How Can I Make My Show with 30+ Confirmed Guests a Success?

[Becky0216]

I have a show for 30+ confirmed guests today and am super nervous. It is no secret that my calander is looking empty and I will have a huge agenda at this show to get bookings. I am not doing interactive yet again because it is a huge crowd and the host doesn't want it. My host is having a BBQ right after the show for everyone. SO ofcourse I am thinking everyone there is not there for me, however, my host says different. She says they were invited or know about the PC show and the BBQ was added after because so many are travelling far and she wanted to feed them.
So anyhow, I am trying to think of how to get this show to be a great show. Sales and bookings. I just hate to have an agenda because it makes me more nervous.
Also, do I bring catalogs for all the guests or have enough that somecan look when others are done? I feel with this crowd it is going to be hard to even do a game or get info across.
Suggestions??????
TIA
Becky

 

[JAE]

If you have enough catalogs, bring enough for everyone. I'm not so good with big shows though, so hopefully someone will have good advice.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I have a show for 30+ confirmed guests today and am super nervous. It is no secret that my calander is looking empty and I will have a huge agenda at this show to get bookings. I am not doing interactive yet again because it is a huge crowd and the host doesn't want it. My host is having a BBQ right after the show for everyone. SO ofcourse I am thinking everyone there is not there for me, however, my host says different. She says they were invited or know about the PC show and the BBQ was added after because so many are travelling far and she wanted to feed them.
So anyhow, I am trying to think of how to get this show to be a great show. Sales and bookings. I just hate to have an agenda because it makes me more nervous.
Also, do I bring catalogs for all the guests or have enough that somecan look when others are done? I feel with this crowd it is going to be hard to even do a game or get info across.
Suggestions??????
TIA
Becky

I definitely would not do games....but I would pass products around so that people can see and play with them.

Go into it knowing that not everyone will be paying attention all of the time. With people traveling from far away, I'm sure there will be lots of visiting and catching up to do. That doesn't mean they aren't interested and won't buy. In fact, if they are having fun with friends and enjoying themselves, they'll probably buy more, sell to each other, and be more apt to book themselves, so they can repeat the good time at their home!

Have catalogs for everyone if you have enough.

And - I find that my shows are actually much better when I have an agenda. When I go in saying - Today I am getting bookings!, I am much more intentional about asking everyone if they would like to host.

Have Fun!

 

[DessertDivaFL]

I would not do a game but I would try to keep things concentrated on main points.

Tell them your story including the opportunity.
Ask them who has PC products and what is their favorite.
Demo higher priced products.
Explain guest special and host benefits.
Rap up with the opportunity and full service check out.

How does that sound?

 

[Becky0216]

Thanks ladies.
Becky your right, having an agenda will make me be more intentional! I just have to get over nerves.
I guess I will nix the games. I just want them to have a good time. I need someone to slap me across the face to snap me out of this funk!
I am just so scared to leave there without a booking.

 

[JAE]

Great idea to pass things around because people may ask you questions about what they are holding or people around them can explain the products. Last show with big attendance someone said to me that she wished I had passed around the oven mits because she would have bought them. Inside I was rolling my eyes because she was one of the people doing most of the chatting, but she was right. I will pass things around from now on.

 

[elizabethfox]

Good Luck! Hope you get some bookings!

 

[nancycookspc]

just beware with a large crowd sometime I feel its hard to pull bookings. Guests see the large crowd, and maybe large house ect.. think get intimidated
I always mention that I do large and small shows I will have 30+ guests and also intimate 5+ guest your choice.

 

[lacychef]

How'd it go? Once when I had a show with that big attendance, I used that as an excuse to call them all. I told them I was sorry that I didn't get to chat more at the show, & then did customer care from there. Stay positive that you'll get bookings....& you will

 

[dannyzmom]

Well???
How'd it go???

 

[pampered.chris]

She must still be recovering!!! I hope it went great, but I want to know too!!!

 

[KellyTheChef]

Hee Hee! I just saw this thread was updated and was hoping Becky had posted! Tell us how it went girl!

 

[cathyskitchen]

Can't wait to hear your update, Becky! Hope you got to sleep in after that!

 

[texaschef]

She's probably putting together all her hostess packets!!!!:sing:

 

[allisonserna]

I've done lots of big shows and doing it interactive is NOT scary or hard...

just let them help prep the food for the BBQ using the tools.

like let someone make the salad... so they get to use the salad spinner and the salad chopper...

then let someone make chips and salsa, so the food chopper or the salad chopper, and the avocado peelers...

then let someone make the desert strawberries and cream trifle, let them use the EAD and the egg slicer.

THAT'S WHAT INTERACTIVE SHOWS REALLY ARE - let them use the tools before they buy them, and if you give them real life foods to use them on, then they will know what they like and what they don't. You can just stand back and talk to others, and just keep an eye on them to make sure they cut off a finger etc.

wait until ALL of the food is ready and they are eating - then pass out the catalogs and clean up. Then collect orders and say goodbye.

Once the guests see that this is your cooking show everyone will book or sign up - it is really fun when they see that the new cooking shows are easy and party like and that you leave, before all of the orders are collected.

JMO

Allison

 

[Kitchen Diva]

So how did it go? How many bookings did you get? Was it a fantastic show? I've had a couple of large shows and it took a day to recover! LOL

 

[ChefBeckyD]

So, she's either exhausted because it was so incredible, or she's depressed because it wasn't....either way - she needs to get on here and tell us how it went!

 

[Kitchen Diva]

So, she's either exhausted because it was so incredible, or she's depressed because it wasn't....either way - she needs to get on here and tell us how it went!

I agree, I need to be distracted from plotting the best way to choke my DH...who just took my leather upholstered car to the hardware store and he's soaked in sweat.

He is OFF my Christmas card list for this year! :grumpy:

 

[Jenni]

Well how did it go..... give us some feed back

 

[Becky0216]

Ok Ladies, I am sorry it took me so long to update. I am in the middle of a cookout at my house and spent all day preparing.
So I guess the show went ok, but not. It was real unstructured. The host was not even showered when I got to the house. Start time was supposed to be 5:30pm and I didn't start until 7pm. Told host I had to be out by 8:15 (I live an hour away) and got out of there at 10pm. It was near impossible for my to leave any sooner with taking orders. I got home at 11:15pm. While doing the show there were only 14 there. The host clearly made this more of a BBQ and not PC show. By the time I left there were about 40 but the place was hopping. The music blaring and people drinking etc. The ones who were there were awesome, but it was hard to concentrate.
Ok, so all in all. I got $1,089 in sales. 3 bookings. So not too bad. I know it could have been much betetr though. The problem here was most of the attendees were living in FL, GA or NJ and 10 from Jamaica. So I got 2 for catalog and 1 local person for cooking show.
Here is the frustrating part though. The host and I agreed to close out this afternoon. She never called and didn't return my call. So now I called her and sounds like she is at some party. Said she couldn't hear and then hung up. Alot of people ordered Chillzanne and I want to be sure they get it. I also was looking foreward to the double points. I am so frustrated right now. But sales were good and it is done now. Don't think I will ever do a show for her again though!
Oh and she assumed I was doing 3 recipes. I told her only one and she says oh, I got the stuff for the other 2. I said I would throw them together because I was waiting anyhow. SO I prepare the Strawberry Trifle and she is missing 1/2 the ingredients and I have to improvise. Then the Triple Citrus mojitos and she does not have all the lemons and limes. URGHHHHH!!!! Guests loved the food though.
Thanks to everyone for the advice and for the interest...
Now I am back to entertaining.

 

[lacychef]

Good job! Great sales, & you needed those bookings. Crazy they were from so many far away places! If you're not closing today afterall, maybe you can still call some of the others to see if they'll book!

 

[JAE]

Oh and she assumed I was doing 3 recipes. I told her only one and she says oh, I got the stuff for the other 2. I said I would throw them together because I was waiting anyhow. SO I prepare the Strawberry Trifle and she is missing 1/2 the ingredients and I have to improvise. Then the Triple Citrus mojitos and she does not have all the lemons and limes. URGHHHHH!!!! Guests loved the food though.
Thanks to everyone for the advice and for the interest...
Now I am back to entertaining.

This sort of happened to me. I told a host I'd only do one recipe, but when I arrived she had all the ingredients out but totally not ready at all. In my communications with her I told her I'd bring the trifle bowl and she could throw the recipe together while I was getting everything else ready. So she asked me what I wanted her to do to help get ready and I gave her the bowl and told her she could put the trifle together. She hesitated and said something like "really?" I just told her that I didn't have time to make the trifle, and she could skip it if she wanted. She did it, but I think she was surprised. There were only three guests for two recipes. Plus, I drove at least an hour and 15 minutes to get there.

Anyway, great show as far as sales go. Do those morning after calls or maybe wait until tomorrow or Tuesday before you send the show. You may get some more bookings from the local people.