Getting started
Party plan selling. One party, start to finish.
Updated Oct. 4, 2026 · 9 minute read
The basics
Direct sales is the industry. Party plan is one way of selling in it.
Direct sales means selling outside a store, whether that’s one to one, through a link, or to a group. Party plan is the group version. Instead of ten separate conversations, you hold one gathering where the host has already done the inviting.
It’s been around since the Tupperware parties of the 1950s, and the shape hasn’t changed much: the host invites, you demonstrate, guests buy, and the host earns free and discounted product from the party’s sales. What has changed is where the party happens. Many now run partly or entirely online, and most companies give you a party link so guests who can’t attend can still order.
The real skill isn’t the demo. It’s the cycle: a party well coached produces happy guests, and happy guests book the next party. A consultant with a steady calendar is usually one who treats every party as the start of two more. For how the companies themselves compare, see party plan companies.
The short version
- Most of a party’s success is decided before the day, by host coaching.
- Keep the demo short and hands-on, then take orders one guest at a time.
- An online party link lets friends who can’t come still order.
- Follow-up, not the demo, is where reorders and new bookings come from.
The party cycle
Six stages, about a month from booking to follow-up.
- 1Two weeks out, agree the date, the type of party (in person, online or both) and a rough guest list with the host.
- 2About ten days out, coach the host: give them invitation wording, the online party link for friends who can't come, and a rewards goal to aim for.
- 3Two days out, confirm the head count, collect any wish lists and outside orders, and agree how the room or group will be set up.
- 4On the day, keep the demo short, let guests try the products, then take orders one guest at a time.
- 5In the one to three days after, collect the last online orders, help the host choose their rewards and send a thank-you.
- 6About two weeks later, check in when orders arrive. That's when reorders and new bookings happen, and each booking starts the cycle again.
Host coaching
Your host does the inviting. Make it easy for them.
Give them the words
Widen the list
Set a reward goal
Collect outside orders
Your host check-in list
- Date, start time and whether it's in person, online or both
- Who's invited, and how (text, social event, group)
- The party link for online orders, sent to the host
- Their reward goal and what sales it takes to reach it
- Space and set-up: a table, outlets, where guests sit
- Any allergies or accessibility needs among the guests
- A reminder message to send the day before
Demo & orders
Keep the demo short. Let the products do the talking.
- 1
Welcome and thank the host
Say how the host earns rewards from tonight's orders. Guests like helping a friend.
- 2
Tell a short story
One minute on why you use the products. Not your income, your experience.
- 3
Show three products, not thirty
Pick a best-seller, a new item and something under $20. Pass them around.
- 4
Let guests try
Taste, smell, swatch or try on. This is the part no website can do.
- 5
Mention hosting and the opportunity
Briefly and honestly: what hosts earn, and that you're happy to chat about joining afterward.
- 6
Take orders one by one
Sit with each guest. Questions get answered, and it's a natural time to ask about booking.
At the order table
Most companies now take orders through an app or the party link, with each order shipped straight to the guest. Have a card reader or the link ready on your phone, and confirm the shipping address for every order before the guest leaves.
Online parties
The same party, on a screen.
| Format | How it runs | Best for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-person party | Guests gather at the host's home. You demo, they touch and try, and you take orders on a tablet or the company's app. | Products people need to taste, smell or try on. | Travel time, set-up, and food-safety rules for samples. |
| Online group party | A private Facebook group or chat thread with posts spread over one to three days. Guests order from the party link. | Busy guests and friends in other towns. | Posts get buried. Keep it short, and don't add people to groups without asking. |
| Live video party | A scheduled video call or live stream with a real-time demo and questions, then the party link. | Demos that need explanation, and hosts who like a set time. | Check your plan's meeting time limit and test sound and lighting first. |
Use the tools that exist now
Games without the share rule
Say when you earn
Follow-up & bookings
Every party should end with the next one on the calendar.
Ask for bookings during the party, not after. When you explain what tonight’s host is earning, guests start doing the math for themselves. During one-to-one ordering, ask simply: “Would you like to host one? Here are two dates I have open.” Offer an online party for anyone who says their home is too small or their friends are too far away.
Close the party cleanly. Tell the host when the party link closes, send them a running total so they can nudge a few friends, and help them pick their rewards. A host who feels looked after is your best reference.
Follow up when the products arrive. A short message about two weeks later (did it arrive, how are you using it) is where reorders come from. Our guide to making it easy to re-order covers the set-up.
Message everyone, kindly, once. Thank guests who didn’t buy too. Then respect the answer: if someone says no thanks or asks not to be contacted, take them off your list.
When the calendar runs dry
Host a party yourself and invite past hosts and customers. A mystery host party turns that into a game, and often books new parties from guests who’d never hosted before.
Sources: FTC, Business Guidance Concerning Multi-Level Marketing (earnings claims); FTC, Health Products Compliance Guidance; FTC, Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers; Meta, Pages, Groups and Events Policies (promotions); TechRadar, Facebook Live Shopping shutdown. Stage timings are a typical rhythm, not a company rule.
Ready to book your next party?
Keep reading
More getting started guides
New to direct sales? Start with What is Direct Sales?, Direct Sales 101 and Direct Sales vs Pyramid Schemes, or browse all articles.
