Partnering With Your Hostess: A Game-Changing Strategy?

gisellecabunag · Nov 22, 2005

I had just bought "Partnering with your Hostess" by Steve Wiltshire.
I am just starting to read it. I was wondering if anyone has read this book & how it has helped their business. What would be the pros & cons of following the program?

Giselle Cabunag
Independent Kitchen Consultant
www.pamperedchef.biz\giselle

chefjill · Nov 22, 2005

I took their workshop at conference and thought they were great! Actually, it was Lynn, not Steve, who did my workshop.
I've found that Partnering with Your Host has been very helpful. I haven't been able to meet face to face with all of my hosts, but they all love the idea of my sending out the invitations for them. The only thing I don't do is ask for postage, I feel funny doing that. Anyway, I've only had 1 show cancel (death in the family) & believe that working closer with my hosts has been the difference.
The hosts that I have been able to meet face-to-face, their shows average about $500, and the attendance has been better. This book just gives you different ways to stay on top of your host coaching, and I've heard from other consultants who have done this say that their cancellation rate has dropped. That's always a good thing!!!

Hope this helps!

Jill Wright
Director, Benicia, CA
[email protected]
www.pamperedchef.biz/jillscooking

batroark · Nov 23, 2005

I agreeI totally agree with you chefjill about the postage part. I still feel ackward on that part. I tell them to give me the 40 names and addresses and I would mail them out to take that load off their chest, and apparently I don't come clear enough to make them understand that no matter who sends the invitations out they still have to have postage. I have had some of the girls say that they would just rather hand them out and save the postage. Then, when I get to the show with there just being a few people there I find out that the majority of the invitations are still laying on the kitchen table or microwave stand. Guuurrrrr! What do I do????? Am I supposed to get more demanding about that or what? I took the LifeLine Coaching Seminar in April near St. Louis, and found some of the ideas were to far fetched but there was alot of good ones that topped them. I do have the books....Partnering with you Hostess: Pathway to Recruiting Success and Vision Made Real: Creating Space for Your Deepest Intention both by Steve Wiltshire. Does anybody have any suggestions? I have had more cancellations that I really want, and would like some help if possible.

Angela Roark
Ind. Future Director
Corning, AR

tpchefrebecca · Nov 23, 2005

The one thing I recommend is Reminder stickers and Postcards for the fridge.

You can find them at Nancy's artwork. I always felt I was being pushy when I would tell the hostess to mail and remind their guests with a phone call. Now I include these two items with a magnet buisness card. On the first and second call I tell them to take out their stickers and fridge card to help them keep track of when to do these things. My average attendence is now 10-15 guests and very rare do I get cancellations now. Also, tell the hostess if she has extra invites she should put the extra in her purse and when she runs into someone not normally on her list but would like to invite then she can give that person an invite.

Please feel free to email me with any questions. I am always happy to help.

chefjill · Nov 24, 2005

I've been saying this to all my hosts: "One of the extra benefits of having a show with me is that I send out all your invitations. All you have to do is get my your guest list." I've only had a couple of hosts turn me down, saying they were just planning to hand them out, not mail them. In that case, I ask how many invitations they will need. I stopped giving my hosts all 40 invites a while ago; I found that they were only sending out a few and the rest went to waste. I'll send no more than 20 invitations, if that many. They can always ask for more if they need them. I include some labels for them to use, as well.
I try to convey to my hosts that my sending the invitations out for them will save them time, as it's one less thing for them to do. Most of them love it. Plus, I know just how many people they are actually inviting, and you can go from there helping them to increase that number.

Jill Wright
Director, Benicia, CA
[email protected]
www.pamperedchef.biz/jillscooking

WendyAebi · Nov 26, 2005

When I first started sending out the invitations for my hosts, I felt awkward asking for the postage (and even when I meant to ask for the cost to be reimbursed, I usually forgot). Then when the person-to-person host coaching started to really take off for me, I was getting more and more bookings and I saw the postage start to add up quickly. Even when you can write it off, it's still better not to have that expense in the first place, in my opinion. Once I realized that this really did save time and was a benefit the host, I began to value that I was doing it and I found language that I was comfortable with, so it became much easier for me to get that postage money back. I tell my host that I'll send out the invitations and bring the ingredients for the main recipe with me the night of the show, and we'll settle up on that at the end of the night. It really comes from the same place of confidence as when you shift from "Will you do a show for me?" to "Let me come do a show for you."

Partnering With Your Hostess: A Game-Changing Strategy?

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