Maximizing Success: Hosting a Consultant Open House for Pampered Chef Products

[jbechtel]

Hi - I was thinking of hosting an Open House at my home in the beginning of Sept. to show off the new fall/winter catalog and new products. I'd invite my family, friends, past hosts, and customers. Does anyone who's done this before have any advicve or suggestions? I've only started selling Pampered Chef in March and have been doing very well so far but want to make sure it continues into the next season. Does an Open House generate more future bookings or show sales? I'd offer incentives for coming and buying new products and booking a show. Any suggestions or advice? Thanks!

 

[amybee]

I had an open house on June 17th. I offered everyone that came a 10% discount and anyone that hosted a show with me got 20% off. I invited past guests, hosts, family, friends, neighbors. I end up getting over $1150 in sales and that was after the discounts. I would highly recommend doing one. I plan on doing another one for Christmas..
I made several recipes from the Seasons Best and had them all prepared ahead of time. I had no demo. I just displayed all that I own. This way people could walk around and touch them before they bought them. If someone wanted me to demo a tool, I did.
Good luck and invite as many people you can think off.


Amy

 

[SusanBP0129]

Hi!
I am doing my first show on Monday night. I am also thinking of doing an open house...but I am wondering, when you say you are offering 10% off, etc, how do I do that?? Not to sound dumb but I am a newbie & still pretty confused!! LOL
Thanks!!!

 

[jbechtel]

Thanks, Amy, for the encouraging words! I'll use the online evites from my website but I have some people I'd like to invite who I don't have email addresses for. Is it possible to send flyers tri-fold through the regular mail? or I'll make my own postcards. How did you do your invitations?

 

[pcjeanie]

I was thinking about doing an open house too in September. One dilemma I haven't decided how to handle is who to invite. I've only had 11 shows and some of them catalog shows. Also, I have hosts who have signed as consultants and one who has booked a second show. If I invite "their people" that may short them later. I thought about co-hosting the open house with the consultant I signed and she could invite her own people and get sales/bookings from that. Think that would work? I also thought about only inviting people who had ordered $xx in sales. I already have 3 shows booked for Sept. Advice, please.

Jeanie Gay

 

[pcjeanie]

I was thinking about doing an open house too in September. One dilemma I haven't decided how to handle is who to invite. I've only had 11 shows and some of them catalog shows. Also, I have hosts who have signed as consultants and one who has booked a second show. If I invite "their people" that may short them later. I thought about co-hosting the open house with the consultant I signed and she could invite her own people and get sales/bookings from that. Think that would work? I also thought about only inviting people who had ordered $xx in sales. I already have 3 shows booked for Sept. Advice, please.

Jeanie Gay

 

[ChefBeckyD]

What I do.....I've built up quite a list of hosts & preferred customers (4 ys as a consultant), but I think this could work for anyone - go back to your list of 100 and start from there......
I host a Fall Preview Extravaganza towards the end of August (Aug 22nd this yr.) and have it count as an August Show.....I make a big deal of ordering S/S products before they are discontinued, and have several new recipes prepared beforehand - I have everyone vote on which ones they would most like to have at their own show . The New Products are on display and I make a big deal out of unveiling them, and everyone gets a New SB cookbook for attending, but other than that the new products aren't available for purchase - creates more interest in booking.
(last year I had 8 bookings from my show).
I don't do a Mystery Host - did it one year, and felt like I wanted to do something that was more equitable for those attending, and make everyone happy as they leave..........so I collect product throughout the year - everthing from mini-spatulas to stoneware (by hosting my own shows, using 50% items that hosts don't want, using 60% host bonuses that hosts don't use etc.....)and do drawings for door prizes for EVERYONE who places an order! This year, I am only inviting past hosts (because thats almost 100 people), and letting them know that if they bring a friend they will receive an extra 10% off their order (for those who have hosted in the past yr - that would be on top of their discount) If their friend books a show - they receive another gift from me! (not sure what this will be yet - I'll probably do a prize basket using the square woven basket, and have it filled with small items like the lotion&soap samples, mini spatulas, mini whisks, i-slice, etc....)
I do a small presentation about 1/2 hour into the show ( I bill it as "Come When You Can, Leave When You Must) and that's when I unveil the new products and talk about the benefits of hosting - 15 minutes tops. This year I am having my SIL help me (hoping to recruit her) - She will be the hostess (at my home) so I can just be the consultant - and I am going to split host benefits with her. I haven't made up my invitation yet - Last year it was a blank postcard with just the info on it, and I mailed it inside the Mini-catalog, with a label on the outside saying something aboutCheck Out The Special Invitation inside back page - and then I also sent out email invitations to everyone.
Hope This Helps - also hope it made sense!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Pc Jeanie.......I see I have a PM from you - but for some reason can't open it - could you email me @ [email protected] or jut post your message here?

Thanks!

 

[Shawnna]

Susan: When you offer a 10% discount to your customers you pay the full price when you send the order and then you get your commission check. Basically your customer pays 90% of the cost plus shipping and tax and you pay the other 10%. When you put the order into your Pampered Partner it will show the full price and then you go to the pay screen and do a consultant gift for the 10% and it will show the balance they owe. Since PC takes the full amount of the show out of your account and then sends your commission, you have to be able to afford to pay the 10% at the time you send your show. When you do this, your host will get credit for the full price of the product, so it helps her and your customer. I hope this makes sense.

 

[sarahmarie]

Thank you for posting that. It doesnt make sense to me yet becuase i have never done a show but it does help becasue i was wondering about this too.

 

[SusanBP0129]

Thank you Shawnna!! I was very confused!! Now it makes sense.

 

[amybee]

I made a flyer in publisher and mailed it to everyone I know. I must had sent out over 100 invites. Go thru your 100 people list and go from there. Then I went around my neighborhood and placed flyers in their mailboxes. In you can also include a mini catalog too. It may help draw more people to the open house.

 

[gilliandanielle]

I had a spring fling preview in February, but I didn't do a demo or talk about the new products. BIG MISTAKE!! I will have a Fall preview too, but I am definetly explaining EVERY SINGLE PRODUCT!!

 

[koren]

I have given my guests discounts- in pampered partner you can enter a payment option of "consultant gift"--> Can you do this when you offer an incentive? (Then on the receipt, the customer sees how generous you are)? And does this mean it counts as a tax write-off?

 

[gilliandanielle]

Anything you give to hosts/ guests is a tax write off! That is why Pampered Partner keeps track of it!