Opening a Show: What Does It Mean?

[Monty060609]

I know what it means to close a show. But I'm curious how do you open a show? Is it a official thing in the program where you know that it is open or is it kind of a place filer term? Or does PC know that you have a show out there to be closed?

My kit just came today so I haven't downloaded the program yet, which may answer my question. I have one active catalog show going on now and 2 more than will start Monday. Should I document that somewhere on CC or P3?

 

[Sheila]

When you build a show in the P3 software, it's there & open until you finish taking orders, add the host order & enter in payments for everything. You then click on a "finalize" button and it walks you through the close procedure where it double checks to verify that you've used all the benefits and given all the guests & host (who qualify) the monthly guest special. Once you've done all of that, you can choose to "submit now" or "submit later". Once you've submitted a show, you can not go back & alter it.

 

[Monty060609]

ah ok, thanks. I figured it was in the P3 software that I'd learn more. I'm going to download it tomorrow.
So if you didn't build it until you were submitting everything to be ordered it wouldn't ever be 'open'? Building it early and opening a show is a tool to help lessen the task of entering all the orders at once, am I understanding it correctly?

 

[MLinAZ]

Once you have a website then creating a show in P3 early will be more important because then you can create it on the website too allowing your hosts to email invitations, create a wishlist, and have his/her friends and family place orders online.

Setting up your shows in P3 helps you keep track of them too. It creates a task list for each show helping you organize when you've sent host packets, made phone calls, etc.

And yes, if you get orders trickling in then having the show set up in P3 and entering the orders as they come in makes it easier than sitting down with a big stack later. But for most shows you'll be sitting down with all the orders you took at the show anyway.

Oh and setting the show up in P3 will tell you the tax rate for that host's show too which is easier than looking it up on Consultant's Corner in my opinion.

 

[Sheila]

When you first start out, if you are not yet purchasing your web site then it's really not that big of a deal when you establish a show in P3. It's just there for your records, the customer and host can't see it. When you get further into your business, you will want to establish it as SOON as you book it, so you don't forget! And like Michelle said, there are tasks associated with the shows that help you remember what you've already done for each host & what you still need to do. In the beginning it's VERY easy to remember. The further you get into the business the more & more the hosts all start running together & the harder it becomes to remember what you've already done for each show! LOL

 

[Monty060609]

Thanks for the info ladies. I thought it would be something that was in the P3 program but I didn't realize that it did so much for you and was such a big help. I thought it was only for submitting orders. Speaking of which, you can only use the PC credit/debit card through there right? What do I do for the first little bit until I get one of those?

 

[MLinAZ]

At first they allow you to use a personal credit card. I forget now how long, maybe 30 days...might be longer though.

And that's just for customer orders that are paid with cash or check, if they pay credit card then you have nothing to worry about. I try to encourage my customers to use their debit card if they are debating between that and a check, so much easier for me!