Many sellers we consult with offer to help their new recruits with their first party or two. Once the recruit has a party booked, the recruiter attends to assist and guide them until they feel comfortable. However, some of the most successful sellers we work with go one step better: they offer a New Recruit Practice Party.

Each of your new recruits could be invited to such a “practice party.” This party would involve each of the new recruits you've signed up that month. Each of these new recruits should invite two people to attend the practice party. Having friendly faces in the crowd always helps to steady jitters. The party should include their friends/relatives and possibly a couple of your own more successful and seasoned team members. The team members can offer valuable advice and tips to newbie recruits for boosting their sales, how to present, ideas for party games, etc. They will be excellent at "critiquing" the newbies and offering useful and applicable tips.

These parties should be segmented so each recruit gets the chance to do a part of the presentation. The presentations should be divided up and each recruit does a separate item, service, etc. They should each be involved in the sales part of the presentation (usually toward the end).

These parties are fun and relaxing and perfect for new recruits to “get the bugs out” of their presentation skills, sales skills, etc. The guests should be informed that it is a practice party and everyone will feel more relaxed knowing that fact. Guests are at ease and the newbie sellers will feel more freedom in giving information, showing the products and practicing their sales skills.

Recruits will feel much more comfortable knowing that they have this practice party (or even two) in order to develop their confidence and skills before setting off themselves. Since it won't be billed as a “real” sales party it will set them at ease. Of course, it should be a selling situation as well. It should be productive financially but very casual and easy-going (read: lots of laughter, a few goof-ups, but ultimately a confidence builder!).

As their recruiter you can attend the party to offer them tips, suggestions on their techniques, etc. This can be done after the party at a personal consultation session or as a group session after the party. This is when the seasoned team members should offer their own ideas on how to run a profitable party. Recruits can learn from others' mistakes and their own triumphs.

Some sellers even go so far as to pair up a newbie with a seasoned team leader. They work together until the new recruit feels comfortable on her own. Using this tactic helps get the newbie off to a faster start, earn more at her parties and streamline her party/presentation skills. Remember, an earning recruit is a happy recruit!