Booking Shows with the Envelope Game: Sheila's Success Story

[Cr8vKitchen]

Let me just tell you....I was having the hardest time booking shows AT my Cooking Shows. I'll set the stage...

Last show- 7 guests, NO bookings
Show before that- 20 guests, 1 booking

The list goes on but I won't bore you...you get the picture. Well, I did two things--

1) Watched some of the videos on Consultant Corner regarding getting bookings and got word choices
2) Adapted the Envelope/Everyone Wins game for my purposes

Had a show last night--it wasn't a huge show regarding sales however, we played the game and I got FOUR, yes, FOUR bookings from it--2 catalog and 2cooking!!! Did I mention there were only 6 guests to begin with?!


I will be playing the game at every single show moving forward! And to top it off, every single one of them gave me the "let me look at my calendar and let you know" line. I used some word choices from the videos and got every one of them on my calendar LAST NIGHT AT THE SHOW!

Can you tell I'm excited?! Just had to share!
Sheila

 

[ChefBeckyD]

YEA, Sheila! Good for you....congratulations!:thumbup:

 

[babywings76]

That's teriffic! Way to go!

 

[KimberleePowell]

What did you do for the envelope everyone wins game?

 

[BeckyC5830]

...
2) Adapted the Envelope/Everyone Wins game for my purposes ...
Sheila

That is fabulous about your success in booking four shows! Way to go! Can you share more information about the Adapted the Envelope/Everyone Wins game or lead me to where I can find the information?

Thank you so much!

 

[Jolie_Paradoxe]

Great job Sheila! Congrats on not giving up, and finding the solution to the problem! Whoo Hoo!!!!

 

[esavvymom]

That is fabulous about your success in booking four shows! Way to go! Can you share more information about the Adapted the Envelope/Everyone Wins game or lead me to where I can find the information?

Thank you so much!

Yes. Please share!

Congrats!

 

[tlag1986]

Great job Sheila. You will be able to turn your business around with this type success. Please share your game.

 

[DeeDee616]

Ditto please share! I too NEVER get bookings at shows! It's soooo odd! HELP!

 

[BlessedWifeMommy]

Congratulations on your success. Just curious what words you used to get them to pick dates and not just say, "I'll go home and look"?

 

[lisaskitchen#1]

I am new here and I have my second cooking show this Sunday. I didnt get any bookings from my first and would love to know about this. Please help!!!

 

[BlessedWifeMommy]

Another idea to get bookings is to team up with your host. When host coaching, Get her excited about the next month's host specials (but refer to them as booking specials for her). Tell her that she will be eligible to purchase them when her guests book from her. Also, make sure she knows that a guest doesn't need to place an order to be eligible to host a show. Instead of saying "do any of the upcomming host specials interest you" you say, " in July the booking special is the ultimate mandolin or the Stainless steal bowls, which one of those would you like?" "In August, the booking special is... which piece of cookware would you like?"Disclaimer: These are not my ideas (very little of my PC thoughts are my own).

 

[baychef]

Disclaimer: These are not my ideas (very little of my PC thoughts are my own).

Ummm...in my 9 years I think I have had one original idea of my own...and it wasn't that great or I would have remembered what it was!!! The event was more memerable than the idea!!!!

 

[Cr8vKitchen]

Sorry about the delay in getting this posted but I had to fix it so it would make sense to someone other than myself. Haha!

I've attached the rules & explanation of the game. I was a little nervous about doing it because I didn't want anyone to feel like I'd forced them to book a show. However, I gave everyone the opportunity to NOT play the game before we started. AND, during full-service check out, those who chose 'book a show' envelope, I gave them another 'out'. It may seem like that would defeat the purpose of the game but at the end of the day, if a guest feels like they were forced to do something they didn't want to, they'll end up canceling which will cost me time & money. I'd rather give them an 'out' AT the show then to find out 2 weeks prior to their show that they're canceling.

As far as word choices for getting them to book AT the show....when they said "let me check my calendar and get back to you", I said "Let's go ahead and pencil in a date tonight so [Host name] will get the booking benefit. You can check your calendar when you get home and if that date doesn't work, not a big deal, we can choose another date." I then told them I only do shows on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and which of those days would work best for them. It worked in every instance! If you make it about them helping their friend [the host] out, they will do it.

MY disclaimer--both the game and word choices are NOT my own. I found the game on this forum and the word choices from Consultant Corner.

I hope this helps someone as I know I've received so much help myself from this website. I'd love to hear if anyone else has success with it!!

Sheila

 

[Jolie_Paradoxe]

Thanks Sheila!

 

[PamperedK]

When you say you gave them an 'out' at the checkout, what exactly did you say?

 

[Cr8vKitchen]

I just told them that I didn't want them to feel like they had been forced to do something they didn't want to do...and then kinda left it hanging. They each said, 'no, I'll do it'.

 

[shari4god]

fun idea
what if there are more than 11 people at the show?

 

[c00p]

This is a fun idea.....but I'm thinking it could become very expensive, very quickly. IF you give away a grand prize item at each show valued at $20, and you have 6 shows in a month, then your MINIMUM expense is going to be at least $96.00 (figuring $20x6=$120 then 20% discount for ordering it as personal order). That's a lot. Then, you mentioned that if they book a show before they open their envelope that they get "free product". I don't know what you give here, but again, even a $1.00 item could add up quickly.
I'm not saying this is a bad idea - not in the least. I'm just thinking that personally, I would need to scale it back a bit so as not to spend more than necessary.
Glad that you had such great success!

 

[lisaskitchen#1]

I did a game at a baby shower that might be fun to do thats kind of like this one. It's a game where you have 2 sets of dice and 11 envelopes and had one set of dice go clock wise and the other set counter clockwise. To start, once someone rolls that number they pick up the envelope. Then as the game goes on and the envelopes are all chosen we did it for 7 minutes but you can make it shorter or longer, but as they keep rolling they can steal the envelope from each other. You can pick a special number for stealing or you can do it as the 1-11, and once the timer goes it all stops. I would do it if they have an envelope already they can't steal someone elses, that way one person dosent end up with five. I announced once there was a minute left and all of a sudden they moved so much faster. This game was so much fun and it got everyone excited, you should have see them. This way you can take away envelopes if you only have eight people or if you have more then ten then some won't get one. The more they will try for one.

 

[SUZIEQCONSULTANT]

On your dircections, you have 3. If their card says ‘win grand prize’, they take the prize (show prize)
If their card says ‘win a prize’, they take the prize (do NOT show prizes)
Do you have the prize wrapped or in a gift bag etc? WHEN do they open it to see what they have?

I know I wouldn't be giving a prize valued at $20.00 but $10.00 could be doable. Nice idea

 

[scottcooks]

It's so cool - when I did it I was blown away at the results. I think it works the very best to do a "stack the host" first. That way, people can imagine most clearly what they will "get" for hosting.

 

[pampered.chris]

It's so cool - when I did it I was blown away at the results. I think it works the very best to do a "stack the host" first. That way, people can imagine most clearly what they will "get" for hosting.

Stack the Host confuses me. I get the whole idea but when I am at a show, I get nervous when I go to do it and I can't "add it up" in my head to figure out the "almost perfect" mix of products. So I never do this. I need to start.

 

[Cr8vKitchen]

Haha...that's why I didn't do 'stack the host'. I figured I would get so flustered trying to add everything up (plus, I'm only in my 4th month and don't have a whole lot of prices memorized yet)!

 

[Sing4Him1977]

I have a questions about the "Everyones a Winner Game" I saw that you only have 11 game pieces. What do you do if you have more than 11 people at your show? I like the idea of this and I want to use it this Saturday at a Fundraiser Show but I will be having more than 11 people attending.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Venessa

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" Phillipians 4:13