1. If you haven’t yet, create a notebook for bookings/leads. If you have one, add 5-10 names and contact them!

2. Trade a show with a consultant from another company. (Creative Memories, Discovery Toys, Pampered Chef, etc.) This can lead to a whole new set of contacts.

3. Arrange to set up a display in the teacher’s lounge at your child’s school. (Make sure it’s not listed first and that you are an EC!)

4. Leave a catalog or basket of books in the employee lunchroom at your husband’s or your workplace.

5. Host a New Title Rally or Mystery Hostess show in your home.

6. Have a booth at a school fair, carnival or other family event.

7. Advertise in your alumni newsletter, local newspaper, community newsletter, and/or family/parent newsletter.

8. Give a catalog to the receptionist at your doctor’s or dentist’s office or set up a small display.

9. Include a flyer or business card with your bill payments.

10. Call past hostesses when new titles come out or we have an incredible hostess special that might interest them.

11. Put a current catalog or New Title flyer/brochure on your neighbor’s doorstep. Include a 10% off coupon.

12. Ask friends to have a show to help you get started or reach a certain goal.

13. Advertise in your church bulletin.

14.Take an USBORNE recipe to every potluck.

15. Ask your friends and relatives to carry your business cards and spread the news about what you have to offer.

16. Host a show before or during a PTA meeting or other parent night.

17. Always have catalogs, a few books, order forms and recruit information with you! Know your next 2 available dates. Going unprepared is like throwing away $75, your earnings from an average show.

18. Host a benefit show in your home for your favorite charity.

19. Contact the local Welcome Wagon service and see about getting information into their newcomer’s packets.

20. Set up a display at a craft fair or local family oriented festival.

21. Call local businesses and see if you can set up a display to benefit their favorite charity.

22. Have your husband or significant other promote the products at work.

23. Have you and your family members wear an Usborne Books T-shirt or sweatshirt.

24. Host a Friends & Family Show. Give a discount or offer every 4th book on their list for FREE. Be sure to offer information about becoming a consultant and booking a show. Give a small gift to anyone who books a show or offer them free shipping on their order.

25. Put a bumper sticker or window cling on your car with contact information and basic information bullets about the services you have.

26. Have a booth/table at a church holiday craft show.

27. Put an “ask me about Usborne Books” button on your purse or coat.

28. Ask past hostesses at shows to talk about their free products and why they decided to host a show.

29. Hold an opportunity night nearby.

30. Check with the Obstetricians and Pediatrician offices in your area to see if you can donate a few books to their practice with your contact info on the inside. Use a clear business card pocket with a sticky back on the inside cover of the books. Slip in “business cards” that share info about what you have to offer their children, giving a small discount or free book if they call and place an order or book a show.

31. Offer your hostesses a special gift for any show bookings she gets while delivering books to her guests. (Plus, she’ll receive $20 for $5 when that show is held!)

32. Always share a few Combined Volumes and Sets with your customers and mention one of the best ways to get them is to host a show of their own.

33. At every show share how much the guests could receive in FREE and 1⁄2 price books just by choosing to find one night out of their schedule to introduce their friends and family to Usborne Books. Use either the Pretend Hostess or $100 Shopping Spree.

34. Contact the local Chamber of Commerce and both the city and county promotions dep’t to inquire about up coming community events that you might be a part of.

35. Encourage relatives to book a show.

36. Have your customers make out a wish list on your web site and provide them with “gift cards” with the web address to give to those who will be giving gifts to their children so they can shop from the list. No web site? Make an alphabetical file with your customer’s wish lists for easy shopping over the phone instead!

37. Check into having a display at the local Farmers Market. These are often inexpensive and short one day events.

38. Encourage hostesses to rebook a show in 6 months when the new titles are out. Remind her that she’ll receive $20 worth in books for only $5 at that show, plus all the other hostess benefits!

39. Treat hostesses to a special “Hostess Appreciation Tea”.

40. Make Customer Care calls on a regular basis after each show. Often guests who didn’t want to do a show initially will change their minds after receiving their books!

41. Have a Super 10 Challenge. Sign up 10 people to each collect $100 or more in orders. Give each one who turns in a $100 in orders $15-20 in free books and $25 in 1⁄2 price books. Have a drawing for those who met the challenge for the $25 in Hostess books and the Previous Hostess books. Combine the orders and turn in a $1,000 show or two $500 shows!

42. Offer a “Mommy & Me Craft Day or Science Day” and advertise it in your community and to your customers.

43. Follow through on every booking lead in a timely manner, within 72 hours whenever possible.

44. Ask your hostesses and guests to refer potential hostesses to you. Reward them with free books should their referral result in a booking or recruit for you.

45. Wear your name badge, duck sticker, duck button or other attention- grabbing jewelry wherever you go. It can be a great conversation starter, especially at the library or local bookstore!

46. Contact local preschools and daycares and see if they’d like to have a book fair and earn some books FREE. You don’t have to be an Educational Consultant for these!

47. Drop bookings “seeds” throughout your home show presentation; ie: “If you find your Wish List is growing beyond your budget, one of the best ways to take care of that is to host a show of your own!”

48. Be friendly and enthusiastic. Your enthusiasm in particular can compensate for any skill you lack!

49. Start an e-mail address book of customers who want to know the monthly specials, don’t forget to mention the hostess specials. If there isn’t one, create one.

50. ASK, ASK, ASK. You never know who might say “YES” if you aren’t bold enough to ask.

51. Get to know some of the common objections to hosting a show and practice ways to overcome them.

52. Visit local dance studios with our ballet, dance and theater books and suggest setting up a display at their recitals or open house.

53. Phone book yellow pages are a great source of information. Look up all the listings that have anything to do with children…be creative and look for ways you can help that organization, business or school. Offer to teach a class, do a fundraiser or book raiser, charity show, set up in their lunchroom or lounge, etc.

54. Check with local homeschool support groups and resource centers about doing a presentation or having a book fair. If they have a newsletter, place an ad.

55. Leave a trail of business cards wherever you go! Set a goal for yourself to give out a certain number of them each time you leave the house. If someone asks for your name and address give them your card rather then dictating the information to them.

56. Dream BIG. Set goals to achieve those dreams and review them regularly. Post them where you can see them.

57. Contact Chess Clubs, Soccer Associations and Riding Schools in your area and see about setting up a display or making our books available through a flyer or other promotion.

58. Read your consultant manual again. Write down at least two new things you learned and use them.

59. Use postcards and/or customer newsletters to continue to spark interest and advertise new titles.

60. Give Usborne Books as gifts or donations and be sure to put a small sticker on the back with your contact info.

61. Advertise your business on the Internet for free. There are lots of bulletin boards/message groups that allow you to place or send free Internet ads. Look for ones targeted to Homeschooling, Books, Families, Direct Sales, etc.

62. Pick up the phone and call! Call an old neighbor, old co-worker, old school buddy, etc. Remember, talk business first and then catch up on what’s happening in each of your lives.

63. Be open to the possibility of “warm chatter” in your day. Make eye contact and smile at people you encounter while at the playground, grocery store, waiting rooms, soccer game, swimming pool or any line you have to wait in and the like. If they’re open to talking they will smile back, if not they’ll break eye contact. Then open a natural conversation. When possible gently lead the questions around to what they do and what you do. Again if they look uncomfortable with this, change the subject. When it works, offer information about your business that they might just be interested in for their family.

64. Smile when talking on the phone and don’t be afraid of the NOs you’re going to hear. Each one brings you closer to a YES

65. Do you know your neighbors? Go door to door and introduce yourself and pass out information to those that have children in their lives that need our books! You might do this in conjunction with a show you’ve scheduled in your home.

66. When people ask you what you do or what you’ve been doing, be prepared for this with an effective, interest-generating mini-commercial about your business.

67. Make your shows fun, entertaining and informative. When people are having fun they’ll want to repeat the experience. Have a good time with the guests and make them feel important. Remember that time is one of the greatest commodities in our busy lives, so as much as possible give your guests value for the time they’ve given to you. They’ll respond to your caring warmth and just might book shows of their own. When they think of Usborne you want them to think of you!

68.Take your kids to the park along with some books, spread them out for other families to enjoy too! Have handouts with information on the importance of reading to your “duckies.”

69. Call potential hostesses who postponed or didn’t book.

70. Don’t just use “leftover” time for your business. Make time for it daily if possible and use the majority of that time on business building activities. Having trouble fitting it in? Consider using the Power Hour to make effective use of your time.

71. Are you an Educational Consultant? If not, consider purchasing your EC Kit, it’s only $22 and it opens up a new area for you to market our books to in K-12 public and private schools. Book Fairs, Reach For the Stars Reading Incentive Program and School & Library sales can be great ways to expand your earnings and contacts.

72. Call anyone who has said “maybe” or “sometime” and see if they’d like to set a date for a show. Use positive language with them…”I’m calling because you had wanted a show in the past, but the timing just wasn’t right. We have some amazing new titles out (or an incredible hostess special right now), so I wanted to see about setting a date for your show.”

73. Contact church groups about book fairs or fund raising.

74. Look in local Parenting/Child magazines for businesses/events that you might participate in. Call and explain who you are and ask if there is anyway for you to be involved with their event or organization to help encourage literacy in your community.

75. Leave your business cards on bulletin boards or in local businesses.

76. Carry a notepad or small personal tape player/recorder to jot down or record names and ideas you have on ways to further your business.

77. Leave a catalog, flyers and recruit information at the beauty salon.

78. Keep a list of special requests and let those guests know when that product is on sale.

79. Offer a bonus for hostesses who book on days and/or months you need an extra show.

80. Contact local realtors about providing our books in their re-location packets…”Moving House”, “My Street”, “My Town” and our drawing or search books for busy children. If they aren’t interested in providing any of these, see if you can leave samples with contact information in the inside cover for their clients.

81. Have a garage sale and put up a display of your books, not to sell but to advertise your business. Have a BIG sign that says something like… “Ask Me How You Can Get These FREE!”

82. Suggest hosting a show to do Christmas shopping without leaving home.