Should You Send Follow Up Letters to Party Guests? Tips from a Pro Host

[SilverCeladon]

When I FINALLY sign and so my shows I was curious if it would be a good idea or not to send follow up letters to all the guests that ordered at the party. I would send recipes that pertain to what they bought and tell them if they had a show all the free products they got just like (insert host's name here). That's the idea anyways...I would make it all formal and pretty... What do you think?

 

[letscook04]

What some of us do is MAC-"Morning After Calls". What I do the next day after the show I send out an email thanking them for coming to Suzy's show and if there is anything else they need to order before Suzy's show closes on XX date. I also email the recipe that I've made at the show.

 

[SilverCeladon]

What a great idea Colleen and it saves money also!

 

[MandyK]

If you have a website, have a link to your calendar with "Suzie's Show Recipes" -- it will get them to your website.

Also, if you have a monthly newsletter, you can also tell them "I'll be including you on my monthly newsletter so you can receive all the latest news (or whatever)." I actually say this in my email:

Good Morning!

It was so nice meeting you on Sunday at Jen’s appetizer party! If you have any questions about your order or if you need to add on a last minute gift, you have until Friday to make changes and/or additions.

Below is the link to my website for the Baked Pot Stickers and below that is my December newsletter.

Thank you so much for your order – I’ll be calling in a few weeks to make sure your products are “out of the box” and doing hard time in your kitchen.

In the meantime, please do not hesitate to call with any questions, recipe requests or general kitchen advice!

Recipes: http://www.___________/mandykatz?page=calendar-detail&eventId=277732

Have a great day!

Mandy

Just my 2 cents

 

[pamperedgirl3]

What some of us do is MAC-"Morning After Calls". What I do the next day after the show I send out an email thanking them for coming to Suzy's show and if there is anything else they need to order before Suzy's show closes on XX date. I also email the recipe that I've made at the show.

I've just started doing this too with the emails the next day. I only started it in December with the two shows I did. I also plan on calling anyone who doesn't give me an email to tell pretty much the same thing-just without the recipe.

 

[pamperedgirl3]

If you have a website, have a link to your calendar with "Suzie's Show Recipes" -- it will get them to your website.

Also, if you have a monthly newsletter, you can also tell them "I'll be including you on my monthly newsletter so you can receive all the latest news (or whatever)." I actually say this in my email:

Good Morning!

It was so nice meeting you on Sunday at Jen’s appetizer party! If you have any questions about your order or if you need to add on a last minute gift, you have until Friday to make changes and/or additions.

Below is the link to my website for the Baked Pot Stickers and below that is my December newsletter.

Thank you so much for your order – I’ll be calling in a few weeks to make sure your products are “out of the box” and doing hard time in your kitchen.

In the meantime, please do not hesitate to call with any questions, recipe requests or general kitchen advice!

Recipes: http://www.___________/mandykatz?page=calendar-detail&eventId=277732

Have a great day!

Mandy

Just my 2 cents

Mandy, I love the way you word this!!

 

[jenniferknapp]

Do you send it out as a mass mailing, so that everyone sees that you aren't sending it out individually?

 

[beepampered]

To encourage people to give me their email address, I tell them that I will e-mail them the recipe. If it's a good recipe, I'll get 80% of the guests e-mail addresses. This is a great way to contact people on a regular basis for FREE so get those e-mail addresses from the start.

 

[pamperedgirl3]

To encourage people to give me their email address, I tell them that I will e-mail them the recipe. If it's a good recipe, I'll get 80% of the guests e-mail addresses. This is a great way to contact people on a regular basis for FREE so get those e-mail addresses from the start.

I do that now too! I was just telling them I'd add them to get my newsletter, but I've found this gets more email addresses! Then I get to stay in contact with them at least once a month through my email.

 

[letscook04]

I've just started doing this too with the emails the next day. I only started it in December with the two shows I did. I also plan on calling anyone who doesn't give me an email to tell pretty much the same thing-just without the recipe.

What I do at the show I hand everyone the "door prize slip" and have everyone fill it out. I explain to them, if they have a email address to write it in so that I could email them tonights recipe and my monthy newsletter. Then I do a drawing I pick out a name and I give them a prize.

 

[chefann]

I add a little sheet to all the receipts with a thank you note. I print them 6 to a page and staple them to the upper right corner of the computer-generated receipts (so it doesn't cover the name). It says:
--
Thank you for your order!
Thanks in part to you, HOST received $TOTAL worth of products for only $COST. Some of the great things she picked out are:
Product1
Product2
Product3
I'd love to come to your house and help you earn free products, too.
Ann, phone number, email
--

I pick out high-end products that the host chose: cookware, stoneware, forged cutlery, food chopper, etc. and I try to pick so that they aren't all similar products. Then guests can see that their order really did helpl their friend. 'Cuz I don't know about you, but when I go to a home party, I would like to know how much my friend (the host) got free.

 

[jenniferknapp]

I add a little sheet to all the receipts with a thank you note. I print them 6 to a page and staple them to the upper right corner of the computer-generated receipts (so it doesn't cover the name). It says:
--
Thank you for your order!
Thanks in part to you, HOST received $TOTAL worth of products for only $COST. Some of the great things she picked out are:
Product1
Product2
Product3
I'd love to come to your house and help you earn free products, too.
Ann, phone number, email
--

I pick out high-end products that the host chose: cookware, stoneware, forged cutlery, food chopper, etc. and I try to pick so that they aren't all similar products. Then guests can see that their order really did helpl their friend. 'Cuz I don't know about you, but when I go to a home party, I would like to know how much my friend (the host) got free.

I am trying to remember from another thread, do you use outside order forms that you print at shows? I use the write-ins, and give a copy of the receipt right there to the guest. I only print out computer receipts for outside orders that don't have a receipt yet...

Another idea is to begin your morning after email (with the recipe, etc) with Ann's idea!

 

[pamperedgirl3]

What I do at the show I hand everyone the "door prize slip" and have everyone fill it out. I explain to them, if they have a email address to write it in so that I could email them tonights recipe and my monthy newsletter. Then I do a drawing I pick out a name and I give them a prize.

That's what I do too, to get their email addresses. Some also (or instead) write it on the order form.

 

[pamperedgirl3]

I am trying to remember from another thread, do you use outside order forms that you print at shows? I use the write-ins, and give a copy of the receipt right there to the guest. I only print out computer receipts for outside orders that don't have a receipt yet...

Another idea is to begin your morning after email (with the recipe, etc) with Ann's idea!

I use the write-ins at shows & computer ones for oo too, but what I've started doing is taking the receipts home with me (used to leave with host after show). I put a thank you sticker & a save your receipt stamp on them, as well as staple my business card to the top. I hope at least some of them will keep my biz card for future reference b/c not everyone takes them at the show. I think I'll try to add a little thank you note also! I don't know if I'll say how much the host spent--maybe just what she got or how much she saved (maybe even a %). I don't want to offend any hosts by telling their guests how much they spent.

 

[chefjeanine]

Do you send it out as a mass mailing, so that everyone sees that you aren't sending it out individually?

Jennifer,

Anytime you send mail (even to friends or family but especially to business leads) you should send it BCC (blind carbon copy). When I ask guests to share their email addresses with me, I assure them that this information will be kept private.

There have been other threads regarding this topic. People get mad (I'm one of them) when my information is available to people I don't know.

Jeanine

 

[jenniferknapp]

This is what I do, and I was just checking to see if that is what other people are doing as well - thanks and sorry for taking your time to explain!!!

 

[chefjeanine]

This is what I do, and I was just checking to see if that is what other people are doing as well - thanks and sorry for taking your time to explain!!!

Sorry! I hope I didn't sound rabid!! Perhaps someone else will come along and read this and learn something new.

I like to send an email message the morning after a show (I just can't make myself do Big MAC calls). Here's what I say:

Thank you for attending the Ballard Elementary Cooking Show. I enjoyed spending the evening with you!

If you have questions about your order, please contact me at the number listed below or respond to this email. If you'd like to add to your order, please do so by Thursday, December 7. If you know someone who would like to place and order, they can go to my website (listed below) and place an order on the "Ballard Elementary" show.

If you have decided that you would like to book a catalog or cooking show, please let me know by Thursday.

Thanks again for joining us. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Jeanine Larson

HTH

 

[jenniferknapp]

haha, sorry... I should have been clearer! There are a lot of people that do not realize this though, so someone will benefit from it!

 

[jenniferknapp]

I like the wording in your email! To the point, but very professional with a personal touch! I may borrow some of your wording, but add some of Ann's note so that it shows how well the host did!

 

[kisrae]

I really enjoyed reading what you all had to say. I only would contact the Host and thank her again. I never even thought of sending a thank you to the guest other then at the end of the party. I
I've also been looking for ideas to get more emails so this will be great.
Thanks Ladies.
Ida

 

[ChefAmber]

these monthly newsletters, do ya'll make them up yourself so if there one that is on here that everyone uses.
thanks amber