Frustrations with Hosts: Impact on Sales Goals and Tips for Avoiding Them

[jasonmva]

I am now starting to feel everyone else's frustration with hosts who can't follow something right.

I had a show last Saturday and told my host that I wanted to have it closed by today. She didn't seem to have a problem with it and told me she would have all orders to me by today.

Well....I just called her and she doesn't have the other orders and begged for me to hold the show until tomorrow. Some may say that I should have told her no and that I am closing the show. I went ahead and gave her until tomorrow. So, the $1800 total for October I was hoping to have is not going to be. And what's worse is that it will not count toward the November special for the fall products.

I think I have finally learned my lesson and I am not going to have shows near the end of the month anymore. However, that only gives me a possibility of only 3 shows a month.

 

[KellyTheChef]

This may fall under the "too little too late" catagory , but whenever I am trying to get sales submitted by a certain date, I NEVER tell them that date, rather I tell them 2-3 days before. That way, when they flake out on me and need a couple more days I have given myself a cushion.

Sorry you are going to miss hitting the sales that you wanted for October! Are you in your SS months and that is why you really needed to close by today? I know it really stinks if you are trying to hit a promotion and miss it by just a little bit. It has happened to most of us, I am sure....but it is still VERY frustrating!!

 

[mistym]

why would it not count towards November? You can change the date in PP so it looks like the date is November 1st. I am deliberatly holding 2 shows until tomorrow so I can get it to count.

Thanks

M

 

[pamperedlinda]

why would it not count towards November? You can change the date in PP so it looks like the date is November 1st. I am deliberatly holding 2 shows until tomorrow so I can get it to count.

Thanks

M

You might want to check with your host before you do this....the host & guest specials will change when you change the date.

 

[Koolotus]

I also pad my days but more importantly I let them ASSUME that they will not get their months host special, and their guests won't get their specials if it is not submitted by the end of business on the last day of the month.
Dirty trick, yep.
Better for me, definetly

 

[lisacb77]

Yeah I agree with Linda. Plus if you get "caught" it would not be a good thing, I think, ethically.

 

[Rebeccascabinet]

Linda's right, better check with the hostess before your change the month.

 

[Paige Dixon]

I agree, I'd rather do two weeks of 10 shows and be exhausted than book shows in the latter half of the month.

 

[jasonmva]

I am also hoping this does not affect my status because my show in September was the same thing so I did not submit that until October. Granted it was a $900+ show but I did get an email from HO asking for my October order and now I don't have one of those.

Does anyone know if I am now going to become inactive?

 

[rebeccastt]

Are you worried about becoming inactive? If you posted in October than you are safe, regardless of when the show was held.

HTH,

 

[jasonmva]

Even if I did not submit anything for September?

 

[rebeccastt]

Yep...you have to submit a minimum of $200 every two months.

 

[jasonmva]

Cool - thanks Rebecca! I am thankful that my Novemebr show is the week before Thanksgiving so I can make sure everything is submitted in time. From what her mom says, she should have a bang out show!

 

[rebeccastt]

Good luck....remember to really keep up on your host coaching and I'm sure it will be an excellent show!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Jason,
Something I have started doing that seems to work - and takes the frustration off the shows not closing on time - the last week of each month, I offer my host the option of which month they want their show to be. So, the last week of Oct. - they can choose either the Oct host & guest special - and close by the 31st of the month, or they can choose the Nov. Host & guest special, and close in Nov. I had a show on the 28th of Oct. - she wanted the Roasting Pan but with her husband's schedule, that was the only time she could have a show, and we are closing tomorrow! I presented everything at her show as a November show - her guests knew it was a November show, and we aren't closing until Nov. 2nd.....so I'm not stressing about closing on time - and she is getting what she wants! I also have shows the last week of Nov. that have chosen to be Dec. shows, so it all evens out in the end.

 

[PamperedMelanie]

Jason,
Something I have started doing that seems to work - and takes the frustration off the shows not closing on time - the last week of each month, I offer my host the option of which month they want their show to be. So, the last week of Oct. - they can choose either the Oct host & guest special - and close by the 31st of the month, or they can choose the Nov. Host & guest special, and close in Nov. I had a show on the 28th of Oct. - she wanted the Roasting Pan but with her husband's schedule, that was the only time she could have a show, and we are closing tomorrow! I presented everything at her show as a November show - her guests knew it was a November show, and we aren't closing until Nov. 2nd.....so I'm not stressing about closing on time - and she is getting what she wants! I also have shows the last week of Nov. that have chosen to be Dec. shows, so it all evens out in the end.

Thanks for posting that Becky, I really like that idea!

 

[tlennhoff]

That is a great idea Becky, thanks.

 

[jasonmva]

OK so the host called me today and still hasn't gotten the 2 orders she was waiting on! But...I turnedthis into a positive because she said she was hoping for the orders so she could have a high dollar show. I took that as my cue to inform her that she is only about $200 away from a $1k show. That made her very excited and is going to get those orders! She said her niece just moved into a new house and likes nice things so cross your fingers that she will bring in $200 if not more!

Thanks for the idea about offering which month to submit when booking near the end of the month. I never thought about that. If I did and she was ok with Nov, I would have had a great jump on the promo

 

[ShanaSmith]

I have one thing to add to all of this. I totally understand the frustration of not being able to close shows in the month that you would like. However, it is not like you don't get anything for the carry over shows, you do still get your paycheck! I think it is important to remember that even when we don't have a promotion going, the company still pays us for our work!

 

[AJPratt]

why would it not count towards November? You can change the date in PP so it looks like the date is November 1st. I am deliberatly holding 2 shows until tomorrow so I can get it to count.
M

Please don't do that. Aside from changing the specials its against the rules. For the sellathon it counts for shows held in Nov. I had a $1000 show in Oct and it wouldn't be fair for me to submit it in the November sell a thon month. Now if your show is dated for Oct and you submit it in November because the host wasn't ready to close, that's a different story.

For me, I tell hosts in order for everyone to get their monthly special it has to be submitted by the last day of the month. It is my policy for running my business. How much time HO gives me to submit a show is irrelevant to the host. One time I missed out on an incentive and I made sure it never happened again.