How to Overcome Frustration and Maximize Your April Sales for Pampered Chef

[Chef Kearns]

Okay, I'm pretty frustrated. At National Conference last year I made it my goal to promote to Director by Leadership conference. At Leadership I said for sure by National Conference. Well, it is almost May and I have 1 recruit who isn't really working the business.

My Director says that I need to get the focus off of me. But HOW? How do I not focus on my goal? I want to recruit to become Director. Is that selfish? Am I missing a big picture? I want people to find a place in their lives for Pampered Chef if that is what they want, but I am not about shoving it down their throats!

I have also been burned by a few recruits. I have recruited 7 total new consultants. Three of them approached me about the business; were eager and ready to get started. Two did absolutely nothing! One submitted $2000 her first month (December) then $1100 her second month then nothing after that. She said it was because in Jan she had 18 shows booked and all but 3 cancelled. (And yes, before the holiday season hit I coached her on how to coach them to prevent cancellations, but she didn't follow through)

So...I am not as aggressive as I probably should be. I want to maximize the April special, but I know that NO is lurking in my near future and it pisses me off!

Sorry, I'm sure I sound like a baby, but I can't seem to get into the recruiting habit. I do ask every customer at shows and sprinkle my demo with commercials. I invite my hosts to join. I ask people when I am out and about and they see my "Ask me abouth the Pampered Chef" bag (from last year's conference--my purse). I feel like I am doing all of the right things, but not getting the desired response.

Help me pull my head out of my BUTT!!

 

[PamperedGinger]

I do understand your frustration. Although it is your goal to promote, it should also be your goal to let people know what a difference Pampered Chef can make in their lives. My recruiting turned around when I realized that it's not what PC does for me when I promote, but instead about how it can make a difference in peoples lives.

That doesn't mean you still don't keep your goal in mind, it just means maybe looking at why you want to promote. What do you want out of promoting.

Don't know that I have helped at all. I do understand how it is frustrating it feels. BUT we can't do it all for them, they have to want it.

 

[dawnsclassycupboard]

Ginger and your Director are right. Unfortunately, it is hard to see until you have already changed the attitude and seen the results. Last year at conference a consultant that I very much respect said that the same thing to me. I didn't get it either at the time. She had just advanced to Advanced Director and she didn't really realize it because she was so focused on being excited fot her two new Directors that had just promoted. That is what it is all about. Knowing that you are making a difference in people lives and being happy for them and your own dreams just fall into place.

I have recruited 9 people and am still Future Director. This is because I was recriting them for ME. Most of them were friends or family that I talked into it so that I could earn Double Recruiting Points Last Year. You talked about your consultants "buning you." This happens. Remember, IT IS NOTHING PERSONAL. They are not burning you, they are just not following through on a committment that they made to a very large company. They don't know how it will efeect you.

I have been 1 away from Directorship several times and my Director would tell me not to push it, just to let it happen. By letting it happen, I would be less likely to loose it. This was soooo hard for me. I wanted nothing more than to go FIND that last one. I took her advice though and waited.

I have 4 qualified, active girls on my team now and I have focused on getting my own business sold. I have seen this last year as such a hugh learning experience. I now have learned how to be there for my recruits through out the start up process and less are going inactive because they have support. Something that my first few recruits had very little of. I was so excited to have that signed contract and one more name on my roster that I forgot to take care of them.

I have let myself relax and realize that if I do not walk across stage at conference, I will be OK. It wasn't meant to be. OF course I will be disappointed, especially when they do the WALK but I will be ok. It just means that I wasn't ready yet. Of course, with the new found contentment of being content with what I have, I am pretty sure that you will see me up ther on that stage.

It is something that only you can find in yourself. You can do it.

 

[sOhSherri]

Dawn and Ginger,

Great words of wisdom!! What an inspiration!!

 

[janel kelly]

It took my recruiter 2 years to recruit me. She didn't give up though and I finally signed up in February. It was the right time for me though. I say that to say the seeds you planted as far as recruiting people may take a little while til the time is right for them. Don't give up. Just like my recruiter she would call me every few months or so and tell me what awesome deals were going on for people who sign up to sell PC and I'm glad she did. I'm glad she didn't push me which goes along the fact that she was thinking about me and not herself. I really appreciated that and I did sign up. Your recruiting leads may too, they may just need time...

 

[Koolotus]

Another idea for promotingI just did a meeting with Linda Bowles in June and one of the most important things she said that stuck with me is that your recruiting goals will not happen if your kitchen shows aren't straight first.
Meaning....if you are not doing between 6-8 shows a month you will not be in front of enough people to get the leads or to maintain directorship when you get it.
I thought it was an interesting point to consider. I was ready to start recruiting but after her meeting I realized that I did not yet have a consistant schedual so that was what was holding me back. I have implemented alot of what she talked about
1) finish booking your month before it starts. No more booking July on the 15th of July, by then you should be looking to fill your august. That sounded so scary when she said it, but I did it in June and it was okay. I give myself till the 25th of the month to book the next month and then I move on from there. Then my focus is automattically close in
2) To tell your PC story at every show. That is what gets their interest, a personal connection to you.
3) to SHUT UP! that's a hard one for me, and sometimes I feel like I should be saying more, but listening is better.
4) I have also started to play the ticket game, I give the tickets to the first person that shows up for the show and ake her to remind me about them after the demo, I would always chicken out, but you can't if she gives them to you in front of everyone, then you would look like a doof.

My goal now is to work up to 3 consecutive months with a minimum of 6 shows each. Not there yet but it is looking better.
By the way.....I just signed my first 2 recruits
Freaky

 

[heat123]

It took my recruiter 2 years to recruit me. She didn't give up though and I finally signed up in February. It was the right time for me though. I say that to say the seeds you planted as far as recruiting people may take a little while til the time is right for them. Don't give up. Just like my recruiter she would call me every few months or so and tell me what awesome deals were going on for people who sign up to sell PC and I'm glad she did. I'm glad she didn't push me which goes along the fact that she was thinking about me and not herself. I really appreciated that and I did sign up. Your recruiting leads may too, they may just need time...

I think this is happening to me with all of my leads... so far I have had about 5 leads express possible interest but when it comes down to it, it's really their decision and I don't want to force anything on them. They said well maybe this isn't a good time, for one reason or another something comes up.

So I keep them in my list of potentials and continue to send them sign on bonus incentives. I figure when it happens it happens and when/if it does that will be my time to start this recruiting side of the biz. Patience is a virtue I guess.

 

[DebbieJ]

So I keep them in my list of potentials and continue to send them sign on bonus incentives.

I was challenged to think of the signing bonuses differently. We should not be using them to get people to sign, but rather to get people to QUALIFY. There's a big difference.

It is always a good time to join the Pampered Chef. We can help them be successful by using the bonuses.

I plan to contact everyone on my recruiting list every 2-3 months whether there is a promotion or not.

 

[heat123]

I was challenged to think of the signing bonuses differently. We should not be using them to get people to sign, but rather to get people to QUALIFY. There's a big difference.

It is always a good time to join the Pampered Chef. We can help them be successful by using the bonuses.

I plan to contact everyone on my recruiting list every 2-3 months whether there is a promotion or not.

For most of them it was a matter of: one's sister just being diagnosed with cancer, another's husband got injured and had to take time off of work, another wanted to wait until her baby daughter was started in kindnegarten. So the time may have not been right for them!

I do think the bonuses are a good push to help "qualify" but I also believe it's a great recruiting tool for those considering!