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[cmdtrgd]

Tuesday TipsOkay gang, I have decided to embark upon a weekly email newsletter titled Tuesday Tips. I sent out the first one this past Tuesday and haven't gotten much of a response, but I do need to change my team members, so I wasn't too surprised. Thought I would share them. I'm giving one tip for each of the following 5 parts of our business: booking, cooking shows, recruiting, host coaching and customer care. Here they are!

Booking

When someone marks Yes or Maybe on the drawing slip, DON'T ASK THEM AGAIN! They have already said Yes or Yes, but... Say, "It looks like you're thinking about having a show - what month were you looking at?" That gives them the opportunity to tell you a month, a rough time period, or that they want to choose from the specials. You can also say "It looks like you're thinking about having a show AND I noticed you were eyeing (whatever host special they were excited about) - did you realize that is on special in X month?"

Host Coaching

I'll admit, Host Coaching is not my strong suit, but I am getting better. Something that has worked for me is to set aside a chunk of time (an hour or two) once a week. Wednesday nights from 6:30-8:30 are my Host Coaching and other calling time. I can get all my Host Coaching calls done at that time and have a great feeling of accomplishment! Plus, the more practice you get at one specific type of call at one time, the faster you will become fabulous at it!

Cooking Shows

Make your shows fun! This can seem like a daunting task, but it really isn't. What you need to do is find something off the wall about the product you are talking about. For example, when you are discussing the stoneware benefits, say "our Stoneware has microscopic pores which open up and wick away moisture as well as some fat. When I heard that, I immediately went home and sat on my stone for an hour and a hlaf to see what would happen."

Recruiting

Be honest and believe that what YOU found with The Pampered Chef is an opportunity everyone can try. Have you ever found a great restaurant that had amazing food at rock bottom prices? Did you keep it to yourself? NO! You told your friends and family about it. Isn't your Pampered Chef business a great opportunity, too? Let people know about it and what you are excited about and then let them talk and ask questions.

Customer Care

"Is there anything I can help you with?" That is an amazingly powerful question. Just call your customers and ask them that. Take care of their issues, if they have any, and then ask if you can tell them about an amazing deal we have going on (whatever it may be). Tell them you immediately thought to call them and didn't want them to miss out. They will appreciate that as well as the opportunity to make THEIR OWN decision!

 

[BethCooks4U]

Thanks so much for sharing! :love0010: Now I need to get my creative juices moving and come up with some of my own too! Keep sharing!!

 

[cmdtrgd]

Here are the next ones....I'm a little late this week.BookingWhen you are trying to get a booking at a show, ask the potential host "which host special appealed most to you?" or "which host special did you want - x or y?" That way it isn't as scary as immediately picking a date.Host CoachingLook at your host as your business parnter. When s/he gets what s/he wants, so do you! If you focus on the host and their wish list, you will make them feel important and special. This may sound cheezy but, no one knows how much you care until they know how much you care about them.Cooking ShowsMake your cooking shows SHORT! Do as much prep work as you can when you get there. Nobody needs to see the chopper chop food more than once! If there is a guest that is there early, ask them to help you prep. Then, during the show, ask them how they liked the product - they will sell it for you!Recruiting"Have you ever thought of doing something like this?"
THEN DON'T TALK!!!Customer CareCall anyone who has ever bought from The Pampered Pantry to see if they need more. Tell them about our new Sweet Caramel and Sweet Cinnamon Sprinkles and ask if they want to try them. Wouldn't you love it if the grocery store called you to see if you needed more milk? This is the same service.

 

[cmdtrgd]

Already have next week's done...woohoo!
BookingThis may seem simple, but it is very powerful. Make sure you replace each existing show with at least 2 bookings. When you do that, you will not have to search for bookings! Your goal should be to rebook the host (did you know they can get two host specials when they have another show within 6 months of the original if you book off the original show?) and get at least one other booking.Host CoachingAs soon as you get a booking, go home and send out a postcard confirming the date. Better yet, get a calendar with each day of the week on a separate day (like the ones you usually get in an office setting) and send that to the host you just booked. You can find cooking calendars with tips or funny stories - the host will keep it and keep you in mind!Cooking ShowsAt your Cooking Shows you should be letting the guests know what to expect. I always let them know that we will be discussing cookware, making a yummy recipe which can be found on my website and learning lots of tips to make them faster and better cooks. Then we will play a couple of games WITH prizes and eat. If they know what to expect, they will sit back and enjoy themselves instead of wondering when it will be over.RecruitingAsk your possible recruit what they would do with an extra $100 a month - better yet, have them write it down. Then explain that the average consultant going out and doing an average show (our National average is $470) makes about $100. "Imagine what you could be making with 2-3 shows a week!"Customer CareCall your show customers three weeks from when the order was shipped to make sure everything is to their satisfaction and out of the box! If there is a problem, you can easily submit an adjustment and the Home Office will either tell them to keep (or throw away) the product or will pay for them to ship it back. If you call more than 30 days after the shipping date, the customer has to pay to ship it back.

 

[shelliebeard]

Thank you so much! These are such great tips. I want to start doing this with my team weekly too. I need to write it on my calendar because it seems like it's always Wednesday or Thursday when I think about it.

 

[cmdtrgd]

I use Constant Contact and can create the emails and have them scheduled to go out on specific days and even times! I have next week's done and scheduled. I am working on the following week's email right now. What I would like to end up doing is take an hour or two each month and get that month's emails ready to go so I don't have the chance to forget....like this week's didn't go out until today.

 

[cmdtrgd]

One thing about Constant Contact is that it can give you a high when you see how many people have opened your email (and then think of all the ones that can't be tracked which means your numbers are most likely higher!!!) and it makes it all worth while.....until you send out 22 emails to your team (active and inactive) and only 1-2 open it...ugh!

 

[cmdtrgd]

And the next week's one. I kind of cheated on the Customer Care one...heh
BookingIf you are having a hard time getting a date on the calendar for a show, ask these simple questions:
1. Which host special (or month) were you looking at?
2. Are week days or weekends better for you?
3. I have "date2" or "date 1" (say the closest one last, they will most likely pick the last date they hear), which works for you?
If you can't get them to pick a date, ask if you can pencil them in on a date so as not to lose it to someone else.Host CoachingI got this from a website for PC consultants:When doing your host coaching, go over ALL of the host benefits with them.
Just like you wouldn't leave out their FREE items they will earn,
you should mention the "kit buy down option" of $20 or $40 as one of their BENEFITS!!I had a host coaching call tonight, and I did this. Once I went over her free, half price, discounted items, free shipping, monthly host special, then I said there is one other benefit that you can take advantage of. If you are interested in starting your own business, you can use $20 or $40 of your free items to "buy down" your starter kit from Pampered Chef. Then, I was just quiet. She asked how much the kit was...so I told her and explained what all comes in the starter kit. Then, I asked her if she had ever considered owning her own business. Then I was quiet again to see what she had to say. It led into a small discussion of her starting with us! I kept it VERY simple and then told her we could talk about it further later on. She is thinking right now!! I am so excited! This way of wording it really made me feel like I was doing her a service...not being pushy.Cooking ShowsYou will most likely come across a customer at a show who has a horror story about a product. Say "Oh, great (happily) what was the problem?" They will tend to tell you no matter what, so you might as well act happy to be getting the complaint. You can either help to fix it or talk about the guarantee - it really is a great way to segway into our guarantee! Then, you can use that story at another show to humorously teach others what NOT to do with their products. I had a customer who HATED to use the Egg Slicer Plus to slice olives. I asked her to come up and show me what she was doing - she was slicing ONE olive at a time!!! When I showed her she could do a small heap, she immediately told everyone they had to get one - one of my highest sellers that night! RecruitingWe all have been new to Pampered Chef at one time. We all have forgotten to ask our hosts if they had ever thought of doing something like this. Call your past hosts that you didn't offer the opportunity to and tell them "I was new and I forgot to ask...." or be honest and say "I screwed up and didn't ask you...." They will appreciate the honesty and you might get a recruit, booking, order or referral!Customer CareAre you developing long-lasting customer relationships? Learn how to provide quality customer care that will build your business. Take the Customer Care course through the Online Training Center and tell me one thing you learned and will implement into your business. When you do this, you'll get a prize from me!

 

[cmdtrgd]

So, I'm done through the end of the month. If you have tips for next month, post them here!!!

 

[cmdtrgd]

So, I'm back working on my Tuesday Tips. Here is this weeks:BookingPut a smile on your face BEFORE you pick up the phone to make those booking calls! It makes a HUGE difference!Host CoachingPrint out the Host Coaching Checklist (you can find it in the Online Training Center) and laminate it. Keep it on your desk or next to your phone or with your host coaching materials. Take it out each time you host coach so you can refer to the list as well as the words to say - I still use it after 2 years!Cooking ShowsDon't ever stop talking!!! As soon as you do, someone will take over the show and you will have lost valuable attention from your guests. Fill the "dead space" with tips on how to use the products, pass around products you aren't using and KEEP TALKING!RecruitingI just heard someone talking about not wanting to recruit because they didn't want to lose their business to their recruits. Here is what I told them:Take a step back and take a breath! My hottest recruit lives in the same subdivision as me. When we did come across someone who she approached and I was already their consultant I said "I would like to keep this person on my customer list" and we were just fine. Now, when you recruit someone, let them know that you will help them with their first show and help them to get bookings and recruit leads from THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. If their friends and family are on your list, be ready to lose them as customers. Keep them in your database and on your email list (if you do that) in case your recruit doesn't pan out for the long run.That being said, get your bootie in gear and do your Customer Care calls and other follow-up calls so you are THEIR consultant.Also, I do tell my hosts to support their friends and family if they happen to have a show, but to keep me in mind if someone in their circle wants to have a show.Just be up front with your recruits and be ready to let go a few of your customers!And lastly, if YOU don't recruit them, I WILL!Customer CareTry making BIG MAC calls for a month. BIG MAC calls are the Morning After Calls. They still are weird for me, but I am forcing myself to do them. You call the morning after the show (or two days after if the show is on a Saturday for me - I don't work on Sundays) and thank them for coming, ask if they had a good time, ask if they liked the recipe, offer the recipe to them (or direct them to your website) and see if there is anything else PC that you can do for them. I also like to ask if they have any gift giving coming up and if they have anyone else that they know of who likes PC but couldn't make it last night, then I try to get the referral info.

 

[cmdtrgd]

Week Two - BookingHard up for bookings? Host your own Mystery Host Cooking Show! Invite everyone you know and offer free shipping if they bring two adult, buying guests. Raffle off any overstock you have (or products you are willing to put on their order and pay for them) as well as the host benefits. Offer great incentives for bookings - maybe a free Saute pan for booking and HOLDING a show before the end of November - that gives you bookings AND Pan-o-Rama points!Host CoachingPost cards are a great way to keep your name in front of your host, do some quick host coaching and giving your host a smile - who doesn't like to get mail that isn't bills?Cooking ShowsGiving your guests catalog markers (want it, gotta have it, etc) is a great way to get their wish list AND to make sure they get everything they want. If they can't get everything they want, ask them to host a show! Merrill has their guest flags on sale this month!RecruitingGoing along with last week's "not wanting to recruit" portion, here is some more info. Now, if you don't want to recruit, that is totally fine. If you come across someone who is interested, ask them if it is okay if your director contacts them and then give me their info. I would rather have them in our cluster than in someone else's! Here is another response to not wanting to recruit:I struggled with whether or not to post this but I decided to anyway. There are a lot of consultants who will agree with you about not recruiting and sharing our biz opportunity. I'm not one of them.It's too bad that you won't actively share our amazing opportunity with others. It's selfish. Someone shared it with you and you know what the benefits are, why wouldn't you want someone else to experience the same thing?Our opportunity might just be what someone needs so they don't have to declare bankruptcy or to put braces on their kid's teeth... and you won't share it because, why? And you say you're sharing, but are you? Just giving them info they can get on pc's website isn't really sharing, is it?And I know what you're thinking, if they REALLY want to sign, they will anyway, right? That is right, and they will sign with someone else, and that person will reap the benefits of the extra money earned from recruiting. And in your eyes, if someone who lives in the same town as you becomes a consultant, you'll still be out the bookings, right? So why not earn the overrides from it instead of losing out entirely? It's a lose-lose all the way around when you don't share with others.Just be open-minded and see the other side of the story.Customer CareMake sure your customers know about replacement parts. They are a great way to make a customer happy without very much effort on your part! If you don't know how to order replacement parts or how to find them, let me know and I'll guide you. The nice things about our replacement parts is 1. they are inexpensive, 2. no shipping charges, 3. they make your customer a customer for life!

 

[cmdtrgd]

Week Three -
BookingCheck out the Do You Love a Bargain flyer in the Free Flyers section on www.TastyTidbits.net to get your hosts working on bookings, too! It shows them how easy it is to keep getting the host special for the next 6 months!Host CoachingGet the guest list from your host within one week of booking the show. Use this line "the hardest thing you are going to do for this show is to make the guest list. I'll need it in one week."Cooking Shows"Cooking Shows are like QVC meets the Food Network, but you get to eat the food!" A great way to explain a cooking show.RecruitingSend out recruiting emails to possible recruits from your Personal Website. Then, make sure to follow-up with a phone call to discuss the emails. Customer CareUse open ended questions when making customer care calls like "How are your products working out for you?". Stay away from questions that can be answered with a Yes or No.

 

[cmdtrgd]

Week Four -
BookingTry out the 3 of the 3-2-1 program and make those 3 LIVE calls/contacts per day. Email me next week with your results!Host CoachingPART ONE
(Stolen from a post)At my last monthly consultant meeting in September - our meetings are held the first Saturday of the month until our director's NEW house is finished.My boss (she hates it when I call her that) told us to try something new with our host at our shows.Ask the host for her wish list a head of time - I got my host list off of her/my website.I brought the products that I had and made/printed an index card or the products I didn't have.Cooking ShowsPART TWOThe day of the show, I put the products all together from the wish list on the coffee table. After everyone was there, this is how it went.After the introductions and some basic stuff, I asked the guest if they knew why I put the products there on the table and then asked the host if they looked like what she wanted (I didn't tell the host that I was doing this)After there response, I went down the list of products and prices. I then went on to say that if Melissa wanted all this stuff - as a guest she would have to pay $$$$$ but because she is a host she will only pay $$$$$ and if someone books a show for October off of her she will save even more because she can get her stone with handle for only $11.95. They couldn't believe it, they asked why and how and had two people book show right there and then - WOW.This was a fun way of showing what the host gets right there. They were amazed. It really pushed home how much the host gets. I also told the guest that the more the host guest sales are, the less the host will pay plus the host will get even more products FREE.When I got to the host's house, the host had $125 in outside orders, 17 guest showed up, 2 bookings, guest sales when I left was $728 and then when it was all said and done, her total guest sales was $1201.05. She was so excited. She said that people wanted to help her to get a few more products FREE and so they either added to their order or they decided to order after all (she had 3 co-workers that told her 'No Thank You' from my website before the show but after they heard what I did the next day at their place of work, these 3 people ordered something to help her also)I couldn't believe itAs a Thank You Gift - I ordered her the Patrotic basket liner because her mom had already bought the tablecloth and towels. The host ordered the chillzanne rectangle server and the woven basket so the least I could do was to buy the liner for her to match everything else.She was a GREAT host.RecruitingCan you think of two people who need Holiday cash? Two more people who need time outside the home? Two more people who LOVE to cook? And two more people who HATE to cook? These are ALL possible recruits! Write down your list. Beside each name, write why you think they would be good and call them and tell them!Customer Care"Make Me Feel Special " by Amanda GoreReader's Digest often has wonderful little "thought provokers." In one of their issues, I read a comment by Mary Kay Ash, the founder of a very successful cosmetics company. The advice she gave to salespeople was to pretend every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says "make me feel important."I thought about this and wondered what life would be like if we all walked around imagining that every person had a sign around their neck that says "make me feel special." Think about it - we all want to feel special and that we matter to those around us.Human beings thrive on recognition! It's the number one motivating factor in the workplace, the number one driver of behavior in personal relationships, and - if we can't matter to you in a positive way - then we'll cause arguments or conflict so you will have to notice us.What about children? If they are ignored for any length of time or if they don't feel special, what do they do? Anything to catch your attention - perhaps smear chocolate on the walls, bite your ankle while you're on the phone, and in general - they misbehave! But at least then you notice them.Think about how your reactions to people would change if you saw this "make me feel special" sign every time you looked at them (even if they don't necessarily deserve it). I bet you would be amazed at the results! Maybe you would have less conflict, or people would treat you better, or with more respect, or they would seek out your company and want to spend more time with you.To me, this is one of the most powerful communication tools I can think of. I've tried it and it really does change your mindset/attitude/approach (whatever you want to call it) when you communicate one-on-one and in groups.How can you make people feel special? Well, try giving them your full attention when you are listening! Stop all that self-talk that is going on in the background. (You know, that little voice that mutters judgments simultaneously as they are speaking like "that's ridiculous!" or "how long is this going to take?" or "I'm missing the last episode of America's Got Talent while she's blabbing on and on!") Notice how much more quickly someone may stop talking because they feel you have really heard them.Or you could try remembering their name; or some issue that was worrying them the last time you saw them and ask them about it; or the names of their children; or that there was some major event coming up in their lives and asking them about how it went; or by acknowledging some accomplishment of theirs; or a compliment about how they look; or what they did. There are a zillion things we can do to make other people feel special!You could comment on a child's behavior when he or she was quiet while you were on the phone - telling them afterwards how much you appreciated their being quiet while you were talking - instead of shouting at them when they interrupt you.Perhaps you could just smile at someone. What would the effect be if you tried this approach on strangers?! If you saw everyone as wanting to feel special - the bus driver, butcher, business person, accountant, policeman, store clerk - and tried to think about how to do that, everyone you meet for the first time would have a great first impression of you, because you made them feel good about themselves! Helping others boosts your immune system, so when you make other people feel special, you are also promoting your own health.The other aspect to consider - and this is critical for wellness - is that YOU are walking around with a badge that says "make me feel special," too! When you look in the mirror, you see this neon sign flashing back at you, and hear a voice saying (maybe even pleading!) "make me feel special." If you find yourself looking in the mirror and muttering "yuck," or "geesh, look at those wrinkles," or "oh no, I look awful," or any of those familiar phrases we use to make ourselves feel anything but special...STOP!See if you can find some aspects of yourself - behaviors, as well as physical and/or personality characteristics - that you are proud of. Think about comments others have made to you that made you feel special or unique. Remember and relive times when you felt wonderful, excited, or proud. These will all help you believe that you're special - because you are! You're unique and so is everyone else. We all have special gifts and if we recognize and acknowledge them in ourselves and others - just watch, hear, and feel how your world changes for the better!

 

[cmdtrgd]

And Week Five -
BookingDid you know that if you book and hold two extra shows a month and save your commission from those shows, you should have enough saved to make it to Leadership in January? Keep it up and you'll have enough saved to go to National in July!!!Host Coaching"Host Coaching is EVERYTHING!" Wise words from my director and your National Executive Director. If you don't partner with your host, you don't have control over what happens!Cooking ShowsI always take the Round Up From The Heart Trivet with me to each show and pretty much start the show with that. I usually sell 1-2 at the show. I tried something new at a show and added another 3 trivets to the orders. I had the trivet with me at my "check-out" area and asked each person after I put in their order if they wanted it. People weren't offended (probably because they remembered me talking about it) and 3 said sure! That was an extra $36 in orders and $6 more to our local Food Bank - not bad for just one question!Recruiting50% of our hosts become consultants. Why not let it be you who asks and reaps the benefits of recruiting? If you don't want to recruit, go ahead and ask and then forward their information on to me - I'm happy to add them to our team!Customer CareHow have those BIG MAC calls been working out for you? I have been forcing myself to do them and people are responding well. If you don't feel comfortable doing them, try to make your calls during the day when most people aren't home. That way you can leave a message and still be providing good customer service!

 

[cmdtrgd]

Whew...done with another month...hopefully they are getting something out of these. At least I know I am!

 

[BethCooks4U]

Thanks again! What a great job you are doing of compiling ideas!!:sun:

 

[PamperedChefDebi]

These are awesome! Thank you!

 

[dannyzmom]

These are so wonderful - I am going to start sending them out on Tuesday! THANK YOU for compiling them!

 

[pamela]

WOW! What an awesome idea and all the work you have put into this is amazing! It ALMOST makes me feel guilty just cutting and pasting to my team! Thank you so much for these nuggets of wisdom!

 

[cmdtrgd]

Margaret - don't feel guilty because some of it I copied and pasted from CS!

 

[chefkristin]

Hi All

I was wondering if anyone here believes in ghosts or have had any personal experiences.

I have had several. One time I was in Maine on vacation. I woke up because I had to go to the Bathroom. My sister and I shared a bed. I checked to see if she was breathing (motherly instinct) and when I looked over I saw my grandfather standing next to the bed. I shouldn't of been scared but of course I was so I pulled the covers over my head and when I peeked out he was gone.

I also saw my grandmother on a different occasion not too long after she died.

 

[jlevernier]

When my Mom passed away, we were sitting at the kitchen table talking about her family (my grandma, my uncle). The cross on the wall above the picture window fell off, onto the floor. It had been hanging there for over 10 years and had never fallen off. It was the cross on my grandfather's casket when he died.

We always figured it was our Mom on her way to heaven telling us to be nice when talking about her family!

--Jenny L

 

[Admin Greg]

I had a rather serious friend who swore she saw a ghost in her basement. Sticks by her story to this day and she's not the one to joke around. But with that said overall I don't believe. Might as well believe in dragons. Seems just as likely.

 

[Carissidy]

I have many examples and have been known to "read my feelings" to others. Nothing planned just suddenly happens. Kinda scarey but neat at the same time. I believe in spirits and that they are here only for unfinished business. I have had my fair share of experiences...

 

[chefkristin]

I am really intrigued by the whole thing.

When my grandmother died, I went to FL with my dad. We stayed at my Mimi's
house(my grandmothers). She never liked a lot of people in her house and there was a lot after her funeral. Her aunts and uncles and cousins, etc... Yes Aunts and Uncles she had were younger than her. She was a pack rat. I think she thought she would run out of paper products. Her garage wall at paper towels and toilet paper stacked!! Well it was a free for all in that house. They were all taking things and asking if they could have this and that. It was crazy and it really upset me. I knew my grandmother would not be happy about all those people there at once. Well at the end of the day after everyone left I was lying on the couch and I could see the bathroom from where I was. I had been talking to my grandmother all day. I was mad that she left me, I was sad she was gone.
A ball of emotions. I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. It was the bathroom door. Mind you we are in FL at the time so no windows are open the AC is on. So I said, "Mimi if that is you, close the door so I know."
Do you know that darn door closed! I know it was her because I felt her there all day. No I am not crazy. I asked my dad later after we got home if anything
weird happened to him while we were there. He said Oh you mean when Mimi closed the bathroom door. Coincidence?? I think not.

 

[JAE]

Just want to participate, but I don't really want to share my real beliefs because I don't want to start anything. I will just say that yes, I believe in "ghosts".

 

[friday]

I believe in ghosts. I am told that when I was a toddler and my grandfather died that I spoke to him and scared the heck out of my grandmother. We currently live with the ghost of a boy of probably about 12-13. I don't know anything about him, but everyone in my house has seen him from time to time. He looks something like my oldest son, so everyone (except my oldest son) initially mistakes this boy for him until they realize he is not a physical presence.

 

[Shawnna]

I do not believe in ghosts. However, I do believe that we are always entertaining angels unaware. I do believe that the angels of God battle daily with Satan and his angels. And I believe that from time to time, when we need a spiritual boost, we are allowed to see God's angels. I don't believe that we are visited by our loved ones, exactly, but I think if we need to see them God allows us to see their form.

 

[reba515]

I believe in ghosts too. I have a really long story about the house I grew up in but a shorter story is, in my last apartment before I married my DH it was just me and DD we would always see a black cat roaming around the apartment, weird!!

 

[erinyourpclady]

I do. I lived on an island that a horrible battle happened on and it was crawling with ghosts. They don't bother me.....and after living on said island......living next to a cemetary does not freak me out.