Argh Pulling Hair Out, Need Help

[sailortena]

I JUST got my starter pack yesterday, and I am trying to prepare stuff for my first show. In the packet I received some February Catalogs/Order forms as well as tons of catalogs for spring.

Techically my "first" show is my mother ... she is doing a catalog show.
My first kitchen show is at the very END of this month, at my sister's house.

My problem is this ... can I present these people with the Spring catalog and just count these shows as March shows, with the March host and guest specials, or do they get the February specials and I can show them the spring catalog???

I am confused because I know I won't be submitting these shows until after March 1, and the shipping and handling goes up, as well as some products being discontinued. And that wouldn't be fair if I sold discontinued products at my first shows!

Please, any advice would be appreciated.

 

[jwoodspc]

Relax!First off, congrats on your new business!! Second, take a deep breath and relax. I remember that overwhelming feeling - don't let it get the best of you! Talk to your director about your concerns. She/he is there to help!
As for your questions regarding Feb/Mar......

If the show is held in Feb, you need to use the Fall/Winter books and the Feb specials. Point out to the guests that PC is discontinuing certain products (take the time to type a list of products with prices) and that this is their last opportunity to stock up on any of them. Plus the host and guest specials are awesome for Feb!! If the show is HELD in Feb, you use the Fall/Winter paperwork - even if it is submitted in March. Use the new Spring/Summer catalogs as a teaser...."If you want to see whats in the new catalog, book a show and get the host packet tonight. You can be the first to see the new colors of Spring!". Make sure you have plenty of Spring Host packets prepared and with you!

Hope this helps!

 

[Shawnna]

If it is a catalog show, then technically you and your host can decide if it is a Feb or March Show. If you decide to submit in February, of course you must use Feb. catalogs and receipts and guest/host specials. But, if you are going to submit in March and your host likes the March specials better, then you can use March 1st as your show date and use the Spring information. As far as the shipping is concerned, if you use Feb. as the show month, then the shipping will be 3.50 because that is what is on the Fall/Winter information.

As a catalog show, your host is more free to pick this time because you are not actually "holding" a show and she is taking orders. I personally love the Feb. special because I want to get people to buy cookware...because I love it and because it is our incentive. This is a great opportunity for our hosts to get that expensive skillet for 60% off.

Shawnna

 

[DZmom]

Going Going Gone List of Discontinued ProductsI've already typed up a list so feel free to use it however you want or need to!

 

[Scooter]

The concern I have for you is what month do you have set up for your first Super Starter month? It is fairly easy to obtain and I suggest that you try to do just that...The more products you can get your hands on, the more familiar you will be with them to sell. Again, talk with your recruiter or Director and they can help you from there. Good luck with your new business and have fun!

 

[sailortena]

March is my Super Starter month. When I set up my six shows initially the end of Feb. was when two family members said they wanted to do something.

 

[janel kelly]

I started the same time last year as you are now. I remember being really confused by the whole new catalogues verses guest special and host special thing. And they were changing the whole host program at the same time- I was so confused. I ended up just doing one show in February so I only had to use the fall catalogues and paperwork one time. I would find out which host special your hosts in February want. If they want the February host special then use all the fall paperwork. If they want the March host special and they want to buy the new products coming out use the Spring paperwork.

 

[jwoodspc]

Guess I'm old school after 9 years, but Pampered Chef doesn't "release" the new products until March 1st, therefore, I don't sell them at Cooking Shows until March 1st. I use February as a huge tool for March bookings. People can't wait to see the new products, so use that as a booking incentive. You need to make sure you follow Business Guidelines from your first show on.

 

[sailortena]

Thanks for all your helpful advice! It turns out I will be doing everything for March anyway! My sister called me and changed her party to be a week later, and my mother decided she liked the March host special better and thought people would like the spring products more anyway.

By the way, where on the Pampered Chef Web site does it help you with computing sales tax? My husband and I are doing one great big catalog show for both our workplaces, and our workplaces are in a different city than where we live. Do we charge the sales tax based on where we live (where the items are shipped) or where the actual show itself is being held?

 

[Jennie4PC]

You want the tax to be where the show is being shipped to.

 

[jwoodspc]

You will always use the tax rate of the location that the show is held. It can be shipped to as many places as you want, but use the tax rate of the hosts address. If the tax rate is cheaper in the city where you work, then you could use your work address as the host address.

 

[Pampered Laura]

But if the people are ordering and having it shipped directly to them, then their own city's sales tax applies. Right?

 

[jwoodspc]

If it is an order that is being placed WITH A SHOW, but it is being sent to a different address, you use the tax rate of the HOST. If it is an individual order, not associated with a show, you use the tax rate of the purchaser.

 

[Pampered Laura]

Wow, weird! Ive always used the tax rate from whatever city its being shipped, even on orders attached to a show. PC hasn't said anything so far about the way I've been doing it.

 

[pamperedbecky]

The tax rate is determined by WHERE the order is being shipped. On page F-2 in Recipe for Success, it says, "If a customer wants her order shipped to an address other than the host's, shipping and handling charges are applied according to the chart on the back of the sales receipt. In addition, the tax rate is determined by where the order is shipped."

Hope that helps clear things up! I know I've sometimes forgotten this or messed it up and the order still went through as is, so I don't know how closely the check it, but this is how it's SUPPOSED to be done.

 

[monica_sweetconsultant]

wow that is weird!! my last show i put my mothers order on her show and direct shipped it to her in Georgia. i never thought about the tax rate even though i'm pretty sure its the same as mine. i wonder if they catch it do they fix it for you and adjust the amount of the show or what? lol...that just blows my mind some work and some dont!!

 

[pamperedbecky]

I really don't think they audit any of this. I've realized after the fact that I made mistakes on tax rates and they never contacted me and to my knowledge I don't think they ever did any adjustments. Usually it's not that big of a difference so I'm sure the time the HO office would put into correcting all of these probably isn't worth it. And think if they had to hold shows because a tax rate might be wrong on one customer's order! I'm glad they don't do that!

 

[monica_sweetconsultant]

thanks for the clarification on that. still think its kind of funny. i dont know i am totally in a goofy mood right now!!

 

[Shawnna]

I used to own a grocery store and at the end of each month we sent out sales tax to the state...with no detailed list...just that we sold this much and this is the tax amount. I would assume that HO has some kind of program that separates the tax. I live outside city limits so my sales tax is 2% less...but, I have the same zip code...they must have a way to determine what goes where. In my area, the sales tax rates are pretty close, but can fluctuate on occasion by as much as 1.5%. It is not going to make that much difference on the show level.

 

[jwoodspc]

sorry if i posted incorrect info but that is the way it was set up when i started forever ago and i have always done it that way with no problems. i haven't ever been contacted by HO to make adjustments. i checked with another long time director and she has always done it that way too. guess it pays to recheck the recipe for success occasionally!! sorry!!