Free Stuff With Miscell. Order on Party-Can I Keep It??

[chefjwr]

I have a party with a hostess at $750. She does not have any other orders to get her to $800. If I put some orders I was putting together onto her show and it goes to $800--Can I order something with the extra $25 in free product for my business ex. product I don't have to show. Will this cause a problem somehow? It is complicated by the fact that her discount will change from 25-30% and she has already paid for her order. Do I leave her payment as is --order the $25 in product and go on or can somehow this haunt me??

Julie

 

[pamperedbecky]

Hmmm, I typically let the host have the extra benefits if I add orders to her show and it gets her to the next level. It doesn't really do me much good (other than having extra sales, more commission and maybe even the next level in the sell-a-thon or something like that), BUT your host would be thrilled and may even spread the word to her friends how nice you were. Maybe that would even equal a booking down the road or something.

That's just my two cents. Wouldn't the show be shipped to her anyway? Then she'd know that you added orders onto her show and she may wonder how that affected her show total.

 

[jrstephens]

If I am doing a show for a close friend, I add orders and keep the FPV. I do let them have the additional discount though. I only do this if it is someone I am close too. And I ask before I do it to make sure it is ok.

 

[chefjwr]

I ran into this issue in my mind when the hostess seems to be struggling to come up with enough items to order for free and I kept wanting the $112 worth of orders I have to be a real party. However, I am running out of time--leaving on vacation and thought well maybe it would be a better benefit placed on a party with high sales already--leaving me with $25 free which is better than the catalog show benefit.

Julie

 

[janetupnorth]

I've done it to boost them usually, but I've had a friend let me take her host special - it was her offer/idea actually - she asked if I could do it but I said only with your permission. ALWAYS ask first, don't just do it, that's how consultants get a bad rapport!

 

[cmdtrgd]

I bumped a $300 show to a $500 show once and told the host what she got from her orders as well as the extra % off and, I think, an extra half-price item. Then I told her I would be using the rest of the FPV. However, I could have submitted the $200 as a show itself...I didn't want my show average to go down...petty, I know, but I felt I worked for those extra orders. I agree with Ann, as long as you ask permission or offer something extra and say you will be using the rest.

 

[chefjwr]

Yes, I agree about the payment for sure. I can adjust her credit card payment but still it is sticky. I may keep trying to create a party--I hate to let orders go when they get to over $100 especially when I need parties for July and I may be able to hold them till the 1st day of July. I need a $38 order--I am sending out good thoughts for someone to call with a random order. Everyone auuum Concentrate and hum--auuum.

Julie

 

[jrstephens]

Yes, I agree about the payment for sure. I can adjust her credit card payment but still it is sticky. I may keep trying to create a party--I hate to let orders go when they get to over $100 especially when I need parties for July and I may be able to hold them till the 1st day of July. I need a $38 order--I am sending out good thoughts for someone to call with a random order. Everyone auuum Concentrate and hum--auuum.

Julie

Sending thoughts your way for more orders too. It would be great to get a head start on those two shows for July for the cookware. I thought about doing that for the ones I have now but two are over $60 and they wanted the BBQ bottle for free. Keep that in mind too if any of yours are over $60 and you hold them for July.

 

[chefjwr]

Oh--yes the BBbottle freebie. Excellent Point!!!

Julie

 

[pcheftammy]

I bumped a $300 show to a $500 show once and told the host what she got from her orders as well as the extra % off and, I think, an extra half-price item. Then I told her I would be using the rest of the FPV. However, I could have submitted the $200 as a show itself...I didn't want my show average to go down...petty, I know, but I felt I worked for those extra orders. I agree with Ann, as long as you ask permission or offer something extra and say you will be using the rest.

Do you add yourself as a co-host when you do this?

 

[cmdtrgd]

No. A consultant can't have a cohost. I told her what the benefits were at her $300 show and asked if she was alright with me bumping it to a $500 show. She was. Then I told her the difference in benefits minus the free product that I felt I earned - I went out and worked for those orders. I did give her more free product than she earned because she had the show sent to her house and bagged and boxed up the orders I collected. Make sense?

 

[PCJenni]

I always just add these stragglers to a show. I make a point of telling the hostess so that she is excited about it. AND appreciative!

 

[gilliandanielle]

I must be the bad seed of the bunch! I take the FPV and run! I feel like I worked for the orders, so I should get the reward. I ship all the shows to my home, so I never have an issue with that. My hosts never know the difference...

 

[chefjwr]

Well I have always in the past just added the orders on and again helped the hostess and gave her more to smile about. This hostess seems to be running out of what to get and I sooo need a party guarantee for July. I have decided--I am coming up with $20+ extra and file those 2 orders as July party. These incentives are great but I feel a lot of pressure especially for July--2nd level is $3000 requirement.

 

[Pampered Laura]

Julie, if you have a $3000 mo in July, I'm coming to your house with purple slurpees and confetti just for you *swoon*

 

[BethCooks4U]

I never keep the host benefits if someone else is the host. I give them to the host as a thank you for letting me add it to her show - if the show is shipped to the host it is more work for her because she has to separate my orders too. I do make sure that they know that I helped them get more. They love it and tell others.

I would think a host would be insulted if I told her that I added to her show but I was keeping the extra benefits. IMHO.

If I want the host benefits I put together my own show.

 

[chefjwr]

Ohh I want purple slurpees and confetti. The pressure is on!!

Julie

 

[Jules711]

I only keep it if I know the person super well and they don't care or if it's shipped to me. I sometimes DO give it to the host if she's worked hard and I have a random order just happen to come in. However, if I really tried for the orders (or I push it over), I do tend to keep it. Again, only if I'm super close to the host or it's shipped to me.

 

[kaceyleigh2]

I always give the FPV to the Host. A lot of times if they are close to getting to the next level, I will have my mom or husband order something so they can get more FPV! At my last show the host was like $11 away from the next level, so I had my husband order a cookbook and I of course get to keep it for myself LOL.

 

[Jules711]

If the are THAT close, I encourage them to order something on a guest order. It's a good payoff for them.

 

[MomToEli]

One of my shows fell short, and I added an order I had collected, plus ordered some for myself. I talked with the host about it all. We negotiated - she got the free product, I got the host special and used the discount (her order was not discounted). The alternative was going to be to add her show orders to another show so her guests wouldn't have to pay the shipping.

I had the order sent to my home and she got a hand written receipt.

This was a good friend, and she felt really bad about the results of her show. I don't know what I'd do if it were a stranger ... but I would be concerned about the orders from her guests and the extra shipping costs if they turned into individual orders.

 

[chelynn]

Wouldn't all the products go on one receipt? So only one of you would have a receipt, and the extra products would show up on the host's receipt, but she wouldn't get them.

 

[chefjwr]

OK. I think I will not add the small party to the big one and claim the $25-$50 in extra Free Products--#1 it makes my head hurt and I don't want to offend my hostess even though she is done and happy as is with her order and reward #2 She will be going out of town before I'm back in town and the products for those 3 people will be unclaimable until after July 18th. So that is solved. Next, do I hold the little party over to July to make sure I have 2 shows in July?? It was all a go with fling July 2nd until one customer changed her mind and wanted the June special instead of the July. The other customers don't have a special available in June anyway. I will be getting a BBBottle from another party this month--someone who's order was short $6.00 so I asked her permission added the extra product and will end up with a BBbottle--I could give it to the change her mind girl from the small party and drag that party to July. I wish I could make $1500 in June but even with the little party I will be at $1212 and I am leaving tomorrow and not back until July 1st. This strategizing is exhausting!!

 

[Pampered Laura]

My opinion (which you know already) is to submit everything you have this month for June... and spend your time in July getting parties for July. There is a whole month to get 2 parties or more in for July.
Also this little put-it-together catalog party you're thinking about also doesn't qualify for the 2-show cluster incentive we're doing either. So you still need 2 or more parties for July
Get your commission for the orders for June, and get bookings for July and you'll be good to go!

PS: Bring a bunch of catalogs/order forms with you in July on your vacation. You never know what orders you'll get with you actually THERE in person at your reunions... those family members may appreciate looking at a catalog if the opportunity arises.

 

[MomToEli]

Wouldn't all the products go on one receipt? So only one of you would have a receipt, and the extra products would show up on the host's receipt, but she wouldn't get them.

If you print them from P3, yes. If you hand write them, only if you hand write them that way ...

Of course, you won't have a receipt for the stuff you buy if you need to make a return. That's the downside.

You could put it all on one receipt and give the host if it is a good friend, of course. But, if she moves or stops speaking to you, you are in the same boat.

 

[chefann]

Actually, you can enter it as a co-host order. Then it's not on the same receipt.

 

[MGG]

When I get orders and no one who has a "good" show is close to the next level I always put it on the struggling show-unless I don't like the hostess. The best commercial you'll get from a host is about a fun party but a close second and always a question from friends is "what did you get free?' I figure the more stuff they get free the more referrals I will get. It is paying off because I get about 1 show a month just from referrals. Unless I've collected alot of orders (like at Xmas I had a $600 show from a fair and customer calls) or I want it shipped to me I always put things in on some one else's show.

 

[genburk]

I must be the bad seed of the bunch! I take the FPV and run! I feel like I worked for the orders, so I should get the reward. I ship all the shows to my home, so I never have an issue with that. My hosts never know the difference...

I am with you Gillian. We must both be bad seeds in this bunch of grapes !!

I had two shows, one closed at $65 and the other at $70 something. Both had issues happen between the show and closing and didn't WANT to get more orders. So I combined the orders, added my own $15 order to make it a show, and shipped it to my house. I made deliveries and kept the benefits. Of course a $150 show only gets $15 and how was I going to split that amongst two host ?? I didn't feel bad about that.

I did however get the host special of 2 stoneware @60%off. Neither of them wanted that either, one was married 2-3 months, new baby on way (after wedding) and moving from Ohio to OK - no money, the other host had her house broke into and financial problems and moving back in with Mom and again - no money !!

I did keep a half price item from bumping another show up for a co-worker also. My host didn't know about though, I shipped the show to my house.

 

[peichef]

I used to give my hosts the extra free product and discount, until every other direct seller I know (and even my director) told me I was being foolish. Now I use the extra free product to add to my own collection or to get things to have on hand for trade show giveaways etc. As for the discount, sure, give them the extra 5% off . As it was explained to me, you're rewarding the host for her efforts. We already have the most generous host program around.
And... I must admit, as much as I loved giving extra free stuff to hosts, I really enjoy getting some for myself, too

 

[DebbieSAChef]

I give it to hosts unless......I always give any extra orders to my hosts who have tried really hard gathering orders and are pretty close to the next level. That way they are encouraged and feel appreciated, plus they always book again.

If a host is barely at $150-200, and doesn't try to generate more sales with outside orders I will just keep the FPV for myself. And since it's a small show I will ship the show to me and seperate it for her to get my stuff and deliver the seperated bags to her so she can get them to her friends and family.

If it's a good friend who couldn't generate too many sales but did try, she willd definitely get the extra orders I gathered.

I also encourage the host to order something if she is very close to the next level and after figuring it all out, will be her best way to benefit with her show.

Debbie