Show your home is a very important process. You and your home have to be ready to meet potential buyers. Ideally, if your lawn sign has "by appointment only" on it, most people will phone to set up an appointment. Be prepared to answer the phone for potential buyers. If you are unavailable, then leave a message on the answering machine. Set up appointments so that you can take people through your home in an organized fashion. Buyers don't want to feel rushed and if you have more than one scheduled visit on the same day, allow the buyers and yourself sufficient time to view the home.
Point out special selling features to potential buyers if you feel these can impress a buyer. Allow buyers to roam freely through your home. A couple may want to converse privately over your homes features. However, try and stay within range to answer any questions. Sometimes ,pleasant smells such as a pie baking can add a sense of comfort to your home; or playing music or lighting the fireplace in the winter.
Try and avoid unnecessary distractions. It may be a good idea to send the kids to the inlaws for the day and have them bring the pets with them.
When potential buyers leave, present them with one of your fact sheets so that they will remember your home. Be sure that it has your phone number on it. This may be a good time to ask for their telephone number and pleasantly ask if you can give them a follow up call in a few weeks to answer any questions that they may have. It may be an opportunity to invite them back and it may be enough to break the ice and have them present you with an offer.
It is not a good practice to show your home at night for security reasons. Serious buyers will be more interested in viewing a home in the day time.