Recently I went to a new hair stylist, Mr. Petie. I tried for 3 months to get an appointment with him but he was always booked with his steady clients. When I finally got in, I felt like I won the lottery. From the experience I picked up four direct sales home party booking secrets to share with you.

Think about it...

Would you eat at a restaurant with an empty parking lot and barren dining room? No.

Would you be confident to go to a doctor who had a vacant waiting room and sparsely filled appointment book? No.

Or, more relevant to us in direct sales, would your potential Hostesses want to be booking direct sales home parties with you if you communicate that your calendar is empty? No.

Back to Mr. Petie...

I had no idea that my new hairdo would leave me with some fresh booking direct sales home parties perspectives, and inspire me to share these new tips with YOU.

Walking into his shop, which is attached to his home, I immediately took in the unusual d©cor. The scene was art deco mixed with kitschy mementos such as stuffed flamingos and pictures of pigs! He had fun Broadway show music playing. Mr. Petie was upbeat and quirky, and unapologetically himself!

When he was washing my hair, he pointed out that he was using his special method for massaging my scalp. I made a mental note that he was turning an ordinary task into an extraordinary experience.

It became truly extraordinary when I asked to go a little darker with my hair color. Mr. Petie turned to me and firmly said, "No! We are not doing that!"

Mr. Petie, a true expert and professional, had his own plan. Yes, I was stunned into silence, but I allowed him to proceed skillfully. It felt good to let go and to permit him to make the decisions based on his expertise. Part of his allure is the fact that Mr. Petie does not waste time by trying to please everybody. He presents himself as the expert, and it's refreshing to encounter a pro with such unwavering confidence in his work. Besides, after a few minutes with Mr. Petie, it became clear that he was going to do what he wanted to anyway.

When he was all done he informed me of his pay structure for rebooking, which was a small discount for coming back in 4 weeks instead of 6. He pulled out his iPad and asked, "What day of the week would work best for your next appointment?"

Understand that typically I rebook as needed to keep my schedule free for travel and clients.

However, he made me feel as if his rebooking strategy was motivated by a desire to keep his clients looking manicured. By booking the next appointment before I left, I realized that we both had gained by booking in advance.

From his business standpoint, he ensures himself a steady flow of income in his pipeline, while simultaneously rewarding his clients with a personalized experience of enthusiasm, expertise, and excellence, not to mention a discount.

See his sign: $40 for 4 weeks or less; $50 for 5 weeks or more

What can you learn from Mr. Petie's secrets? How can you apply them to booking direct sales home parties? Here are four direct sales home party booking secrets for you to apply:

1. Turn your home parties into your own quirky and upbeat experience. Convert ordinary tasks into an extraordinary experience. Is it your presentation style, your personality, your tips, your music, or d©cor? Find a few signature features to turn your regular home parties into a customer experience.

2. Present yourself as the expert. You know what it takes to have an ideal home party. Be willing to say "No" when your Hostesses want to email their guest invites instead of calling them. Or when someone offers a catalog party instead of a demo -- have the courage to tell them the results will not be as strong and your guests are missing out on what you bring to the party. Be bold and truthful always, even if it means some people walk away from you. Stand for what you know works best.

3. A fully booked calendar creates an air of urgency and importance. A calendar booked with direct sales home parties also gives you steady income and sustained momentum. Work diligently to fill your next 2-3 weeks solid and then build your calendar from there.

4. The best time to rebook a Hostess is when you close out a current party. Have a rebooking program. Pull out your iPad and schedule her next date. This is particularly important when you sell consumable products that customers will run out of. Rebook, refill and replenish - it makes for great service.

5. Be yourself. Be comfortable in your own skin. When you are comfortable with yourself and confident with your service, you free others to be comfortable around you.

Get busy booking direct sales home parties now and your home-based business will be booked solid like Mr. Petie!