How Do You Collect Guest Addresses for Invitations?

[ms.yvonne]

I'm new to this board and I love the ideas I have been reading about like addind a mini catalog with the invite and the 40 guests in 4 minutes worksheet. I want to start mailing out the invitations for my hosts starting with my September shows. I'm really hoping that this will increase attendance and sales. It's so fustrating to see alot of invitations left in the HP when I get to a show. I want to give this a 3 month trial run so I have a few questions.

How much time do you give the host to get the addresses to you?
Do you have her mail it back to you or do you pick it up from your her?
Do you offer an incentive to get them in a timely manner?
Do you offer an incentive based on the number of names and addresses?
Do you use the Guest Address Lables that we can order on our supply order?

If there is anything else I should know please post it. My summer show schedule started great but I have had so many cancelations in July (6 out of 9 canceled and 4 catalog shows flopped). I only have 2 shows for August so I'm going to do one myself to make 3. I have been making so many phone calls trying offering free product and to bring the ingredients for the demo if the will hold a show in August. So far I've had no takers. However, September is looking really good.

 

[ivykeep]

It can be frustrating, but I have found that the host is only going to invite who she is going to invite -- whether you mail them or she does, if she's only inviting 12 people she's not going to give you 40 names. Also still give her invites even if you mail them (but only a few) so she can keep them in her purse and give them to people she runs into.

address each invitation to the name and guest

I ask for it by email, rather than mail because of turn around times.

I heard an idea at conference and tried it for July and got 2 July bookings and an August booking.

I sent everyone on my contact list an email titled CLOSE-IN Booking incentive. I sent it about the 12th of July. I offered anyone who booked a show to be held and closed before the end of July a free cookbook of their choice. I also offered (in big bold letters) Unlimited 50% off the the July Hosts that submit over $400 in guest orders.

I heard the unlimited 50% off sale at Conference -- host has an incentive to get $400 in outside orders. She earns the normal host benefits, but I will increase the percentage off for her 20% items to 50% off (putting the extra 30% off as a consultant's gift and business expense for tax purposes). It comes out to essentially giving back the commission on the hosts order (and a little more), but I still get the commission on the $400 guest sales, plus add to my monthly totals and I have a great show). The host already has 2 1/2 price items at the $400 show level so I make sure that the two most expensive things she is ordering go in that way.

It was not an open ended promotion -- you have to book and CLOSE the show by the end of July -- in your case, you could do it for August). You can also list that you will let the first TWO bookings for August in on this special (and if you get three bookings you can still do it, but that will get people excited and want to book quicker if they think they may lose out on a special opportunity).

I'm also holding an August phone show on Thursday -- and doing a drawing for an 8" saute pan (will order with host benefits and it kicks off my Pan-a-rama). I know my phone show will have enough orders since my husband has already placed an order for the 12" Executive Skillet so I can take it to my August shows and do Skillet recipes to showcase the September cookware special.

 

[ivykeep]

Also if any of your September shows switch to August, you can also sell them on the idea of doing two shows -- if they rebook a september show off of their August show, they can get TWO host specials.

 

[KellyTheChef]

How much time do you give the host to get the addresses to you?
Do you have her mail it back to you or do you pick it up from your her?
Do you offer an incentive to get them in a timely manner?
Do you offer an incentive based on the number of names and addresses?
Do you use the Guest Address Lables that we can order on our supply order?

I no longer mail host packets out UNTIL I get the guest list. When they book, I ask them to return them to me within THREE DAYS.

She mails it to me (I supply a SASE)

If she has 35+ names on there...I pay for the postage, otherwise she reimburses me. (Full page invites = .41 cent stamps)

Yes, I use the address lables from PC. That way, I can just stick them right onto the envelope and I don't have to hand write or type them out!

I make sure I explain that I will be using them on the invites, so that they write legibly....and tell them if they give me the phone numbers, that I will make their reminder calls for them and explain why that benefits her. (30 calls for me = 30 minutes.....30 calls for her, since she knows the people and will be chatting, = hours!!)

 

[pamperedgirl3]

How much time do you give the host to get the addresses to you?
Do you have her mail it back to you or do you pick it up from your her?
Do you offer an incentive to get them in a timely manner?
Do you offer an incentive based on the number of names and addresses?
Do you use the Guest Address Lables that we can order on our supply order?

1. I put a sheet with room for 40 names & addresses (I don't bother with phone or email--I'm not contacting anyone who doesn't come to a show & I won't do reminder calls) & a SASE in the host packet. I go over the guest list when I do my first coaching call & ask for the guest list back asap. I also tell them when I plan on mailing the invites b/c I understand that some hosts might not have time to do the guest list immediately.

2. I give her the choice to mail it or email it to me. I already have a SASE in there, so she doesn't even have to worry about a stamp.

3. I don't offer any incentives. I'm already mailing the invites out for them! I did have one host this summer that didn't get the list to me in time (was leaving for conference) & I sent her the invitations & told her to pass them out instead.

4. I don't offer an incentive for the amount of names. Personally, I don't want someone who doesn't have many friends, etc. to feel like her show won't be successful b/c she doesn't have 40 names. Some of my favorite shows have been with 5-8 guests!

5. I used to use the guest labels, but it seemed like half the time they wouldn't stick very well or the host would write too big/messy on them & I'd end up having to do it myself. So I just put the addresses on myself.

Good luck! I've only had I think 1 show cancel since I've been mailing out the invites (that I didn't know about with enough notice to reschedule). I have been using the postcard invites, but I think this fall I'm going to try out a full page one in an envelope so the guests have to actually open it & look at it. One of the guests from a recent show said that her fiance threw away her invite.

 

[abrahamlaur]

Laura, do you have a copy of that letter you sent your past hosts? It sounds great and I would love to see it and try it if I could! Thanks!

 

[chefkristin]

I just use this template for the invites...these are for the new 2007 invites

 

[etteluap70PC]

How much time do you give the host to get the addresses to you? 3 days

Do you have her mail it back to you or do you pick it up from your her? I give a SASE

Do you offer an incentive to get them in a timely manner? sort of, I tell them get it to me by... to hold your date

Do you offer an incentive based on the number of names and addresses? yes
Do you use the Guest Address Lables that we can order on our supply order? not anymore it seemed to me that after tearing them appart and sticking them on it took me just as long to hand write them and it is a more personal touch. I read a survey somewhere that people were more likely to open something if it was hand written and in blue ink"

I now do NOT send a host packet till I get a guest list. This shows me that they are comitted to their show.

When they book they get:
a guest list sheet
An "are you ready to be pampered" Sheet (thanks Lacy!)
and an instruction sheet
(at a show this will all be in a SASE to me) If I have to send it to them I include a SASE.

I am attaching what I am currently using. I did "borrow most everything from here and tweaked it to my taste.

 

[StacieB]

Looks great Paulette!!

 

[ivykeep]

Laura, do you have a copy of that letter you sent your past hosts? It sounds great and I would love to see it and try it if I could! Thanks!

This is what I sent in July:

Hello to all my fabulous Pampered Chef hosts, guests and contacts!! I’ve just returned from a fantastic National Conference for Pampered Chef in Chicago and I’m truly excited about my business and all the great products we’ll be featuring this fall. In the meantime, we still have a fantastic summer ahead of us!!

I’m offering a special for anyone who books a show on one of my remaining dates for July. If you’re like me, you love, love love to get a deal!! I’s so excited about this special that I’ll even include Catalog shows.

If you book and close a Show between now and July 30th, I’ll give you a FREE cookbook of your choice. If you submit a show with over $400 in guest sales I will give you UNLIMITED 50% off of as many items as you wish. (Yes, you heard that correctly!! If you want EVERYTHING in the catalog, you can have it for ½ price with a $400 show!!). This offer is ONLY good for shows in July – so move quickly and get your place on my calendar!!

Our host special (available to anyone with a guest sales total of $150 or more) is 60% off the salad spinner (you pay $20) or 60% off the salad choppers (you pay $10). Our guest special is buy one Outdoor plates or utensil set and get a second set at 50% off including mix and match.

My available dates in July to host a COOKING show are (any date is available for a Catalog show):

July 16th, July 17th, July 20th, July 23rd, July 27th, July 29th, July 30th or July 31st.

If you are interested in taking advantage of this special July close in booking email or call me right away!!


Be sure to share this with any friends who might be interested in a really great, very rare deal!

 

[ms.yvonne]

Wow, Thank you for all the advice. I can't wait for the fall season. I'm so excited!!

 

[HockeyLover]

I send the address list (40 spaces) and the 50 guests in 5 minutes (I figure I couldn't fill in 40 on the list of 40, but I could find 40 on the list of 50 - go figure). I offer a small incentive to the host if they can give me 40 addresses - just $10 off their order. I've just started using these and I have them out to 3 hosts already. I ask to have them back 14 days before their show. I don't send a SASE because most of them prefer to email the list anyway. We'll see how it goes.