Dcb Booking Tool - Is It Working?

[nancycookspc]

I don;t know about you but I have people get MAD at me that they cannot purchase the baker.
They do not want to host anything.

Yeah I have a few bookings for the baker- but not as many as I hoped for-

If you are successful with e booking for the baker --please share.

 

[DebbieJ]

Hahaha....I hear ya.One of my last shows, no one was listening at all. I made the 10 min pork tenderloin. I mentioned several times the booking thing. One person tried to order it. Others asked about it and were pretty mad too. I didn't expect such a negative response. I spun it so positive, too!

 

[wadesgirl]

I have had a few more bookings because of it but all of my hosts are getting it!

 

[nancycookspc]

I just email HO- maybe if enough of us complain they will bring it back-

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I just email HO- maybe if enough of us complain they will bring it back-

They are working on bringing it back. That was the whole point of not selling it except to hosts for a while - to be able to create a stockpile so that we could sell it to everyone again. I can't see where it would benefit anyone to complain.

 

[esavvymom]

It's probably that if we are dangling a carrot in front of their face and saying how GREAT it is (which we know it is), and then snatching it away from their grasp as they reach for it and we say " ah ah ah! You have to host a show first!" That's how it would look to me- like they were 'bamboozled'.You and I know that isn't anyone's intention, including PC's, BUT try telling them that. It's about the perspective. Many people go to a home-party with their defenses up anyway against "pressure to host", etc.....this probably just resurrects their wall.just an observation as from someone who is the person in the room with her defense-wall up.

 

[Liquid Sky]

It's probably that if we are dangling a carrot in front of their face and saying how GREAT it is (which we know it is), and then snatching it away from their grasp as they reach for it and we say " ah ah ah! You have to host a show first!" That's how it would look to me- like they were 'bamboozled'.

You and I know that isn't anyone's intention, including PC's, BUT try telling them that. It's about the perspective. Many people go to a home-party with their defenses up anyway against "pressure to host", etc.....this probably just resurrects their wall.

just an observation as from someone who is the person in the room with her defense-wall up.

VERY, VERY good point! I am that person as well (defense wall up) and that's exactly how I'd think of that dcb announcement at the show. It's great to always get into the minds of the customers to find a good route to take.

I do feature the baker at every show, but I DO NOT use it as my main demo. I made that mistake at a show that wanted the fajitas....and 10 out of the 20 guests there wanted the baker and were floored to know they couldn't order one. I think maybe like 1 person at that show booked a show to get the baker. Others booked as normal (because they would have wanted to host anyways).

 

[ChefCKHall]

You know, my sales have gone down because the bakers were taken off market. However, I still use them as my main tool and explain how they can get one and how easy it is to do so.

So far for September, I have 13 shows and 4 catalog shows. One gal who just closed her cat show at $650 told me on phone that she never would have done it if she could have just bought one. She wanted the baker bad!

CK

 

[shelly.nurse]

I try to focus on some of the other great products we offer. I sold several fluted stoneware bakers at my last show by doing a pineapple upside down cake in the microwave. People, even some "seasoned veterans" of PC shows didn't know that we could do that withe the fluted stoneware!!

Cookware doesn't go over too well either. I agree that it is tough to tell customers that they can't have it unless they book a show. I was at one show where a customer really wanted one, the host already had one, so I told them that "were you to work something out with the host, it would be fine with me!"

 

[chefsteph07]

I get asked "why" the baker is a host only item, but in general, I don't think it has hurt my sales or bookings. I really, genuinely believe that every home should have one,and I state that at my parties. I still feature it as my main piece, but I have found that I've been doing a second recipe, which I'm not really happy about. As far as if it's working for me or not, I've ALWAYS used it as a booking tool, so it's really no different for me. Most of my hosts wanted to host specifically to get that anyway.

 

[chefsteph07]

They are working on bringing it back. That was the whole point of not selling it except to hosts for a while - to be able to create a stockpile so that we could sell it to everyone again. I can't see where it would benefit anyone to complain.

It doesn't look like it will be back until at least spring though, at the earliest, since they changed the fall catalog to indicate it is a host only item. I do hope they bring it back as well, but I don't have my hopes up.

 

[BethCooks4U]

It doesn't look like it will be back until at least spring though, at the earliest, since they changed the fall catalog to indicate it is a host only item. I do hope they bring it back as well, but I don't have my hopes up.

Well, I still have hope that they'll come out with a mid-season catalog which includes the DCB available to everyone. Wishful thinking, I know.

 

[flemings99]

I had my first group of "mad" guest the other night. I think if people aren't familiar with the baker and if they haven't been long time customers of PC then it is no big deal. For those that have hosted with us before or have been long time customers--it's a big change for them just like it was for us.

Most DS companies have host only items so that isn't new to guest.

My group was up-set b/c several of them already had bakers they got as guest and were planning to purchase another for a gift. Some of them were also previous host and knew we hadn't had products that were host Only before.

In the end I got 3 firm, and 1 possible booking out of 7 guest! Wahooo!

 

[esavvymom]

Basic principle - You can't please all of the people, all of the time.

 

[kristina16marie]

just curious, but when are you guys talking about the dcb being host only? at the end when they want to buy one? i talk about the dcb as part of my opening (whether we're using it for the main demo or not) and then i mention that it is only available to hosts, but once they see it in action, they'll want to have it in their kitchens. then i ask the host in front of everyone - how easy was it to host a show? i've never had anyone get mad. disappointed, but never mad.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

You know, I haven't had anyone be mad or even upset about having to book a show to get the baker - and I have a completely full show calendar through October right now.

I explain FIRST that we have ONE product in the entire catalog that is a "host only" item. Then I explain to them why that had to be. Then, I tell them how amazing it is, and how everyone who has it loves it. I tell them that it has, since it came out, been the #1 item my hosts want - and that fact is still true.


I think if you are up front and honest about it, you'll have much less resistance. It's when you string someone along, have them fall in love with it, and then give them the "catch" that they get upset.

 

[Liquid Sky]

I mention that it's a host only item several times per show. People still get all tangled up no matter how many times I say it. They ask me again to confirm...and I am like....did you not listen to anything I said during my entire 30 min demo?? lol

I think they get upset b/c they get the strong desire for one while seeing it in action and learning about it...and they aren't willing to host to get one. So, really they aren't mad at me but at the fact that they pin themselves in and make it so they can't get one for themselves.

 

[flemings99]

I tell them it's host only from the beginning. I've only had the 1 show upset over it. Again I think it was b/c they weren't expecting PC to have a host only item b/c we never have had host only items and they were long time PC customers.

 

[Becca_in_MD]

It doesn't look like it will be back until at least spring though, at the earliest, since they changed the fall catalog to indicate it is a host only item. I do hope they bring it back as well, but I don't have my hopes up.

There's always the hope that there will be little stickers we can use to cover up the "host only" in the F/W catalog if they're able to make it available to everyone before the selling season is over.

 

[Tropicalburstqt2]

Becca, you're so optimistic.

 

[chefsteph07]

Yes, Becca, you ARE optomistic!

I don't know, I rarely had anyone who bought a baker outright at my shows, they always waited until they could host. I highly doubt that all these people at the shows who are getting mad would actually BUY one that night, maybe they are just getting upset over the fact that it's something they can't buy if they "wanted" to.

 

[leftymac]

Yes, Becca, you ARE optomistic!

I don't know, I rarely had anyone who bought a baker outright at my shows, they always waited until they could host. I highly doubt that all these people at the shows who are getting mad would actually BUY one that night, maybe they are just getting upset over the fact that it's something they can't buy if they "wanted" to.

Just depends on your crowd. When we could sell the baker, I would sell 4-5 at every show.

Only time people got mad was when I did a show with a woman who had bought a baker and told all her guests about it, and they were mad they couldn't buy one. they weren't willing to host to get one though.

 

[Becca_in_MD]

Really people, let's recall that I am usually the cynical nay-sayer on here. I only thought of the stickers b/c of what someone on stage hinted to Dan Arwine. She said something about maybe they would come out with them. He ignored her, very tactfully.

I used to sell several DCBs at a show and had hosts ordering 2 on their order. I took DCB recipes off my list for the summer but put one back on to test the waters. Tomorrow night we're doing the fajitas. I'll see what happens.