Is Delaying Show Closings Hurting Your Guests' Perception?

[AJPratt]

I am so frustrated because I have been trying to catch up with my hosts to close their shows. I have 3 right now, that were 2 weeks ago. Think about your guests, people! They are going to think the delay is PC and it isn't!

 

[mscharf]

Sorry, only advice I can give is SET a date to close the night of the show. I make a phone call appt (date and time) before I leave the show!!

 

[DebbieJ]

I set the closing date on the first host coaching call. That works most times.But I do feel your pain. When I have hosts that dont' call me back, I don't hesitate to leave a message that they are keeping their guests waiting.

 

[Melissa78]

I feel it as every month now (for the 3 I am with PC) I have been up at 11:30pm FRANTICALLY trying to enter orders to close the shows on time. The only time I do understand is when a show is at the very end of the month but otherwise, talk about stressful!

 

[letscook04]

I leave a message for the host " if I do not hear from you by 8:00 tonight I will pick out your host stuff for you" and with in 1/2 hour I get a call from the host.

 

[pkd09]

This is the $1 million dollar question for me! I am getting ready to leave on an extended vacation and asked every one of my August hosts to close the night of the show (or at least within 3 days). They all said "ok" and yet one was almost 3 weeks and my last one was last night. I host coach closing the night of the show and still nothing. I applaud those consultants who are able to achieve this. So many times the host is prepared to close the night of the show to then have a guest arrive and want to take the book home to show a family member. Sometimes it is a double edge sword. Half of my shows come up with a lot of after show outside orders and then the other half come up with basically nothing. I work a FT job so my time on the phone and doing shows is a little limited. This would simplify my business so much....

 

[chefcharity]

I close my shows the night of about 90% of the time. Everytime I talk to them in the host coaching I remind them to have all orders and money collected. I say something along the lines of' 'that way, after the show the only thing left to do is unpack and deliver the products!' They have already been working on orders for probably 3 weeks, it is nice to just be done with it! I do have those hosts who have smaller shows or just know that so and so is going to order. And, actually, if they are pretty far from the next level, we go ahead and do everything to close and I give them, say, 2 days to get their other friends order. If I don't hear from them, I send it. I also encourage them to have their wish list made out so that it makes shopping easier after the show.

Not to mention, the turn around is INCREDIBLE!! The guest can get their products in days!

My director swears by it and I try to also. I am not a hard nose when it comes to it, but after they close a show the first time like that, the host usually doesn't want to go back.

You can also put a line on your invites that says something like "we'll be closing this show on 'x' date, so if you cannot attend, please let your host know what you would like before then" Not those words exactly, but still...

 

[cindylpal]

...orders after your closing date can be an add'l Catalog Show!

 

[pampered1224]

I feel for you too Ann! I had one lady who works her butt of at a full time job, sometimes until late at night. Her party was August 1st. We closed on August 21st! I was getting e-mails from her guests and I returned the e-mails simply stating that your host has not closed. Check with her. They did and I finally got her attention that way. If you have the e-mail addresses of the guests, shoot them a quicky asking them to contact their host! That might be better than you nagging her as she seems to enjoy ignoring you.