Maximizing Engagement: Tips for Filling Silence at Your Cooking Show

[KimberleePowell]

I have been doing Pampered Chef since Feb. I have really enjoyed it. I love doing cooking shows I am however experiencing one small problem. There are times during my cooking show that I am intently focusing on what I am doing, and there is silence. I for the most part can keep everyone's attention and make it interesting. But, like I said there are times of silence. These times are usually when I am cutting something up. Anyways, I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to what I could be doing to fill this silence. I was thinking of having notecards that various guests could read aloud about hosting a show or about being a consultant. Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[dannyzmom]

While you are cutting, you could be talking about the knives, crosselling the cutting boards...asking the crowd for their thoughts on the knives, etc...

 

[Hilary]

I like your idea of having cards for people to read. This can also generate a conversation. I also do the introductions of the guests throughout the party instead of the beginning to fill in gaps. I ask them to tell me their name, how they know the hostess, and their favorite PC item. I usually ask them how they use that item too. Good luck!

 

[djqualls]

Hilary - tell me a little more about working the introductions into your demonstration. How does that work?

 

[gilliandanielle]

There are "did you know" cards on here somewhere that you could put in a batter bowl and pass around. Every few minutes ask someone to read one of the cards.

 

[pampered1224]

One thing you might try...Is not spending so much time on one part of the recipe. Like cutting up things. Do some prep work ahead and put most of the cut up stuff in seperate prep bowls, staniless bowls or batter bowls.
Then only do a small piece of whatever and talk about the tool you are using.
For example. You need two cups of cut up chicken, one cup of chopped onion, and a 1/2 cup of celery for a recipe. Cut up 1 and 1/2 cups of chicken, put it in the Small Batter Bowl BEFORE THE GUESTS arrive. (Or the small Stainless bowl.) Then do just the last 1/2 cup during the demo. Chop some of the onion before hand and put that into a bowl. Let someone else come up and finish chopping the rest! (HANDS ON works wonders!) Do one stalk of celery before hand and put that in a Prep Bowl. Then have someone els ecome up and use the SANTOKU or one of our other wonderful knives to do the rest. While they are working and demoing for you, you can keep right on talikng! You now have several products to talk about. 1) The batter bowls or the stanless bowls. Stainless has a higher price tag so..., 2) The knife you are using, SANTOKU if possible because of the nice price tag if possible or the food chopper and all the other cutting edge stuff we have. 3) The cutting board you are using as well as the others and the carving board.
You get distracted yourself. So undistract by reacting to the person you call up to have help. This keeps you focused on what you are really there to do, sell! Not food prep!

 

[KimberleePowell]

Thank you so much for all of the helpful information I would love to know where I could find those "Did you know" cards? If anyone knows where they are or they could post them, that would be wonderful.

 

[chefkeri]

To make it easier for you to find Good luck,
I usually ask who has a stone? What's your fav. PC product? Start a business for less than $100 and earn tons of free stuff too!

Good luck! I was where you are! Practice! It worked for me

PS, good to laminate for longer life & print on colored card stock for added zip!

 

[Pampered Laura]

Ditto to everything John said! Prep work = guests who aren't bored and hungry!

 

[gilliandanielle]

Thanks for finding the "did you know" cards!!

 

[KimberleePowell]

Thank you so much for all of your help. I love the did you know cards! By the way, I do prep work before shows, and I am still having moments of silence. If I am cutting something, I tend to get quite. You see, I am one of the nuts that cut my Knuckle pretty badly at one of my shows using the ulitmate slice and grate. After that, I have been somewhat paranoid. For that boo boo, I had to go to ER, get a stitch, and then get my finger coterized (I don't think I spelled that correctly). That procedure took about four hours. I am sure that you all wanted to know that. Thanks again.

 

[AJPratt]

I have to start using those cards!!!

 

[soonerchef]

Sometimes silence is better...at least you know that they are paying attention to what you are doing and saying (when you say it)!!!

 

[AJPratt]

I could have used a little silence last night. 28 people. NO SILENCE. Someone actually grabbed a scraper and banged it on the big stainless bowl to shut people up. It was pretty funny.

 

[melindag]

I just wanted to say that I tend to be a little accident prone too.....I haven't had any mishaps at shows, thank goodness - but at home I've done everything from cutting my fingers to knocking myself out with a cupboard door (I know, you're asking how!!! believe me, its happened more than once)

Anyway, for me PREPPING is the key. I do the bulk of my cutting of everything for my demo before the show - either at home or during my prep time. Then I leave only a little bit of something for each particular cutting tool that I want to focus on to finish off the cutting. The prep bowls and stainless bowls are awesome to help with all the prepping!

Most of my shows are filled with PC groupies.....so they like the efficient pace of my demo, and this keeps my fingers in tact and I can move on to showing other products that I've brought along but may not be necessarily using.

Melinda
Melinda

 

[AJPratt]

I do a lot of prepping as well. When it comes to the actual show, its just tossing some things in the batter bowl and using a couple of items to quick demo how they work.

I want to get guests more involved. Its something to work towards.

 

[pampered1224]

Have to admit thoughthat being quiet so you can concentrate on not chopping off a finger might be a good thing. Who's gonna buy the product that lops off fingers?
They'll be so afraid of it they won't buy it. Here is what you could say. "I have a bit of slicing to do and we all know that when you are using a sharp tool, you need ot pay attention to what you are doing. So what I would like you to do for me, is to tell all of us about a tool you saw today that intrigues you and why."
Keep them talking, you can keep chopping or slicing but slightly listen to the answers.
Again, let them sell each other stuff. It gets yuo off the hook for not speaking.

 

[scottcooks]

Try pre-cutting all but 1 or 2 of what you are doing. I got rid of silence **and cut 15 minutes off my too-long show times** by doing work ahead and using the awesome PREP BOWLS.

Melindag is right - PREPPING is the key.

 

[gilliandanielle]

If I need to cut something I have a guest do it so they can use the product while I talk about it. Then when they are done I ask how they liked it and that helps sell it!

 

[photochef]

encourage participationI encourage guests to participate and give prizes at the end. It they have the item and love it as I am demonstrating they have to shout "I have it and I love it" and then tell me what they use it for or why the love it so much. and they get a ticket.

other guests see that the tools are user friendly and it keeps people from getting bored, they sit on the edge of their chairs waiting for the next tool.

Then, so no one is left out, b/c there are always first time PC guests I add "ask me about my "job"" Those that don't have very many tickets or those that want more will ask questions. This also gives you a feel for who might be interested in more information. Planting seeds.

 

[bbauman07]

I use the did you know cards also, I find that sometimes even though, I have done prep work. I still haven't "prepared" enough to say