Awaiting a Response: Working with a Potential Recruit with Family Issues

[babywings76]

I have a potential recruit who contacted me in reply to my last newsletter saying, "i haven't forgotting u at all i have been dealing with family issues."

She had approached me when I was at Walmart one day. She said she had gone to a fair and met a consultant and the consultant never followed up with her. She wanted to host and maybe join. But all my attempts to work with her have always not worked out. She is someone who financially needs the business, but can't afford the kit. I've given her all the creative ways she could start, but the few times I contacted her there seems to be something going on in her life. Last time it was 2 deaths in the family. Before when it was regarding hosting, she didn't have money and there were illnesses going on. I'm not sure what is going on now. And this latest e-mail was just her replying to my newsletter, I hadn't even called her. So it makes me think she's still interested.

I don't ever want to seem insensitive to others personal & financial situations. I try not to push them. I usually let them know that I'm here and when they are ready, I'll be here ready to help them. But that doesn't ever seem to get me anywhere. That just seems to be too passive of me I guess and I lose them. I know how PC can help her, but I don't know how to balance trying to excited them and get them to see how PC can be something positive in their life that can bring things around and blend that with not pressuring them if they are feeling overwhelmed with their personal life stuff. KWIM?

Anyone have any advice?

 

[BethCooks4U]

If you can get her to meet with you to talk about it you could show her examples of others who joined when it would seem that a lot was happening in their lives and how it helped them through it. One story that always sticks with me is:

(I'll call her Mary) Mary was recently divorced and she was left with more bills than her paycheck allowed. After paying the bills she could either buy groceries or gas and she chose gas so she could get to work. Then she was invited to a PC party. She went because they had food there. Her friend suggested that she'd be good at PC and her brother agreed and loaned her the money for her kit. Her first commission check was enough to pay her brother back and for her to go grocery shopping for the first time in 2 years. Several months after starting her business her mother was attending one of her shows and she cried when she heard her story. No one knew that the reason she would show up at mom's or her sister's house so often during at dinner time wasn't because she wanted the company but it was because she was hungry.

People join for many reasons. It sounds like this person wants to but feels overwhelmed in her life. I hope you find a way to show her that this can be a lifesaver for her. When I was going through a cancer diagnosis and other major issues a few years ago and illnesses and deaths in my family I was so grateful that I had PC to take my mind away from all that. Not only did it distract me from the heavy things going on around me, it helped me cover the extra bills that resulted from those things.

Amanda, I hope this helps you help her.

 

[Nanisu]

Well, I guess my take on it is this: if you are comfortable enough to meet with her and find out what kind of "family issues" she's talking about, and you could offer help with that, great. My honest experience is that when they have family issues that are taking up that much of their mental energy they probably aren't going to be consistent in business, and you wind up being frustrated or their counselor, neither of which I particularly want to do...but seriously, if you are comfortable with that, PC just might be the answer to their problems.

 

[Sheila]

Here's my advice. Call her right now & say:

Hi _____,This is Amanda with Pampered Chef. I don't want to pester you, but I don't want you to think that I've forgotten about you either. I know you've had a lot of personal things going on that are prohibiting you from following your desire to be a Pampered Chef Consultant, but I wanted to let you know that there's an opportunity call tonight at 8 PM CST (or your time zone) where you can call in & listen to New Consultants talk about what Pampered Chef has done for them. There's no obligation, of course, just call & listen. If you decide tonight, next week or next month that you are ready to sign, I'd love to have you on my team & I'm ready to help you with your new endeavor. Should you decide that it's not right for you, at least you've had the opportunity to make an informed decision. If you think you can call in, grab a pen & paper & I'll give you the call in number real quick ... (712-432-0900 Code: 680787#). ...

 

[carpenter32536]

You should follow-up. I know a consultant who said she waited over a year to sign up because it was never the right time. Sounds like she is like that, and the right time will eventually come.

 

[esavvymom]

The key would be to keep staying in touch with her. You cant change the issues or make it better obviously. SHE has to want to overcome them and take the first step.

 

[Sheila]

Speaking of overcoming issues ... Here's something I read yesterday on a leader's forum to prove the theory "where there's a will, there's a way":"I'm so excited to share that I have a lady on our team on STRICT bedrest in a hospital bed and has recruited 2 consultants and has her scheduled shows holding!!! She's had the hosts do the shows and recruited 2 of them!! She's also scheduling cooking shows and doing them via skype!!! What an inspiration she's been to us! Thought you might enjoy the story!"

 

[babywings76]

Thanks for the reminder Sheila about that call for tonight. I did just call her and I left her a message like what you wrote there. I also sent her an e-mail because I think they go to her phone if I remember right and that way she could see the # and possibly call. We'll see. Can't hurt to try, right? Doing nothing yields nothing, so this at least is an attempt at something!

 

[cookingwithlove]

Amanda, Definitely stay in touch with her, but don't bend over backwards to make the business work for her. I have had people on my team with "issues" some are like Nancy said you end up being more of support for their problems than a business for them. However, others are able to work with the issues they have and be very productive. I no long try to "fix" the situation for them. It is not my job to solve how they are going to make it work; it is just my job to give them the opportunity. The ones that figure out to make it work end up doing much better in the business.

 

[EmilyStraw]

My mantra - remember that people are people, not dollar signs. In this case it sounds like she might be interested, many people I know that have been like this really don't want to add "another thing" to their lives and I am okay with that.