A Frustrating Start: My Journey to Reach my Goals

[Intrepid_Chef]

I'm just a LITTLE frustrated at my slow start. I know it will all turn out eventually, but still ....

* My "two open houses" that were supposed to be enough for two parties turned into barely enough sales for a show. Actually, I'm STILL $50 short of the $150 but I am waiting on a customer who has not turned in her order. I have even offered to drive 30 minutes from my house just to pick it up! Meanwhile, my OTHER customers are hoping to have their stuff by Turkey Day. (If it ships as quickly as my kit, and some of the recent shows my director has told me about ... they still might have a good chance if I get the order in the next day or two. How can I MAKE her turn her order in? The bad news is my first show is TOAST without her order!

• My only two guests at my second show both booked catalog shows. However, I already knew one was going to book, and I'm hoping it does as well as if it was the in-person show she'd already planned. If both meet their goals, that's $500 in sales ... but I know how hard those goals can be.

• I do have one more in-person show ... my sisters, at the end of the month.

• And ... I have one $50 order for a "December show" but no December show. My 30th day is 12/4, so I'm hoping to have it in by then. I'm fearing that it will be hard to scrape $150 in orders together by that date.

All in all ... I was HOPING to hit $1250 by my first 30 days, but even if every show does as well as all the hosts hope ... it still is going to be very hard. And I have NO second show and no plans to submit one ... and it's a little hard to have a "mystery host" show when you just had a catalog show!

Meanwhile ... my recruiter is pushing me to get 4 shows in by the 30th so she can get some incentive.

Just needed to vent.

Waaaaaaahhhhh!

 

[lkprescott]

I too felt a little pressure in my first 30 days but not from my director... from myself. Then I backed off and allowed that things may need some time to build up, including my confidence! So I"m focused on goals for my first 90... I needed 6 weeks to qualify... so I didn't get the 'extra' bells and whistles... that's okay. I'm having a good time and let's face it the fastest way to burn anyone out is to put undo pressure on them (this includes us putting that pressure on ourselves)... My director is very busy and kind of hands off which works for my style. I like that actually... and she's there to offer a lead she can't handle (like the holiday open house I did the other weekend) because of her very busy schedule. Perhaps you can talk to your recruiter and ask for her help with things? She should be open to that... yes, she does get things for recruiting you but, unless I'm mistaken, she should also be there to help you get started especially.. Once you start to grow a customer base and gain more confidence it will get better. Trust me... just don't get so frustrated you stop before you succeed. Go back to your 100 list... make those calls... follow up... would that December order be interested in hosting a show? If they wrinkle up their noses at a 'live' demo show offer up a catalog show instead (no cleaning of the house required! And they still get the groovy host benefits!)... let them know who it will reward them but don't beg... that's one thing I've learned here... I know it's hard to be confident in the beginning.. trust me.. and I still have trouble picking up the phone even to call folks who have an interest! So you're not alone if you're feeling frustrated or scared... sometimes I think that I'm afraid of rejection but then I'm aware that I may just be afraid of success... either way it's a worthy thing to face straight on, eh?HTH!

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

The December order is from my Stepmother and no, there is no way she could host a show in December. She and my dad have a "Santa" business and are busy from Turkey Day to Dec. 24. That is why she placed all her orders at my Nov. 3 show, present and future.

That is GOOD, actually ... because if she got the host benefits that would take her order away.

I'm feeling a bit more positive today. (Maybe it's the sleep that helped.) I'm thinking that I can do a "black Friday" sale of some sort and MAYBE another open house ... And it would all count toward this December 1 show. And if, miracle of miracles, it should hit $300 or more, that's TWO shows. My December goal.

Catty Host #1 called me this morning begging for more catalogs and order forms. She asked me to bring them to the office, along with the chopper, because Colleague wants a demo. So I plan to bring a handful of nuts in one prep bowl, part of an onion in the other, and my cutting board. Hopefully this will increase sales for her. So far, she's already doing better than me!