Boost Your Bookings: Tips for Growing Your Audience Beyond Family and Friends

[KaiKendall]

My family and friends have been great and supportive in having shows, but my circle is small everyone kinda just goes to each other's shows, and I'm not getting any more bookings, and not from people I don't know! I have one or two shows booked for Nov from people I don't know, but I have a feeling it's gonna be small, and I might not get anymore bookings! What do you do when your business is plateauing...I'm just past my 30 days! I started off strong, and want to keep it going!

 

[Jolie_Paradoxe]

I'm sure you've done this already, but keep your eye open for opportunities. Are there people from an organization, from church, from work...people you do business with? Pass out some recipes, continue to ask everyone. Tell your hosts to tell their guests to bring a friend or two.

When you're out & about, make sure you have something with the PC logo. Be ready to open a dialogue when someone shows interest.

 

[babywings76]

Use the catalog tote and be ready with recipe cards to hand out with your info on them, plus a note pad or drawing slips for people to fill out their info...tell them you'll send them a catalog in the mail. Then you can follow up with them.Find an opportunity to do a booth at a fair/festival/expo somewhere. Even getting just one booking will then introduce you to a new customer base.Check out the pampering a business threads. I haven't done this yet, but others have had some success with it.Ask people for referrals, too. When you say you are just starting out, that is a great excuse to give people.

 

[doughmama]

My family did not host a party for me until a year after I started. I had a few friends host at the beginning. But one of my first hosts was my dog groomer.

how about an open house? or leave a catalog at your nail salon, hair cutter, dentist's office. I did this for a while and thought I was wasting my time but after a few months got some phone calls with orders. (That's one reason why you never throw out old catalogs).

I also called people who I had spoken to in years. told them that I would love to catch up but first wanted to let them know that I was starting my own business and while we haven't seen each other in a while, would they do me a favor and help me get it started.

and you have two parties in Nov so good start. maybe offer an extra incentive for people who fill specific dates that you want filled.

And one last bit of advice, if you go into your party desperate for more parties, you won't get them. just go in, have fun, relax and they will come!

 

[cookin to the top]

Do you know EVERYONE in your neighborhood? Have a Before-the-Holidays party! (If it's just before Halloween, you could have a fun costume contest...) Invite your whole neighborhood (Flyers?) and your hairdresser, mailman, beauty consultant, everyone you can think of. The more the merrier..... then really play up the bookings part of your show. Not everyone will know what PC is, let alone the awesome benefits- teach them! Good luck!

 

[susanspc]

I am having a similar issue. I was given the idea of having an open house. I called 3 other product ladies (Lia Sophia, Scentsy, and a new product called thirty-one). We all invited our customer lists. The Lia Sophia lady has been doing this for several years, but the rest of us are new. We will then get the chance to meet people outside our circle, who we would NEVER have the chance to meet. We are going to give away all the hostess benefits separately in a drawing. They will get entries for coming to the show, an order of $60+ from any of us, bringing a friend, ect. We will also have a dear santa letter for people to fill out. I will then contact the santa and tell them what was requested. I will wrap and deliver to the santa before christmas!We each are having an incentive to book that day for a future show also. I am going to have a free product in each host catalog (under $10) that I put in a host packet.

 

[kcont]

Network!! Find local groups that meet for this purpose. You can find them online thru your local chamber of commerce, ABWA, meetup.com. This has been very helpful for me. One of the groups called themselves "Wine, Women, and Wealth"....I had to join just of the name but as it turned out I am the only PC lady and they wanted one!!

 

[aprilmlittlefield]

Why do you think your November shows will be small? Talk to your hosts! Get them excited about having a bigger show! Maybe even give an incentive if they have 40 people they invite, like a free small product, or the Seasons Best recipe book.Also, make sure you are contacting everyone in your address book and email contact list. I recently got three new contacts so easily it was weird! One was a friend's sister who decided to try me as a consultant because she knows me and it would help me out. Another was a friend who really couldn't afford to order anything, so I hadn't asked her, but turns out, she recently discovered Pampered Chef and wanted to splurge on herself and help me out at the same time. The third one was the receptionist at the garage where I get my car work done. I asked if I could put my business cards on her corkboard, she asked what I did, I told her, she placed a $65 order two weeks later! And she may be hosting a show next month!You know those people that might want to help you out, but don't want to have a party? Do a Mystery Host Show with them. They earn a "ticket" into a drawing for meeting certain goals for you....like placing an order is one ticket, getting an order from someone you don't knwo is another, placing an order over $75 is another...and at the end, you draw a name or two out of a hat to raffle off the host benefits (remember, you can have cohosts!). It's how my last three contacts I just told you about placed orders! And between the three of them, I had my $150+ right there to qualify as a show!!! It blew my mind!Just keep working it! Keep trying! You can do this!Who knows? Maybe that one show in November will have 3 bookings off it, and you will be busy until Christmas!Good luck!

 

[Jen1409]

I'm having the same problem, only have 1 show booked for November and a probable show for December. I want to get at least 2 shows in a month or more if possible. It just seems like no one in this area wants to do shows.

 

[ChefRiGuy]

All it takes is ONE booking outside of your friends and family...so look for those opportunities EVERYWHERE...the first time I did PC I got stuck in my circle. but this time I was able to get a booking from a random person, and because of that it has just blossomed like crazy. I keep getting bookings off shows and it is always people I have never met.

 

[scottcooks]

Get on the phone with those November hosts and ask them to please invite people you don't know. Particularly as a guy, networking is a little different. Explain "I don't want to have to rely solely on my own friends for my future business, and Pampered Chef is so amazing, I want to share it with lots and lots of people."Try to hook into people's work circles - volunteer to do a lunchtime or a 4's show (4:44 at their work and every 4th person gets $4 off their order (you pay their shipping--put it on the host's order) so people who know they want to buy something are encouraged to invite someone else along just for the fun and food.Lastly, get on the phone. Call your list of 100 - keep up your energy; it will happen!