying to contact everyone on my list. I say, “I’m just checking to make sure you got my postcard about our Christmas Open House,” and it’s amazing that usually several have not seen it, some say that they received it but forgot the dates, etc. I remind them of the dates, times, benefits. I leave messages if I don’t get a live person. We usually have 60-80 guests over the 3 days and do $7,000-$9,000 in business (after discounts).

Like most Open House hosts, we offer festive refreshments and product samples and set up displays of all of the product lines throughout our home. Because we carry an inventory, we transform our living room into a shopping area. But of course, you could also take paper orders and enter them as drop shipments, or use the Shaklee Mobile App or a laptop to place orders on the spot.

Here are some of the things we do at our event that might be unique or unusual:
•We give a special gift for everyone who attends. Something fun, but inexpensive.
•Anyone who brings a friend gets another gift. This year, I’m giving poinsettia plants.
•Here’s how we encourage people to place an order: •Place gold and silver stars on a Christmas tree – on the back of each star is a tab that shows a secret discount percentage.
•Silver Stars – these are for non-members and offer a surprise discount of either 15% or 20% off of SRP (fewer 20% stars are on the tree)
•Gold Stars – these are only for Members and there are a mix of percentage discounts – 1 with 50%, 5 or 6 with 35% and a larger number with 25%, off of SRP.
•When everyone finishes shopping (completing an order form) they pick one star off of the tree, and that’s the discount they receive on their order!
•Anyone who purchases something they have never tried before gets a gift out of a grab bag of brightly wrapped, small and inexpensive gifts.

Also, something that really works well for us is whenever we have a group of people in the house at the same time, we ask them to share their product experience with the other attendees. Other people’s recommendations are powerful, and that always gives us a great result. We have had some people try several new products and leave with 10-12 grab bag gifts! It’s lots of fun and I’m looking forward to having a good one this year!

Holiday Showcase, Toni Banner, Senior Executive Coordinator, NY
Toni BannerWe have two Showcase events a year (Spring and Winter), usually Earth Day and before the holidays. A Showcase event offers many benefits. First, it trains and develops your Builders/Leaders on the Shaklee product lines. They have to do their homework to speak knowledgeably about the product they’re presenting so it builds belief. Second, you can invite everyone and anyone you know to come. What a great way to call new people and old people on your list. They can stop in anytime between noon and 4 pm, so it’s easy for them and they love the treats, samples and learn a lot without ANY pressure. And third, it builds community, a team spirit. People who come get excited and want to be a part of this amazing group and mission. We have gotten many new solid customers, trained new builders with product knowledge and have built strong Leaders because of the Showcase event, as well as identified new builders for the future. And, for those who couldn’t make it, you have an opportunity to schedule an appointment with them for a Smoothee.

I usually host this at my house, but you can also stage it at other facilities (clubhouse, church, restaurant, etc.).
•Each room becomes a product of Shaklee if at a house, otherwise tables are set up at a church or hall, etc. with product stations
•Living Room – Rx for a Healthier Life™, Shakleekids™, Sports Nutrition™ and Shaklee 180™ products
•Dining Room – Delicious healthy treats (some made with Shaklee products) on a buffet table. You can make soups, muffins, and protein treats with Shaklee Protein powders (great recipes online)
•Kitchen – Set up for Smoothees, Meal-in-a-Bars, Snack Bars, Tea and Get Clean® with product demos
•Enfuselle® is set up in my music room on a beautiful table with mirrors and lace
•The Opportunity can be set up in an office or den
•We give each guest a little bag with Shaklee treats in it for coming to the event

When they come in, each guest gets a file card with each product line listed on it. Each business builder/leader is an expert on a product line. After they give a 5 – 10 min. presentation on their produce line, they put a star on the file card next to the one they spoke about. Then the prospect moves to the next station to listen, learn and get their star. After they have heard all the mini-presentations, their file card gets put into a drawing.

We put gift ideas on display for people to order for the Holidays. All business builders/leaders help and participate with setting up and contributing products.

We invite massage therapists in the area to give free massage to help promote their business. Of course, it’s best if they are a member/builder/leader of your group as well! This is a great way to stay in touch with everyone on your list and to reward good customers for their loyalty. We also love to invite current customers and share new ideas. They really enjoy all the samples, treats and acknowledgement.

Holiday Speed Dating, Joan Ayala, Director, PA
Joan AyalaMy fiancé Ed and I learned this cool idea from our uplines Colleen Pyskaty, Coordinator, PA and Donna Murphy, Master Coordinator, PA, and it’s called “Holiday Speed Dating.”
•Stations are set up throughout our home for each of the product categories: Healthy Nutrition/Sports Nutrition, Healthy Home, Healthy Beauty and Healthy Weight.
•First, we recognize our attendees with gifts of appreciation – Shaklee 180™ Smoothee shakers, pedometers, and other helpful Shaklee items to encourage them on their journey to a healthier lifestyle.
•Then we give our guests the opportunity to explore the wonderful world of Shaklee “speed dating style!” Each guest is given a number (1 through 4 for each of the healthy stations) written at the top right hand corner of the Shaklee informational packets that we distribute (Shaklee “What We’re About” brochure, Product Selection Guide, Changing Brands Can Change Your Life brochure and Why Supplement brochure).
•Each group starts at their assigned station and rotates every 10 minutes to the next station to experience hands-on demonstrations and quick overviews of each of the healthy product lines by station leaders who are members of our team. Delicious tasting samples are available such as Shaklee 180 smoothees, bars and snack crisps at the Healthy Weight station as well as Energy Chews and Performance at the Healthy Sports Nutrition station. We also have take-home product samples for our guests such as the Joint and Muscle Pain Cream sachets at the Healthy Sports Nutrition station, Instant Firming Serum sachets at the Healthy Beauty station and Get Clean® Basic H2® samples at the Healthy Home station. Brochures are also available at each station.

At each station, guests can purchase a “kit” of products that are under $150 (50-100 PV) with the exception of the Turnaround™ Kit. We have small cards at each station with the kit name, price and shipping cost that our guests are able to grab and take to a station leader to order…of course a la carte items are also available to order. We have a time keeper dressed as Santa who jingles his bells to start and end every 10 minutes with a 2-minute warning given prior to the end of the 10 minutes.
•Everyone thoroughly enjoys their time at each station. We also have wine, cheese, finger foods and dancing at the wrap up of the Shaklee speed dating session as a continued thank you to our guests.”