Boost Your Show Average: Top Tip for Success in 2020

[wadesgirl]

This is one of my goals this year. What would your ONE biggest tip that has helped increase your show average?

 

[finley1991]

CONSISTENT host coaching. No matter what. And on the phone... not relying on postcards, flyers or e-mails to do your host coaching for you.

 

[lacychef]

Sending out the invites.
More guests=more sales

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Mine would be the same as Lacy's!

 

[vwpamperedchef]

I agree with Lacy! However, I am not off to a good start because my host had a deadline in which she failed to meet (sending me back the guest list).

What do you do in situations such as those?

 

[ShanaSmith]

Host coaching and partnering with your host. Make it about them, and making sure they have a great party

 

[stefani2]

increasing show salesmy Director SWEARS that Itemized Receipts are WAY BETTER than the write-in Receipts.

I give my Hosts "Steps to a successful Show", which includes the 5+15+5 formula, promoting your PWS, over-invite, etc. I also give the Hosts 50 in 5 hand-out. ALWAYS practice good host-coaching skills and encourage Outside Orders. Tell your Host what your goals are: 2+ bookings per Show, $600+ Show, etc....and let me know about how many orders SHE wants to have (always make it about her)...Tell her WE/SHE needs about 8 or 10+ orders, so she knows what she needs to do go to on a fabulous shopping spree!

I am going to offer Theme Shows (especially to PH) .....

 

[ChefBeckyD]

my Director SWEARS that Itemized Receipts are WAY BETTER than the write-in Receipts.

I give my Hosts "Steps to a successful Show", which includes the 5+15+5 formula, promoting your PWS, over-invite, etc. I also give the Hosts 50 in 5 hand-out. ALWAYS practice good host-coaching skills and encourage Outside Orders. Tell your Host what your goals are: 2+ bookings per Show, $600+ Show, etc....and let me know about how many orders SHE wants to have (always make it about her)...Tell her WE/SHE needs about 8 or 10+ orders, so she knows what she needs to do go to on a fabulous shopping spree!

I am going to offer Theme Shows (especially to PH) .....

Interesting...I wonder if it is a case of not being able to teach an old dog new tricks?

I read somewhere that 80% of the receipts ordered are write-in. I have guests all the time tell me how much better they like the write-ins than the old itemized ones. I switched as soon as they became available - actually, I used OOF before write-ins were available, because the itemized were so hard for myself and guests to use. Especially older guests had a hard time with them!

 

[chefmeg]

Interesting...I wonder if it is a case of not being able to teach an old dog new tricks?

I read somewhere that 80% of the receipts ordered are write-in. I have guests all the time tell me how much better they like the write-ins than the old itemized ones. I switched as soon as they became available - actually, I used OOF before write-ins were available, because the itemized were so hard for myself and guests to use. Especially older guests had a hard time with them!

Same here BUT I can see where using the itemized forms would entice folks to see things they wouldn't have the opportunity to see on the write-in.

My advice is show/talk about cookware and stoneware as well as other higher priced items....make your guests HAVE to have them! Paint word pictures if you don't have the actual product...example:

"did you know that you can bake a cake in 13 minutes? use your Stoneware Fluted Pan...add a prepared boxed cake mix and place scoops of canned icing on top of that. bake for 13 minutes in your microwave...when you turn the cake over onto a platter, the icing will drip down the sides and there is nothing better than warm choclate icing!"

You don't have to even make the cake! Think about other products you can use word pictures for and go for it!

 

[KellyTheChef]

My #1 tip: mail out full size invites.

1. You KNOW they got mailed, and how many are being invited (can host coach if not enough invited)
2. Full size invites (either folded 8x11 sheets into thirds and tape, or in business envies) will make sure that they don't get lost in the shuffle of mail, or set aside by the PO to deliver later...

All of the other ideas listed here are very good too!

 

[quiverfull7]

On the itemized receipts... that is one of the things I always HATED as a guest! That is very interesting. I refuse to use them because of how I felt about them before becoming a consultant. I remember wanting more things at a show one time but not wanting to take the time to hunt them down on the order form so I just quit and ordered what I had.

 

[stefani2]

itemized receiptsMy Director told me her Show Sales jumped at least $250 per show by using the Itemized Receipts.....

 

[Chef Kearns]

Make your shows FUN!! Play a game! Not a lame baby shower type game, but one that will get them shopping or looking through the catalog!

Here's what I've started doing this fall (I had the best fall EVER!!) I have my hosts write down their wish list. EVERYTHING! Then at the party I read off her list one item at a time, her friends have to find the item in the catalog and read the description to everyone else. Here's what happens...."Oh, my I didn't even notice that before." "Why do you want one of those?" "I need to add that to my list, too!" It gets them talking about what they are ordering and 9 times out of 10 they add a few things they hadn't already thought of to their list. AND, people who were on the fence about hosting decide that they'd like more than they can afford that day.

 

[Chef Kearns]

I forgot to mention that the first guest to find the item on the host's list gets a ticket for our drawing at the end. Usually a past season's Season's Best recipe book.

 

[scottcooks]

Collections and either Stones or CookwareEasily the factor that has increased my show average is knowing and sharing our $$$ product collections - Items you will gradually want to own over time:
-Forged Cutlery
-Woven Selections
-Simple Additions
-Stoneware
-ADDON the Kitchen Spritzer with any stone!! - see attachment
-Cookware Executive & Stainless
-Bakers Tools
-Cookbooks
-using the Good Better Best system: GOOD: Showing an item without saying a word about it - like serving on a pizza stone w/ Woven Selections underneath it; BETTER: Holding an item from one of those groupings, and talking about why it has been good in my experience, or; BEST: holding an item from one of those groupings and asking the Tom Marsten questions - who has this? What do you like about it? Is it easy to clean? Would you buy one for someone else? What else do you use it for?? - they sell one another on the products.
-and Always ALways ALWAYS demoing Stoneware or Cookware or both at shows.
Sondra Verva, top seller for stoneware and overall in our cluster, explains stones are simply a Size and a Shape - highlights their versatility, and gives 4-5 different examples of whichever one to use.

Good luck; God Bless You in your efforts!

-praying for Paige and her family-

 

[lockhartkitchen]

#1 Host Coach- Make sure your host knows everything! What does 5-15-5 mean? What does the host get? Ex. When your host knows what her part is, you will provide the rest

#2 (kind of a toss for #1, but can't have 2 #1's) Mail the invites. You are sure to have higher attendance AND makes it a higher show average

 

[PCJenni]

I upsell at check out. So if a guests buys a round stone, I suggest the rack or the mini spatula. Adding $5 or $10 on each order adds up quickly.

 

[Jean DeVries]

I"m guessing the itemized receipts are better for two reasons:

1. People don't have to write out their order, they can just check boxes or put in a number.

2. People probably have less of a tendency to realize what they're spending when it's not listed out itemized like on the write in receipts. When it's broken up all over a page, it's harder to keep track of. When it's written out in a neat little column, it's easier to say, "Oh no, I've already spent XX dollars. I better quit."

I prefer the write in, by the way, because I could NEVER find anything on the others.

 

[stefani2]

itemized receiptsYou are right, Jean. The customer won't realize half the products they have already checked off. As a customer (and consultant), I still find the itemized kinda confusing and overwhelming. I am still on the fence about which one to use for my next supply order..........

 

[wadesgirl]

I am really good at host coaching but I guess I'm not that good at making my host do I what I want to do! I try to get a wish list from them but alot of them tell me they don't know what they want so I just drop it. It's something I've always wanted to make them do but I have been discouraged by the hosts that don't know what they want. How do you get them to give you their wish list? Email, over the phone, etc?

 

[Chef Kearns]

The wish list is where it all starts. Ask them, "well, what did you have in mind when you booked your party?" They might throw things out like, "oh, it was just so much fun" or "I really liked that DCB, but couldn't get it at Susie's party" or "I haven't had my friends over since we moved" You can always lead the conversation based on what they say. Just work with her over the phone (if that's how you host coach). Suggest things. Start with the first page. She won't need too much prompting. She'll soon be letting you know what she likes.

 

[Sallie_M]

There is a great doc in the files called "I'm Ready to be Pampered" This went in to all my Jan. host packets with instructions to get it back to me by a certain date to get the free SB & Quikut.

I only have one show before Leadership, but have gotten the info back from later shows. This is a great starting point for host coaching!

 

[finley1991]

I use the write-in receipts. I did use the itemized for about a year, then I switched. My show average went up $200 per show when I switched. The reason... there is so much on the itemized, people gave up ordering something because they couldn't find it.Host coaching to get the wish list, guest list, etc. TELL HER WHY YOU WANT IT!!!! If you just tell her you want it, she as no real reason to make it a priority! Remember, our hosts are just as busy as we are! If you don't justify why you need it, it's just another "thing" SHE has to do to have the show. We want to make it as easy as possible for her!