New Recruit Is Kind of Got Me Worried.... ( Note: Long)

[Nanisu]

So I did a booth on the 4th of July, and this woman is selling jewelry next to me. She is middle aged, maybe in her late 50's. She gets all excited, her DIL and son live with them, the DIL is looking for a part time something or other to do, LOVES TO COOK (remember this for later), yada yada. I give her recruit info and promise to call her the Monday after. The MIL calls me the NEXT day, her DIL is so excited, so is her son, they really want to make this work. The DIL is from the Phillipines, speaks ok english, it will work! So I tell her to wait till after I get back from National. Sure enough, I get back and tell them the recruiting special, I go over there, meet the DIL. First thing off the MIL and Son totally monopolize the conversation, the DIL listens. I talk to the DIL extensively, tell her what's involved in selling (demo-ing tools, taking orders, etc), and ask her repeatedly if this is something she is comfortable with. She assures me she is, and signs up online right there. I give her a QS box, and give her her first assignment--go online and order her debit card, take 2 online courses, and print the product cards for the Chopper, MAC, Cookware and Stoneware, and read them. Not too hard, right? Tell her about the cluster meeting one week later. MIL has 7 shows booked for her with her friends. First is her Grand Opening, I agree to come and do the demo, with her help.

First CLUE: The MIL calls me and tells me the DIL Can't make the cluster meeting because she has no child care. Um....they live with the MIL and her husband and a sister or two--there are like 6 adults who live in this house. Can't THEY watch the kids? No. So I tell the MIL "well, it's pretty important to come to the cluster meeting, trainings are really important. I don't really see how I can make the committment to do her first show for her next Tuesday if she can't make the committment to come to her first training." Miraculously, the DIL appears at the cluster meeting. 2nd Clue: DIL doesn't even know how to cook! At all! 3rd Clue: After the meeting is over, I ask her if she ordered her debit card. No. She can't, her DH got called to New York on business and took the check book. He'll be gone till August 5. HUH???

I tell her she can't submit those show orders from this coming Tuesday without it (she has no credit card) So I send her an email yesterday, reminding her how to order her debit card and walking her through it step by step. I tell her to pick out a recipe to do at her Grand Opening show next Tuesday, and tell her to take the two online courses and print those cards for those 4 products to be prepared to answer guest's questions at her show. Tell her to take order forms and stuff them into catalogs. Tell her that I will call her and check with her to see if she has any questions about any of this. Tell her that if she doesn't have time to do these 3 things, that we should postpone her first show until she does.

Of course, call her today and the MIL says "she hasn't done any of that--she's been helping her sister pack to move." Ummmmm---wrong answer. I reiterate what I said, that if she doesn't have time to do those few things before her first show, that we should postpone it till she does. MIL tells me in no uncertain terms that all the guests are invited and that she (the MIL) expects me to come and do the DIL's first show top to bottom because I told her I would do her first show for her. I point out that NO, I didn't say that, and that if I am doing all the work I would submit the show in MY name and earn the commission on it--the DIL has to do something.....

So, I feel like I want to help this young woman, but that I need to stick to my guns and get this girl moving. What do you think? I told the MIL that the DIL has till Monday to call me and let me know she got those 3 things done (she has all weekend to do them). I feel like I actually recruited the MIL. Sheesh. Should I stick to my guns?

 

[micocina]

Wow! You are good at requesting what you want them to do, I should start being that direct! What I did once for a person who was interested in starting the biz and wanted me to do her first show.... I told her I would do it so that she would get to experience what it is to be the host, but that my time also had to be compensated for that day away from my family. So I told her I would submit her show under me for $300 and she could use the credit toward her kit. Anything above that she could submit as her first order. Turned out lots of people flaked but she still sold around $480. I got the comission and a great recruit everyone was happy. Thanks to her qualifying I earned the cruise.

 

[BethCooks4U]

Wow! You are good at requesting what you want them to do, I should start being that direct! What I did once for a person who was interested in starting the biz and wanted me to do her first show.... I told her I would do it so that she would get to experience what it is to be the host, but that my time also had to be compensated for that day away from my family. So I told her I would submit her show under me for $300 and she could use the credit toward her kit. Anything above that she could submit as her first order.

That's what I do too. I would have been a basket case if my director had been at my first show. I tell anyone who wants me to be there that and explain that they just need to tell their guests that they are new and use index cards. I throw them into the deep end and it works. If I did that show they still wouldn't have done their first.

To answer the question Nancy posed: I think you are being totally reasonable. Maybe you can comprimise with them and say the first $300 in sales are yours to compensate your time and the rest is hers or something like that. I think that it's a hard line - is she just kitnapping or is she just slow to start? - have faith in her but it sure looks like you'll have to be on top of her through those first 4 shows at least. Some people are more work than we want the to be ...but then there's those points and that cash.

 

[finley1991]

WOW! I don't even know what to say to that!But what I will say is that you're doing YOUR JOB to get her off to a successful start. Don't feel bad about that.I'm struggling with my newest. We are meeting today to submit her first show... I did her show on the 16th and told her if she signed that she could have the first show as her own. We've talked several times and I told her Monday, when we set up the appointment for this afternoon, that she would need a few things completed before I come (the 1st 2 online courses, P3 installed and had taken the P3 tutorial). I left her a message yesterday reminding her that the 3 need to be done before I get there. She hadn't done any of them as of 5pm yesterday. She didn't like that I told her she needed to have those things done before I got there and reminded me that she's "just trying this out." Honestly, it felt more like a threat than a comment. In any case, she told me, "I just want to know the basics and what the company expects of me." I told her all of that would be explained in the online courses and that's why it was important for her to take them. She said that she just wanted me to tell her with a brief overview... I explained that after being in this biz for so long that 2 things can happen. 1. I can overload her with info because that's easy to do and 2. It's hard for me to know what she doesn't know. With that, I explained that the online courses are DESIGNED for new consultants and would explain everything to her with just the right amount of information and that's where she would get her "basics."We'll see if she did them or not... My last new consultant, I didn't set up any expectations when I went to train her and when I got there, we spent 3 HOURS trying to get P3 installed on her computer (2 hours was on the phone with tech support). It was a complete waste of time and we didn't get any training done. Oh, and her baby threw up on me 6 times during those 3 hours.I remember a few years ago at Conference NJR said that one of our problems as consultants is that we're too nice! She's right. It's our job to help them be successful and I'm not going to let a consultant "not work" because she doesn't feel like it and then wonder why this biz didn't work out for her.I really really really hope this afternoon goes well!Good luck with your new consultant and her MIL and let us know what happens. PS: Next time you talk to MIL, casually mention that she told you that the consultant was a great cook but you found out differently and see what she says...

 

[pamperedbecky]

Good luck to both of you!!! I think setting up expectations is a good thing. I probably need to be better at that.

I also think that if you're having these problems with these two already, you can kind of see a glimpse of what's to come! Not always I guess, because some people just need extra guidance at the beginning and then they "learn to fly" on their own.

It's frustrating though! So I wish you guys the best that these two consultants work out and don't end up being too much of a headache.

 

[finley1991]

I also think that if you're having these problems with these two already, you can kind of see a glimpse of what's to come!

I know what you're saying! Keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[chefkathy]

Nancy, it sounds like you have to somehow cut the MIL out of this and talk to your recruit directly. I don't think that will be easy. Are their cultural differences at play here as well?I admire you for being so direct. I think you will need to continue to do that with her.

 

[Nanisu]

Thanks for the encouragement everyone! I'm going to call the recruit this afternoon and see what's happening and how far she's gone, remind her one more time, etc. If she doesn't have time, I'm going to tell her that she can do her first show on her own (or have the MIL do it, LOL). Ithink the MIL is trying to help but is doing too much and the DIL is letting her.

 

[icerneaccorie]

Nancy, it sounds like you have to somehow cut the MIL out of this and talk to your recruit directly. I don't think that will be easy. Are their cultural differences at play here as well?

I admire you for being so direct. I think you will need to continue to do that with her.

My thoughts too Debbie.
Sometime people can want something more for someone else. So I would try to meet the the DIL on your own to find out her story.

Maybe the MIL wanted to join but didn't think she could do both businesses. Is there a way you can sweet talk her in to being the DIL partner? She pretty much already is. I would tell her that she seems so on the ball that you think she would be great at what you do and can be a support to her DIL. Just a thought. It seems like the MIL might have a lot of power in the family and if she gets mad it might just fall to pieces. Keep her happy and things might turn out for the better

 

[Nanisu]

I would tell her that she seems so on the ball that you think she would be great at what you do and can be a support to her DIL. Just a thought. It seems like the MIL might have a lot of power in the family and if she gets mad it might just fall to pieces. Keep her happy and things might turn out for the better.

You guys are so right. I'll try that approach. I did approach the MIL to sign her, but I really do think it's a situation where MIL wants to help DIL get on her feet.

Thanks again

 

[Kathytnt]

So, how did it turn out?