Venting Frustrations of Being a New Consultant in a Small Town

[melissalough]

I have to vent and I don't know where else to go. I am a new consultant and I live in a small town 18,000. There is one other PC (my recruiter) who lives here. Here sales are outstanding, amazing really. She averages $5,000/mo in sales and she just signed on last december. I was so pumped when I signed on because I saw her success and thought things would be as great for me. Well, they are not. As a matter of fact they are so discouraging.
I've taken so many ideas from this site and have tried to implement them. One of them was to do a kids' cooking workshop here at my home. I got such great feedback and many said that it was a great idea. Even my recruiter was impressed. I posted an ad in the paper ($110) and flyered several neighborhoods. I've scheduled it for August 2,3 & 4. I've gotten just TWO girls signed up!
What am I doing wrong in this business? Do you think the area can be too smothered?

 

[cmdtrgd]

You have to make personal connections with people. How many flyers that are put on your door do you respond to? How many emails from other direct sales or other sales companies do you respond to? Get on the phone or out and about and talk to people!Have you observed your recruiter's show since you became a consultant? If not, do it! It is amazing what you miss when you are just having fun! And, trust me, it is very hard to get a saturated market. My best seller lives in the same subdivision as I do and we do fine!

 

[Christ Follower]

18,000 people should still be a lot of potenial people if you two are the only ones in the area. How about pampering a local business out there? Make a treat for your local bank and leave them some catalogs? Keep us posted about your event! Maybe distribute the flyers to daycares etc,?

 

[chefjeanine]

You have to make personal connections with people.

Have you observed your recruiter's show since you became a consultant? If not, do it! It is amazing what you miss when you are just having fun! And, trust me, it is very hard to get a saturated market. My best seller lives in the same subdivision as I do and we do fine!

Yep, you have to TALK FACE TO FACE to get business. Very few people will respond to a flyer.

Make friends and then get customers. As you meet new people, ask them to help you meet others who are interested in Pampered Chef products.

 

[chefjwr]

People are procrastinators. They may not sign up until just before the event. Have you connected with some girl scout troups? Brownies have a badge called "Make It, Eat It" that might be something they can earn by coming to your event. Maybe you can promise a prize to those who sign up by (whatever date you want to put in here). The prize could then be something small like you give as give aways at parties or an you could promise their named to be entered into a drawing for the kids' cookbook "Let's Eat".

 

[chefjwr]

Can you even read that last post?? So many type Os.

 

[Chef Bobby]

I sent out about 30 flyers to neighbors by mail and didn't get any response. I personally went around and talked to six neighbors and got one show booked and four other customers. Definatly talk to people in person.

Bobby

 

[Kitchen2u]

I sent out about 30 flyers to neighbors by mail and didn't get any response.

Flyers are only good ONLY if YOU FOLLOW UP with a personal phone call. This post proves that fact.

Ginny

 

[pampermemelody]

Personal contacts is the only way to go. Sadly, they won't come to you. You have to go get them! So, work on making your list of 100 AND MAKING YOUR 3 CALLS PER DAY. You'll get there! Give yourself some goals, a power hour each day you imagine where you will be!

 

[etteluap70PC]

18,000 is a large town to me. I live in a town of 4000-6000. There is a very successful director 15mins north of me and at least 2 other consultants in my town. I have been here for 2 years and have had much more success than when I was 20 mins north of Minneapolis. Thie reason for this success in a small area? Relationships! I am involved in many clubs and groups and always wear PC clothing or have a tote. I did a fair when I was restarting my buis and from those first to hosts it began. Now I average only 4 shows a month and have no recruits but I was not actively recruiting. I have let many slip thru mu fingers. I am now ready to step up my buisness and know it is all up to me and centers on the relationships I have built.

Don't know if this helps but it was a revelation to me.

 

[PC_CPR]

Don't get discouraged! Sometimes, it's just a minor thing that needs to be tweaked to get a better response. Plus, like a previous poster said, people are procrastinators. One thing that came to mind is that you're giving flyers to strangers for them to come to your house with their daughters! Sometimes, people are not comfortable with that idea and prefer to attend events at a more public venue (like the local YMCA, for example). Just a thought (for whatever it's worth, my day job is marketing ;-).Good luck! Cath

 

[chefjwr]

I do get a lot of my business from clubs and groups, girls scouts and sports teams our family is associated with. Think about connecting with those Girl Scout Troops--this event is right up their alley. My girl has been a Girl Scout for 13 years.

 

[hperschnick]

My "day job" is in direct marketing - the average response rate to a piece of mail is VERY low - like 1% on a GREAT piece. So putting stuff on doors or mailing stuff is not going to get people beating a path to your door. As everyone else has said, calling people and forging relationships is going to grow your business.

 

[janetupnorth]

My town is about 8000 and I know of at least 10 consultants here not counting me!

Make contacts - build up - you cannot expect to be up to $5000/month instantly. As with any business you have to work to get it - it doesn't drop in your lap...keep trying!

 

[mommyhugz1978]

I do get a lot of my business from clubs and groups, girls scouts and sports teams our family is associated with. Think about connecting with those Girl Scout Troops--this event is right up their alley. My girl has been a Girl Scout for 13 years.

I am just became a GS leader ... for my daughters brownie troop, thanks for the idea!! There are so many things that you can do... Have you thought about contacting local fairs and finding out about doing a booth... I am working a fair this weekend... I have some great leads so far!! Host your own cooking show again if you have already done one. I need to do another one because the one that I was going to have in May of this year got canceled because my FIL had a massive heart attack. Those are just some ideas..... are you doing follow up calls???

 

[Kathytnt]

Try craftlister.com to find craft fairs and events near you. You do not hae to limit yourself to one town. I live in a very populate area but will still drive a bit tomake my business work

 

[Stampaholic1961]

I just did a Marketing Boot Camp for another business I do & the leader says that unless you run an ad repeatedly that you won't get response. Here is the breakdown.
The Thomas Smith Article on Advertising
Thomas Smith, a nineteenth-century businessman, offered the following advice to advertisers in 1885.

It is still applicable today.

1) The first time people look at any given ad they don't even see it.

2) The second time , they don't notice it.

3) The third time , they are aware that it is there.

4) The fourth time , they have a fleeting sense that they've seen it somewhere before.

5) The fifth time , they actually read the ad.

6) The sixth time , they thumb their nose at it.

7) The seventh time , they start to get a little irritated with it

8) The eighth time , they start to think, "Here's that confounded ad again."

9) The ninth time they see the ad, they start to wonder if they might be missing out on something.

10) The tenth time, they ask their friends and neighbors if they've tried it.

11) The eleventh time, they wonder how the company is paying for all these ads.

12) The twelfth time they see the ad, they start to think that it must be a pretty good product.

13) The thirteenth time , they start to feel it has value.

14) The fourteenth time , they start to remember wanting a product like this for a very long time .

15) The fifteenth time, they start to yearn for it because they can't afford to buy it.

16) The sixteenth time, they accept the fact that they will buy it sometime in the future.

17) The seventeenth time they see your ad, they make a note to buy what you offer.

18) The eighteenth time, they curse their poverty for not following them to buy this terrific product.

19) The nineteenth time, they count their money very carefully.

20) The twentieth time prospects see your ad they buy what you are offering.