Should I recruit an inexperienced consultant for my Pampered Chef business?

[Bexs50]

ok...I'm new to the pampered chef business. I have only done two shows so far (both $800 by the way )...and already I have a possible recruit. My sister was talking about my PC business at her work and a coworker of hers said that her daughter is a Party Lite consultant but has been thinking about switching to TPC. I told my sister to get me this girls name and phone number and to tell her that I will call her which she did. Well, I was telling my recruiter about this and I asked her if she thought it was too soon for me to recruit. She said she would never take a recruit away from me but that if I don't feel that I am ready to have someone under me then she would gladly take her. Now, I need to call this girl but my dilemma is...should I recruit her myself even though I am so inexperienced or should I let my recruiter have her??
Thanks in advance for your advice...I really don't know what to do?

Also, could someone tell me exactly what obligation would be to this girl if I recruit her? What would I have to do if I have a recruit under me?

 

[dannyzmom]

DON'T GIVE AWAY YOUR RECRUIT!!!!!!!!!
If you recruit her, it's your director's job to coach and train her. But YOU recruit her!!!!

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

Keep her!Don't let your director have her unless you have NO desire to ever move up in the business. There is nothing special that you need to know, no certain amount of knowledge you have to have obtained to help someone else start their own PC business. If you feel uncomfortable, ask your recruiter/director to go with you to talk to her but I wouldn't let her have the recruit. Quite honestly, she will probably ask you the same questions you asked when you were getting started.

Since you are just starting out, you are actually in a great place to help her. You can both learn together. If she asks you a question you don't have the answer to (I've been doing this 8 yrs and I still don't have all the answers....that's why I come here! LOL), just tell her "That's a great question. Let's find out."

Take her to cluster meetings with you. Call her to encourage her. Just be open and honest with her about how you are starting out too and grow your businesses together. Good Luck!

 

[cmdtrgd]

I agree with the above statements...plus that gets you halfway to Future Director and possible overrides plus possibly earning COOKWARE!

 

[jdavis]

Did you director tell you these things said above about her helping to train her? Did she encourage you to recruit her? It really does help her also either way. I would definately recruit her if I were in your shoes. They say that is the best time since you would have someone to 'hold hands' with. You would be going through the same things and encourage each other. Besides, don't you get a new piece of cookware for recruiting in your Super Starter months still? (I have been slacking in the new flyer department) There were 2 girls in my cluster that started at the same time and they were always antagonizing each other, saying that they were going to be the next one with the high sales apron, and the first one to recruit to FD, then to Director, and so forth.

 

[Bexs50]

Thanks you guys! I called the girl and talked to her about the Pampered Chef business. I was very clear with her that I was also new to the business but that I would help her in any way that I could. She seems fairly interested. She wants me to send her the information about the super starter kit, etc. and said that she would let me know either way. She wants to continue to do Party Lite but wants to try TPC too. She has a daycare and figured she could sell to all the moms. I'll mail the packet tomorrow...what information should I include? Also, should I wait to hear back from her (she said she would let me know) or should I call her back in a few days? If so, how long should I wait before calling her back?


By the way, I am curious, what happens if she doesn't qualify? She asked me a couple of times, "so I have to hold 4 shows or sell $1250 in my first SS month?" Then she asked me if she could get individual orders to count towards the $1250. Maybe she is wondering if she will be able to qualify. I told her how easy it was for me and that she could watch me or I would help at her first show if she wanted. So just curious, if she doesn't qualify, I don't get any benefits, and what happens to her...does she keep the SS kit anyway?

 

[jdavis]

I would just keep building her up as to how easy it is to get 'qualified' and how little it takes to stay that way. She could do catty shows and make the quotas that are required, but once she finds out how much she can get for free by doing just a little more than that she will probably want to go all out.

 

[cmdtrgd]

She doesn't have to qualify in her first month. If she sells $1250 she gets the SS pack.

 

[tlennhoff]

The person that recruited me did so at her 1st show where she had not even signed up yet. Her director is mentoring both of us. This turns into a learning experience for all 3 of us. I would not turn away a recruit just ask your director to train you in training her or to train her with you there.

 

[tlennhoff]

I'll mail the packet tomorrow...what information should I include? Also, should I wait to hear back from her (she said she would let me know) or should I call her back in a few days? If so, how long should I wait before calling her back?

I'd call her in 5 days to confirm she got the packet and ask if she has any questions and set a time to sit down and talk about PC and being a new consultant in detail.

 

[pamperedbecky]

By the way, I am curious, what happens if she doesn't qualify? She asked me a couple of times, "so I have to hold 4 shows or sell $1250 in my first SS month?" Then she asked me if she could get individual orders to count towards the $1250. Maybe she is wondering if she will be able to qualify. I told her how easy it was for me and that she could watch me or I would help at her first show if she wanted. So just curious, if she doesn't qualify, I don't get any benefits, and what happens to her...does she keep the SS kit anyway?

I must have asked this to my director about 10 different times in 10 different ways. I was so nervous I wouldn't get shows or qualify. Well, it's 3 1/2 years later and it was a breeze to qualify. Back then it was 6 shows to qualify.

As others have said, I definitely would recruit this person yourself. As many have also said, since you're very new, it would fall on your director to be the one to train her and help her get going. I would ask your director to even do the next "recruiting" phone call or try to meet with the potential recruit in person and you could listen in and be part of it. This would be wonderful training for you! Most directors would know how to do a 3 way phone call if they're phone plan has this and it's a very helpful way to hear what an interview would be like. I did this with probably a few different potential recruits and my director. Just know that's it's not your responsibility to train her. Hopefully your director understands this. Sometimes new directors (me included...when I was brand new) don't realize it's something that still falls under their responsibility.

Good luck! That's very exciting. Also, when you expect she's received the packet, try to time it so you call her the NEXT day! Don't let her excitement fade.

 

[lacychef]

You can point out how we have the largest show average! Which makes it easy to qualify. She only has to qualify in the first month if she wants the SS1 bonuses.

 

[pampered1224]

Something to reassure her...To qualify you need 4 $150 shows or $1250. And Yes, individual orders will help greatly. But the trick is to combine these into those $150 shows. If she get three or 4 orders from the mom's at daycare, Add them into one show. Then add to that. I would use the Mystery Host Show.
First shot out the door, a Mystery Host show at the day care! Have her collect orders for a couple of weeks from the moms, then pull a name to see who the host is!
Viola instant, no fuss, no muss show!

 

[bbauman07]

DON'T GIVE AWAY YOUR RECRUIT!!!!!!!!!
If you recruit her, it's your director's job to coach and train her. But YOU recruit her!!!!

I second that. Plus you would miss out on one of your SS recruit bonuses.

 

[gilliandanielle]

This was a nice surprise when I recruited someone. I thought I had to teach her everything, but my director called her and straightened some things out. That was really helpful knowing that I didn't have to pick and choose what to tell her because my director already did it. She did lie to my director though, so I am not sure that she likes her!

 

[beepampered]

This lady can also sign up after Sept. 15 and claim November as her first SS month. (I believe this is right if you're in the U.S.). That means she would have 10 weeks to get to $1250 and get her SS #1 bonus.

And, recruit her yourself! Don't give away good business simply because you're new. How long is long enough? How else will you learn unless you recruit? Good luck.

 

[pampered1224]

Oh that's not a good signGillian, why on earth would someone need to lie to someone they don't know? Did she mention it to you? I am just nosy and curious!
Anyway, that is one great thing about recruiting, the responsiblilty is there for you to some degree but not 100%. At least not until you become a director. So recruit away! Makes sure your recruit knows she can call you at any time if she needs help and can get it elsewhere rather than a director if she feels more comfortable coming to you. And remember too that the best way to learn, is to teach.
You get the best of both worlds. One as teacher and one as student. You are a director in training! Don't pass that up.

 

[gilliandanielle]

My director is really pushy about her cluster and training meetings, and has never really liked me because I don't go. I have called my recruit at least 6 times during the middle of the day, all different days of the week. I talked to my director and she said that my recruit works 10-8 every day. I beg to differ!! I didn't mention anything to my director, but I was laughing that even the new people don't want to go to her meetings!

 

[PamperedCrum]

Well, I was telling my recruiter about this and I asked her if she thought it was too soon for me to recruit. She said she would never take a recruit away from me but that if I don't feel that I am ready to have someone under me then she would gladly take her. Now, I need to call this girl but my dilemma is...should I recruit her myself even though I am so inexperienced or should I let my recruiter have her??

Is your recruiter a director? Or a consultant? The fact that she even presented it this way has me kind of upset - it is HER JOB to make you successful, and she should know that until you are a director, it is your directors job to train your recruits. If she is a director, this is even more disturbing because it truly does not matter which of you "recruits" her, as the new recruit is still in the directors first line.

That just really seems kind of wrong to even suggest that you give her away.

 

[lizcooks4u]

She's your recruit, go for it!!!