Can I Get More Catalogs? Tips for Boosting Sales and Bookings at a Catalog Show

[pchefinski]

My girlfriend asked me in church yesterday if she could have some catalogs b'c people at work are literally swarming her demanding that she have a party so they can buy stuff. She came over last night at like 10pm just to get them b'c she said if she didn't have them, there'd be a lot of angry people at work today. LOL Anyway, so she tells me she's gonna need a lot of catalogs, so I set aside 10 to give her. I also put in a fundraiser flyer, an express lunch show flyer, a stack of business cards, 10 order forms (she said she'll make more), and a sheet I have where for every $25 spent, a customer puts their name/number into a box (there are 50 boxes) and once the page is full, I pull a name for a $50 gift certificate. [If all boxes are full, it adds up to 1250 in sales, giving me over $250 in commission, so I think I can spare $50, of which I'll get $10 commission on. ] She came, looked over everything and said, um can I get more catalogs?? She is taking a show pack to her current workplace, and one to her old workplace (same company, two different offices and she works through both, but is stationed at one) and so I gave her another 10 catalogs & more biz cards. Then she starts talking about how her old office has tons of people just spewing with money and I casually mentioned that I have flyers with pre-assembled gift selections on them.. Like gift baskets almost. She freaked out and desperately wanted the flyers, but I dont have a printer, so I couldn't give them to her last night. And she said we can make an afternoon of it and put the gift selections together with cellophane bags, etc.. I gotta drop the flyers off today or tomorrow to her house, and I made up a Pampered Pool flyer for her to use if she wants. I'm offering a free Season's best cookbook for every order $100 or more. And I emphasized the guest special with her. She was just so happy to get the catalogs from me b'c she's been attacked by people at work who insist they need to order their things NOW!
I'm not placing any expectations on this, as I will be pleasantly surprised by whatever the outcome, but I think she'll do very well. This is like the 4th show she's had with me, so she knows how I do things. And she's closing the first weekend of November, so we'll have some Christmas money (woot!) and everyone will get their products before Thanksgiving.

The only thing I have a question about is bookings. I would like to try to cement some bookings before I make customer care calls, as her customers are notorious for not giving me full contact information. Is there any way that I can achieve this? With it being a catalog show I don't know if a "book to look" sort of thing would work.. What should I do?

Thanks I'll keep y'all posted on how the show turns out!

 

[cmdtrgd]

Give her 5 date cards (the next 5 days you want to book) with blanks for the host's info. Let her know that the first 5 people to write their info on these cards will get a free cooking show if they keep the date.

 

[gilliandanielle]

I would call each person as you recieve the order and go over it with them. Tell them that for Susy Host to get her booking benefit they need to pencil in a date with you now if they are considering holding their own show before March (or whatever 6 months from the show is). I have learned that the actual month sounds farther away than saying "in the next six months" and people are more likely to book!

 

[pchefinski]

Thanks I'm going to stress (again) that she gets me their full contact information, especially since it's right before the holidays. I want to make sure that I can do customer care calls, because it would be terrible if they had a problem and no way to get ahold of me to fix it.

 

[MicheleC]

Gillian,

I like the tip for using the actual month. I tend to say within the next six months but I did notice when I said by April at my last show I had a customer book that wasn't going to book. I had told them within six months during my presentation but when talking one on one I told her April and she booked for March.

Kate,

Great idea about the cards. I haven't tried anything like this yet but that gives you something a little more tangible. I'm trying to increase my catalog shows and outside orders so having something for the hostess to hold onto gets them involved in the booking.

I hope this turns out to be a great show for you Amanda. Are you calling it a November show to get points toward Spring products?

 

[gilliandanielle]

That is a good idea Michele about doing it in November!Amanda- did you pick a "month" yet?? That is a great idea to possibly earn BIG points towards free products!!

 

[pchefinski]

She picked November, as she really wants to the Bamboo board host special. i've been out of the loop so long i have no clue of what specials are going on.. LOL terrible, I know. but when you're doing it casually, it seems you'll never attain the levels you need to get them anyway, and i got a lot going on, so it didn't even cross my mind to info up on them.

 

[gilliandanielle]

Awesome! Hopefully she will float you to at least level one!!

 

[pchefinski]

That would be really awesome! I've never gotten free product for the new season before

 

[gilliandanielle]

Good luck Amanda! I hope you earn level one and then some!!

 

[lisacb77]

Maybe make them giving you full contact info a part of the "drawing"...can't win if you don't have info to contact them!

 

[chefann]

If you need to get contact info, you could always bend the truth and say that you need at least name, address and one phone number. Pampered Partner may not need it, but you do! (And they don't know what's required and what isn't.)

 

[DebbieJ]

Even my NED tells her hosts that she needs everyone's contact info for warranty purposes.