Motivating Members to Attend Cluster Meetings

[susanr613]

Hi -

How do you motivate team members to attend cluster meetings? It
Thanks!

 

[pampered.chris]

Are you my director in disguise?! LOL. This is a GREAT question. I drive over 2 hours one way to get to a cluster meeting and i don't mind to drive it. I am always the first to say YES, I will be there!! Well tonight was to be the meeting...the last one was cancelled due to only one person coming...me. And this morning I get an email from my director saying sorry but the meeting is cancelled. I was the only one coming again!! I LOVE to go to the meetings and so wish my clustermates would feel the same way. Some of them earned Cookware points and never redemed them b/c they didn't know they earned them. HOw do you not know this stuff?!

So would you call that bad directing or bad consultants?!

I don't know how to motivate them to come and I am sure my director would LOVE to motivate them to just sell!!

Do you call them? I only get emails from my director and it would be nice to have an occassional call "hey how are you doing, how are your sales this month" etc.

Sorry I can't be of more help

 

[GourmetGirl]

Susan... I love free stuff! What about a drawing for something - even the new sprinkles would be fun! Also, it's fun when you get to try a new recipe. One meeting that a sister director to my director had that I snuck in on was a panel of past hosts where we got to ask them questions about hosting and what they like/don't like with host coaching. hth!

 

[NooraK]

I heard a perfect quote Sunday morning: "If you feed them, they will come!"

The person who said it was referring to college students, but I'm sure it applies to many other people as well.

That, and free stuff.

 

[cathyskitchen]

I was having trouble getting my team to my meetings in the late spring/early summer, so I told them that they HAD to come to my July 29 meeting - I was going to have some new products to see, some "awards" for top sellers/recruiters/etc. and I was making one of the new recipes (it was a surprise). I really teased it up and made sure I sent them emails and made phone calls right beforehand. I also asked them to RSVP so I could make sure I had enough stuff on hand. Don't you know - they ALL showed up!! So, if you show them that you're putting a bunch of effort into them, they'll put the effort into their business and come to the meetings. Whatever their motivation (food, freebies, socializing), I don't care - as long as they come, I can then help them with their businesses. Great topic!

 

[laurichef]

Sounds a lot like host coaching.....

 

[cathyskitchen]

Sounds a lot like host coaching.....

Yep! It definitely is! :thumbup:

 

[Ginger428]

Are you my director in disguise?! LOL. This is a GREAT question. I drive over 2 hours one way to get to a cluster meeting and i don't mind to drive it. I am always the first to say YES, I will be there!! Well tonight was to be the meeting...the last one was cancelled due to only one person coming...me. And this morning I get an email from my director saying sorry but the meeting is cancelled. I was the only one coming again!! I LOVE to go to the meetings and so wish my clustermates would feel the same way. Some of them earned Cookware points and never redemed them b/c they didn't know they earned them. HOw do you not know this stuff?!

So would you call that bad directing or bad consultants?!

I don't know how to motivate them to come and I am sure my director would LOVE to motivate them to just sell!!

Do you call them? I only get emails from my director and it would be nice to have an occassional call "hey how are you doing, how are your sales this month" etc.

Sorry I can't be of more help

WOW!! Chris..2 hours!! Where in PA are you? You can come to ours! Without realizing it, I started bringing something already made with me & we would all share at the end of the meeting (that was a little over a year ago) now every month they, I wonder what Gingers making for us this month....HTH

 

[chefann]

It's totally like host coaching!Another thing you can do is offer some sort of recognition for everyone who comes to the meeting (since people who aren't usually in the running for top seller probably aren't motivated by the recognition otherwise), and only give the goodies to the people who actually show up.

 

[Geekgirl69]

My hospitality director has a calendar where we sign in and put our shows for the upcoming month and at the end of the meeting she pulls a number from 1-30(31) and if somebody has a show on that day they get a small gift card to Wawa.

 

[GourmetGirl]

back when there was charms, we got a charm after attending 3 meetings in a row... then during the 4th meeting we got to pick. We also got a charm for other things, like sales and recruiting.

 

[pampered.chris]

WOW!! Chris..2 hours!! Where in PA are you? You can come to ours! Without realizing it, I started bringing something already made with me & we would all share at the end of the meeting (that was a little over a year ago) now every month they, I wonder what Gingers making for us this month....HTH

I am located about 2 hours from Buffalo, two hours from Elmira, 3 hours from Syracuse and 6 hours from NYC...I just mapquested you and you are over 5 hours from me..LOL
I am in Potter County, center top of the state of PA about 20 min from the PA/NY border.

 

[Ginger428]

I am located about 2 hours from Buffalo, two hours from Elmira, 3 hours from Syracuse and 6 hours from NYC...where are you?
I am in Potter County, center top of the state of PA about 20 min from the PA/NY border.

YIKES!!! I'm in NYC...

 

[cathyskitchen]

It's totally like host coaching!

Another thing you can do is offer some sort of recognition for everyone who comes to the meeting (since people who aren't usually in the running for top seller probably aren't motivated by the recognition otherwise), and only give the goodies to the people who actually show up.

Yep - I agree - I always try to have something for everyone who shows up, and celebrate even the most "minor" accomplishment.

I also went through everyone's points for the incentive so far this year, and two are on track to earn Level 1 and didn't even know it, so that was HUGE to them!

 

[cathyskitchen]

My hospitality director has a calendar where we sign in and put our shows for the upcoming month and at the end of the meeting she pulls a number from 1-30(31) and if somebody has a show on that day they get a small gift card to Wawa.

I like that...thanks!

 

[chefmeg]

I wish I knew the answer to this one! I can only say that there has to be a valid reason for them to drive any distance since fuel prices are so high. That being said, the best meetings I have had and been to are the ones where there is either ALOT of excitement (new products, promotions...) or there was a really good learning session (how to properly use the cutlery, a demo of an interactive show, power cooking).
I agree that there needs to be some excitement for the folks that rarely get the sales or recruiting recognition. We have a raffle each month~the prize is a product between $50-60! Anyone can win, so even the Directors (who supply the products) get in on it! It is FUN!
We have our meetings on the third Monday of every month....there should be no reason we would have to call and remind people, but the new folks wouldn't be used to this, so a reminder is a good thing!

 

[KellyTheChef]

My director has us "sign up" to help...someone brings a drink, someone is our greeter and needs to be there 10 minutes early to greet everyone, someone brings something to munch on, someone (or two) stay behind and help clean up. Really, most of these are things that were getting done each month, but by the same people over and over! Now that you sign up to be responsible for something it seems to help.

She is also changing up our drawings...you get a ticket for attending, and then tickets for $1,000 shows, recruiting, bringing a guest (lead) and a few other things. This just changed last month so I don't know all of the specifics!! Then, she draws a winner of a product or two.

She is also asking us to fill out a meeting review form. What we liked, didn't like, subjects we would like to see covered (I asked last month for us to go over using the recruiting booklet in an interview with a lead)

HTH

 

[Ginger428]

I forgot 1 more thing. They have everyone bring a new catalog & at the end of the night they pick a winner & they get all the cattys...

 

[JAE]

I go because I get free stuff. I am pretty much the only person who ever goes. That's annoying. My director doesn't teach me anything but I like free stuff, so I go.

 

[SLDOWDY1978]

i go because it motivates me and i get 2 hours to myself without kids or hubby. plus, i get ideas from the rest of the cluster.

 

[KellyTheChef]

I forgot 1 more thing. They have everyone bring a new catalog & at the end of the night they pick a winner & they get all the cattys...

Oh! I forgot to say we do that too! We each bring two unstamped cattys for the drawing...it's really cool when there are a bunch of us there that participate in that and not just 3 or 4 of us!

 

[pampered.chris]

I go because I get free stuff. I am pretty much the only person who ever goes. That's annoying. My director doesn't teach me anything but I like free stuff, so I go.

My director has forwarded emails from clustermates to me to have me answer their questions. I think that is part of the reason that no one else is motivated to come to the meetings. I also (not to pat myself on the back or anything) think sometimes they get sick of me always being top in sales, earning the incentives, etc. I have said many a time, c'mon lets compete!! I would LOVE for one or more of them to compete with me!! I would be going to Paris if I had the competition!!
I know I know, I should motivate myself, but man...to HAVE to really work just to keep my "title"...you bet your butt I would do it!! LOL

 

[christinaspc]

Chris I know what you mean I was telling hubby after my last cluster meeting thinking that the 3 girls that did show up sure wished I didn't show up my director gave away new product for each thing you did. Well I had 5 things I was awarded for so I got 5 new products I am sure they are tired of me being on. I am sure they loved to hear that I am going to be doing my own meetings and probably only come every other month.

I am like you Chris sometimes it gets tiring being on top all the time with no compition and I feel like you do your director asking you to answer questions well I do the same thing. I feel like I am her partner in crime durning the meetin cause she always has me run a part not saying that I don't mind I guess I feel like sometimes the others don't like me much cause I do work so hard on my business.

Hope you all didn't think I was braggin.

 

[pampered.chris]

Chris I know what you mean I was telling hubby after my last cluster meeting thinking that the 3 girls that did show up sure wished I didn't show up my director gave away new product for each thing you did. Well I had 5 things I was awarded for so I got 5 new products I am sure they are tired of me being on. I am sure they loved to hear that I am going to be doing my own meetings and probably only come every other month.

I am like you Chris sometimes it gets tiring being on top all the time with no compition and I feel like you do your director asking you to answer questions well I do the same thing. I feel like I am her partner in crime durning the meetin cause she always has me run a part not saying that I don't mind I guess I feel like sometimes the others don't like me much cause I do work so hard on my business.

Hope you all didn't think I was braggin.

Dude, you were so bragging!! LOL!! It is cool though...we'll let you!!!

 

[christinaspc]

Dude I didn't want it to be braggin ..... I wanted it to be where more people from my cluster thrive to do better then me.

 

[pampered.chris]

Dude I didn't want it to be braggin ..... I wanted it to be where more people from my cluster thrive to do better then me.

Yeah, I want that too...

end of hijack!!

 

[christinaspc]

boy we are bad you started it lol

 

[susanr613]

this is great stuff....i know what you mean about the same 3-4 people winning stuff every time, based on accomplishments....that's how i could give my parents a santoku for their anniversary (what an image!), my friend stuff for silent auction.....

 

[Chef Gilles]

My Director keeps us (me at least) motivated by handing out funny money at each cluster meeting. We earn funny money for attending, for the number of shows we had in the month, the the bookings we have for next month, for sending her tips for our monthly newsletter and so on... he funny money is used once a year at a BBQ she hosts where we can bid on items she has wrapped up. Prizes go to the highest bidder !!! Our Director also pays for three breakfasts during the year (held in a restaurant). We also have a Christmas gathering where we go all out with fun and games, not to mention food !!! At every meeting, evryone gets to pick from a basket of prizes she has with the consultant with the most shows in the month picking first and so on... I can never wait for my cluster meetings!!!

Try it, it might work !!!

 

[amy07]

I've come to the conclusion that there is not any one thing that will get them to come to a meeting other than their own desire to do well.

 

[Susan M]

I am located about 2 hours from Buffalo, two hours from Elmira, 3 hours from Syracuse and 6 hours from NYC...I just mapquested you and you are over 5 hours from me..LOL
I am in Potter County, center top of the state of PA about 20 min from the PA/NY border.

I just noticed this post and see you go 2 hours for your monthly meeting - I am a director in Hinsdale NY about 20 minutes from the PA/NY border - just outside of Olean - going North on 16. E-mail me privately at [email protected] and maybe you can come to my meetings as hospitality - I don't think you are very far from me.

 

[etteluap70PC]

I love going to meetings for me it's all about comadgerie (SP?) and recognition. Ok I guess I am shallow... but I love it when they clap for me... (I like to hear how the others are doing too. It really motivates me!)

Anyhow... My hospitality Dir does her meetings with 1 or 2 of her up or downline. With more than 1 director the work is easier because they plan together and the turn out is better.

 

[Hathery]

I'm a brand new consultant, so I haven't been to a cluster meeting yet (going tomorrow.) My director wants us to bring out list of 100, our cell phone, and our calendars. I think she's going to have us do calls at the meeting. Is this a usual thing to do at these meetings? I am really REALLY not comfortable making calls in front of people (not to mention I have talked to everyone I can talk to already--I'm not calling them again!) I definitely didn't sign on to be put through the wringer like that.

 

[kam]

I'm a brand new consultant, so I haven't been to a cluster meeting yet (going tomorrow.) My director wants us to bring out list of 100, our cell phone, and our calendars. I think she's going to have us do calls at the meeting. Is this a usual thing to do at these meetings? I am really REALLY not comfortable making calls in front of people (not to mention I have talked to everyone I can talk to already--I'm not calling them again!) I definitely didn't sign on to be put through the wringer like that.

My Director would always let us know if a meeting was going to be set aside for calls. Last year, we were focusing on making calls...and she gave us the option of making calls from her house, staying home and making calls from home, or coming to the meeting and simply practicing a calling script with her or someone else.

I would hope you would have the option of NOT making calls if you don't want to.

I do NOT make PC calls with my cell phone so I would be stuck.

Good Luck.

 

[Hathery]

Maybe we'll just be practicing a calling script; that would be useful. I'm just really not at the point where I could be comfortable making calls from the meeting.

 

[PamperedK]

I think if people don't want to come to team training, they're not going to come no matter what you do. Maybe that's negative...but I think until people actually show up and see how motivating it is, they really don't know what they're missing.

I am always at the top as well. I asked my director if I'd still be recognized when I promoted because I always felt bad that I was the one up front all the time. She says that's what motivates people to do well...and I think for the most part, that's true.

I see people up on stage at conference getting award after award and recognition all over the place, and the only thing I'm thinking is, "I need to talk to her. What is she doing that I'm not? I want to be up there!" so I'm going to go out and work hard so that's ME up on stage next time.

I know it doesn't work for everyone but the really ambitious ones are going to look up to the top performers and strive to do what they're doing. If they're getting sick of seeing you up there and they don't go because of that - there's nothing you can do to help them, unfortunately.