My Recruit Has Changed Her Mind After Signing Up!

[Cindycooks]

She just emailed me and this what she said...

Cindy - I've changed my mind about the PC thing. I'm so sorry! I just found that I'm not excited about it, I look at that box with dread! I don't think that's a good sign. What do I do? Can I return the stuff and get my money back? Sorry to disappoint you.....

OK - I am trying not to let this get me down. Dont tell me to call her, she is in Texas, Im in NC and I know this girl well. It wont do any good. I'll just respond to the email. But what should I say? I am sure she cant get her $$ back...right? I may tell her to at least try one catalog show at work to get her investment back so she breaks even...whatever.

 

[luvs2sellit]

I think telling her to atleast try to get her investment back by doing a catalog show is the best idea. Maybe after doing that she will get hooked. Maybe ask her to try it for one month and then to make a decision.

 

[DebbieSM]

I would definately try to encourage her to get her investment back, even if it is a catalog show or two. Tell her she cannot get her money back (I don't really know if she can), but she can try to regain her investment.

 

[Shawnna]

I would definately encourage her to do a few shows. Lots of consultants only do catalog shows. Maybe she is just afraid of kitchen shows. I personally signed with the intention of only doing 6 shows. I just wanted everything that was in that kit. I had no intention of sticking it out. I have now been a consultant for 4 years.

I would also call the home office and get some suggestions. I think they would probably give her money back. But, she is sitting there with way more than $90.00 in products. All she has to do is 4 shows and she is going to be a qualified consultant....even if they are only $150 shows. Or she could do one huge show for $1250 and be qualified. Surely she has family and friends that would help her out. If she doesn't want to do any more, she can keep her kit. Lots of people take that kit for $90 and never have shows, actually never intended to have shows. They just wanted the kit...kit nappers...I have never heard of PC taking their kit back.

My question to you is...Does she have a hospitality director? Perhaps she just needs some encouragement. My hospitality director is my life line. I couldn't make it without her.

anyway, just my 2 cents worth. Good luck.

Shawnna

 

[pamperedbecky]

This is long....bear with me

I agree that she should tap into her hospitality director. If she doesn't have one, have your director request one from the home office ASAP. I would think she's pretty overwhelmed. If you can get a hospitality director lined up quickly, talk to that person and ask if she could physically go through the starter kit with your recruit. If worse comes to worse and you can't get one set up quickly, suggest to her to have a friend come over to go through the kit with her. This may make it seem much less like a chore to her and chances are, her friend will be pretty impressed with all that she got in her kit and may get the recruit excited again. She obviously signed up for a reason so she just needs to reconnect with what she was originally excited about.

As far as doing this through email....here's my two cents and a little story. I had a host who, after she booked her Cooking with Kids party with me, decided to turn it into something totally un-Pampered Chef. She decided that she wouldn't have the moms come to the party. Just the kids. Moms would come pick them up at the end and get catalogs. Her reasoning was that her friends all knew PC and if they were going to order anything, seeing a show wasn't going to affect what they purchased. She said she knew the moms would rather spend an afternoon on their own without their daughters. Nevermind the fact that it was a cooking WITH kids show. She basically wanted me as entertainment for her daughter's little party. I'm not a party clown! This "conversation" was occurring through email. I was going to email her back my feelings on this (because I obviously had a lot: this is my BUSINESS, the business of PC got started to get families TOGETHER, the kids aren't directly my customers although they're part of it, and since's she's SOOO familiar with PC she should also understand that my business is built on bookings and it's impossible to generate bookings from kids, etc etc), but my director strongly encouraged me to talk to her by phone. As much as I wanted to just deal with this woman through email (partly to avoid any confrontation, which I hate), my director was right. Any emails I sent could have come across as bitchy and totally not what I intended. YOu just don't get the personal connection and nonverbal input through email that you do in a face to face or phone conversation. I was uncomfortable doing it, but I'm so glad I did. I stepped outside of my comfort zone and was pretty glad I did. I suggested to the woman that I"d be happy to provide her with some fun kids' recipes so SHE could plan the party with her daughter and her friends. Then if she wanted to, she could hold a catalog show on the side and generate orders. That's basically all she wanted me for anyway. So, what I learned was that if I hadn't talked to her by phone, all of this could have come off my differently. That's the only reason I suggest you talk to your recruit by phone. You'll get a much better feel for what her concerns really are. You're able to hear things in people's voices that you don't hear in email. Maybe she'll be reassured by your voice and compassion for whatever it is that's making her nervous. You can't really LISTEN via email like you can the phone and this is probably really what she needs. Chances are you'd rather just avoid this all together (I know that would be my first response!), but if it were me and she does end up returning the kit and not doing any shows, I'd always wonder if I would have talked to her a little more personally maybe the outcome would have been different.

Again, just my opinion, but I know exactly how I'd feel in that situation. I think it's a great idea to have her just do a couple catalog shows and even just one kitchen show. The hospitality director could really help get her ready. How did you recruit her? Has she seen a kitchen show recently or at all? If she hooks up with a hospitality cluster down there, she could go to a couple kitchen shows to build up some confidence.

Let us know how it goes!! Good luck.

 

[ShanaSmith]

I have had this happen. My director told me to do ask her if it was opened, or used. I think HO will take it back if it is not. I would call and check. Otherwise she told me to tell her that she had to buy the products that she had used, and pay a restocking fee.... this is between you and her, if it is used they won't do any kind of credit. That way she would at least be returning the products to you. The way it worked out for my gal she would have gotten back about $25 and I would have gotten the products and supplies.

 

[kitchenqueen]

Well, she is your friend and you know her best. If emailing is best - go for it. But I would atleast consider calling and talking to her as a friend and not a consultant. Ask she what she dreads about it, maybe share a few stories about PC with her. Maybe even refer her to this website. Alot of people have posted their concerns over PC. Hearing from other consultants may give her that boost she needs. Let us know what you end up doing and how it all goes. Good Luck!

 

[Cindycooks]

Hey ya'll. I've known her for about 12 years, we were neighbors when we all lived in Virginia. In August, we all met at a mutual friends house in VA for a girls weekend, and i recruited her. She has done direct sales before "Christmas at Home" or something like that and has a good personality. I dont know what happened, she was so excited and into it - then I know she got her boxes last week and I hadnt heard from her, even after leaving a couple voice mails, so last night I emailed her. My director was suposed to be hooking her up with hospitality in Texas. I need to call my director and see what she advises. I willl prob break down and call her tonite, after I see what can be done with the kit. She works for a law firm, I just don't see why she couldnt at least do a big catalog show or two. If all else fails, she has finished her chrsitmas shopping and everyone on her list gets something PC! Thanks for all your advice.

 

[ChefSandyK]

Just my opinion...

Sorry to be a dissenting opinion...but if she doesn't want to do it, she doesn't want to do it. Maybe she got caught up in the excitement of the moment only to realize she isn't really a salesperson. In any case, why go through the frustration of trying to convince someone to do something that she doesn't really want to do? As for returning the kit, in the consultant agreement it states "either party may terminate this agreement...for any reason upon 30 days' written notice". It also states "Upon termination of this agreement, company will refund to kitchen consultant 90% of kitchen consultant's purchase price for any unused and resaleable product samples or inventory..."

Hope this helps,
Sandy

 

[Cindycooks]

Thank you Sandy! I am at work and cannot log onto the PC website to read rules and regulations. You are right and that is why I said at the beginning - I know her well and convincing her wont do any good. I think she is type that had rather just forget about it and get her $$ back than have a couple parties that her heart isnt really in.

 

[Cindycooks]

Well - I talked to her. Her heart just isnt in it and she is dating someone new. She is going to keep the kit. She said this was less trouble than sending it back. I told her this would just basically make her inactive. The good thing that has come out of this is our friendship is still good and she is sending me all her extra paperwork that I will need and catalogs. With this Katrina disaster - nothing worries me this week.

 

[pamperedprincess]

I agree with the "nothing bothers me this week after katrina" statement It sure has helped me put things back into perspective.