Home meetings are a great way to generate enthusiasm and provide motivation for your members to become more active. Once you commit to doing this, you will see growth in your group far greater than what you could accomplish on your own.
A home meeting involves planning to set aside an evening at least every week or two weeks when you can meet for one and a half to two hours. The early part of the week is usually best. Begin your meeting sharp at the appointed time and try to have them completed on time. This way people coming will know and be confident that their valuable time is respected.
AIM has great home meeting kits to assist you with an agenda, invitations, a video and registration sheet and a few small items to give away. A door prize is always a good idea and you should have ample literature on the topic for each person coming to take home with them.
Begin by ordering a home meeting kit the month previous to your first meeting. Identify twice as many people as you would like to see attend and make a list with phone numbers. If you would like 10 people to attend, it is a good idea to invite 20 due to personal schedules. Some people you will find unable to come on one evening but may be available the next so if you schedule two meetings back to back, say on a Monday and a Tuesday, you will be able to offer convenience to twice as many of your contacts. It will be more work for you initially, but the results will show you who is truly interested. This should be your initial thrust, to determine who really is interested in working towards a goal as part of your team. Once you narrow your list, your meetings can be a little more formal or personalized to the specific needs of each member.
Send out your invitations two weeks before, allow a week for each person to receive theirs and call to confirm receipt and ask if they can attend. Be sure to offer transportation if required. Ask which night would be best for them and if they may be able to bring a friend.
It is always a good idea to call and remind those who said yes to the invitation. The night before is ideal because if everything looks good for them, they will tell you. This will help you to plan for quantities if you are making punch or serving a light snack.
Beginning for example at 7 pm, it is a good idea to start with conversation up until the appointed time. Then, welcome everyone, announce the agenda and show the AIM video which will allow those coming in late to blend in with the group.
Seating should normally be informal with chairs around the room and everyone facing toward the centre. It is then a good time for introductions which can include name, where from and how long using AIM products. Those that have a story to share can be asked to do so and this will encourage those new to the products or not having spoken before to do the same. At an appropriate time, a leader in the group could share his/her story and talk about the technical side of Barleygreen/ Fibreblend. Finish your meeting with questions and answers and door prize draw if prepared. Now is a good time to announce the date for the next meeting
At the 1.5 hour point, there should be a washroom break and move to the kitchen area where you can serve a punch with juice and Barleygreen (1-2 tsp for each guest is sufficient). You can select your favorite juice for this, or try someone elses for variety. A punch bowl and ladle make it very easy for people to come back for more. This time can be for conversation, viewing a display of products and literature, or talking to a new guest in greater detail to address their questions. This time also offers the chance for those on a schedule to slip out for their next appointment.
Remember to let the evening flow in an up-beat manner and everything will be fine. We are always interested to know when meetings are scheduled and how they went so if you have think of it, or have any questions, please give us a call. Alex and Wanda at 1 800 895 6366.
