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Overcoming Struggles as a Pampered Chef Consultant: Tips and Tricks for Success

In summary, Nicole is struggling with the idea of doing a show for a complete stranger. She is a twin and feels like she is not ready. Her recruiter has invited her to do a fair with her.
NikkiC515
23
and its alllllllll my fault. When i started pampered chef in sept i thought i would be great and i was very into it. But as with all things when things get harder than i expected i started losing interest. I expected to get more help from my family but instead got none! 1 friend hosted a show for me and i hosted one but other than that..nothing :(. I know i have to advertise and put myself out there but i feel sooooo unprepared to go to strangers homes and do this. I don't feel ready and i am a perfectionist i hate the idea of doing a crappy show. How do i get out of this slump. I thought my recruiter was about done with me when she called me the other day and invited me to do a fair with her so i did that and got about 5 leads so i am calling now and trying my best not to sound desperate for a show lol. So now i finally feel like i have taken a step to doing a show for a complete stranger and the fear is setting in. Anyone have any ideas on how i can get over this?

Thanks! :confused:
 
A recent epiphany of mine--you have to think of this business as a service and have FUN!

I was working so hard for bookings and recruit leads that it was becoming not fun.

Last night I went into my show with my number 1 goal to have fun and I booked one show and have two recruit leads!

This business is all about attitude. It's not what those people can do for YOU by hosting a show, it's what you can offer to THEM when they host a show!
 
september starter too!Hello,
I have recently been in a slump too. I think it has to do with the fact that we were all set up with shows and support from our recruiter and now here we are after christmas winter and I know I wasnt prepared as well as I should have been. Having christmas and all the time off because of the holiday and not over booking will be something I will be better prepared for next year. My advice is to go back to your list of 100. start making a few calls. They say something like 10 refusal to every one yes. try not to get too discuraged. And seek help from your recruiter and director, that is what they are there for and they want you to succeed as well. Best of luck to you.
 
september starter too!Hello,
I have recently been in a slump too. I think it has to do with the fact that we were all set up with shows and support from our recruiter and now here we are after christmas and it's winter and I know I wasnt prepared as well as I should have been. Having christmas and all the time off because of the holiday and not over booking will be something I will be better prepared for next year. My advice is to go back to your list of 100. start making a few calls. They say something like 10 refusal to every one yes. try not to get too discuraged. And seek help from your recruiter and director, that is what they are there for and they want you to succeed as well. Best of luck to you.
 
My biggest piece of advice is to ask yourself "if I were the host, what kind of show would my friends and I like/expect?"
If you go into a show knowing/doing what you would expect from another consultant, then odds are you will do a good job. And have FUN! People buy based on emotion - so the more fun people have, them more likely they are to buy and book from you. :D
 
we are twins...
NikkiC515 said:
My business is failing...and its alllllllll my fault. When i started pampered chef in sept i thought i would be great and i was very into it. But as with all things when things get harder than i expected i started losing interest. I expected to get more help from my family but instead got none! 1 friend hosted a show for me and i hosted one but other than that..nothing :(. I know i have to advertise and put myself out there but i feel sooooo unprepared to go to strangers homes and do this. I don't feel ready and i am a perfectionist i hate the idea of doing a crappy show. How do i get out of this slump.

Wow Nicole, this is sooooo me!!! As a fellow perfectionist, I totally understand. However, after reading an un-related post here yesterday, I have decided to change my line of thinking. I have been stressing so much over a job that is supposed to be fun. I worry so much about things going smoothly during shows that I am very uptight, and I think people see that. Instead, I am going to stop worrying about making the sale, or making sure everything going perfectly. I'm just going to have fun at shows, instead of worrying about what I'm supposed to say next. etc. Now, if I could only get some shows booked at which to test this new line of thinking.... :D

Good luck with your 5 leads, I'm sure you will do great!!! And don't be so hard on yourself. Relax and have fun!:)
 
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  • #5
Thanks!!! you guys are the best. You are soooo right this is supposed to be fun! And if i have fun and do my best i am sure..everyone will have fun and want to have parties with me because i enjoy what i do not because i am perfect! I mean it is a party right hehehe. I made those calls and one woman asked me to call her to pick a date on monday and another friend of mine is going to do a show for me in march so it looks like march will be a good month for me :)
 
I love that one of the GREATEST things about PC is that ANYONE, no matter whether they're a perfectionist or otherwise, can do it! I myself, struggle with feeling that I'm never going to be able to meet my own standards when it comes to PC, but my standards are not the same as others. There are people on this board that do this as a full-time career with a dozen shows per month, and there are those that do 2 shows a month. Everyone has different standards for themselves, and different things they want out of the opportunity. Although you may be a perfectionist and feel that you're not doing as well as you'd like, someone may look at you and think "I can do that!"... which is one huge draw of PC.

Though you may feel you're not up to your best right now, remember it takes time. If you keep your determination to perservere, and keep your goals in mind (always remember why you started and what you want out of PC), you will find success.
 
pchefinski said:
Though you may feel you're not up to your best right now, remember it takes time. If you keep your determination to perservere, and keep your goals in mind (always remember why you started and what you want out of PC), you will find success.

Thanks for saying this. I started PC in December and was really into it and thinking this would be great and I could do this instead of going to nursing school and be able to have more time with my kids. I had 3 shows in one weekend in December, was supposed to have 7 shows in January and only had 2 and Feb was supposed to be a great month with my DH doing a catalog show at his work (HR told him he couldn't), a fundraiser for my sons wrestling team ( which is postponed until next season) and my open house that 2 people showed up to, 1 didn't order anything and the other was my great friend who is also a PC Consultant. She came to support me in case no one showed...LOL So anywho, that was a bust. I'm now down to 2 shows this month, one of which was yesterday and I got no bookings (well, a spring booking with no set date). 6 people were supposed to be there and only 3 showed up:( So I was bummed about that. And I have the hardest time getting into show mode when I go so long without a show. My goal is 2 shows a week and I don't even barely make 2 a month. I have one scheduled in March, but its not till the 25th:(

I really want to make director by end of year, but now I'm starting to doubt myself. I'm a bit of a perfectionist also, so maybe that has something to do with it with all these things going awry lately?
 
I feel your pain!
I started last august and had a wonderful start. It has slowly gone down hill from there. I had 4 shows booked for January, 2 post poned due to flooding, 1 post poned 3 times untill this month her show was the other night and 1 person showed up who was 17(she took the catalog home to her parents). So I ended up with one show. I looked at it as that's alright we will get everyone reshceduled and keep moving. Well yesteday I had a host cancel yesterday morning(which was fine because I was having a meeting with my excutive director Barbara Duke). She told me I needed to be there that's why the show cancelled. Anyway she said something in our training that I need to pass on. She said that there is always a cause and effect. If we are the cause we are out there with a back up plan, and always thinking of a way to get back on our feet. If we are the effect, we just sit back and take what comes our way with no other plan. She said that in order to do anything in this bussiness we have to do the work first to see the results, and that there will always be bumps in the road. Then she gave us the example that she had a crappy March last year, and could not do hardly anything, but it happens to everyone even people who have been doing it for 15 years like herself!
Yesterday was the best training I have received, and I left with tons of ideas, and have already put some into action!
Good luck don't get discouraged, be the cause not the effect!!!! :D
 
Hi,
As a perfectionist myself...it was hard for me to come to the realization that I couldn't have a "perfect show". But something that I've stumbled upon that I say at shows when I do fumble or make a mistake somewhere along the way is to say..."I'm not a perfect chef, I'm a Pampered Chef!" and everyone giggles and I move on!

Hope this helps!
Nancy
 
  • #10
I also was in your boat not knowing if I could get up in front of total strangers to speak in front of people And I had also ran out of leads I did not have a list of 100 since I had signed up 1 month before I moved I got my letter stating that i was about to go inactive and I did a fair it was hard for me to call those people to ask for bookings but I did and I ended up #1 in sales for my cluster last year. Just go into your shows pretending like you know everyone there and just try to relax I still stumble on my words and my average show is between 5 and 600 in sales. Good luck with your leads from the fair I know they helped me out tons. The hardest part is calling them
 
  • Thread starter
  • #11
Thanks Jenni :) i called them and got one show and a few voice mails so i will try again tomorrow..i also got another show from friend for march. I really want this to work and i know i have to give it my all. You guys are great!
 
  • #12
Attitude of Gratitude or Bratitude?My whole business with PC changed when I approached it from an attitude of gratitude (apolgies to Dr. Norman Vincent Peale and Rev. Schuller). Before, I approached things from scarcity and pleaded with my guests to please help me out. One lady (of two guests present) at an early show took pity on me, or saw some of her family in me - I'm a teacher and her dad was a teacher - and booked one of the first true shows I had. I approached this in an upbeat, fun manner. I had brownie bites waiting for the guests as they came in, and the EasyAccentDecorator filled with the creamcheese/whipped cream topping for Tuxedo Brownies, then had fruit garnishes for the top - they went nuts with this!! It got the products into their hands; I had to get them to stop so I could do my demonstration.

A booking I got from that, was one of the biggest fundraisers in my cluster for March - 3,300... and I am still getting bookings and outside orders from that.

The best advice came from my wife - an independent beauty consultant with Mary Kay - she said 'don't reinvent the wheel' - use Scripts the company gives you (look on Consultant's Corner) and do what other successful people have done. Every time I have gotten on the phone (think I have only done it a handful of times) using company scripts, I have gotten more bookings than I imagined.

The second best advice came from the absolute top of my upline, Cindy Langford, who said 'there are only two rules in Pampered Chef: Have fun, and Be nice!'

My February has been a big fat 0 right now - but I am ok with that since school has been an absolute nightmare. I am on the phone and making contacts with customers, providing them with a service no one else can.

A last suggestion: Find anything by "The Lemonade Lady" - she has several books available, and has such a positive, upbeat attitude that it will help launch you into new spheres of business success.

PS - the attitude of Bratitude speaks for itself, somehow that the world owes you bookings or customers or an income... Remember that you generate your own success today, for 6-weeks away. You can almost plot it and see the effect of what you do now. Take care, and God Bless!
 
  • #13
I am a new consultant, so take my response with a grain of salt!

What I am finding is that if I truly enjoy what I am doing it is absolutely contagious. People just naturally want to be around me. They like to hear from me on the phone. They like the host coaching because it is fun and keeps them from having to remember things. I tell them up front that my job is to keep track of everything so they can concentrate on the guest list and figuring out what they want to order!

At the parties I just relax and have fun and forget to say things every time. But sometimes it is a great excuse to make big mac calls. Last night, for example, I completely forgot to talk about the guest special, so today I called everyone to tell them about it before we closed the show. I touched base with a customer who booked last night and talked about her upcoming show. I left messages. I talked to a woman who wanted to add to her order. It was great. The party was a blast. An all around good experience.

So my biggest piece of advice is to just relax and enjoy yourself. If you have fun, chances are, so will your host and your guests. And guess what? They'll want to see you again!

Love+
Rachel
 
  • #14
PampChefNancy1 said:
Hi,
As a perfectionist myself...it was hard for me to come to the realization that I couldn't have a "perfect show". But something that I've stumbled upon that I say at shows when I do fumble or make a mistake somewhere along the way is to say..."I'm not a perfect chef, I'm a Pampered Chef!" and everyone giggles and I move on!

Hope this helps!
Nancy

That's so awesome-I always say this at my shows too! Not sure where I heard it before, but I've been saying it at my shows for the past year or so and it always makes people laugh!
Doing booths is a great way to get new business-just remember to follow thru with those calls, and have excitement in your voice when you do! :)
 
  • #15
I am having the same problems but mine are a little more extreme if thats the word I should use! I started PC in December I have talked just about everybodys ear off about it, I send out monthly newsletters I always do follow-up calls. etc... But still to this day I have only done 3 shows and at all 3 shows nobody has shown up! I have talked to my director and my cluster about this but they are in a league far greater than me, I don't think any of them understand where I am coming from because they all have at least 5-6 shows booked a month and my director has 16 shows booked this month. And here I am complaining because not 1 person will book with me or even show up for that matter! I am not a perfectionist, and I am very excited about pampered chef! But slowly losing the fire to keep it going! I have read all the post's behind mine and all the encouragement is great! But I am already doing all of that! I know I am rambling and I am sorry! But if there is any advice you can give me it would be much appreciated!

Thanks bunches
Heather :confused:
 
  • #16
Open House?Every time the new catty comes out I host my own open house. I try to have a sample of several of the new items, I have a raffle drawing and give out a small gift every 1/2 hour and I also give away at the end the hostess benefits, etc to one lucky winner. I invite everyone I know, I hand out the invites to everyone I see, I also have it on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon from like 1-4 pm. I tell them they do not have to stay for the whole time. I have several of the latest recipes done and I set up a couple of stations to for hands on. I also let people know I do not do a cooking show-That's where you have to book comes in. I offer incentives to book.

ANother idea I do is to have a e-mail sale, say Buy the Barabecue kit get 10% off! Janaury white sale 10% off. Stock up on pantry items! Buy this get this etc.

I don't have any shows booked right now, but I have two catalog shows going and a another order pending (barbecue sets)

Get creative!
 
  • #17
i tried the open house thing. sent out a bunch of invites to everyone i knew, sent out a reminder email 2 days before. 1 person showed up and didn't buy anything. i had 3 dishes made, 2 deserts and an appetizer. that really brought me down. i was going to raffle off a bar pan and the host benefits. :(
 
  • #18
Would you askyour director if you can go to a show with her. Observe her & how she interacts with customers. WIth 16 shows, there should be one that fits into your schedule.
I really do know where you are coming from - it is stressful because I can't do this if I am not making money so it is hard to relax & enjoy myself sometimes. I would also recommend trying to find a group to do a fundraiser for. Your customer base will expand to people out of your circle, which will help your business immensly.

Esther
 
  • #19
I seriously feel your pain~I know exactly what you're sayin!!! I too started PC in September...7 months pregnant! I thought it would be a lot of fun. Two of my best friends booked shows right away and I thought it would be a breeze!!! Boy was I wrong! No lie...both shows were a total flop when no one showed up! No one at all!!! :( And these girls had not one friend in common, so it's not like they had invited the same people. :confused: Well, after having my baby, I thought promoting my business would be easier cause I could physically do a lot more. Well, for Christmas, my loving brother bought me Fund-raiser postcards and I started sending them out to everyone I could think of. I've had more response from those cards than from any of my shows! So I'm hoping that this year will be better for me! I just really with I could do more cooking shows, but I'm working on that!
 
  • #20
a few questions
Cookin'InTX said:
...my loving brother bought me Fund-raiser postcards and I started sending them out to everyone I could think of. I've had more response from those cards than from any of my shows!

** What fundraising postcards did your brother get you and where did he get them from?

** Who did you send them out to? Other than schools and churches, what other places do you send them to?

** Did you include anything on the postcards? any catch phrases? or did you just write your contact information on them?

thanks :D I've run dry for shows and we are desperately needing the supplementary income from PC, plus I just don't want to give it up (I really do love this job), so I'm wanting to get up and going again... any help will be great!
 
  • #21
Glad to help!The postcards are available through Nancy's Artwork. They are pre-printed cards and all I did was add my contact information on a label. I sent them to Dance schools, Daycare Centers, and Youth Organizations. The first response I got was from a Daycare I worked at years ago. I remembered that they participate in Relay for Life. So when I sent the cards, I put "RE: Relay for Life". Their card was sent out right after Christmas and I got an email from their Relay for Life co-captian asking for more info on our fund-raisers in late January. I set up a meeting with them and we're closing the show on February 28th!!! I offered them a raffle for a Free piece of cookware and a prize to their top seller. As you already know, work within your own budget. Also, this is the first fund-raiser I have ever gotten so I thought if I spend a little money this year, maybe they'll be repeat customers!!! I also took them the Beef Taco Ring for lunch as a small Thank You and they loved it so much that everyone was asking for the recipe. So I mentioned that is was a PC recipe and which cookbook it was located in (Hopefully increasing sales!!!). Because I am not originally from here, I've had to work a little harder to get customers, but all the work is starting to pay off. Check your local newspapers for leads on organizations who might need fund-raisers. I called a director for a girls softball league and unfortunately, they had already committed to a fund-raiser for this season. He said that he would keep my info and maybe they could contact me for the Fall season. So, if nothing else, that's one more person that I got my name out to.

Sorry this was so long, but I've gotten a lot of help from this site and the other wonderful ladies on this site have helped pick my head back up when I just wanted to quit. So to all of them...THANKS A BUNCH LADIES!!! :D

Glad I could help a lending hand! ;)
 
  • #22
When I first started, I had a terrible time getting bookings, etc. I even went to National inactive - but I decided that if I'm gonna make this work, I had to do something. I'm still no where near where I want to be (I'd like to do at least 4 shows a month) but at least I'm not inactive either.

My turning point was back in November - I had this one really motivated host who had about a $1500+ show and ended up getting well over $200 worth of free stuff! I realized she wasn't doing me a favor so much as I did a HUGE favor for her because she got SO MUCH! Plus, going into the show I knew she had already over $400 in outside orders and 1 booking. Knowing the show was already a success made me less nervous about doing well and suddenly in the middle of the show I realized I was HAVING FUN!

It is still scary for me to step outside my comfort zone and ask for what I want - shows, etc. But I am learning to overcome that by realizing that their saying no to me is no worse than my telling a waitress I don't want dessert. I'm not rejecting the waitress anymore than the customer at a show is rejecting me.

Also, consider looking into local fairs. Big or small, just getting out there and meeting people can be a huge boost. If nothing else it is experience and that can make you feel more comfortable as you meet new people and share your knowledge. Plus you find out that TONS of people know the PC name as you hear other people rave about one product or another. That, too, might help you find it easier to ask for shows because people really DO love this stuff and we offer so much to hosts that they just might say yes!

Leesa
 
  • #23
Try megashowsMy director told me about these -- she uses them all the time. I'm going to try to book at least one per month. (Already working on one for next month up in NY with all my old girlfriends from high school)

I don't want to re-post the file ("megashow info"), so here's the link to my original post with it attached.

http://www.chefsuccess.com/showthread.php?t=6202
 

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