How Far Away Would You Go for a Show?

[FHL]

Just a question that popped in my mind. I would go up to an hour away if I had to.

Just wondering how far everyone has gone for business.

 

[Jenni]

I think an hour is my limit as well.

 

[jrstephens]

I do not go over 30 minutes if at all possible.

 

[linojackie]

I am in Sacramento and will go anywhere from the Bay Area to Nevada for a show. In Dec, I'm going to try to do a show in Florida

 

[Ginger428]

I've gone from NY to PA which was about a little over 2 hours 1 way...

 

[letscook04]

I've gone from NY to PA which was about a little over 2 hours 1 way...

Wow, Ginger I hope that it was worth the travel??

My max is 45 mins.....

 

[Ginger428]

Wow, Ginger I hope that it was worth the travel??

My max is 45 mins.....

LOL...its 45 minutes when I go to the Bellmore Meetings....

She wanted it Fri. night & I said NO WAY!! I told her Sunday early afternoon, but my main reason was she was a hopeful recruit, so her SIL said just to get me out there!! It wasn't bad almost 700.00, but NO recruit!

 

[letscook04]

Yeah, it's like me driving to Queens with out traffic.

 

[Ginger428]

Yeah, it's like me driving to Queens with out traffic.

Queens....UGH!!!

 

[ShanaSmith]

I've done a couple in Alaska and Washington... but usually about an hour to hour and a half. Depends how much I need the business at the time.

 

[linojackie]

...Depends how much I need the business at the time.

True that!!!

 

[pkd09]

I have actually gone 3 hours one way for a show...Twice!! Once for a relative and another for a guest from a local show. I love a good road trip.

 

[princessmeshelle]

i don't think i would go more than an hour away. unless i'm gonna be in the area for a while, you know like my cousin is up in fairbanks so i might do a show there if i were up visiting anyway. did that make sense?

 

[vwpamperedchef]

My BEST shows are an hour away!! But my MIL lives there, so if necessary I can sleepover!!

 

[noelskitchen]

I've gone to Gardnerville, NV which is 2-2 1/2hrs away and I'll be doing a few shows in Dayton and Minden, Carson City. It's work it if you host coach well, gives you leads, possible recruits. I'm even going to try to do a couple of shows in Vegas while on Thanksgiving vacation.

 

[raebates]

I regularly do shows 1 1/2 to 2 hours away. I live in the middle of nowhere, and I value the fact that I don't have a set district. Most of my long-distance shows have been really successful.

 

[stefani2]

I USUALLY travel about an hour max. BUT have a Show coming up that is 2 hours away. The FARTHEST I have travelled is 6 hours - but I piggy-backed two shows AND visited family.

 

[pampered.chris]

I regularly do shows 1 1/2 to 2 hours away. I live in the middle of nowhere, and I value the fact that I don't have a set district. Most of my long-distance shows have been really successful.

I agree 100% with Rae. I also live in the "boonies" and I only have about 5% of my shows in my hometown. I usually travel at least 20 min if not 2+ hours one way to do a show. But the furthest shows are usually the best. I regularly go to a town that is one hour 25 min away and have yet to do a party under $500. Most of them are over $1000. Well worth it in my book!!

 

[gothim0802]

The max I have went is an hour and half away. But I am ok with that! But probably not more than that.

 

[Geekgirl69]

I am the opposite of Ginger, I travel 2 hours from PA to do shows in NY. The one I have at the end of the month in Queens will be worth it, my best host is starting his holiday shopping at the show.

 

[stefani2]

Host Coaching is key to shows that are far away - you want to make sure it is worth your while, obviously. I just tell Hosts "we want 8-10 confirmed guests"..... OR....."try to get $200 in OO BEFORE your Show"

 

[kcjodih]

Somehow over my 4 years with PC I've ended up with more than 50% of my customers and hosts over an hour away in either direction. I seem to only have customers locally but the hosts I regularly drive to. I only go one hour each direction which covers alot of cities on the main highway though. I once did a bridal that was a booking from one of these and it was 2 hours away in a HUGE city (Toronto, Canada) and it only ended up at about $310 in sales. There was $ in the neighbourhood but they weren't spending it on the bride or themselves (at least not on PC!). Not worth my time and I never did it again!

I just received a booking tonight thanks to my newsletter and she's a regular yearly host an hour in the other direction from my groupies but I KNOW it'll be $900 + so of course I'll go

 

[fruit76loop]

Living in Wyoming, I have to travel quite often! I just traveled 4 hours one way for a show and it was well worth it. The show was $1500 and I got a new recruit! So it was definately worth it!!!:thumbup:

I travel out of town at least 3-4 times a month usually over 100 miles.

And as a result my cluster is over 75% non-local. You have to love it!

 

[tabnat80]

I don't like to drive over 30 minutes. I have on a very few occassions driven an hour, but that's max.

 

[kcjodih]

Living in Wyoming, I have to travel quite often! I just traveled 4 hours one way for a show and it was well worth it. The show was $1500 and I got a new recruit! So it was definately worth it!!!:thumbup:

I travel out of town at least 3-4 times a month usually over 100 miles.

And as a result my cluster is over 75% non-local. You have to love it!

Marlene 4 hours? WOW!!! You MUST drive a small car or at least something good on gas! I have (oops, had until last week) a Dodge Ram and I couldn't imagine the gas I'd go through driving 8 hours round trip. I know, my own choice/fault having such a gas guzzler but still! that's a TON of driving! What an awesome show though and a recruit as icing on the cake! YOU GO GIRL

 

[valleygirl2]

I use to work an hour away from home so most of my hosts were an hour away. the furtherest was 1 1/2 hours.

 

[mpkegley]

My limit is about an hour away, but my husband keeps trying to put his foot down and doesn't want me traveling that far away. That is the reason why my business has been suffering the last few months, because with the gas prices, I have been trying to stay away from the shows that are far away to keep him happy. Am I the only one dealing with this?

 

[raebates]

Probably not, Mary. I know that the rise in gas prices led The Furry Guy to ask me if I really made money on a show that was just about 2 hours away. Since I use P3 to keep track of expenses with each show, I was able to show him that yes, indeed, I made money on that show.

 

[pamperedchef02]

I live in Maine and I am going to Conneticut to do a show. That is about 2 to 2 and a half hours away!

It is my first show and I just barely qualified and I can't seem to get past all the "solicitation" policies with my local companies so I think I would travel anywhere at this point!

It is really hard in Maine to run a business like this because of all of the solicitation policies.

 

[pamperedchef02]

I am going to Conneticut in two weeks to do a show. I live in Maine so this is about 2 to 2 and a half hours away. I barely qualified and this is my first show and I am having so many issues with all of the solicitation policies in my area that I would travel just about anywhere at this point.

I cannot seem to get past the solicitation around here that it makes me wonder how I will ever be able to market outside of family and friends.

 

[FHL]

Wow 4 hours. My hats off to you ladies. Now that is working your business!!!!

 

[pamperedlinda]

I will drive most anywhere. I also host coach to be sure I have a great show - when your host knows you are driving that far they tend to work harder for you too. I've done several shows in central FL and all were over $1000 - my best show was there and it was over $2200. It does help having family in the area to stay with.

 

[NooraK]

I don't really have a limit, but I agree, I'd make sure I host coach very well if I'm driving further away.

This was forwarded to me by my director from Chris Manion a few weeks ago, and I thought it applies nicely:

To Travel...or Not to Travel...That is the Question!!
by Marlene Bauman

I often hear...WOW you travel that far for a show? My husband even thought I had lost my mind when I booked a show in Casper, WY, a 3 1/2 hour drive, this last weekend!! He was worried with the high gas prices and the time commitment (10/12 hours) that it wouldn't be financially worth it.

My thought on this is "why not?" Business is everywhere and why not capitalize on what you can get? I personally enjoy traveling for shows because it is quality alone time for me in the car! I get to listen to whatever music or training CD I want AND I can listen to them as loud as I want! (I even get to sing when I want to!!) And best of all, I don't have to listen to my kids fighting in the backseat or asking "are we there yet?"

My husband who was so worried about my trip to Casper being worth it was pleasantly surprised with the show results! The show closed over $1300 and I added a new team member! So was the trip worth is? My answer is yes and my husband's answer was "heck yea!" My commission for this show was almost $400 and we added a brand new team member is an area where our team hadn't reached yet!!

So when someone asks you to travel further than you usually do...Just Do It!! You never know what will come out of it!!

 

[chefsteph07]

I'm glad this question was posted, I just scheduled a show for next weekend that is an hour away...I was leery about it...I knew she wanted to do a party, and I told her it had to be this month, due to the weather. I won't travel that far after Oct for fear of running into some snow.
I'm glad I read this though, and that traveling is the norm. I usually only go about a half hour max.

 

[Bren706]

I regularly travel 40 minutes one way to a show. I think my max would be 1 1/2 hours away. I have not had a show that has been over 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes away yet. Well, besides going from NC to my hometown in MA (13 hours away), where I was going to visit anyhow. I have also traveled over 4 hours from NC to SC to do a show for my father's wife (too young to be called my "stepmom), and of course, we stayed and visited for the weekend. That show didn't turn out so well, but we still got to visit. I am going there this weekend to do a Fundraiser cooking show for the local VFW. There are already 4 members that didn't realize they had Pampered Chef in the south . Maybe I will get a new team member!

 

[tlag1986]

I have to drive since my closest larger town is 45 minutes away. With being as rural as I am it makes you have to drive a little more, but it is worth it while I build my business.

 

[rennea]

My sister lives 8 hours away and I did a show for her, but I was also staying with her. Most hosts that are far away I do catty shows. I have a regular host for does 2 catty shows a year and she lives about 8 hours from me.

I think the furthest I would drive would be about an hour, depends if it's winter time or not.

 

[fikibiff]

For those of you who have only a certain distance you will travel, what do you do for those outside of that who want a show? Do you find them another consultant?

 

[Yakmama]

I live in BFE- so ALL of my shows are at least 30 minutes away- I have two this month that are over an hour away.

 

[darlinclem]

I normally travel 20-70 miles. DH is actually surprised when I have local shows . I think he doesn't really notice the local ones . I have shows in a town 75 miles away a couple of times a year and always do well. They have a consultant closer but don't care for her style. I have always told them I have no problem traveling but I would love to get a recruit there! I keep trying! Our towns are small and about 30 miles apart so travel is nothing new. At least once a year I travel 6 hours from home to visit family and do at least 2 shows in a couple of days. It is a great way to see family and friends and have a fun time! They think it is great that I come home to visit and make money while doing it!

 

[raebates]

I make sure that when I have long-distance shows I do whatever I can in those towns. My last one was in a suburb of Indianapolis. There are several businesses there that aren't available locally. I made sure I took advantage of the tax-deductible mileage.

 

[riggs62]

My longest drive was 4 hours, but it was for my sister, 3 hours for a friend, now I'm trying to recruit there to take the bookings )

 

[doughmama]

I do shows an hour away. Don't mind the drive as long as it is worth it. My furthest was 2 hours but it was my sister's, a great show and I spent the night.

 

[Chefstover2]

I have driven 3 hours each way for a show (an ex SIL) but don't generally. I usually max out at about an hour.

That being said, I ALWAYS book shows in Florida whenever I travel there (a 12-13 hour drive:yuck to visit family. I usually go 2 times a year (my mom and MIL live there)...I've got a show booked for December 29th there, since we're headed down for the holidays...a nice write-off for much of the mileage.

 

[kcjodih]

Of course it's different if you've got family where your show is or if you're going to visit family AND do a show or two. But driving JUST to do a show and then come back home, now THAT is the question. Looks like it's anywhere from 1/2 hour to 4 hours....

 

[jillbean]

I've done 4 that were a almost a three hour drive one way BUT They were in the town that my aunt lives in. So, it was a visit/business trip and three of the shows where in one week (last week actually).
They were $500+, $230, $700, and one that will close tomorrow at $400+.

 

[zmom58]

I had a show 110 miles from my home and my first clue that this was going to be a bust is that the host didn't want to send out invitations, just put up a sign at work! She was so excited and loves PC and the show would be at her friends home who was expecting twins, so I thought people would come. Anyway only the host who this host booked from came (her sis-in-law). Sales ended up at $160, only $130 commisionable sales for me, so I lost $$, but at least I was able to drive my hubby's company car, so I didn't have to buy gas.
Moral of the story...host coach to perfection, have at least 8-10 confirmed guests and insist on sending our invites for the host, so that you know they go out...if you are driving a huge distance especially.
Lesson learned.
Deb

 

[gailz2]

Normal shows are about 1/2 hour, I've gone 1-1/2 hours to a relatives party. I'd go 1 hour tops normally.

 

[janetupnorth]

For those of you who have only a certain distance you will travel, what do you do for those outside of that who want a show? Do you find them another consultant?

If it's in my area - call me!

 

[melaniepc]

I've done 4 that were a almost a three hour drive one way BUT They were in the town that my aunt lives in. So, it was a visit/business trip and three of the shows where in one week (last week actually).
They were $500+, $230, $700, and one that will close tomorrow at $400+.

is that worth it? seems like the travel and gas would make it not worth it.