Exploring Unconventional Workouts: My Experience vs. John's

[DebPC]

I did a few and never felt comfortable doing them. On the other hand, John did them and loved them.

 

[Bren706]

I really enjoyed doing them, but was never able to keep them going. It just seemed that guests prefered to sit down and watch.

 

[Sheila]

I don't do the cooking at all. I tell the hosts up front that it's an interactive show and why. When the show starts, I do a quick intro & then ask who's been to a Pampered Chef Show before. I then let them know that today's show is probably going to be a little different from any show they've ever attended before, because my shows are fully interactive shows. My theory is, if they can't go home & REPEAT what we did at the show, what's the point? I then have a few seconds of silence for them to agree. (I tell my hosts in host coaching that PC only recommends one recipe but we can do more if they like. They are the ones purchasing the ingredients, so the decision is totally up to them. But the guests can see, touch & test the tools easier if they are working in groups of 4-8. So if they are expecting 15 at the show, 2 recipes are usually best. The hosts usually agree. I normally have 2, sometimes 3 recipes going on at my shows.) I then announce the recipes (holding up the directions which includes a photo of the final product) and direct them to the various sinks available for washing hands (kitchen, bath, 2nd bath, etc.) but I'm sure to add "the first ones back to the table get to choose which recipe they would like to do". Not every show, but at least 1 out of 4, someone will jump & RUN to wash their hands. The look on the other guests faces is always hilarious as they decide maybe they need to hurry too.I haven't pulled ANY of the cold groceries from the fridge. We usually have all the room temp items out at their work station & let them go to the fridge & get the rest on their ingredient list.I don't jump in & do any of the cooking. I float around between the groups and observe. If I see them using the "wrong" tool for the job, I'll politely hand them a different tool & suggest that they try THIS tool for that job. In down time from their recipes they are either chatting about tools, snooping to see what the other group(s) is/are doing or flipping through the catalog. If I see the microwave went off & no one is getting out the food I'll ask who's in charge of _____? Your microwave went off ... and let them come see if it's done & finish anything else that needs to be done to complete the recipe.Side note: 2 days prior to one of my shows, I had someone walk up to a booth I was working, ask if I was doing _____'s show on Sat & then ask if she could order now, stating she wasn't coming because of one guest that was invited. I took her order, told her I was sorry she wasn't going to come & then told her she'd be missing out on all the fun. When I got to the show it didn't take maybe 2 minutes to figure out who she was referencing. This chick fussed about EVERYTHING!!! She was pregnant (not enough to show) and didn't want to stand up. She just got off work & was looking forward to relaxing. The host lets the cats on the couch & she's getting cat hair on her clothes. When we got up to go do the recipes, she fussed & didn't want to come. I told her we'd be in the kitchen & dining room if she changed her mind & we left her sitting alone on the couch. She finally ventured in about 10 minutes later (pouting) and watched. (The girls doing the microwave cake failed to tell me that the fluted stone wouldn't turn in the microwave & that it was sitting still, so I didn't know to tell them to take it out & turn it 1/2 way through ... it was turned out on the platter with about 1/4 not done & sliding down onto the plate) ~ preggo fussed that she couldn't have raw eggs (I told her she could eat from the other side of the cake) ... she was just relentless. The host apologized after the show & said the girl is always a complainer & she 2nd guessed inviting her ... but Miss Grouchy had overheard conversations at work & the host (who's a personal friend & is just way too nice to be mean) didn't want to hurt her feelings by not inviting her. She's the only really fussy one that I've ever had. I had one who had just had surgery once sit close & watch without participating. But she was still chatting & asking the groups what they were doing & staying involved. If I know hubbies are coming, we normally plan couples shows where the guys grill & the girls do something inside ... then join together to eat. I did have one show where 3 hubbies showed unannounced & stayed in the living room with the kids while their wives were in the kitchen & dining room making recipes (we had a HUGE group that night & 4 recipes). But normally I have everyone up & participating.I love how the guests sell the knives, the food chopper, etc. for me. They are always bragging about how they have ____ at home. I often hear them saying "Here _____, have you tried this? You need to try this!!!"Once they sit down with food, have their mouths full & are not chatting as much ... is my chance to quickly go over the current & upcoming specials. I also do my booking & recruiting slide. I'll ask those who have been to a Pampered Chef Show before what they thought about the fully interactive show. I've never had anyone say they didn't like it. They all say that being able to try the tools was much better than sitting & listening.I do a door prize drawing (to get their info in case they didn't order) and then move on to the full service checkout.It does take a little longer to let them do the recipe, but so far no one has complained about being there longer. They are up, involved & having fun and that's what counts for them, not the clock.ETA: AND they make better buying decisions! Because they've actually USED the tool, they now know if it's something that they really want in their kitchen or they might end up deciding they don't really NEED that and choose to order something they'd have never thought to order until they tried it. We all know customers who take their products out of the box & use them, are usually repeat customers and/or future hosts ... It's my goal to make sure that they are making informed decisions and that they will be happy with those decisions when their products arrive & not be in the "why did I order THAT?" mode. I've had warranty returns. But I seriously don't think I've ever had an "I changed my mind" return (unless it was done directly with HO & not a big enough order for HO to notify me they were adjusting my paycheck).

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I didn't like them either. Everyone has a different style they are comfortable with while demoing, and the interactive show wasn't mine.

 

[Sheila]

Hey, I'll admit that I was a bit anal at first about how people were using my tools. I learned to just suck it up & move on. LOLI don't mind being the center of attention, but I do like the fact that if the recipe doesn't come out "perfect" that it's their fault, not mine!

 

[ilovpc]

Sheila,
Have you video taped any of your interactive shows? I would love to see one. :-D

 

[Shari in TX]

Sheila! What a wonderful show you do! I'm inspired! I don't do a lot of shows, but the ones I do just seem blah. Yours sound like so much fun. I agree that people selling to each other while they're using the products is so much better than me just lecturing to them. I've tried interactive shows with mixed success, but I've never done them as relaxed and fun as yours sound like they are. I'm going to try it!

Shari in TX

 

[Sheila]

Fanny, no. I'm afraid they'll all get shy! LOL And I'd probably have to get some kind of waiver from each one that it's okay for me to share the video with other consultants (and online) for training purposes. Much easier to point the camera at the consultant than at the group. Thanks Shari! And go for it! If you don't like it, you can always switch back. You can even tell your next 4 hosts that you've been challenged by your Director (they don't have to know it's an online hospitality Director) to try this method because it's so much fun! Then be sure to poll the guests to see what they though at the end of the show.

 

[byrd1956]

WoW Sheila, awesome.

 

[Sheila]

I decided to add a bit more above ... last 3 paragraphs.

 

[Shari in TX]

Thanks Shari! And go for it! If you don't like it, you can always switch back. You can even tell your next 4 hosts that you've been challenged by your Director (they don't have to know it's an online hospitality Director) to try this method because it's so much fun! Then be sure to poll the guests to see what they though at the end of the show.

I will do just that. I have a follow-up question for you. I know you said you did more than one recipe sometimes, but if I were only going to start with one recipe, are there some that you really love to do and work well for a group of people to do together? I really like so many PC recipes that I have a hard time narrowing down a list of choices for my hosts. I want them to have a good variety to choose from, but I want to keep it to just a few each season so I can know what I'm doing without learning a ton of new recipes. Of course, maybe that is less important when I'm not doing the recipe?

So, any recipe suggestions that work really well for your style of show would be appreciated.

Shari in TX

 

[Sheila]

I pay attention and make sure it's something that can be done relatively quickly. If the cookbook says 2 hour prep time, forget it! LOL

Single recipes are easy, just go for quick & what you have the tools to do.

If you ever decide to try 2 or more, it means taking more stuff! Generally extra mixing bowls, measuring spoons, measuring cups, etc. And be sure to choose different cooking methods!!! Stovetop & oven, oven & microwave, microwave & stovetop ... but never 2 long microwave recipes or 2 oven recipes that require different temps. And it's hard to let one group do a pasta on the stove & let the 2nd group do the grill pan on the stove, so if they are asking for chicken & pasta, send the host a microwave pasta recipe in the DCB. It takes a little more planning. I don't offer the same recipe at every show, but then again I started on the military base where a lot of the guests are repeat guests & (usually) they want a new recipe every single time!

I do have an exception to the same cook method rule ... the only 2 "microwave" recipes that I'll do together is the Mexican Chicken Lasagna(footnote #1) and my version of the Chocolate Velvet Cake with Strawberries(footnote #2) (in the fluted stone) because they time amazingly well! The cake is cooking while the lasagna group is still assembling. Then the cake has to cool and the lasagna crowd get the microwave. Then the lasagna has to sit for 10 min's while the cake crew melt their topping and finish their recipe. They are both finished simultaneously! I've also thrown in the Touchdown Taco dip as a 3rd with these two & have that group do the oven.

(1) I change the directions slightly - spread the cheese mixture on the tortillas like butter, then dip in the enchilada sauce & then lay in the DCB. Works MUCH better that spooning the cheese mixture in & trying to spread it on wet tortillas that move. And I mix 1 small can of green enchilada with 1 full & 1 partial (both small) cans of red enchilada sauce. IT'S MUCH BETTER! It calls for a BIG can, but the hosts always get it wrong & buy 1 small can. So make sure you address that in your host coaching ... 3 small cans (you won't use it all) or 1 large can if you are doing all red sauce.

(2) Sheila's version of the Chocolate Velvet Cake with Strawberries: lightly grease fluted stone with basting brush. Mix devil's food cake mix as directed, pour into stone & bake in the microwave until toothpick comes out clean (usually 10-15 minutes depending on the microwave). Clean the rim of the fluted stone, lay platter on top & flip both simultaneously. Let sit for 10 minutes (set timer) and then gently lift stone from top. Take a container of Betty Crocker Chocolate frosting, remove lid and ALL the foil. Microwave (uncovered!) until you can pour it. Dip 6-8 (biggest & prettiest) strawberries in the chocolate & lay around the edge of the cake. Drizzle the rest of the chocolate on the cake. Some will go in the center & on the plate, but try to keep as much as you can on the cake. Remove stems from the remaining strawberries, slice with the egg slicer & fill the center of the cake. Super easy & quick (great for bake sales) and, since girls love "pretty" stuff, it goes over well at shows. Here's one of my hosts holding the finished product that her guests did: https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/185620_191215624232350_5764450_n.jpg

 

[Sheila]

Taco Ring, Ham & Cheese Brunch Squares, Turkey Cranberry Wreath (Nov & Dec ~ "hide the turkey" idea) are usually big hits with the guests. Creamy one Pot Pasta. Jambalaya!!! That one went over really well!!! Chicken in the grill pan. S'mores!!! YUM!!! I could go on for days. LOLETA: I change the S'mores recipe too. It says to let them cool, invert & dip in chocolate & then cool again. We put melted chocolate in a ziplock baggie, clip the corner & drizzle on the hot s'mores, then eat hot. Much faster & they are oh so yummy when they are warm. Oh, Warm Nutty Caramel Brownies ...(Now I'm hungry!!!)

 

[baychef]

I have found that some consultants can have success with this. For me personally, I lost shows doing interactive. Then I started losing my desire to do PC because I kept getting the same reaction. Perhaps it is in the delivery but for me, I was never comfortable. In talking with a guest later on in time she said she got up and helped me because she felt sorry for me. No one booked and there were about 20 people there. For me they almost ruined my business.

I am not discouraging people to do them by my post. Just stating my experience because when these were being encouraged by PC, I have never felt like such a failure because I had stopped doing them because of the poor results. Just want to reassure people that if you do not feel comfortable...it is ok. Your sales will still be good.

That said, I do encourage people to use the products when I see they need just a little encouragement.

 

[Cathy pclady]

Me too, Ann. I felt that I was losing my guests (they placed orders but didn't come to the show. Those that did attend, helped because I asked them too. I went back to my old way of presenting the products and seldom have less then 12 attending because they know they can sit back and relax. Glad that I am not the only one that felt uncomfortable with interactive shows.

 

[Sheila]

That's the cool thing about this business, as long as we are not up there lying to them (and telling them stuff like "everything in the catalog has a lifetime warranty") there's really no right or wrong way to do a show! I tell my recruits about the various methods, what I do & why, but I also tell them that I do NOT expect them to be a cookie cutter version of me. I encourage them to go out there, try a couple of methods & see what works best for them.

- - - - - - - - - -​

For anyone new who's wondering ... these are the basic types of shows that I've named & how I explain them to my recruits:

• Sit down & watch me be the teacher - where the consultant does everything & explains it as she goes.
• On the spot - having one guest get up at a time & come "perform" in front of everyone
• Partially interactive - having everyone standing up around the table, you do some & you can ask for volunteers or task people to help (Here, cut ths, chop that, etc.)
• Fully interactive - the consultant is hands-off, the guests & host do all the work

ETA: In my experience, On The Spot is the LEAST effective, as many people don't like to perform in front of others.

 

[Malinda Klein]

I still do them. Love interactive shows. I don't like being the center of the attention. I remember my third show where they refused to help me demonstrate and I made the recipe myself. I hated it and was shaking the whole time. Five years later, I can demonstrate with out shaking and pull it off. I prefer to do interactive where I get everyone involved. No one will fall asleep this way haha

 

[baychef]

Malinda...my first show was in front of people I work with and my throat clenched shut (hard to silence me!!). My switch back was people not booking because I was making them do something they did not want to do at all.

Like Sheila says, that is the great thing about this business is the flexibility. :chef:

 

[dballard5]

you all have some great ideas =) I think I might need to try!