A Strange Month: My Hit-and-Miss Show Experiences

[ivykeep]

Have been hit and miss this month. I had two the first weekend (both topped my highest previous show and ended up at $900 and $1100 respectively -- which is usually my total monthly sales). Then I had a cancellation for the second time and a catalog host go completely missing (email bouces, phone number just rings, never touched the website) but have two other smaller shows that have closed.

Not a single order on my HWC fundraiser -- with postcards, emails and newletter mentions and sales of HWC items have been pretty flat. I've had people tell me they'd rather just send a check to ACS instead. (Hurmph)

Tonights show was supposed to have 8 guests -- it ended up with 4 including the host and a random guy friend they forced to stay. They host, the roommate and the guy (and the roommates boyfriend who was supposed to keep the puppy out of the kitchen) spent the afternoon at the local wine festival and had 7 bottles of wine. They were PLASTERED. The boyfriend kept getting up into my face and making inane comments about his kitchen. The roommate was passed out on the couch when I arrived and was ill during the first part of the show. When I had everyone introduce themselves the roommate said her sister was (or used to be, she's not sure which) a PC consultant. She'd moved out of state so she wasn't sure if she was still a consultant or not. So I also felt like I was slightly poaching. Especially when she places a $200 order.

I did leave with $300 (including the roommates $200) in orders and the promise of several outside orders (we shall see) -- it was one of the oddest shows ever.

I have a fair next weekend and that will wrap a very strange month for me show-wise...

 

[Paige Dixon]

Be glad for the high sales!

 

[baychef]

Laura,
I too have had a poopy May!! Sounds like you had some good results with some of the high sales, however!
Saturdays and Sundays are my days to do parties and I have had people begging for them. This past Sat. turned into a catalog party because only one person was going to be there (it is a 66 mile round trip so that is fine by me). And the host of my party for today called me last night after I had called her to tell me that she just can't do a party or a catalog party right now and that she can't sign right now and not sure when she can. I have many other things that I can be doing, but my TPC in sales will be a bust. I will probably fall within $2,000 of acheiving it!!! I am trying to do a mystery host party and have even just offered a Memorial Day sale that practically gives my entire commission and overrides away...no bites yet. Just that the situation bites!!
I am getting out my sales from past years and I am going to challenge myself to try and top my career best each month for next year! I really hate this nail biting in May.
Gotta run for now...I was going to post a thread last night on here with...come join my pity party, but decided not to...thanks for letting me get it out of my system!!

 

[pcheftammy]

My first show this month was also 'Poopy'. It was a co-host situation. There were only two guests besides the co-hosts. I did my full demo as always. My sales were $180 from the show with one booking! I know its hard to make lemonaide out of lemons sometimes. But when it's out of your hands you just need to make the best of it! I think the show closed with one more outside order and the hosts orders at $350 commissionable.

 

[PCJenni]

I had a show this month where there we 3 guest: 1 was the hostess mother who has recently suffered a stroke, 1 a women who LOVES PC but owns almost everything already and the last was a PC consultant!!! She spent the entire show asking me pointed questions about products to try to trip me up. She did place an order, which was a red flag that she probably is not an active consultant. When I offered to add her PHD to her order she told me it was no big deal and not to worry about it. She then proceeded to try to get the hostess to book a show through her!!!! $200 in sales and no bookings from that one! Sometimes you just need to let it go and write it up to a learning experience.

 

[chefkristin]

Well Mine has been the poopiest of the poopy!! I haven't had one show this month. I have a lot of maybes for June though. I have to turn them into yeses!!!

 

[heat123]

Maybe it's the month!? I had a great Jan-March with high show totals and for some reason this month they have been $450 or less! With 2 cancelled-rescheduled for June and July. ODD?!?

 

[chefbecky]

I had a show this month where there we 3 guest: 1 was the hostess mother who has recently suffered a stroke, 1 a women who LOVES PC but owns almost everything already and the last was a PC consultant!!! She spent the entire show asking me pointed questions about products to try to trip me up. She did place an order, which was a red flag that she probably is not an active consultant. When I offered to add her PHD to her order she told me it was no big deal and not to worry about it. She then proceeded to try to get the hostess to book a show through her!!!! $200 in sales and no bookings from that one! Sometimes you just need to let it go and write it up to a learning experience.

Oh my gosh you just summed up my Sat. show. I did have 6 guests and 1 past pc consultant who when guest asked questions she popped up and gave them the answers (lol less work for me). I had $212 in sales and the promise of 2 outside orders.