Team Meeting Success: Wow, Interactive Shows Are Easier Than Expected!

[KellyTheChef]

WOW!

Just got home from my TEAM meeting and all I can say is WOW!

Interactive shows are definately something that I am going to be doing in the future! We "held" one at our meeting (my Director was the consultant...we were all the guests) and it is WAY EASIER than I was making it out to be! Also, we had a new hospitality consultant there who has been doing shows like this for the past 2 years (been a consultant for 12 years) and she says that she will NEVER go back! I can't wait to get more training on this!

I have a show tomorrow night...it's with my cousin as the host...and I may be calling her in the morning to see if she's up to me "winging it" at her show!

Getting off here to go pull my thoughts together about trying it out tomorrow!

Can you say: RECRUITING TOOL!??!??!?? Nothing like making our jobs look totally do-able and easy!

 

[jrstephens]

Can you gve details of it when you have time in between preparing for our own show ? I am all for EASIER!

 

[minersmix]

I also would like more info. Thanks

 

[kspry]

You know, I think I've been doing interactive shows all the time without knowing it. I never could get the spiel from the DVD down, so I just let people talk and connect, some of them hadn't seen each other in years.

People have booked with me specifically because I don't do
- games about shouting out candy bar names
- constant reminding about owning a business that you don't really own

But I do
- ask them how they know the host
- what's their favorite recipe

 

[PC Nut]

I always do Interactive Shows. Makes my mind flow better with ideas. Ask them what pruducts that are their favorite they currently have. That sells it for me. Easy As Pie!

 

[KellyTheChef]

This type of interactive show is really more of a "hands on show".

Don't even let them go and sit down...have the host and/or you ask them as they come in to wash their hands and come in the kitchen to stand around and chit chat. If the host wants, they could even bring drinks in with them.

Last night we made the new cheeseburger salad from the 6 oclock salad show. I was the first one to wash up, so she handed me the executive small saute pan, the mix n chop, and a small package of ground beef. She asked me if I could brown that up for her. While I was doing that, she asked someone else to slice up the hamburger buns using our forged bread knife. In the meantime, someone else was cutting up the romaine lettuce and spreading it out over the large rectangle SA with handles. Someone else measured out and chopped the pickles using the food chopper...someone measured out the ketchup in the adjustable measuring cup (could use the measure all here) and someone else measured the mustard. She directed someone to use our chef's knife to dice up the plum tomatoes, and someone else to shred the cheese using our deluxe cheese grater. (She heated up the cheese for about 5-10 seconds first to soften it so it doesn't stick to the barrel.) When she handed them the deluxe cheese grater, it had the wrong barrel in there (on purpose) so whoever did that had to change out the barrel.
Someone else used the UM to slice up the onion, and the other half of the onion got chopped with the food chopper.

Basically, she just DIRECTED us. She didn't do hardly any of the prep. There were 9 of us there besides my director, and I think the recipe was DONE in 8 minutes. During the times when we were using a product, or after using it...she would ask a leading question. Like for me: Kelly, have you ever used our cookware before? (yes) What are your thoughts on it? or...Kelly, how are you liking that Mix n Chop? Can anyone think of other things that you could use it for?

After the recipe is completed, (or into the oven to cook) everyone can make their plate of food (if food is ready) and THEN go sit down in the other room. I think this is where I will give out my lap boards/cattys. Tell them that you will be going over a few things with them...but that overall your time will be kept brief. Then, you can use your flip chart (if you want) to go over the specials coming up, ask them if they could see themselves doing something like this (the pressure is off of the consultant, since the guests are doing the show!) and then highlight a few things (new products, cookware, stoneware, etc.) or ask a few more directed questions about the products that they were using to make the recipe.

I think this will work better than in the past (where I asked folks to volunteer to come up and try out products) because:

1. They have each washed their hands and have been asked by the host to help assemble the recipe.
2. Everyone is helping...so no one has to feel like they are in the spotlight.
3. They don't even have the catties yet, so they can't be looking through and making their order till AFTER they have had the products in their hands.
4. Tell them that the purpose of this is so the demo goes quicker, so they can actually USE the products, and so they can get to what they REALLY want to do....socialize and eat!!

This is probaby a rambling post...sorry! I was really glad that we did this at our training, since it is soooooooo simple once you "get it!" There is going to be a training DVD on this that is coming out in February, right? I thought I read that....so many things going through my mind right now!

 

[c00p]

We did the same thing at our meeting this past week and it was weird at first because when I walked in (3 minutes late - oops!) things were already happening, like the slicing, chopping, etc. So I was sort-of lost...but then the "host" told me to go wash up and step on in. So I did and it went from there. It really was easy and very interactive. More so than what I do at my shows and I think more fun too!

 

[chefann]

Sounds like it was fun, Kelly! And that's a great way to get bookings, too. You're right, there's a DVD coming out in mid-Feb featuring shows from 3 consultants, including some tips for checkout. And you completely picked up on the points HO made at Leadership: higher sales because people actually use the tools; more bookings because it's fun and people end up with a lot of tools that they want; and more solid recruit leads because it makes our job so easy.

 

[KellyTheChef]

The consultant that was there last night that has been doing her shows like this for the past two years got TWELVE BOOKINGS from her last show. Can't beat that!

 

[KellyTheChef]

OK y'all!

I spoke with my cousin (my host today) and she is game to try anything that could increase her sales and her bookings! She is supposed to have 13-15 people there and we are doing the smashed potato soup (double recipe) in the DCB in the microwave.

Wish me luck!

I am attaching my "cheat sheet" that I made up. I may be winging it today, but I am still a bit anal... LOL

 

[Bren706]

Thanks for sharing! Good luck with your show!

 

[KellyTheChef]

Here is the update on my show yesterday. Diane (quiverful7) was asking me about it on a different thread, so I thought I would post here too!

Everyone liked it...I thought it was harder to keep their attention. With 9 guests (two were kids, one 9 and one 13 who both wanted to do EVERYTHING) there was never really a time when everyone was busy doing something. So, with idle time, they started chit chatting, instead of watching the other people or helping the other people! (Imagine that...socializing at a party....what were they thinking!! )

I am really looking forward to our training DVD on these shows. I REALLY think it will be super! I just need to work out the kinks. I loved, loved, loved that I had more time to visit with my host since I didn't have to do any pre-prep! I just set up the "stations", products, and ingredients before the show.

 

[JAE]

I was thinking that this would work if I'm standing there with everyone else, and explaining everything, as alwasy. But, I give everyone the jobs I ususally do.
I did an interactive show the other night with 2 recipes. That was what the host wanted. I figured as long as the two recipes were going at the same time, we could handle it, time wise. It was chaotic and I couldn't be at both stations, so I wasn't really explaining much. I think it would have worked great with one recipe. EXCEPT all of those people around a table or smaller island would have been too many. I was thinking it would be great to do it like a Martha Stewart show (only not as boring) when she has a guest helping her make a recipe. Two or three people could come up to help, so it wasn't too crowded. I may try this, too.
Anyway, the show the other night, some people really liked doing it because they appreciated using the tools.

 

[buckeyefan08]

I did a mystery host party today, I did an interactive show since it was friends, family, past hosts, recurring customers,etc..
I thought it was hectic. I felt a little unorganized but I must have done ok, out of twelve guests I got nine bookings!! Sales were only about $300 but I made my money back and got those leads plus I got the experience! I think now that I've got the jitters out these shows will come naturally.

 

[pamperedlinda]

I did a mystery host party today, I did an interactive show since it was friends, family, past hosts, recurring customers,etc..
I thought it was hectic. I felt a little unorganized but I must have done ok, out of twelve guests I got nine bookings!! Sales were only about $300 but I made my money back and got those leads plus I got the experience! I think now that I've got the jitters out these shows will come naturally.

That is AWESOME!!

 

[lockhartkitchen]

Those consultants who are teachers can see this way of shows being easy. We have groups working all over the classroom to get one project done. I had done a modified hands-on version, but love the full hands-on way.