Don't Know What Gift to Give Out or How to Notify

[gussey30]

*sry for double posting in both forums*
I am new consultant and had my first booth yesterday.
I read on other threads idea to use drawing slips to get contact info.
I did well I think (not knowing how booths go)
out of 23 new contacts:
1 yes on booking a show.. need to set date
1 strong mb on hosting a show
7 maybes
1 strong wedding shower maybe
3 small orders

My question is.. what gift should I give
and how should I notify them?

Should I send out a customer connection email to everyone with personal note on who won and what they won? The pre-made email templates don't seem to be 'just right'.
Should I just do a regular yahoo mail?
I wanted to send out email to everyone with link to my site for anyone else who wanted to place an order.

I saw some ideas that everyone 'wins' a free cooking show but that doens't sound like a gift if you didn't want to host a show?

I can't get ahold of my recruiter or director and dont know what to do.
I know I need to send out my email today.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions, it is GREATLY appreciated

 

[dme.grant]

Hi! Sounds like you had a great first booth. All those connections are really going to set you up well. When I do booths, if I'm doing a giveaway I tell people they are entered for a chance to win a prize, then when they are filling out the info card I have them mark if they are interested in joining my mailing list, that way you don't bombard someone with emails if they're not really interested. Then, I make it clear that it's just a chance to win, not just a giveaway. I always let my daughter pick a name after I get home, then I try to call that person as soon as I can. I've done giveaways for some extra items I had, and also for cookbooks. I've also done the guest special as my giveaway, which works out really well when you're the host of the show and can just order that item yourself.

I recently took a page out of Sheila's book (she's a GREAT resource on here) and started not doing a giveaway, because I found I had so many people only giving me their contact info because they thought they would win something. Now, I talk with the people that approach my booth, then if they're interested I'll ask them about joining my mailing list. It sounds a little drastic, and like you'd be restricting yourself, but it has yielded some positive results for me and I don't feel like I'm wasting my (or their) time.

If you told everyone that they would win a prize, you might consider creating some small $ gift certificates. There are a few templates in microsoft word, and you can make it valid only if they use it through you, and before a certain date. I've found that giving gift cards (that can only be used for product, and they must pay shipping and tax separately) usually encourages people to spend a little more than just the value of the card.

Hmm, I've rambled a little, and I don't know if I've helped, but that is all I know. I'm pretty new too, but I've used a lot of the info on this site and had some great results. Good luck!!!
Dawn

 

[mom4angela]

I offer a FREE cooking show prize, and when they fill out the drawing slip (because they want to win one), I collected them all.... and guess what? They ALL win a free cooking show. You bring the recipe ingredients, you host coach as hard as you can, and whammooo, you're hosting a show!

 

[pcsharon1]

I think the answer to your question is this - you decide what you want to give as a prize (I would do one bigger prize - big still being relatively small and then everyone else gets something like a seasons best) And you contact everyone personally by phone. If you send out one mass email naming the winners then you aren't having personal contact with each person to try and get a show booked or talk to them about the business. This is a key point when doing a booth. Fast, friendly, personal contact within 24-48 hours after the booth.

 

[ShelbyMichalek]

I've found that giving gift cards (that can only be used for product, and they must pay shipping and tax separately) usually encourages people to spend a little more than just the value of the card.

I just want to note that when I do gift certificates for my family I tell them that shipping & tax for that amount is paid for.
So if I did a $25 gift certificate, it should be used to buy $25 worth of product and it also covers tax for $25 and direct shipping for $25. Then if they buy more than that, they'll pay tax and shipping ONLY on what they paid for. I hope that makes sense. I do it this way because free isn't fun when you still have to pay tax and shipping.

 

[lt1jane]

You can "cheat" when sending out the e-mail letting a person know they won a free kitchen show. I create one e-mail that I send to everyone. Because I blind carbon copy everyone, I only have to send it out once and they can't tell if they received a mass e-mail.

 

[gussey30]

Thanks for the quick replies ladies! I did tell them that it was a chance to win. @ Shelby.. that is a very good point about the gift certificate amount to cover shipping and tax too. @ dme.grant, I did ask everyone if I could email them a newsletter with a free recipe and I tried hard to do a checkmark if they said yes, but i'm not certain I got all of them marked correctly. I like the idea of a free guest special... I think i have an extra set of the adjustable measuring spoons. I wanted to send an individual email to everyone thanking them for stopping by my booth and telling who was the winner of the free gift so they know someone actually DID win something and wasn't a gimmick (although some people were wise to my contact collection tactics and didn't want to fill one out) and to offer them OR someone they know to have a free cooking show... do you think that would work?
It felt pushy to offer free cooking show to the people who clearly said they were not interested in hosting a show.. idk.. mb i'm over thinking this bc i'm new.
guess i rambled on too..
feedback is VERY much appreciated!

 

[Sheila]

... I recently took a page out of Sheila's book (she's a GREAT resource on here) and started not doing a giveaway, because I found I had so many people only giving me their contact info because they thought they would win something. Now, I talk with the people that approach my booth, then if they're interested I'll ask them about joining my mailing list. It sounds a little drastic, and like you'd be restricting yourself, but it has yielded some positive results for me and I don't feel like I'm wasting my (or their) time. ...

Awe, thanks! Glad I ciuld help!!!

I agree, do an individual e-mail to each person or better yet, a phone call! It's much more personal.

As far as what to give, make it something you can afford. If you give an item, make it something off the supply order that's discounted or something that you got for free, 50% off or 60% off by hosting a show. Or, like suggested already, go with the personal Gift Certificate that they have to redeem through you.

 

[Sheila]

You can "cheat" when sending out the e-mail letting a person know they won a free kitchen show. I create one e-mail that I send to everyone. Because I blind carbon copy everyone, I only have to send it out once and they can't tell if they received a mass e-mail.

Sorry, but I doubt you are fooling them. When most people receive a copy of an e-mail where their own info is in the bcc field, it's kind of a dead giveaway that more people were added to that field too.

 

[gussey30]

Ok.. I think i'm going to order a set of the re-useable shopping bags and give away one of those. What do ya'll think?
For the emails, I sent myself an reminder email frm the guest list, copied into word and made changes. I'm able to copy it back into a new email and 'forward' with some small editing so it will have some html images and look nice and professional. That was all I could think of with the email options available.
I'm debating between sending a generic email to everyone bcc'd or individual emails(24) yikes!).phone calls are up in the air as I am sick and had no voice today and I don't know about tomorrow.. I want to get emails out so people can look at it first thing in the morning.. most people pry check their mail and does a lil web surfing first thing on mondays if they dont get online at home.

 

[gussey30]

How's this look?

 

[Sheila]

I would change the host name "booth" to include the event name.

In the signature section, I would call the big winner first, then say "congrats to Susy H who won the drawing for [insert item name here]" ... That way everyone who gets this doesn't think they were the big winner. Assuming you didn't have a 2nd person with the same first name and last initial - make sure before you send it or you'll be handing out 2 gifts.

I'd personally do something more than a reusable shopping bag. Like maybe one of the Holiday items ... The snowmen platter, the holiday dots bowl or the cookie press.

 

[blueberrylady]

I really like your e-mail. The browse & shop and I want to host buttons are not active. If you are able to click on those and shop on your website, how do you set it up?

 

[gussey30]

Within word, I removed the hyper links and booth information so it would be more of a template.
It actually didn't copy very well BACK into yahoo mail -- the pictures didn't copy that is.
I went into the guest list for the show and emailed myself a couple of emails and then forwarded, copied my text changes and that worked. That way the pictures have the individual show link.
You can add a hyperlink to just about anything if you have the address.

 

[skaugchef]

I did a booth this past weekend. I collected enough orders to submit as a show. I gave the drawing winner her choice of what she wanted to order for $15. (the fpv earned).