Thoughts on the Full Service Checkout

[Intrepid_Chef]

Today at my show, to make a very long story short, I was so exhausted I forgot the full-service checkout.

But later, I remarked to friends that I'm not sure it works anyway. Those who want to book, will. Those who are pushed into it may agree to pencil in a date, but in my experience, all those people cancel!

Have you found it to work for you?

 

[Jolie_Paradoxe]

It works super well for me, when I actually have a chance to sit and connect with them. Sometimes, when there's a guest who I thought might have been a lead but I didn't get a chance to do FSCO....I'll call them the day after and tell them I wanted to touch base with them before closing the show. I then do a mock FSCO over the phone.

 

[NooraK]

Check out emiscookin's thread that shows up as the first suggestion under "Similar Threads." I have had some better success with it since I attended Director Express (though, if I had more shows, I could practice it more ).

The key, I have learned, is to hold onto the receipt until you're done. Once you hand that over, they've checked out and are done. They don't want to listen to anything more. I do believe that just asking gives customers permission to book a show. You have to sprinkle enough seeds throughout your show for them to get interested, but they're not likely to ask you to book a show.

And if you set up our full service checkout before you do it, they won't feel pressured. If you tell them "All right, I'm going to be right over here taking your orders. I haven't mastered the skill of mind-reading yet, so I just want to make sure all of your questions are answered and I take care of any needs you might have. Does anyone need to leave soon? Great, whenever you see that chair empty, come on over with your order."

 

[raebates]

I invite everyone to host. I never pressure anyone. I can't tell you how many people have told me through the years that they wouldn't have booked if I hadn't asked. As a matter of fact, I had someone recently book a show who is a former DS consultant with another company. She said that she never books unless asked because she figures if you don't care enough to ask she doesn't care enough to work with you (not that I share that opinion). She said she'd been to 3 or 4 PC shows in the past several months and I was the first one to ask. Hers was a good show. Of course, if you think that full-service checkout doesn't work, it probably won't for you. I'm a firm believer that our attitudes come through in subtle ways. If I think asking every guest is pushy, I'll probably come across as wishy-washy or apologetic when I ask. Do whatever works for you. That's one of the best things about a PC business.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

I like the way you present it. And truthfully, that's what I usually used to do. (I haven't had a LIVE show in six months, and before that it's closer to a year! Been surviving on catalog shows too long.)

In my very limited experience, I have gotten bookings from people who said, "well maybe." I explain that we have to put a date on the calendar to give her friend credit so they say, "Oh, put me down for September" or "How about the fall" I pick a date at random. But THOSE shows never seem to hold, probably because they weren't too committed to it in the first place.

I did try to call several people to tell them their bill was lower than what we discussed ... I also taxed pantry items. Several of them were not home. So I don't hold out a great deal of hope for reaching them on the phone.

 

[Liquid Sky]

And if you set up our full service checkout before you do it, they won't feel pressured. If you tell them "All right, I'm going to be right over here taking your orders. I haven't mastered the skill of mind-reading yet, so I just want to make sure all of your questions are answered and I take care of any needs you might have. Does anyone need to leave soon? Great, whenever you see that chair empty, come on over with your order."

I LOVE this!

Anyhoo....I truly believe in the FSCO!!! I have seen MANY people mark "no" on the prize drawing slip for hosting or the biz. Once I sit down with them and have some one on one time with them, MANY times when asked if they want to learn more about the biz &/or host a show I get a "yes". 80% of the time they hold. I feel that many love that personal touch and can connect with you on another plane than "PC presenter".

I feel you HAVE to make conversation with them. Real conversation...not small talk to make the FSCO super effective. I have been on both sides when I attend parties. When the consultant takes my receipt, totals me up then hands me my total....it's...so.....impersonal. I have also experienced where I sat down w/ the consultant so she can check me out and she simply totaled up my order asked me to refer her for shows and that was.....it. NO personal touch at all.

It makes a difference to take out 3 minutes of your time to sit down with each guest to take care of them better than anyone else has. It pays off way more than you can ever imagine.

 

[ChefMary412]

I think the main thing that has helped the full service checkout work for me was telling everyone that I will be doing it. Instead of saying that I will sit in the other room and wait until people are ready/tally up, I now say that I will be doing a full service check out, to ask a few questions and give the low down on when products will arrive.
This way people are expecting me to sit and chat with them for a few minutes.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

Well, this show was chaotic, from pre-start to finish ... I arrived to find the host had not completed any of the recipes SHE agreed to make in advance. So some of the early people helped, which was nice. Then however, when it came time for the demo, everybody was in the living room and she directed them to get their plates ... so nobody even watched the presentation and while I'm cooking, get interrupted for drawing slips and order forms.

And when it came time to take orders, I was in the office and there was a line going around the room ... so I really felt rushed, like the days when I was a restaurant cashier and there were like 5 people in the room with the customer.

Completely forgot to even give recipe cards so I left those with the host.