Almost everyone has heard of the Avon Lady or the Tupperware Party. But have you heard of online vendor parties or fairs? Direct Sales or Home Party companies are now using this innovative way to open up new areas of sales and to recruit new salespeople. This model is also used by small businesses and crafters.

A fair or party has several sellers on a site together. Each seller has their own time slot. The cost is lower than running a party on your own because you are doing this as a group. You do not have to find the other vendors or even know them. There’s no need to worry about competitors because the site running the fair will handle the sales people who sign up.

There are several steps to follow to run a successful fair:

• Find a reputable and well known vendor site. Very often these are held by work at home websites. The vendor site itself though is usually a chat room.
• Read the requirements for the site, especially the fee that is charged to run the party, the amount of time you will have for your presentation and what responsibilities you will have.
• Help market the fair along with the site. This is vital to having a good turn out.
• Plan your presentation in advance. Use your word processing program to have your copy ready when it is your time to present. Don’t forget to include information on becoming a vendor if you are in direct sales.
• Plan games for your time slot with some lower priced items as prizes.
• Allow time for questions from the participants.
• Post a link, email address and phone number at the end of your time slot so that people can contact you.

Make this time slot fun so that it feels like a home party. Don’t overwhelm the participants by showing too many items but show your specials and newer items. This is the time to offer discounts too, perhaps free shipping at a certain purchase price, or a discount after the buyer does a catalog sale.

It is recommended that you join a WAHM forum to become acquainted with the owner and other members. The forum may offer fairs or recommend sites that provide them. You can also attend some vendor parties to get a feel for how they are run. Then you can make an informed choice on which site to choose.

This type of online selling is a tool for someone who wants to gain a larger market for their products. It is a way to draw traffic to your website and to recruit other sellers. This can be your way to making money from home even if you are in a business like Mia Bella Candles, Mary Kay Cosmetics or Create A Can where you earn from direct sales and referrals. Change the home party idea to an internet party extravaganza!