Please Explain the Sell-A-Thon to Me!

[nickywsn]

Hi...I'm new to PC....will do my first show in January. Can anyone tell me how this all works about earning new products. How did the sell a thon work? I have about 20 bookings spread over Jan through Mar. The response I've had has just blown me away. But for all I know, I may be lagging behind the norm. How did things start out for y'all in the beginning. I'm just trying to see how I'm doing compared to others.

 

[pamperedgirl3]

Wow, 20 bookings for 3 months is awesome!! We have sell a thons twice a year (well, really I guess 4 times). Two of the times are for the new spring and fall products & the other two are for the mid-season products. The sell a thon for the spring products was in November. The sell a thon for the fall products has been in June in the past. They usually have different levels you can earn based on your sales for that month. The mid-season rules vary--usually it's having $1250 in a certain month.

I'd say right now to practice on recipes! Do you have your starter kit yet? If so, start practicing recipes using those products & think about what you'd say about them at shows. Watch the cooking show video that comes in the kit. Just try to learn as much as you can about the products!!

Oh--and welcome!!!

 

[nickywsn]

Thanks! I know I have a lot of practicing to do but I just love our products and it won't be hard for me to show it I think. I know I won't always keep this pace. I think I just have "beginner's luck". Really, I have to give the credit to God because I prayed really hard about deciding to do this. What type of products have they offered in the past for the sell-a-thons?

 

[jenniferknapp]

It is my 4th month now with TPC. I also loved the products and I didn't find it hard to show or sell th em. My only advise it to make sure you start organizing your paperwork stuff from the start. And take lots of notes...There was a lot to learn and remember at first, but it does get easier, and will eventually be less time consuming and more second nature! You may want to install the Pampered Partner software, and enter some fake shows to get familiar with it since you will be having a busy start! (Just don't submit the shows!)

 

[nickywsn]

That's a good idea. I already have the software installed but hadn't thought about entering fake shows. You're right though, there is a lot to remember at first. Jennifer, how many shows do you do a month?

 

[jenniferknapp]

hit or miss, I am more doing it because I wanted to build my kitchen (I basically have spent all of my commission, but have about the whole catalog minus the cookware) ... ....but I have done from 2-4 shows in a month. I have a FT job, plus web design on the side, and this...plus I try to go to my hometown about every weekend to see my boyfriend..so I really can't do many more at this point!

 

[pamperedgirl3]

Thanks! I know I have a lot of practicing to do but I just love our products and it won't be hard for me to show it I think. I know I won't always keep this pace. I think I just have "beginner's luck". Really, I have to give the credit to God because I prayed really hard about deciding to do this. What type of products have they offered in the past for the sell-a-thons?

You can earn all of the products that are new for free--they are in different levels of earning. So you may earn some or all of them depending on how much you sell in that month.

 

[pamperedgirl3]

Thanks! I know I have a lot of practicing to do but I just love our products and it won't be hard for me to show it I think. I know I won't always keep this pace. I think I just have "beginner's luck". Really, I have to give the credit to God because I prayed really hard about deciding to do this. What type of products have they offered in the past for the sell-a-thons?

You have a great start & by getting bookings off of those shows, you'll be set! I would try to do a show a week if you can because I have found it's easier to do that than one a month!

 

[nickywsn]

Is there anywhere I can go either online or in the info in my starter kit to see what the different levels are? I haven't seen anything anywhere so far. Just what I've heard others say.

 

[jenniferknapp]

Have you logged in to consultant's corner yet? You can find flyers for host & guest specials for each month plus for consultant incentives. (the levels are described on here).

 

[legacypc46]

I want to second the advice to start organizing your paperwork from the get-go. Until you figure out how you want to manage things, I also recommend you write down EVERYTHING that requires a follow-up and do it in ONE notebook. You will be amazed at all the little things that pop up...they're easy to remember on their own, but just as easily forgotten when you're managing multiple shows at once. As you get your groove, you'll develop your own system, but for the first month or so it can be challanging.

Like you, I began with a healthy show schedule. (I started on 1 Nov and have submitted 13 shows.) The mistakes I've made are all due to forgetting something or not double/triple-checking every show before hitting the "transmit" button. (The biggies are ensuring everyone who is entitled to a guest and/or previous host special gets it.)

This website will help a lot. I literally 'studied' it for three weeks before my first show. Everyone is so helpful...and the humor is a great bonus!

 

[nickywsn]

Thanks so much! I'll take ANY advice I can get. I feel like a sponge trying to soak up all the information I can. I will definitely make sure I have a handle on my paperwork and I will keep a seperate notebook just for follow ups like you said...I hadn't thought of that. I work FT and have 2 young sons so I will have a full plate and I don't want things to fall through the cracks.

 

[jenniferknapp]

one thing that confused me the most about the whole thing was trying keep the date submitted/monthly specials thing straight. First thing for your notebook:
The month that you physically submit a show to the Home Office (HO) is the month that your sales will count towards. The date that you held the show (and put in as the show date in pampered partner) is what decides which months special the host and guests get. You have 30 days after the end of a month to submit a show for those months specials. (ex: you can submit a november show with those specials up until december 31...just remember that even though they get the november specials, you will get the commission in december if you submit it after nov 30)Your super starter incentives do not matter when a show is held, only when it is submitted. A lot of people may hold out to submit a show for a few days into the following month to get a head start if they already earned that previous months's starter bonus. (and you may want to coordinate with other consultant incentives other than your super starter..because you can get those from the beginning as well!)You have to watch the fine print on all consultant incentives... they like to try and trick us by changing them up. some incentives say "held and submitted in november" ... or some say held in november, but submitted before December 5. and some incentives overlap, but have different guidelines. like the november/december promotion. you have until december 5 to submit 1250 in november shows to earn level one spring products free. then there is the hold and submit 2 shows between dec 1-15 and get a different spring product free. these 2 overlap, but you can't count the same show for both of these incentives.hope that helps a bit.

 

[nickywsn]

yes that helps a bunch. I'll be sure to read carefully what the guidelines are for each incentive. Did you earn all 3 incentives for your first 3 months?

 

[legacypc46]

Jennifer is so right about keeping track of where you are on different incentives and pay periods. On Consultant's Corner there is a great link to track you Super Starter progress for earning the monthly bonus kits and the other bonus kits. Once you start submitting shows it will help you...as will the Individual Performance Tracking (IPT) link. Overall, you'll find the automation tools provided by PC to be pretty amazing. I love the Contact Management in Pampered Partner.

 

[jenniferknapp]

I did not earn all incentives, but I got month 1 and 2, plus the covered baker bonus...so I did get 3 between the months...but I had to unexpectadley leave town for 2 weeks for work, and I was on vacation for a week, and then thanksgiving didn't help either! But I was proud to get 3...and it worked to my advantage to get a lot in on the one month and get the bonus instead of working to get all 3 basic incentives...because I have all of Month 3's items (so I was soo excited to get the bonus instead)

 

[chefann]

The reports in Pampered Partner are a godsend, too. Especially the Monthly Sales Diary, if you're working toward a sales goal.

 

[legacypc46]

Oh, that's good for me to hear too. I'll have to check out the Monthly Sales Diary. I've only just started to work thru the different reports and try to figure out how I can use them to help me manage my business.

Thanks Ann. (I see your post count is fast increasing!!!)

Kris

 

[pamperedgirl3]

You only can see sell a thon levels & other incentives as they are offered--like posted earlier, look in Consultant's Corner to find those. They are on the same page as the host & guest specials.

I make a copy of the Monthly Sales Diary (you can find a hard copy in your Recipe for Success) & write each show on it. I usually write it in pencil & change it to pen when I submit the show. That way if I don't submit say a November show until December, I'll put it on the December page so I can keep track of my commissionable sales for the month (paycheck).

Another piece of advice is to touch on some part of your business each day--even if it's just something small. I've found that if I try to take a day or two off that I feel behind when I come back. So I try to check email, or make a customer service call, or mail host packets or something each day.

 

[chefann]

Kris, where in Germany are you? My sis was in Sindelfingen (sp?) near Stuttgart for 3 years when my BIL was still active regular Air Force. It's such a cool country to visit!

 

[legacypc46]

Ann,
I live in the Kaiserslautern/Ramstein area (we call it little America since there are so many of us here). We're about three hours from Stuttgart. This is my third go-around in Germany and we absolutely love it.

I've learned a lot from your posts...looking forward to meeting you at national.

 

[chefann]

Kris, I do know generally where that is. Funnily, my DH is in Germany this week for work and has today to sight-see in Frankfurt. Flies home tomorrow, just in time for a family Christmas dinner tomorrow evening (not at our house, thank goodness!). I'm looking forward to meeting you and a lot of other people who I've only met virtually here.

 

[legacypc46]

Funny coincidence: my DH is in the States this week because of work and arrives back here tomorrow!

 

[mbh06]

I know you missed the November sell-a-thon, but they will send you something at the end of Jan. to let you purchase the new products at a discount, I think it is at half price. So don't worry about that you'll still have a chance to get a bunch of the new stuff!!