Struggling to Stay Focused During a Show? Join the Club!

[cookingwithdawn]

I know what I am supposed to say when I open a show and I know what I am supposed to do at a show but when I get there I get totally out of focus and seem to jump around too much (an ADD thing). I am so glad I have the slide which kinda helps keep me focused so I at least get that all out. Does anyone else feel this way? I also seem to lose people if I have a little lull where it takes me time prepping something. I think I need to prepare a script and just try to memorize it so it is second nature????? Any ideas???

 

[Chefgirl2]

Practice. Practice. Practice. I found out about 5 years ago that I have ADHD when my son was diagnosed. Now that I'm medicated it's easier. I wrote an outline and when I was on the treadmill I would practice my upcoming show out loud. I have my treadmill at home, so I wasn't in public. But, I still need to organized my thoughts and how I want my show to go even at show 1225.

I don't get on the treadmill like I should, but I listen to tapes and still break down my show on the way to my host's home. Now that this is posted I think I will hit the treadmill more...so I'll fit in my cute conference clothes again

 

[DebinCincy]

Every show is different, and it is a different dynamic of guests. My 3rd show they all just sat there staring, so I covered it all. The 4th show, there was this obnoxious woman who would not shut up and let me do the demo. I would start saying something and she would interrupt with a question or comment like she was the consultant. She took the opportunity to talk about ever pc item she owned, pros and cons, expense...I swear I wanted to smack her. She was ready to check out before I was even done with the demo, and "had to leave" to attend another function (yet sat around for another hour after I checked her out)...
I just try to go with the flow. Sometimes I get sidetracked, but it is because of a guest question or comment. Don't beat yourself up.

 

[wadesgirl]

When I started I used note cards to outline my show and I read of those. It helped a lot!!

 

[Teresa LM]

I think if you just keep it natural, people will respond. It might not be exactly what you had planned but what in life ever is?

I have created a 3 ring binder and after I get done making my cooking mess, putting on my bandaids and whatnot, I go through the binder to hit the high points that I wanted to make. Then, I explain the checkout process and try to get that done with minimal pain. I really DO need the individual checkout sort of thing, since I get too distracted with the conversations going on around me and forget my "job". But, we have fun and that creates future bookings. It might not always work that way either but so far, that's the way it's worked for me.

It's easier to just be natural and talk about the things that you really LOVE. If you get a script, eventually, everyone will have heard that script. Best to keep it fresh, if you can.

 

[Chefgirl2]

Every show is different, and it is a different dynamic of guests. My 3rd show they all just sat there staring, so I covered it all. The 4th show, there was this obnoxious woman who would not shut up and let me do the demo. I would start saying something and she would interrupt with a question or comment like she was the consultant. She took the opportunity to talk about ever pc item she owned, pros and cons, expense...I swear I wanted to smack her. She was ready to check out before I was even done with the demo, and "had to leave" to attend another function (yet sat around for another hour after I checked her out)...
I just try to go with the flow. Sometimes I get sidetracked, but it is because of a guest question or comment. Don't beat yourself up.

That was me!! Not really, but I was at a show about 14 years ago. I was excited to be out without kids, and I LOVED Pampered Chef products. Everytime the consultant would talk about a product I told my friends near me why she was right and they should buy it. About 45 minutes into the show she actually said very nastily to me: and I quote..."Will you be quiet? I can hardly hear myself think!" I was HORRIFIED. I really liked the girl and was going to book what would have been my 3rd show. Instead I sat the mortified. At the end of the show I asked if I could take the catalog home and was toldNo. Well, fine. But only if you order! I decided to just by the Large Micro-Cooker.

So, now if I get that dreaded talker I always think "She probably loves PC as much as I do!" I try to involve them in the conversation by acting like they were talking about our products even if I know they weren't.

PLEASE, call that girl, kill her with kindness because she might be your next top seller or director with an amazing team!

Now I wasn't negative, nor did I leave early, but looking back at this post she still might have been "The One"...not that I am...

But, just yesterday I was guilted into going to a Margaritas and FlipFlops Beauty Control Party. I didn't want to be there for the same schtick(sp) so when it was obviously going to be the consultants exact "Pampered Hands" party I quietly got up and left.

Anyway...after 1225 shows there will be talkers at probably 1/5 of your shows. Get near them, involve them in the party and make them feel special. Some of my best friends and tops shows were those same ones that started the night by irritating the *&^% out of me.

 

[DebinCincy]

no, she just wanted me to check her out so she could socialize. I was nice as I could be, and I was new, which she knew (everyone did) and she was trying to "correct" me. I was making a pizza, and trying to use that mandoline, and she was like, "I hate that thing...."
Scuze me, I am trying to sell this... and it wasn't going well (I personally don't care for it either, but I would never insult a product) (there are products I don't care for that were shown when I was just a host, I kept my mouth shut)... then she made me stop the demo to check her out so she could leave and then hung out for another hour... drinking wine and getting more obnoxious. She even would interrupt me when I was checking out other guests (she wanted to know what the mix and chop was... I wanted to crack her with it). UGH! Every other party I have had I have had a great time, she was my most obnoxious guest ever. And it was one of my first shows. I was nervous anyway.

 

[DebinCincy]

I love when guests love PC, and encourage them to talk about what they love (they sell it for me most of the time with testimonials) but I have never asked "what PC products do you have that you hate?" =bad for business

 

[raebates]

Using note cards or a notebook is a great idea. It can help you stay on track. I do a walk thought the catalog show and put little sticky notes in my catalog to help me remember to mention or do certain things.DebinCincy, some people just simply want to ruin other people's good time. It's in their nature. The bad news is that you'll encounter people like that again. The good news is that most of the people at the party will know her, so they'll also know to ignore her.

 

[cookingwithdawn]

Don' t get me wrong, I love the people who are talking about Pampered Chef. I'm speaking of the people who are just socializing and are there just to order something because they "had" to come.

I've had the chatty one also, who "had" to leave as soon as she got in, but then stood there directly in front of the island talking to the host, and the host was ok with it!!!

I guess I will try to practice a "script" for the beginning and try and change it up.

Thanks everyone.

 

[pampered1224]

That is when I usually say the Serenity Prayer and work around it! There have been times when all I wanted to do was walk up to someone and simply slap them like they were two and tell them to shut up! So unless you have a good lawyer, all you can do is take a deep breath and move on. My take, let them talk. I found out after doing several 20 minute parties, yes, I talk for 20 minutes about the benefits, doing what I do and then I simply say, "OK it is time to cook, can I get some help?" Anyone truly interested will be in the kitchen after that. Those are what I call my focus people. Everyone else can sit and chitchat as much as they want. I mean why force it? Why make it unpleasant for anyone, including myself? I pop in and out of the kitchen grabbing a tool we are using and talking about it a smidge. When I do this, and do it right, my sales are usually around the $650 to $700 mark. No kidding! I think we make way more out of talking about our stuff than we should. I have gone to plenty of other DS parties over the years and I found that if I have to sit and listen to someone tell me about the importance cutting a wick down to 1/4" for 15 minutes or that you SHOULD be doing this and can get a great paycheck for more than 10 minutes, and why I need to host a party for the next 20 minutes, I would totally want too and have, walked out. As for a recipe, I can buy the book thank you! Stress the FUN of hosting by showing them, not talking about it so much. Show them why it is fun for you, not a 20 minute talk about the major income benefit. Save that for the one on one at checkout. People soak up more of what they see than what they hear. Besides, it makes it easier on me because then I do not have to have a script. I do not have to remember what to say during a party. Save the details for checkout. And only if they show an interest. I asked at my first 8 shows when I stopped talking at people what they thought. Now mind you I did this only with past hosts who experienced a day of school with me prior to that. The response was wonderful! More sales, more bookings and even recruits because it was so easy to converse rather than memorize a bunch of facts. I am not saying that what you all do is wrong or worse. I am just presenting a different look at it.

 

[millthayer]

Hey DebinCincy......were you at my party with that lady??!!! I get those alot and dont fret about it...usually the ones around her know her for what she's worth and just ignore her. I had that exact person at a show a couple months ago...she always comes in late, to make the "grand entrance" and then talks nonstop...well she stood right behind me while I was facing the guests doing my demo and wouldnt shut up, talking very loudly, when I just turned around and said "hey Colleen, come on over here and help me mix up this cake!" Well that shut her up and I got winks from a few ladies and the next night a lady who said she didnt want to book a party, called me to tell me how impressed she was for putting her in her place and wanted to book a party!!! I'm not saying you have to put these people in their places, all I'm saying is I always try to involve that one obnoxious person in my demo....I learned this a long time ago, you're always gonna have a person come in and just sit and talk about their lives or how they hate the products while the rest of the group is truly interested in listening to what I have to say! Just try it, it always works!

 

[Shelly Flanagan]

I had a guest like that once. I stopped what I was doing, asked for her to come up and help me. She did, I put her up there to talk while I used the tools. It was one of my highest shows ever. When she said she didn't like a product I piped up and asked what PC tool she would use instead. She wanted to be center of attention so I gave it to her. After the show I offered her the opportunity and she said "no, I don't think I could get up in front of a bunch of people all the time." She wouldn't book a show, probably because she was afraid someone else might steal the show at her home, but she did order $90 worth of products from me and took home info on the biz. I have chatted with her a few times but says still not interested.

 

[Amyskitchen2]

I use cards with bullet points (products and pg #'s). So I can flow in whatever direction I ramble off into and still maintain some sort of order. I tried to script myself and it just went bad everytime I did it. My problem is the games, whenever I try to play one everyone is kinda not inerested so I stopped doing them. I do my demo talk about the catty (booking & joining too) and close. I guess the people around here are 1 tracked - get in, buy, & get out.

 

[Nanisu]

I scripted my first 20 shows, 1 page, kept it in a page protector, and it was easy easy easy.Now I give the outline to my consultants. And then I tell my consultants to use the product cards that they can get under new consultant resources, pass them out to the audience, and ask THEM to read the card when they pick up that tool (i.e. "who's got the food chopper card? Would you mind reading it?).