Maximizing Apartment Complex Community: Office Cooking Party Tips and Invites

[KimberleePowell]

I live in an apartment complex. My apartment manager has offered me the use of the main office to do a Cooking Party if I am interested. There are about 300 apartments in my complex. I would have to do all of the inviting. This would not be her having a party for me. This would just be me using the main office.

First question: should I use the main office? I don't want to do this and it be a bust.

Second question: if I did decide to use the office, how should I do invites and what are some tips to get success with this? I have thought about leaving postcard invites on half of the apartments and if I have success arrange to do another party with the other half of the apartments. I have thought that if I used the postcard invites I could just put my telephone number and email address as a way for them to RSVP. I would also put instructions on how to order online.

Any tips or ideas

 

[leftymac]

I live in an apartment complex. My apartment manager has offered me the use of the main office to do a Cooking Party if I am interested. There are about 300 apartments in my complex. I would have to do all of the inviting. This would not be her having a party for me. This would just be me using the main office.

First question: should I use the main office? I don't want to do this and it be a bust.

Second question: if I did decide to use the office, how should I do invites and what are some tips to get success with this? I have thought about leaving postcard invites on half of the apartments and if I have success arrange to do another party with the other half of the apartments. I have thought that if I used the postcard invites I could just put my telephone number and email address as a way for them to RSVP. I would also put instructions on how to order online.

Any tips or ideas

One of my recruits did this and he did not have much success. I'm convinced it's because he did not invite people personally. If you're going to do it, yes you should distribute postcard invites, but you need to follow up those with personal contact. Otherwise, most people are not going to care. They'll just see it as some sort of solicitation. How many times have you received a flyer for some business on your door/car windshield and just tossed it aside?

 

[PamperedK]

I would suggest taking an afternoon and knocking on doors to personally invite. A postcard under the door isn't going to get you results.

But I do think you should do this - it could turn out to be a very good thing!

 

[Jenni]

I don't have a door knocking personality...LOL I would be way to out of my box! But I do agree that is what it will take if you want to see great results.

 

[pampered.chris]

I agree about the personal invitations. Let people meet you!! Also, I agree w/ doing 2 seperate "parties". you could also turn this into a meet and greet!!

 

[KimberleePowell]

So, if I were to go "door-knocking" how early should I do this? Would you go a week before the party or only a few days before? If I did this, I would want it to go well, especially if I am going to go around knocking on peoples doors.

 

[pamperedharriet]

Good luck if you do this! I live in a complex with over 10 buildings and we have a no soliticing policy and have security doors so I cannot go door to door.

 

[Cindycooks]

Im getting ready to do something like this at the vacation condos in my neighborhood. Im going to do a Red White and Blue fruit pizza (looks like a flag) in celebration of the summer. I am working on a mystery host flyer and am going to play it up that way in that if they attend they have a chance to win the host benefits (split up) and door prizes. (I have alot of little extra products just sitting around).

The rec center where I am having it is helping me promote it by allowing me to put a flyer in 1000 of our little neighborhood newsletters plus they will distribute it among the vacationers. They are even printing it for me! Because of the numbers, we are asking for an RSVP and I hope I get those. I honestly dont expect much response from the actual neighorbood people - most of them know I do PC and have my contact info - BUT - I am going to try to not look at it negatively. Im going to also play this up as a fall preview and maybe that will get the regulars interest.

Also - it Aug 11th and I am going to register it online for the knives so someone can win! I'm putting it under the rec center managers name - she said I could - and we will just present it to the winner should we get called!

 

[pamperedharriet]

Post your flyer when you get it done, Cindy so we can all see it. Sounds like a wonderful idea. I need to check with our property manager to see what I can do here to get around the no soliciting. When I am out walking around I hand out business cards to people I meet.

 

[Cindycooks]

Im actually just coping one from here Harriet - its at home so I dont know which but I searched under mystery host. Im just going to change it to my info but yes I'll post it.

Im really hoping this works out. We are on the coast and gets tons of vacationers here in the condos. There is a big rec room and they let us use it as long as we live here (it is free). They had a Mary Kay rep and the little old ladies loved her but half the time she didnt show up....they had Tupperware too, and she wouldnt show up! I just cant imagine! So if this works, it will be a good thing for me because they have ask them not to come back.

My first choice was an ice-cream show but they already do an ice-cream night themselves so they didnt want me to do icecream. There is no oven, just a microwave. Mondays is what was open and Monday night is hotdog night - they grill them out by the pool, so we had the idea for a dessert - they can eat and go right into the rec room for dessert! I'm just gonna cook up the crescent roll crust at home. I live right around the corner. I'll let them dice and chop and enjoy!

 

[pamperedharriet]

Thanks, Cindy. It's always nice to get fresh ideas.

 

[allisonserna]

if you have 300 doors to knock on...

tackle a little bit every day at least 2 weeks before. if your complex is mostly mid 20 to mid 30 you might want try after 6 pm to get them after work, and on saturday mornings and sunday afternoons.

Think of it as try to find 10 people home and take a break.

And keep track of who was home or not home, so you know to go back.

Knock on the door and introduce yourself as the local PC consultant and invite them to the party. Have catalogs and order forms on hand for those who cannot make it and are interested in taking a look at the catalog. and then have them fill out a door prize slip so you can get their order before you close the show.

or ask them to host a show of their own if they can't make it.

Are you doing the cooking show as an open house event or an actual cooking show?

because you want to start on time - even if no one shows up, because if someone comes late they may leave if they see you didn't start. They might have only showed up for the free food.

and then those late people you will find out are your non-cookers and you can sell them on the alternative uses for our products.

Like the quick stir pitcher to wash unmentionables and the salad spinner to dry them, or the micro cooker to cook ground beef and bake cakes or whatever


Does this make sense?

 

[kaseydee]

I use to live in an apt complex & they would put on socials in our main bldg from time to time & turn out was pretty good. All of their anouncements were done on the complex's letterhead. They would also write our apt# on the outside of each item they left at our door. I would be much more inclined to go knowing you lived in my complex. I think it is a great idea & I hope you get great customers out of it!

 

[Cindycooks]

do you plan on doing something like a mystery show or offering prizes? Just had a thought. Get a roll of tickets - the kind where you tear one off & the matching one stays on your roll. Staple one of the tickets to their invite and mention the prizes. That is their ticket to enter and one chance at the prize already!

 

[PChefPEI]

Yep, personal invites for sure (although it would be totally going out of my comfort zone for me too!! ). You could call it a "block party" or a "kitchen party"!