No-Shows & Low Turnouts - Sharing Experiences

[susanr613]

Is it just me, or did anyone else have a lot of no-shows? I have had 3 shows so far, and at each, not even half the confirmed guests showed up, and/or most invitees had weddings and graduations to attend. 2 shows are at or above $500, but the third is not even $100. Fortunately, that host wants the 12" skillet, so she knows what she needs to do today and tomorrow.

Altho it was disappointing to have so many people bail, on the other hand it made the shows relaxed and more fun for me. So, not all is lost.

How 'bout you all?

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Had one of those Saturday...expecting 8-10, had 4 show up. (thankfully, she had over $200 in outside orders!) This Saturday is my last weekend show for the summer....I've been doing this for 5 summers, and know that for me, weekend shows just aren't a good option during the summer.

The 2 exceptions are Bridal Showers, and Couples Shows....

I always have a good July - but will only do Weeknight Shows!

 

[stacywhitlow]

My shows have been pretty good up until the last one I just did. She had 3 guests show up & only 2 of those ordered. She is barely at $50.

 

[DessertDivaFL]

I think it depends on the host too. I had a host that is excited about PC and we had 14 at her show and then I had one that was not and we had 3. :grumpy:

I have a show tomorrow night and some people have heard about it and were not invited and asked if they could come. Of course I said, yes! :love:

 

[pampchefrhondab]

I always suggest no weekend shows during the summer. We live close to the lakes and everyone likes to take off for the weekend.

I have 3 shows for June - two are the same night on a Friday. One is a past host and she had a great turn out the last Friday night she did a show, but that was in April. Hopefully if they don't show up, she will at least get outside orders. My other show is on a Thursday.

 

[Kitchen2u]

Susan ~

Rest assured, you're having a typical febginning of June month. Graduations, year-end class parties, weddings, vacations ~ it happens.

You're lucky to be able to schedule 3 parties in the beginning June ~ I usually have a difficult time just because of the reasons I mentioned above.

Consider yourself lucky!

 

[gininana]

Coach Your Hostess/HostI had a show on June 1st where my hostess had 12 confirmed but only 6 showed up. I got 4 bookings and only 4 ordered. She had only $150 at the end of the show. I always take the approach that I want my hostess to get the most she can out of the show. I told her that I would like for her to reach the $300 mark in sales so that she could earn a half price item and $40 in free product. I compared that to what she was going to get if we closed the show out immediately. I ask her to think about relatives and friends that live out of her area and remind her that their orders can be shipped directly to them. She quickly got on board and started thinking of people she could get to order something. My focus is not on what I earn, but what the hostess earns. I am always energetic and encouraging.

She called me a week and a half later and closed out her show with a total of $445 in sales. I told her I was so excited for her and enthusiastically took her order for free merchandise, etc.

This works every time for me. My average show is $460 regardless of how the cooking show goes.

 

[bsaxman]

I think it depends on the host too. I had a host that is excited about PC and we had 14 at her show and then I had one that was not and we had 3. :grumpy:

I have a show tomorrow night and some people have heard about it and were not invited and asked if they could come. Of course I said, yes! :love:

Yes completely, I've noticed when the host is excited it is contageous. When people have a good time, they buy more and book more shows. Something I do at my shows is to give tickets away throughout the show to reward positive enthusiasm and eveyone goes crazy! Of course it is forced and not always natural but they have so much fun with it trying to get tickets! My last show, the host was super excited, got 3 outside orders before the show, only 4 people showed up, 3 people ordered at the show and 3 people booked off of her show, and she has since gotten 3 more outside orders and her show is pushing $400! Positive energy and excitement is contageous even if it is fake