Gathering with friends and family is one of my all time favorite things to do. I love the anticipation of it all. The smiles and hugs that ensue once we all meet. Seeing all the details fall into place to bring a group of people together gives me a sense of fulfillment that brings an immeasurable amount of happiness to my soul. I think that is why Mary & Martha spoke to me first and foremost.
When I saw what the mission was behind their gatherings I became happy with the limitless possibilities I could have to bring people together. And one better, to bring women together to share, connect and serve one another so that shared experiences and inspiring products could join hand in hand to bring everyone involved closer with God. It so perfectly intertwined all that I love about planning, prepping and pulling people together.
For me, the fun of what I do comes in the details I add to each gathering. I like to change little ins and outs of my gatherings to highlight each hostess or environment I am in showcasing my Mary & Martha products. If I know a hostess is particularly strong in her faith or wants to add meaning to her home through faith-filled products, I will focus on sharing scripture, encouraging all her friends to share their faith stories. You?d be surprised at the laughter that comes from identifying with a friend?s faith story of success and/or folly!
Sometimes if I know the gathering is more of a social ?get away? for the ladies involved, a moms night out or a large group meeting, I will tailor down the ?games? and just add fun details to my table to entice conversation. Letting the table of Mary& Martha products do the talking and allowing the group to lead the energy of the gathering can add an unexpected flare to the event. A fun way to combine both products and people is to do a table display scavenger hunt. It allows the guests to lead the energy of the party, while still highlighting the products in a fun way. The game or hunt can go as follows: ?Find what page in the catalog each item displayed is on first, and you win a free coffee mug or discounted item. ?
As the consultant you can decide how much talking or explaining of the products you want to add in. I like this because I can either be hands off or hands on as they search and chat, sharing amongst themselves and learning details about the products. I find sometimes this way of gathering gives the customers more information than I could have ever given them by standing up in front of them talking for 30 minutes while they listen.
I have been to MOPS meeting where all we did was talk about being brave and embracing our ?living in the and?, never once discussed a product or piece of Mary & Martha material until I was walking out the door. But from that meeting I got leads to two new customers, and invited to a networking meeting for small businesswomen. The added bonus in a gathering like that, we all walked out of their feeling a bit more confident in our own faith journeys just by having a round table discussion? Talk about welcoming, serving and connecting.
From leading faith inspired conversations to sharing family stories or playing fun product games, gatherings for me are all about finding the fun in the details. I don?t always like to host gatherings in homes because I?ve found that changing venues can spark fun in a variety of ways. Every so often I try to find fun ?out of the house? places to host gatherings. Tearooms, coffee shops or even local cupcake bakeries can add that extra little detail to a gathering that was missing from gathering at home. Sometimes getting girls out of the house is just what they need to relax and reenergize themselves. Having fun can happen anywhere and when you add in our Mary & Martha products it makes for a perfect combination that celebrates laughter, struggles and life!
I even try to add fun details to my online gatherings. It is a sure fire way to make all who log on laugh and ultimately feel more open to joining in and participating. I call it the ?late night shopping selfie?. We all enjoy logging into a gathering that is online knowing we don?t have to get dressed up or clean our house, so I ask each online party goer to post a selfie of what they look like right then and there or what they are doing, or where they are sitting. It is hilarious, we all comment on our messed up hair, no make-up selves and it gets the party going!!! See? a small detail like a funny picture can add a million times the fun to what could be a boring Facebook session! You are welcome for the laugh?.
What details can you add to your Gatherings? Anything you do to enhance the sharing amongst the ladies gathered with you will ultimately lead to a fun experience time and time again!
The Fun is in the Details?