I Am Gettingconsistent Bookings! Waaahooo!

[cookwithtiffany]

I wanted to share my successful tool for booking 2 shows consistently from EACH of my shows so far this month.

MY director told me to use the FRANK list, so I incorporated it into my idea. I found a lot of people telling me they would book but never setting a firm date, or if they did it was so far out that they canceled before it held. I have booked 2 parties from the last three I held by doing a SIMPLE exercise at my show.

I give EACH guest a bright colored piece of paper. I then ask each guest to put their name on the top right corner of the page. I then ask each guest to look at the blank calendar I am holding and write down three days in the NEXT 2 weeks they are available to spare 2-3 hours of their time. I do NOT tell them what for YET! i then ask them to put the hours they are avail next to the dates.

I then have the guests flip over to the back of the page and write the letters
F
R
A
N
K
down the left hand side of the paper. I go through each letter and ask them to write 5 names of people who fit that category even if they are people they have not seen or heard from in a while. So the letters are all associated with a category. F=Friends, R=Relatives, A= Acquaintances, N=Neighbors, K=Kid's Contacts. Sometime there is resistance (I don't have kids, or I listed my friends and I only have three) I tell them 1. It is ok they can put names of people who fit into other categories as long as they have 5 next to each letter. 2. Introduce yourself to someone in this room, you just made a new acquaintance.

By the time you have finished you guests have ALL just booked and PLANNED a party and didn't even know it. This entire exercise takes about 10 minutes.

After the guests are finished I say "No no one here has an excuse to NOT hold a party of their own to earn FREE and discounted products, and to help our friend 'sally' earn her benefits as well." I have not yet had a host who did not verbally agree with me at this point in the show. I will usually have 1 guest who refuses to commit but I have about a 90% success rate for bookings with this exercise. This helps me book in CLOSE and it helps me solidify the date.

 

[tbsigma94]

Good idea!

 

[NooraK]

I heard the variation (and saw the post here) of the variation that involves writing 5 names, type of food, type of drink, wish list items and a night of the week. I pared it down to just 5 people and 3 items at my last show. I got one solid booking (and she was actually coming up to me saying she wanted to do a show), and another who is checking dates.

I think I'd be a bit afraid of trying your idea, because I'd be afraid I'd lose my guests, or that they'd wouldn't want to participate in something that takes so long. But then again, I've got a lot of fears about what people think of me when I'm at my shows.

 

[quiverfull7]

I also heard a great one from a cluster mate who said she has the guests write all the people they have come in contact with in the last 7 days down on the back of their door prize slip. She then tells them they have a super start on their guest list for a show or their bookings list if they want to begin their own businesses. It's like a jump start on their list of 100.

 

[cookwithtiffany]

i found this works because for 10 minutes that it about the time it takes to play a game at your shows. I have not had a single negative comment about it, and as a matter of fact I have had 2 seperate hosts tell me they had asked their guest AHEAD of time to book a show and they declined, and when I did this all the guest at one show and all but one at the other show booked. It is a non invasive non pushy way. because I give them permission to say no, without feeling like they have to come up with an excuse. I have yet to "lose" a guest over this because they have no clue why they are filling it out until it is finished. I say upfront, I will explain at the end but first I need to gather some information from you. Once the sheets are filled out, I tell them why and they love it... I have had several people book and ask if I will do the same thing at their shows because the "people I know won't book if you ask them to but they would if you did this." Also like I said it works because I ONLY book 2 weeks out, and it helps me control my calendar,a nd I send out the phone invites via PostCalls and don't have to send paper unless they only have an address and no phone number for the invitee. I always follow up the day after the show with everyone who booked via email and tell them I need the corresponding phone numbers for ALL of the names on their list, and I send them a scanned copy of the list so they know what names they gave me. This ensures I send out at least 25 invites and my guest attendance is typically 5-9 guests.

 

[KaiKendall]

I used the same technique at a new consultant meeting to get the biz started kind of thing, but we used 'A' for Associates, like the people you work with... also we did FRANK B. with the B being for 'business' like the people you do biz with. also, the 'K' for kids is also like kids/pets cause your pets are your kids, where do you take them to play, groom, etc... lol It helps think about ppl you wont normally think of.

 

[cookwithtiffany]

Kai first off let me say you first 90 days look AMAZING!!! I see a director in the making!!! Keep up the GREAT work! back on track lol I love your ideas mind if I borrow them?

 

[diamond78]

Do you ever have any issues with getting enough guests at the parties by only booking two weeks out? My grand opening was pretty much exactly two weeks out - and of the 46 I had on my list - so far only 8 have said yes!

 

[denomyth]

I love this idea I'm going to test it out at my next show:chef: thanks for sharing it. I can't wait to see how it works out

 

[kcmckay]

Ok I saved this thread and I'm just looking back on it and wondering what you would do if you are only available certain days of the week. If you are showing a blank calender what if the days they picked are already booked? I'm just basically looking at how to word it if you say like me only do shows certain nights of the week. I currently only do shows Thursday-Friday because I have other things that go on other days or those are just days I like off from PC. Thanks.

 

[dkitten13]

I have a show tomorrow and my try this...its a small crowd so I may avoid the "everyone I know is already here", etc. in response to booking! I liked the other idea too with the day of the week, type of food, etc.

 

[mountainmama74]

I got this idea from my executive director, except I use it with my recruits as sort of a prelim to the list of 100. We add an S at the end for "associations through Spouse" (like people your spouse/sig other works with, etc). I never thought of using it with guests, but I may give it a try!