Somethings in Direct Sales seem to have been around forever. New kids come along and think they are going to do it better, faster, slicker etc than their predecessors.  The fact is, some things just work. Hostess Stacking is one of those things.

FREE product is one of the top three reasons people book {Hint: fun is number 1}. Stacking is a great way to illustrate all the benefits of hosting a show. People often shut down when we share percentages and requirements with them. It just doesn’t sound like FUN! I also found that I booked MOST of my shows at the end when the Hostess was selecting her free products. Her friends would often exclaim “You got how much stuff for hosting this show”. The problem was, almost everyone was gone by this time. What’s a smart field Consultant to do?  The next time you hold a party, try the stack!  You can even do this at your virtual parties!

1st, Calculate the Rewards.
Calculate what a Hostess would receive on an “average show” with 4 bookings. If you are unsure what an average show is, check with your leader. Remember that this is a “Commercial” for the benefit of the other guests. You are “advertising” the Hostess rewards. It does not need to be what this particular Hostess would select. You want to individually “dress” each gift to make it more visually impressive.

2nd, Select The Gifts you will “advertise”. 
You will want to over package them using cellophane, curly ribbon and organza bags so that they are visually enticing. You can even apply picture of the item to the outside of a beautiful gift box. Make sure that you display the maximum number of products possible within the price point for maximum effect!
1. Thank You Gift ($10-$15 retail) Your cost should be around $5-$8
2. Hostess Free Product (based on sales). Select less expensive products so that it looks like more and “dress” each item individually. Organza bags are perfect for this!
3. Host Only Buys Hopefully your company offers these. It is a special discount for the Hostess. Usually 50% off of retail and good on one item, collection or set (see Science of a Hostess Program document for more information on creating a Hostess Program). Select more expensive and impressive items for this presentation.
4. A Four Show Booking Gift If your company does not offer booking gifts, create your own! A gift of this nature should have a retail of $75-$100. This should be a very desirable item. The more exclusive, the better. Often, your company has sales aids or business enhancers that work beautifully as a Booking Gift (a makeup brush set, jewelry display piece etc)
5. Free Shipping This is a nice Hostess perk that costs you next to nothing if you have the capability. You can use an index sized card with FREE printed on it to represent this perk.

3rd, Stack It! 
Approximately half way through your event, take just a moment to {THANK} your Hostess. It may sound something like this:

“I want to thank Beth for opening her home to all of us this evening and allowing me to share {company name} with all of you. My business grows through word of mouth. Truly, the kindest compliment that someone can pay me is to share me with their family and friends. Beth, I have a few gifts for you this evening. These are the same gifts every Hostess receives. It is how I spend my advertising budget. If this room is any indication, you are a far better advertisement for me than any commercial or print piece”.

You would then present the Hostess with each gift accompanied by a {BRIEF} explanation. Make sure that it is too much product for anyone to hold. Boxes spilling out of her lap are {EXACTLY} the effect that you want! For virtual parties, simply talk about the rewards!  Guests will certainly be thinking about hosting.

{HAPPY BOOKING}

You can find a great video on Stacking the Hostess under the Booking tab in the member section of http://www.directsalesinstitute.com/