I needed to come and let off some steam here with others who understand.
Ok...so here's the back story:
I had a show in July...pretty good show. Booked 3 shows, had one possible recruit lead who had also booked a show. I told the recruit lead that I was heading to Chicago, but would get in touch with her when I got back. She had asked me if she could get the bookings from the July show, if she were to sign up. Well, I said we could work something out...I mean, after all, it wasn't HER show, right? I was planning on asking to have the August show and she could take the September and of course, she had HER show. I gave her a packet to look over (she was a former consultant from about 4-5 yrs ago) and said I'd call when I got back from Chicago. She said, 'ok'. And knew I'd call when I got back. I did, a few days after I got back. She told me that she was not interested in the biz and that she had to cancel her show (in October) because she was just too busy.
Fast forward to tonight's show- a booking from July. The same gal was there because she was friends with the host also. I knew that, I even talked to her when doing the reminder calls. She was friendly, etc.
So my September booked show was a booking off of my host for tonight (they piggy-backed bookings so one each had a booking)....anyway, she talked to me privately to say she was "caught between a rock and a hard place". She said she felt obligated to have her show with me, but since she's also hosting for "someone else" , she wasn't sure what to do. I asked her what she meant- was she hosting a PC show for another consultant? Turns out...this recruit lead of mine from August- DID SIGN UP!!!! But with someone else. I was shocked. Hurt actually. Not really mad...I can't be mad at her, without knowing why...but it stung. I tried hard not to react...this girl was very nice and felt bad. I told her that she should have her show with her friend and that the booking benefit followed the HOST not the Consultant. I said I wasn't 100% sure HOW to set it up, but that the other consultant/friend and I would work it out so that tonight's host got the Booking Benefit. She insisted on doing a catalog show with me at least.
I debated Congratulating the new consultant, but she was avoiding me like I had the plague....of course, I now knew why. As I was cleaning up, I told the host that if her friend wanted, it was ok to not do the show with me. I was ok with it....and she of course knew what happened (the girl pulled her aside too). I said it kind of surprised me since I had talked to her. I said I would have been fine with it- she could have been honest with me...that's fine.
What stinks too though is the lost future business! The host tonight said had she known, she would have done her show with her- because they are friends. So all of the future business with this group is now gone- at least as long as she stays in business. AND many of these ladies are actively involved in a local PTA group- and the host and I were talking before that the PTA was thinking about letting vendors set up tables at the PTA meetings, and she asked if that is something I'd be interested in...I said of course! So of course, now that the friend and fellow PTA member is a consultant, I've probably lost that local opportunity. :grumpy:
Anyway. It stings. I know it will happen from time to time- maybe it just hurts being my first. I'm a little irritated (about the lost future business), but mostly hurt. I'm also sitting here wondering what I did WRONG that she wouldn't even talk to me. The only thing I could possibly have done differently I guess was to call her while I was traveling...but I just didn't feel that would work for me- traveling is rough enough as it is..(we were driving- my DH, and 2 boys and I).
I have a feeling maybe she signed under who she was with before- or at least I HOPE that was it.
I just had to let it out....so I can bless and release.
Ok...so here's the back story:
I had a show in July...pretty good show. Booked 3 shows, had one possible recruit lead who had also booked a show. I told the recruit lead that I was heading to Chicago, but would get in touch with her when I got back. She had asked me if she could get the bookings from the July show, if she were to sign up. Well, I said we could work something out...I mean, after all, it wasn't HER show, right? I was planning on asking to have the August show and she could take the September and of course, she had HER show. I gave her a packet to look over (she was a former consultant from about 4-5 yrs ago) and said I'd call when I got back from Chicago. She said, 'ok'. And knew I'd call when I got back. I did, a few days after I got back. She told me that she was not interested in the biz and that she had to cancel her show (in October) because she was just too busy.
Fast forward to tonight's show- a booking from July. The same gal was there because she was friends with the host also. I knew that, I even talked to her when doing the reminder calls. She was friendly, etc.
So my September booked show was a booking off of my host for tonight (they piggy-backed bookings so one each had a booking)....anyway, she talked to me privately to say she was "caught between a rock and a hard place". She said she felt obligated to have her show with me, but since she's also hosting for "someone else" , she wasn't sure what to do. I asked her what she meant- was she hosting a PC show for another consultant? Turns out...this recruit lead of mine from August- DID SIGN UP!!!! But with someone else. I was shocked. Hurt actually. Not really mad...I can't be mad at her, without knowing why...but it stung. I tried hard not to react...this girl was very nice and felt bad. I told her that she should have her show with her friend and that the booking benefit followed the HOST not the Consultant. I said I wasn't 100% sure HOW to set it up, but that the other consultant/friend and I would work it out so that tonight's host got the Booking Benefit. She insisted on doing a catalog show with me at least.
I debated Congratulating the new consultant, but she was avoiding me like I had the plague....of course, I now knew why. As I was cleaning up, I told the host that if her friend wanted, it was ok to not do the show with me. I was ok with it....and she of course knew what happened (the girl pulled her aside too). I said it kind of surprised me since I had talked to her. I said I would have been fine with it- she could have been honest with me...that's fine.
What stinks too though is the lost future business! The host tonight said had she known, she would have done her show with her- because they are friends. So all of the future business with this group is now gone- at least as long as she stays in business. AND many of these ladies are actively involved in a local PTA group- and the host and I were talking before that the PTA was thinking about letting vendors set up tables at the PTA meetings, and she asked if that is something I'd be interested in...I said of course! So of course, now that the friend and fellow PTA member is a consultant, I've probably lost that local opportunity. :grumpy:
Anyway. It stings. I know it will happen from time to time- maybe it just hurts being my first. I'm a little irritated (about the lost future business), but mostly hurt. I'm also sitting here wondering what I did WRONG that she wouldn't even talk to me. The only thing I could possibly have done differently I guess was to call her while I was traveling...but I just didn't feel that would work for me- traveling is rough enough as it is..(we were driving- my DH, and 2 boys and I).
I have a feeling maybe she signed under who she was with before- or at least I HOPE that was it.
I just had to let it out....so I can bless and release.