Discover the Secrets to Loving Your PC Show and Staying Motivated!

[ChefBeckyD]

In the What Do You Love Most About PC thread, I said that what I love most is doing the show. I had someone ask me what I do to motivate myself for the show, and love doing it. I thought that was a great question....and I think there are plenty of other answers besides mine, so I thought to help her out with her question, and maybe to help others too, we could discuss that.

So here goes - here's my answer.

I love doing the show - I am a teacher by education, and also by personality. I love sharing knowledge with people, and I've always been comfortable in front of people. I know, weird, but I'm someone who doesn't get nervous in front of a group. I get excited...but really not nervous. I love PC, and so it's just a natural thing for me to share with people my love for the product, and what it can do for them and their families. Because I love teaching, I also love preparing a "lesson plan". I tend to do that with my show too. I study all I can about my subject (On one of the booking audios I just heard someone say that our job is really about 90% product knowledge) so that I'm informed and can present it well to others. If I am presenting new material (new recipe and/or new products) I still use an outline for the party, mostly memory joggers to help me remember what I want to say.
Listening to Teaching Audios has been one of the best things for me - but the thing that really has helped me the most with loving my shows, and being excited in doing them is the advice that my Director gave me a couple years ago. She told me to spend 80% of my time on doing what I do best, and the other 20% on everything else. Well, what I do best is the Show! So, that's what I focus on - making sure my show is fun, informative, and entertaining from start to finish. I'm not the best host coacher, or follow up person, and I just may be the worst administrative person . I do what I have to do with those things, but I don't spend a huge amount of time on them. I've made my job FUN for myself - and I've been successful by doing that. So - that's how I motivate myself and how I can look forward to my shows...

BUT I know that everyone is different, so I think it would be good to hear from others about what you do to love your show/job?

 

[babywings76]

After attending an extremely boring Tupperware party last night, it is making me reflect on my shows. I wonder if they are fun enough. Are the guests glad they came? What can I improve on so that others are enjoying themselves. Wish I could observe my show to get the right perspective. I enjoy them and feel like it was fun, but was it to them?

 

[esavvymom]

Amanda....at the TP party, were the guests acting like they were having fun, or just "enduring it". At YOUR parties, is the body language one of "Get me out of here!", or are they laughing, talking, ordering, and seem to be enjoying themselves?I know my parties- as far as "consultant stuff" isn't all that great, but overall, everyone seems to be enjoying themselves...I think more so IN SPITE of me, rather than because of me. Unfortunately, my actual cooking shows lately have been so few and far between, I haven't had time to improve upon them.

 

[BethCooks4U]

After attending an extremely boring Tupperware party last night, it is making me reflect on my shows. I wonder if they are fun enough. Are the guests glad they came? What can I improve on so that others are enjoying themselves. Wish I could observe my show to get the right perspective. I enjoy them and feel like it was fun, but was it to them?

Have someone video tape your show and then you can critique yourself.

 

[beckyjsmith]

In the What Do You Love Most About PC thread, I said that what I love most is doing the show. I had someone ask me what I do to motivate myself for the show, and love doing it. I thought that was a great question....and I think there are plenty of other answers besides mine, so I thought to help her out with her question, and maybe to help others too, we could discuss that.

So here goes - here's my answer.

I love doing the show - I am a teacher by education, and also by personality. I love sharing knowledge with people, and I've always been comfortable in front of people. I know, weird, but I'm someone who doesn't get nervous in front of a group. I get excited...but really not nervous. I love PC, and so it's just a natural thing for me to share with people my love for the product, and what it can do for them and their families. Because I love teaching, I also love preparing a "lesson plan". I tend to do that with my show too. I study all I can about my subject (On one of the booking audios I just heard someone say that our job is really about 90% product knowledge) so that I'm informed and can present it well to others. If I am presenting new material (new recipe and/or new products) I still use an outline for the party, mostly memory joggers to help me remember what I want to say.
Listening to Teaching Audios has been one of the best things for me - but the thing that really has helped me the most with loving my shows, and being excited in doing them is the advice that my Director gave me a couple years ago. She told me to spend 80% of my time on doing what I do best, and the other 20% on everything else. Well, what I do best is the Show! So, that's what I focus on - making sure my show is fun, informative, and entertaining from start to finish. I'm not the best host coacher, or follow up person, and I just may be the worst administrative person . I do what I have to do with those things, but I don't spend a huge amount of time on them. I've made my job FUN for myself - and I've been successful by doing that. So - that's how I motivate myself and how I can look forward to my shows...

BUT I know that everyone is different, so I think it would be good to hear from others about what you do to love your show/job?

Ohmygosh I almost thought I wrote this for just a minute. Then I realized my last name no longer starts with a D.
You know what's funny, is that even though sometimes I can't tell if a guest is enjoying herself, that is typically the first guest to compliment me on the show.
Mostly though, I just have a lot of fun with people. I love sharing tips on how to pick produce or cooking tips- just little things. And I am really funny. I don't mean that in a "ooh I am so funny look at me way," but one of the things we talked about was creating our signature show- what sets us apart and to make note of our strengths. I realize that people laugh a LOT at my shows- I just make a lot of off the wall comments sometimes.
I'm not the best host coacher either, although I have made a conscious effort to be more consistent. My show average in Feb was $730 something- and with 15 shows that's pretty good I think. So the host coaching has definitely paid off.
My desk? EEK! it scares even those with the strongest constitutions. :yuck:
I honestly see success in people with so many different types of personalities, show styles, etc, that I think what it boils down to is exactly what you said- focus 80% on what you're good at- playing to your strengths.
I used to listen to what other people were doing, and I would be all- oh should I be doing that? And then I realized it just didn't fit me. And I am not having fun if I'm having to concentrate too hard on being someone else.
Ps I babble a lot.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Ohmygosh I almost thought I wrote this for just a minute. Then I realized my last name no longer starts with a D.
You know what's funny, is that even though sometimes I can't tell if a guest is enjoying herself, that is typically the first guest to compliment me on the show.
Mostly though, I just have a lot of fun with people. I love sharing tips on how to pick produce or cooking tips- just little things. And I am really funny. I don't mean that in a "ooh I am so funny look at me way," but one of the things we talked about was creating our signature show- what sets us apart and to make note of our strengths. I realize that people laugh a LOT at my shows- I just make a lot of off the wall comments sometimes.
I'm not the best host coacher either, although I have made a conscious effort to be more consistent. My show average in Feb was $730 something- and with 15 shows that's pretty good I think. So the host coaching has definitely paid off.
My desk? EEK! it scares even those with the strongest constitutions. :yuck:
I honestly see success in people with so many different types of personalities, show styles, etc, that I think what it boils down to is exactly what you said- focus 80% on what you're good at- playing to your strengths.
I used to listen to what other people were doing, and I would be all- oh should I be doing that? And then I realized it just didn't fit me. And I am not having fun if I'm having to concentrate too hard on being someone else.
Ps I babble a lot.

Ohmygosh I almost thought I wrote this for just a minute.....

My director likes to have others come observe my shows, and sometimes I'm even a bit hesitant, because I know that their personality is so different from mine, and I don't want them to be discouraged because they feel like they can't do their show the way I do mine. I remember seeing my director, and AD do shows, and thinking "wow - I can't ever be like that"...it wasn't until I discovered that I was best at being ME at shows that I really felt comfortable. I'm even learning how to host coach in a way that is me.
I love that this isn't a cookie cutter business!