Oh No ... What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

[Intrepid_Chef]

My cluster just launched a business builders team ... telling us that most people who do this have an average of 1.5 new bookings a week, which is why I signed up.

We are expected to:

* Make 3 new contacts, 7 days a week
* Keep track of them
* Do one on one calls with our director and be there for a conference call.

This week I ALMOST got there .. I made TWENTY calls today and got THREE LIVE PEOPLE ... all of whom wanted to be called later. I work second shift a lot so that is difficult!

Tomorrow I looked at my to-do list and I have to:

* Deliver products to three customers or more on my way to work.
* Get to the library and print stuff for my Nov. 8 host
* Call Epson to report a problem with my stupid printer.
* Make a meal to take to work and heat up. (Which is partly PC related ... I want to try my hand at a braid.)
* Call two people who specifically requested a call "Monday night" on my way to a meeting for work.

Only two of these people count for this program ... and that's if they are home before I show up for this meeting. It's a bank holiday, so I can't make a new contact there!

I am feeling overwhelmed now ... and the last person I can tell this to is my director who has 60 people in her first line to coach and several more in her second line!

I'm exhausted ... what have I gotten myself into?

 

[KellyTheChef]

Di, take a deep breath!

Think about it this way...you are now focusing on your business WAY MORE than you would have been without doing this business builders team. You WILL see results!

Put 100% effort into it, and go from there!

 

[Teresa Lynn]

I shocked my cluster at my meeting last week, they were all griping about the 3-2-1
and one newer lady felt defeated and admitted she hadn't made 3 calls today and i said "REALLY???" I told her I never do the 3-2- 1 (You have to do what works for you & your business) IF i started it now it would be like a JOB and I would HATE PC I began so long ago (way before all this training & computer support from HO) I do have a system (I set office hours on the days I want to work, my voice mail states the day and my hours) seldom leave the house for errands without a PC tshirt, have my contact info on my car and send postcards and emails regularly and may make 40 calls in one day but never the 3-2-1. Does it work for me? Absolutely I had 3 shows last month sold nearly $2,500 was # 1 in sales, had a recruit and sometimes am in my NSED top 10. I usually have the most bookings per month in our cluster as well.Do not let a "suggested guideline" make you feel like you can't be successful, share with your Director time restraints etc. Trust me, they would prefer HONESTY & COMMUNICATION with THEM, instead of what you think they want to hear. If it isn't doable now step back and do what you can manage. I do have a question though, WHY are you making deliveries? That is one of the things i love about this business no inventory, no delivery...IF they ordered they can pick it up from me or pay the shipping fee to have it direct shipped. You will eventually get enough outside orders where this will become a big pain in the butt and a time/$$ sucker.

 

[ChefJWarren]

I did this with my Cluster and it made a HUGE difference in my business! It really made me "FOCUS" on my business - I'm a teacher also - and I filled my calendar and made some great contacts. You will surprise yourself if this is really something you commit yourself too. Also, you will not see it as such a "challenge". It will start to come naturally.

 

[ChefLisa]

My cluster just launched a business builders team ... telling us that most people who do this have an average of 1.5 new bookings a week, which is why I signed up.

We are expected to:

* Make 3 new contacts, 7 days a week
* Keep track of them
* Do one on one calls with our director and be there for a conference call.

This week I ALMOST got there .. I made TWENTY calls today and got THREE LIVE PEOPLE ... all of whom wanted to be called later. I work second shift a lot so that is difficult!

Tomorrow I looked at my to-do list and I have to:

* Deliver products to three customers or more on my way to work.
* Get to the library and print stuff for my Nov. 8 host
* Call Epson to report a problem with my stupid printer.
* Make a meal to take to work and heat up. (Which is partly PC related ... I want to try my hand at a braid.)
* Call two people who specifically requested a call "Monday night" on my way to a meeting for work.

Only two of these people count for this program ... and that's if they are home before I show up for this meeting. It's a bank holiday, so I can't make a new contact there!

I am feeling overwhelmed now ... and the last person I can tell this to is my director who has 60 people in her first line to coach and several more in her second line!

I'm exhausted ... what have I gotten myself into?

I know what you got yourself into...You are now doing the steps necessary to make your business soar! Congratulations!

Pampered Chef does a lot of research and planning on keeping our business simple. When you follow those steps, you will get into a groove and the steps will get easier, and your business will grow!

Congratulations again!

 

[heather223]

I am doing this with my cluster as well. It isn't as bad as you think. I wasn't doing 3...2...1 before and I can honestly say that I still have a hard time doing it now, but I am making a better effort to make the calls. You will have weeks that you make the 15 contacts (we only have to do 3 contacts 5 days a week for a total of 15) and you will have weeks when you don't. The point is that you are INVESTING time in your business.

 

[jrodeo]

I shocked my cluster at my meeting last week, they were all griping about the 3-2-1
and one newer lady felt defeated and admitted she hadn't made 3 calls today and i said "REALLY???"

I told her I never do the 3-2- 1 (You have to do what works for you & your business) IF i started it now it would be like a JOB and I would HATE PC

I began so long ago (way before all this training & computer support from HO) I do have a system (I set office hours on the days I want to work, my voice mail states the day and my hours) seldom leave the house for errands without a PC tshirt, have my contact info on my car and send postcards and emails regularly and may make 40 calls in one day but never the 3-2-1. Does it work for me? Absolutely I had 3 shows last month sold nearly $2,500 was # 1 in sales, had a recruit and sometimes am in my NSED top 10. I usually have the most bookings per month in our cluster as well.

Do not let a "suggested guideline" make you feel like you can't be successful, share with your Director time restraints etc. Trust me, they would prefer HONESTY & COMMUNICATION with THEM, instead of what you think they want to hear. If it isn't doable now step back and do what you can manage.

I do have a question though, WHY are you making deliveries? That is one of the things i love about this business no inventory, no delivery...IF they ordered they can pick it up from me or pay the shipping fee to have it direct shipped. You will eventually get enough outside orders where this will become a big pain in the butt and a time/$$ sucker.

Thanks for the input! I have several part-time jobs and I'm in school full-time. This business is supposed to be flexible. So that means I may make 20 calls one day and none the next.

What are the postcards you send out? Informational? Recipes?

 

[Teresa Lynn]

I send 5 or 6 host coaching cards (from Nancy's artworks)
an occassional thank you card if i really enjoyed a customer
favorite family recip[es typed and printed on 8 1/2 x 11 paper
birthday cards with a 10% discount to past hosts and preferred customers
and a few others, my post wasn't meant to "diss the 3-2--1" so i hope it didn't come across that way, but I hate to see consultants put undue pressure on themselves when they think they aren't able to do this business because its too much work or time consuming.

 

[jrodeo]

I don't think anyone thought you were dis-ing the 3-2-1. I certainly didn't. It's a great plan, I just need to modify it.

 

[jrodeo]

Oh, and thank you for the info on your mailings. Great ideas I will try!

 

[chefmeg]

DI!!! take a deep breath and do what you can...all of the business builder steps are meant to build your business, not stress you out! It may seem overwhelming right now, but anything new does. Just try to keep up and do what you can!

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

Excuse me ... I was having a stressful evening trying to figure out how I was going to contact 5 people today (to make up for the two I didn't contact on Saturday when I was busy focusing on other areas of my business ...)

I am making deliveries because these people ordered items from me at a festival, and I offered to order it in. I live in Akron, these people all live in the area where I work 13-18 miles away. I am adamant, however, about having the lady who bought the corn butterer meet me at my office, as she works down the street .. it is not worth my gas when I made 8 cents commission on her.

I just remember thinking that if I do host coaching, out of the box calls, etc. they don't count for this program ... but we're still going to do them??? It just feels like a "waste of time ..." and I know something has to give ....

Oh ... and it may be 3 contacts, FIVE days a week .... but not for us ... they want us to step it up ... and warned us to make extra calls before and after Christmas and Thanksgiving ...

If I even make 10 contacts a week, it is still more than I've been making ...