How Can You Encourage Hosts to Utilize Your Website?

[RCKmom]

How do you get your host to use the website?? I have not been able to get any of mine to send e-vites or do anything with their shows online. I am new and most of my shows so far have been catalog, but I have 2 on their now that are actual cooking shows that are coming up at the end of the month that have no guest list or anything. One of the host just got her host packet at the first of the week and is having oral surgery today, so I understand her, but the other one was actually a show that was booked for the first of the month and had to be rescheduled until the end. I called her on Monday and told her she needed to start sending out her invites and to make sure that she used the website and all the things she could do from it. I looked this morning and she still had nothing on there. I know they don't have to use it, but it would be nice to go on there and actually see some online orders and guest list.

 

[cookingwithdot]

I personally don't worry about it. I keep in contact with the hosts and try to find out their #'s as we go along & get closer to the show. I tell them to use evite or pingg to send e-invitations as well as hand out/mail their postcards. I offer to mail them, but I haven't had ANY takers in 10 shows!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I personally don't worry about it. I keep in contact with the hosts and try to find out their #'s as we go along & get closer to the show. I tell them to use evite or pingg to send e-invitations as well as hand out/mail their postcards. I offer to mail them, but I haven't had ANY takers in 10 shows!

I don't offer - I let them know that is how I do the invitations. Everyone gives me some kind of list.


Very few hosts actually send out invitations from the website, which is fine with me, since you have no way of knowing who actually receives the invite. You can check to see if it's been opened, but if it hasn't been opened, you don't know why. The online option is still viable though, because with the invitations I send out, I give directions for ordering online - and get online orders for every show.


MANY of my hosts are now doing invites using Facebook. That seems to work out well. They like that because it's easy to keep track of rsvp's, and who is bringing a friend, etc...

 

[babywings76]

I've had many hosts not use the website. Some people just don't like to take the time to enter in all their contacts addresses. Some worry about adding their friends to a "list" (even if I let them know that I don't retain that info, it's only used for the invitations). Some people just don't like the computer. I just try to let them know that it's available. I also offer to take care of their e-invites if they send me a list of their friends addresses. A couple hosts took me up on that offer.The e-invites don't always reach people's inboxes and some people don't read their e-mails, so it's not always the best system anyway.I encourage my hosts to mail invites, send out the e-mails, do their own email, post an announcement on FB or something (not listing my PWS, though), etc. Any or all of those...but I tell them the most important thing is for them to call or speak with them in person at some point. Then they are sure they know about the show. They can get an accurate RSVP. They can suggest their friend book a show if they can't come, they can give them my website info and outside ordering info, etc.I don't care about having their guest list anymore, as I've given up w/ mailing out the invites myself (cost too much and it was cutting too much into my profits, and it didn't seem to guarantee a show holding or getting higher attendance/outside orders). As it gets closer, I just contact them a week before the show to remind them about everything and see how it's going. Then I contact them the day before the show to get a head count and remind them to make those last minute calls if they hadn't done so yet.That's just me though... :blushing:

 

[raebates]

Most of my hosts don't use the website. Those that do seem to love it, but it's not for everyone. many of my hosts don't even have (or in some cases use) email.

 

[pampered1224]

Same here. I tell them and direct them to it but rarely is it used. Personal contact seems to be the way my hosts like to go. It is used more for on-line ordering and advertising. That is my main focus now.

 

[chefjeanine]

Something I've just started doing. . .

Go to your Personal Website and log on as the host. I type in a guest called "Friend & Family" and put in the host's email address. Then I send her an invitation to her party. I can do this super quick and then she can forward the invitation to people in her email address list.

The reason for logging on as the host? It shows HER name as the person doing the inviting. If you go through this process through Consultants Corner, YOUR name shows up.

 

[babywings76]

The only down side to doing that is that the RSVP'ing aspect of the invite won't work right. But it does make it easier for them to just forward one e-mail and get the job done.

 

[erinhoward]

It's almost impossible to get them to enter the email addresses and send the e-vites. Just too much work for them to figure it out, no one wants to deal with it.

What you need to do if you want to do it via your website is ask them to send you their address list, then log in as them, add the email addresses yourself and send the email invites yourself. You have to make sure you're logging in as the host and not you. If you're logged in as them the email comes from their name, if you log in as yourself the email will come from your name, which you don't want.

I don't mind if they do it by Evite or Facebook if they remember to do it. But if you just tell them that you always send out invites and have them send you the guest list then you can be sure the email or mail invites go out on time.