How can I get more bookings for my business while my husband is deployed?

[afwife98439]

Ok, Ive had 2 bazaars, One was two days straight. I got two more orders to add to a show and i got 1 booking. I can't seem to get bookings!! I've advertised and what not....I think my next step is putting it in the base paper...but I don't know how much thats going to be. I can only put a flyer up on one place on base and that sucks. My husband is deployed right now and can't really help me very much. My brother is trying to help as well but I am not qualifed to do individual online orders yet. I don't know what to do....I'm running out of options and its getting frausrating...I have a meeting tonight with my directors and what not...maybe they can help me or something. I was hoping the two day one was going to be my big hit but there wasn't enough people to show up. Most of my action happened on the 1st day. Anyways...I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or what it is. I'm thinking it may have something to do with me being a month away from my due date and nobody wants to book with me just in case something happens you know....but i don't know. Its been a month into this business and its just not going....I know it takes time and what not but wow...i didn't expect it to be soo dry around here...( sorry I'm also venting my frausrations....) Anyways....If you have any suggestions I would really appreciate it!!! :cry:

 

[erinb]

How many shows have you submitted? How long have you been living on base? I'm asking so I can maybe come up with some ideas for you.

 

[chefann]

You mention that you had bazaars, but did you phone everyone on your list of 100 and ask them if they want to have a show? Let everyone know that you're starting your business and could use their help.

If you want to take individual orders online, you can set up a show on your PWS with you as the host. Customers would then enter that info to shop. Since you need to transfer those orders to P3 anyway, you just enter them there as individual orders.

 

[afwife98439]

How many shows have you submitted? How long have you been living on base? I'm asking so I can maybe come up with some ideas for you.

I haven't been able to submit any shows because the orders i have so far don't even come close to a qualified show...Ive lived on base for 6 months and I just started at the end of november. Don't really know anyone, so yea..i just feel stuck right now...

 

[erinb]

Ok, I signed in Oct. and got off to a really slow start. I don't know anyone in my housing community, other than the direct neighbors. I decided to have an open house and printed off 180 flyers for it. I went around stuffing them in every newspaper holder until I ran out. I have also read about consultants going door to door and personally inviting people. They have a harder time saying no when they are face to face.

You don't have it as easy as some, but you can do it!! Just stay positive and don't get into a slump over it. You know you could always have friends that live far away do catalog or cyber shows. I had my friend and my SIL do long distance catalog shows for me.

I hope this will help some, I will keep thinking on this. I too lived on a military base and know how it can be to "warm up" to people. Hang in there!!

 

[sfdavis918]

Ok, I signed in Oct. and got off to a really slow start. I don't know anyone in my housing community, other than the direct neighbors. I decided to have an open house and printed off 180 flyers for it. I went around stuffing them in every newspaper holder until I ran out. I have also read about consultants going door to door and personally inviting people. They have a harder time saying no when they are face to face.

So how did this turn out Erin?

 

[erinb]

So how did this turn out Erin?

I had $168 is sales, got two phone calls from people wanting to be added to my newsletter list and 1 booking from it.

It wasn't quite as well as I would have liked, but it did get me a step further than what I was

 

[heatherkiss]

Don't worry. You're doing great. Every party you have should have 2 bookings. Before you know it you'll be booked up and booking in advance.

 

[jlaughrin]

I know how you are feeling. I just qualified after being a consultant for a year. I am having a hard time finding bookings. I finally got my daughters old teacher to host a show and it was a $1000 show. Which was awesome just no bookings. I seem to sale good just not get many hosts. I hope to pick up after the holiday break. We will see. Keep up all the hard work in the mean time. As far as living on the base. Maybe put some catalogs at the hospital and get some shirts to show off while shopping at the PX and Commissary.

 

[Pam Moore]

hey don't limit yourself to the base. See if they have a locate YMCA or something equal to that and join up also go by the Chamber of COmmercer if you are on one of the State side bases they will have the inforamtion on upcoming events in the area and definitely start wearing logo clothing. If you can't afford the ones from Merrill do what I did when I first started and I purchased a few blue discounted shirts and went and had them embrodier with the PC logo. But the t-shirts with Merrill I believe are about $10 or so. you only need one or two. Also if you will email I can send you some other ideas that might be able to help. I moved less than a month after I start with PC and have had my share of ups and down. Total understand the frustration but if you hang in there you will see some changes. The Mascot for my team is the Turtle probable can figure out why. The truth of the matter is that each person on my team started out slow and it took each on them 6 months or more to get qualified and sometimes they do go to get a show in for months. Please remember to use that list of 100 and you might do a Mystery show where you get people to collect $50 -100 in sales include theirs and enter them into a drawing at the end. The prize will come from the free products you get from adding all the orders together. It really helped my biz. when I joined a church and I told a few people what I was doing and asked for their help or to refer me to someone if they couldn't help. Hang in there and here is my email if you want to contact me about more info on moving your biz. to a new location. [email protected]
P.S. you might want to check into one of those support groups that they have for the wives of deployed soldiers you could find some real support there. Go luck and Merry Christmas.

pam