I'm Setting up for Our County Fair in a Couple of Weeks. Any

[apamperedone]

I'm setting up for our county fair in a couple of weeks. Any suggestions on getting recruits, to bring the people into the booth and to get bookings? Anything will help right now. The economy in this area is rather low at this point with businesses going out, people do not want to spend a lot of money!

 

[pampered1224]

IdeasNot so much on how to talk to them but your set up is important. Do a "U" shape or open concept. DO NOT PUT your products or yourself behind a table. Let your people "come into" your area. This gives you a perfect in to talk to them. It's almost the same as a person's body language. If your arms are folded across your chest, you don't want to be approached. If your booth has a table in front, it becomes unaproachable.

 

[bbauman07]

John is right. Bring new and popular products. Ask your director if she has any banners you can borrow. Have hand outs (catalogs, recipe cards, business cards, recruiting information) available on a table where thet can just reach out a grab it. Display the current specials, and the following month.

As far as bookings go instead of a "drawing" Tell people what you are giving away is a free cooking show to anyone who books a show today and keeps their original date.

Smile and say hello as people walk by
Question # 1 Have you heard of the pc before?
Question #2 Do you have a consultant you are currently working with?
Either way offer to show them the new products/specials, but if they have a consultant be sure to direct the sale or booking her direction.

 

[AuntKat]

I too am doing a flea marketthis weekend. I reserved my space today and they asked for a business license. Do we have to have one to participate in Flea mkts and fairs? I just assumed we did not.

Thanks

 

[apamperedone]

I thought about a "L" shape for the booth. We have a 10x10 area to use. I do have the banner from my director and she is going to let me know when she receives the new products so I can use them to display. I also thought about putting macaroni in the small batter bowl and have a contest using the guest survey slips to have them write down how many macaroni they think are in the bowl, this way it gets people in and they will be using the survey slips too. Any imput on this?

 

[Veevahchef]

hi! I just copied an pasted this from another thread that I put it in before... but here is my experience:

I just did a small "fair" type thing a couple of weeks ago. What i did was the "Show in a Bag" thing.
I had 4 gift bags there and 2 were marked with dates before the 10th of July, and 2 were marked with dates before the 1oth of August. I did it that way so that I could offer the incentive for the beginning of the month so my month is nice and even. (I hate bottom heavy months).

I told people that if they booked on those dates, they got a FREE PC show, and all they had to do was invite everyone and supply a beverage. Inside the bags were all the things I would normally put in a host package, plus a package of Paper plates, a package of plastic cups, package of plastic cutlery, and a package of pretty napkins (Bought it all at the dollarama for a dollar each).

I stressed that it was the easiest home party they would ever do!

Anyhoo... I booked 3 of the 4 dates while I was at the event.

ALSO.... for the first time (probably because I was in a hideous slump for summer bookings) I got up the next morning and immediately started calling the contacts from my draw box (Started around 9am). I really wanted to be the first of the vendors to contact these people. I ended up getting .... are you ready?

9 BOOKINGS!!!

Ok only 8 are in the summer and one is in September, but still..... HOLY COW!

I usually wait a couple of days, until I "have time" to call contacts from these things, but this time, I got right on the phone, and what a difference.

Remember, probably most of the people that express an interest in booking or the opportunity, put the same thing on the Tupperware lady's draw slip, and the Partylite Lady's, and the Epicure lady's and the Jewellry lady's.... pretty much everyone probably got the same response..... so you need to be first to contact them!!
GO GIRL!!

 

[pamperedwendy]

If you want to draw attention to your booth I'd buy some PC balloons from Nancy's Artwork. That is what I did. And I gave them away to the kids...that way people who hadn't walked by my booth yet saw PC was there. It made the mom's have to come over so their kid could get one!

 

[BethCooks4U]

If you want to draw attention to your booth I'd buy some PC balloons from Nancy's Artwork. That is what I did. And I gave them away to the kids...that way people who hadn't walked by my booth yet saw PC was there. It made the mom's have to come over so their kid could get one!

Great idea! I hadn't thought of that! I do give out PC bags at fairs but the balloons to kids is a great idea. Do you use helium?

 

[Veevahchef]

I used balloons at the fair i did to, but i didn't think of it till the last minute when I saw how "hidden" my booth would really be! So I didn't get PC ones, just some bright baloons, but I had way more traffic than i expected, maybe that was why.

 

[PCGINA]

Best Idea Brooke

As far as bookings go instead of a "drawing" Tell people what you are giving away is a free cooking show to anyone who books a show today and keeps their original date.

Brooke hit the nail on the head - offer a FREE cooking show vs. giving away a product in your drawing.
REMEMBER - if you are going to be calling these folks back, would you rather be talking to someone who KNEW the prize was a cooking show or someone who ONLY wanted the prize??
I did this at our last Fair and was very successful with bookings BECAUSE the person you are talking to is excited that they WON!!

 

[Veevahchef]

The one I did required a "real" doorprize. But that was the only payment i had to make to be a part of it, so that was a good deal. It had to be worth at least $40.
But I think that is a great idea to make the prize a free show! Then you have "warm calls" to make later rather than cold calls!

 

[gilliandanielle]

Do you ever worry that two friends will both enter the drawing then know that you are up to something when they both "win" the cooking show? I have always wondered how that works!

 

[Veevahchef]

Good point!

 

[AlowayFamily]

You could say you had so many entries you decided to offer a winner and a runner up. If 2 people are noticably together, you could mark their slips as friends together so you will know when you call them.

 

[RitaKey]

As far as demoing products I am using glitter in a quick stir piture with water because at the fair we cannot have food.
Also using balloons, mixed with colored ones for attractions.
Anyother ideas for demos w/out food??

 

[Morvin]

Free show offersLast year at my county fair I offered a drawing with a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize
the 1st prize was a $25 gift cert. and if they booked a show I doubled it
2nd prize was a free deluxe cooking show I provided everything they just provided the guests and beverages I mailed all the invites, provided the ingredients, paper plates, napkins, etc.
3rd prize was a free express cooking show and all I provided was the ingredients
after the fair was over I called everyone and told them they won the free express cooking show in my first 15 calls I got 9 bookings it worked great. I did make notes on the back of the drawing slips so if they were with friends I didn't say the same thing to everyone in the group. I made notes on almost all of the drawing slips so I could remember what it was they were intersted in or where they worked etc. My fair is next week and I plan to really get things going again!!

Heather

 

[pamperms]

I always bring Simple Additions pieces and stands with m&m's in them. Most people do not count candy as food and it always attracts people. If kids come over and ask for some I tell them they need their parents permission - which then gets the parents over to my booth.

 

[scottcooks]

fair ideasI'm doing a fair tomorrow, and here are a few things I've found to be VERY successful I got 8 bookings, 2 orders and a recruit out of the last fair I did!

Carpet your booth, if possible - it sets you apart from your counterparts and makes your guest feel 'pampered' even if for a moment

try to get a plug - some fairs charge extra, but many don't...bring lots of extension cords, and... SHOW A VIDEO OF A KITCHEN SHOW LIVE! This makes your guests "get it" right away.

A great item you can give away "each hour" as a prize, is a giant lollipop or candy heart - made in a stoneware heart mold! Look under CC for old KCN - it was in there some months ago...spritz your mold, melt jolly ranchers in microcooker, pour into mold, let cool a few minutes, peel edge up w/ sharp plastic edge (pan scraper or citrus peeler) and flatten immediately out of the mold, cool, wrap in saran.

Try to have lots of OLD catalogs on hand - with a stamp or sticker that says, "for a current catalog, please contact me at (phone)". They almost never call, and you are not out current catalogs. And our old catalogs are BEAUTIFUL - easily 80% of the products are still current.

Have current catalogs available for folks who strike your fancy, who agree to book or give you a customer service issue to help with.

Have host packets ready. I do the invitations for my hosts, and actually pay them $20 in product at their show to do so, if they'll give me 35-40 names with either addresses or emails. I more than make up the cost of stamps, and I do the reminder calls 2 days before - the few shows where a host has agreed to this, have been 800+. [It's my way to beat the numbers game]

OPTION - have a big drawing basket for folks who will book a show for you - I had $40 in boxed and sample items with 2 seasons best, and folks were filling out survey slips to get it.

+===> use the Tom Marsten survey slip - found elsewhere here - do a search in files... It asks better questions, and puts the reader in a great frame to get good responses.

Good luck - I've got prep work to do for tomorrow!!

 

[Sk8Mom209]

this weekend. I reserved my space today and they asked for a business license. Do we have to have one to participate in Flea mkts and fairs? I just assumed we did not.

Thanks

Kathy,

When I am asked for a business license I let them know that as a consultant with the pampered chef, I am not required to have a license and that my primary purpose in the booth, is to obtain booking and recruiting leads and that I do not sell from the booth.

If you will be selling actual product (cash & carry) you may be required to have a license. I never have product to sell, and will occassionally take an order, but you are really looking for leads at these events.

 

[pamperedwendy]

Great idea! I hadn't thought of that! I do give out PC bags at fairs but the balloons to kids is a great idea. Do you use helium?

Yes, I rented a helium tank from a near by party store.

 

[apamperedone]

I love the glitter in the quick stir pitcher! I will be doing that too. I'm using burgundy skirting along with white table clothes to show the new colors off for the fall too. I think I will be also doing the free cooking show idea and the show in a bag too for the weekend when the fair is much busier. Thanks to all of you for the great ideas and input! Keep up the great job!!!