If you have gotten into essential oils, and are working the business end, inevitably you are going to have to host a class. I resisted hosting a class for almost 6 months because I am an extreme introvert and nothing makes me more uncomfortable than having to speak to a group. I think a small group makes it even worse.
Another factor that scared me about essential oils classes is that most seemed to be so well-planned, and quite frankly, extravagant. From raffle prizes to coordinated decorations – it looked cute, and EXPENSIVE. Some day I will have an essential oil empire, but right now its more like a cardboard box, so this momma doesn’t have hundreds of dollars to spend on a class.
I finally sucked it up and have hosted a couple of classes now, and PHEW, I am still alive. So no excuses. If my anti-social self can do it, so can you. Layer on some Valor and away you go!
But what about those hundreds of dollars in decorations and giveaways? First of all, I am going to share one of my opinions with you.
When I first started working the business side of oils, I offered as many extras as a could, including a reference guide. There are a lot of REALLY generous offers for freebies out there for people who purchase a premium starter kit. I no longer offer ANY freebies except I DO gift each person who buys a PSK with a reference guide. Why?
I have zero interest in selling a product. I love essential oils, and I use them daily. They have transformed the way my family lives our lives. If people aren’t interested enough to buy a kit based on that, I’m not going to try to “gimmick” them into purchasing a kit with giveaways. The oils don’t need to be oversold or over marketed – they stand on their own merits. I do gift a reference guide because I want people to be able to use their starter kit to its fullest potential as soon as they receive it, and I think the reference guides help eliminate some of the confusion from the information overload available on the internet.
Decorations? Helllooooo dollar store. For the class I hosted in my home I spent less than $20 on food, decorations, and handouts.
These are the handouts I use:
I just print out a few graphics that I like, and a sheet to take notes. I attach a business card and an oil sample. I got 6 clips at the Dollar Tree for $1.
And here are pics of the food and drinks I offered:
I made bruschetta and served it on toasted, homemade french bread. The tomatoes for the bruschetta were from my mom’s garden, and the bread maybe cost me 25¢ a loaf to make, so that appetizer was virtually free. I used a $1 brownie mix, and added some overripe bananas in place of eggs. I added a drop of peppermint oil to make them oily (oh my goodness, they weren’t pretty, but they were TASTY) so my grand total for those was maybe $1.25, and that is mostly for the mix. I served water and let people add drops of the oil of their choice. I also had paper straws for them to stir the oils in. I also picked those up at the Dollar Tree for $1. The sunflower chalkboard was a Dollar General special, and I spent $1.50 on it. The chalkboard clips that I labeled the food with were from the Dollar Tree. $1!
So the grand total for my in-home class: $8.
The next class I had, I hosted at Starbucks, so that one topped me out at the cost of a venti Passion Tea Lemonade. Big spender over here.
The point of my post is definitely not to bash people who host more elaborate classes. I have seen some AMAZING pictures that would convince me to buy whatever they are selling. There are a LOT more creative people in the oily family than me! My point is, you don’t HAVE to spend an arm and a leg, or be creative, or even like socializing to host a class.
The people who have attended my classes are often seeking answers for serious issues in their lives, and how silly if I allowed my fears to stop me from sharing with them. This is all about the oils and how they have changed lives, not about gifts and gimmicks.
If you have any creative ideas for an oily class, I’d love to hear them!
Ashley says
I LOVE THIS! Thank you for sharing! I’m starting to host classes on my own and I was overwhelming myself with gift ideas. But you’re right the oils sell themselves. Also was trying to talk myself out of hosting it at my apartment, because it’s “to small.” A fear that l let go! No fear this year! Thanks again! This has me pumped up!
Sandra Wilde says
I love this post too!!! I’ve been with Young Living for 22 years and I completely agree with you. I’m a stay-at-home mom and never had much money to work with. I truly love how the excitement and how impressive the parties are with lots of good stuff, but the flip side is it can be intimidating if the budget isn’t there to support those parties. It can leave others feeling like they shouldn’t try. So I’m grateful you went simple and found a way to make it happen. This also makes your parties duplicateable, which is a goal when building this business.
Bless you and all your endeavors
Kena Austin says
I really enjoyed reading this. I also use Young Living Essential Oils I am also a Distributor. I will be setting for a vendor show this weekend and again in September and November. I would love some ideas with some classes.