Tell Me How You Are Getting Takers on the Registry

[DebbieJ]

I have had plenty of contacts via bridal fairs and such, but I can't get anyone really excited about the registry to the point where they actually get any sales that matter.

I just got done calling leads from a bridal fair and I'm so discouraged.

What is the secret?!!?!? We've been at this for over a year now and it's just not working for me.

Anyone care to brainstorm with me?

 

[janetupnorth]

I don't have advice - just going to watch this though. My only registry right now is a nephew.

I've put the wedding flyers and my business cards at our one and only local bridal shop - no takers yet...

I think it is easier to get leads by finding people at shows who love PC and are going to get married vs. "cold calls" or fair leads...

Oh wait, I said I didn't have advice...guess that is just my observations so far...

 

[janetupnorth]

Debbie - I asked on Laura's thread if you had any luck at your show a few days ago using her recruiting style - any luck?

 

[DebbieJ]

I'll go answer there...

 

[pckrissy]

Hi Deb~ I have had 5 wedding registeries sign with me...2 of the weddings have happened already 1) had sales of $44.50 and 2) had sales of $76.50
I have another one that is getting married in September and already had her shower and so far $0 in sales...my other two weddings aren't until January and May of 2008, unfortunately I am not expecting much from there either.

I have spent a few hunderd dollars to do bridal shows and I don't think it is worth it bc I'm not making any $$ back and I spent ALOT of time doing follow up on those leads that have went nowhere....I know a few other girls in my cluster are having the same experience...

I don't know if it is still new, for our customers(?) but I thought after one year there would be much better pay off....I'm still talking about it and shows and will still sign them up but I'm not as excited as before, but I am still trying to be optimistic that it willl catch on!

 

[lacychef]

I know what you mean! I've had 4 registries.....2 current ones so we'll see, and 2 that are done & didn't even earn any rewards.
Maybe we just need to remind them that they have to use the registry cards, and just tell all their guests about it. THEY have to get excited for the possibilites though.

 

[Chef_2_Four]

I have one registry, it is my first. I am tying it in with a show. I going to make a board with the brides colors on it and pin the products that she wants onto the board so when someone wants to buy it they can take it down, that way she isn't getting a bunch of one thing. There were was thing she wants 4 of so I will have 4 cards so if someone wants to buy her 1 and something else so they are obligated to buy all 4. I don't know how it will be since I've never done it before! I have a friend she had a registry through us before I signed on and she had a "show" and she got a ton of free stuff. Her actual online registry wasn't so good.

 

[DebbieJ]

Well, I have my first bridal show in Sept for my sister! She is registered only with me! So I know that one will be good, but its all the others. They are mostly from bridal fairs where we had them sign up on the spot, then we set up their registeries with the well stocked list, and then nothing happens. Then I call them to build excitement and most of them brush me off. It's frustrating!

 

[Chef_2_Four]

Congrats on your sisters show! That stinks about the others. I have thought about doing bridal fairs but just haven't gotten into it. I thought about ordering the registry flyers and taking them to different florists around here but just haven't done it yet....maybe the other will pick up!

 

[MomToEli]

I have my first one set up. The bride is listing my website on the invitations as one of the three places they are registered. Hopefully that will help some. We are also doing a shower, so for right now only the more expensive stuff is listed in the registry. The wedding is the end of August, so I don't expect much, if any, activity until the beginning or middle of August. Time will tell ...

I found this one because she is a gal I used to have in a Bible Study. I just wish I had caught up with her before she registered at the other two places ...

 

[cathyskitchen]

Just thought I'd chime in here - I've had some of the same experiences as you guys. Not a lot of bites from the bridal fairs. I have 2 set up in the next few months - one on the 17th of this month, and one in Oct. A girl on my team and I are splitting it and it's costing us $150 total to do it (each show). We did this before and it went pretty well. We are thinking of just bringing a bunch of cookware, simple additions, stoneware (high end items) and some major gadgets (chopper, etc.) and that's it. We were also thinking of just bringing our laptops and signing people up right on the spot with the "Well-Stocked Kitchen", but I'm not sure if I'll be able to get wireless access at the mall where it's being held (going to check that out this weekend!).

One other thing I have done is offer a personal shopping experience for the bride and whoever else she wants to bring (mom, groom, sister, whoever). I serve some wine or lemonade and some crackers & cheese, and I set up everything I own (which is pretty-much everything!) in my kitchen, living room and dining room. They get to look at everything, ask questions, and figure out what they want, and I just key it all in for them on my laptop.

I have had 3 registries so far since the new one came out - one with a close friend who just got married last week (and she was my 1st host 4 years ago, so everyone knew she loved PC) - her registry did $500. I have another one with a guest from a show last year who is getting married in Aug of this year. She LOVES PC and has been telling anyone and everyone who will listen that she only wants PC for her wedding, but people are being dolts and getting her things that she's not even registered for at the other place!!! She said she got 11 nightgowns at one shower (she had 3) and she was about to barf!! She returned them all and then turned around and bought $300 worth of PC stuff!! So, even though she has been totally pumped about it and told everyone what she wanted, they're still not doing it. A few of her co-workers have, but that's it (they told me they're sick of hearing her complain about it so they bought her PC to shut her up!!). My 3rd registry is with a girl who used to work at my son's preschool. She was fired from the preschool soon after she created her registry with me, and even though I gave her over 100 registry cards with my website on them, I haven't seen one sale on her registry. Her wedding is in 2.5 weeks, and NADA!! (And she registered for over $2000 worth of products!!).

So, I think an even bigger media campaign is needed to get the word out about Pampered Chef's wedding registry. There are SO many other competitors out there who have registries now (I got married 11 years ago, and my only choices were Macy's & Strawbridges here in the Phila area - now every store I go into has a registry - Williams-Sonoma, Target, BBB, etc!!). I think they're trying, but the word really needs to get out more. I am going to try handing out more flyers at my shows to every person who places an order, since I think the personal way works best. All of my registry leads came from people I met either in life or at shows, and I haven't gotten one from a bridal fair. I'm hoping that will change this month - if not, I'll never do another one again!! Oh, and I also have flyers at several different bridal salons in the area, and I have a deal with the owners that I'll give referral bonuses to their salespeople who refer brides to me, but NOTHING!! I'll keep plugging away, though! Hope some of my ideas helped!!

 

[Chef Bobby]

I've worked several bridal shows. One got 24 registries split between two of us. I never have trouble getting the registries. We offer to do the work for them. They give us the information and we bring it home and start their registries. We always have a door prize. The trouble comes trying to play host coach to the brides. My own daughter did lousy with her registry. She even had that she was registered on her bridal shower invitations. She got lots of Pampered Chef presents, but they were all bought from other PC shows. I've had several registries that never had a single gift bought. I believe that I've spent lots more to work the bridal shows than I will make on the registries.
I have talked to someone that did good recruiting at bridal shows. I'm looking forward to any advise that someone can give. Thanks,
Bobby

 

[DebbieJ]

I'm doing a bridal show in August and I think that's the angle I'll take--recruiting!

 

[cathyskitchen]

I'm going to try the recruiting angle more at the bridal shows, too. If they want a big, expensive wedding, they have to pay for it somehow, right??

 

[crystalscookingnow]

I've had 3 weddings come & go with a total of $140 between the 3. I still have 2 registries open. One's in Sept, one in Dec. Not sure if I should hold out any luck or not.

 

[Christ Follower]

I wonder if ther's a way to let people know that they need to buy the bride the registered items Exclusivly from her web-registry in order for her to receive more products for free? Maybe it could be printed on the back of the "registered at" cards.

 

[cathyskitchen]

I wonder if ther's a way to let people know that they need to buy the bride the registered items Exclusivly from her web-registry in order for her to receive more products for free? Maybe it could be printed on the back of the "registered at" cards.

Good idea!! You're right, they probably don't realize that the bride gets free products if they order off of the "official" registry. That's a good suggestion for Merrill, too, to add to the back of the registry cards that we can order with our website address on them. I don't think we can count on the bride to tell everyone about this, because it might seem "tacky" for the bride to tell everyone what to get her (maybe MOB - mother of the bride can do it??).

 

[LibrarianChef]

Has anyone else simply put on the wedding registry cards to go to pamperedchef.com and click on "wedding registry" to find the bride or groom? I'm just wondering if it might be more confusing to customers to do the longer .biz PWS addresses. I'm thinking the main site might make it easier to remember for people who don't have the little card right in front of them.

Any thoughts/ideas/experience with trying both? My husband and I both teach at the local college and I'd like to make a decision on this before the new school year starts (as I begin bumping into all of the newly engaged couples).