Welcome to Taste of Home's Direct Sales Company!

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Discussion Overview

This thread discusses the emergence of Taste of Home's new Direct Sales Company and its potential impact on Pampered Chef consultants. Participants share their thoughts on the competition, the products offered, and personal experiences related to the new company.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Opinion-based
  • Anecdotal
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that Taste of Home's new company will launch next month and mentions the higher cost of their starter kit compared to Pampered Chef.
  • Another participant expresses concern about the heaviness of carrying products to shows, especially with the addition of new items like glassware and serving dishes.
  • One participant shares their experience of being contacted by a recruiter from the new company but states they would never leave Pampered Chef.
  • Several users mention that the new company has endorsements from well-known chefs, which could attract attention.
  • One participant expresses skepticism about the new company's staying power, citing the challenges faced by many startups in the direct sales industry.
  • Another participant shares their feelings about losing their Director to the new company, describing it as a hurtful experience.
  • One participant mentions that the new company offers a variety of products but questions their necessity for the average consumer.
  • Several participants express confidence in Pampered Chef's products and services, stating they are not intimidated by the competition.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ among participants regarding the potential impact of Taste of Home's new company on Pampered Chef. While some express concern about competition and recruitment tactics, others maintain confidence in Pampered Chef's offerings and do not feel threatened.

Contextual Notes

Participants share personal experiences and opinions regarding the new company and its implications for their business, reflecting a range of sentiments from curiosity to skepticism.

Who May Find This Useful

Consultants within the Pampered Chef community may find this discussion relevant as they navigate the implications of new competition in the direct sales market.

ddcook
ddcook
Messages
63
Hi Ya'll

Not sure if you've heard, so I thought I'd pass the word along... we have some new competition starting next month. Taste of Home is launching a new Direct Sales Company. Their website is up and running. You can even sign up for a starter kit. More expensive than PC, but I don't know what it includes. The website has a lot of teasers, leaving you wanting to know more, but it doesn't tell enough. Looks like the program kicks off next month, so things could change tomorrow. I also found it interesting that they have a chef (Mario Batali - TV Food network) endorsed line of products. Wonder if PC has thought about that. And they offer a larger variety of items. Carrying around PC products to shows is heavy now. Could you imagine adding glassware, silverware, and serving dishes for buffets to the mix? Uuuf!
 
Let's get Emeril!!!! He's the best! BAM!
 
Hey there!I don't endorse carrying around too much.

1. The customers won't might be consultants in the future might think it to be too much/too heavy.

2. My shows are already top in my cluster and I bring what I have to, and a few extras.

3. New products get shown at my open house 2x per year.

4. I will ask the host if there is something specific a customer wants to see.

5. I have brought more in the past, but found it didn't bring my sales up.

6. Pampered Chef has an excellent return policy if they don't like it.
 
ddcook said:
Hi Ya'll

Not sure if you've heard, so I thought I'd pass the word along... we have some new competition starting next month. Taste of Home is launching a new Direct Sales Company. Their website is up and running. You can even sign up for a starter kit. More expensive than PC, but I don't know what it includes. The website has a lot of teasers, leaving you wanting to know more, but it doesn't tell enough. Looks like the program kicks off next month, so things could change tomorrow. I also found it interesting that they have a chef (Mario Batali - TV Food network) endorsed line of products. Wonder if PC has thought about that. And they offer a larger variety of items. Carrying around PC products to shows is heavy now. Could you imagine adding glassware, silverware, and serving dishes for buffets to the mix? Uuuf!
Click to expand...

Ok, I guess I am just a dork, but I went to Tast of Home website and didn't see anything about it. Where do I find it? :o
 
WebsiteI found the website...it is www.entertainingathome.com. The company does have appeal, but some of it seems a little frivolous for the average person. These are not products that you need in your home. Not everyone can afford to purchase things exclusively for entertaining. The company seems to be a cross between PC and Southern Living. It would be great to get in on the ground floor of a company, but I will pass on this opportunity. I am impressed every day with the company that we work for and even though I didn't start my business at 25 years ago, I know that I can still achieve anything I want to in this company. Take a look at the website if you are curious, but don't forget about all of the wonderful products and services that we are offering. I for one am not intimidated bu this new competition!!!
 
I know the company you are talking about. somehow one lady got my email addy and phone number and called me trying to recruit me. The kit is like $250!! I told her i wasnt interested and would never leave PC!! just didnt seem like as good of a deal as PC was!! but i do think the competiton will be tough. they carry food products, linens, cookware, gadgets, etc. but we are better so dont worry about it :cool:
 
monica_sweetconsultant said:
I know the company you are talking about. somehow one lady got my email addy and phone number and called me trying to recruit me.
Click to expand...
They found my email address from somewhere and tried to recruit me too. Thank goodness they never called me!
 
This actually went out in my Directors loop recently. They contacted a lot of us I guess.
 
The Nerve!!!!Did you all check out their website and read the Answer/Question section about signing up to sell? The question was "Do I have to cook at parties?" The answer was "No, it's 2006, not 1986! Our beautiful catalog tells the story". :eek: I was very offended.
 
I just read the same thing and my first thought was the cooking demo was a fun part of the show. I wouldnt want to do a show and not demonstrate how things work. People buy what you show, I dont think my sales would be as good without a cooking demo. Just my opinion
 
I was contacted by them too. Chances are they got our email addresses from this site! I also heard that Rachael Ray is behind them somehow. Maybe she's just endorsed them like Mario. I think it's incredibly tough to start up a direct sales company. There are hundreds that have attempted a start up and fizzled out. I guess we'll see if this one lasts. The true test will be if the company has staying power. Although it seems like there may be some overlap, I can't imagine we'll be affected.

Definitely I can't imagine carrying all that stuff to shows! I'm sure they won't have as cool of a "Show to Go" system. It definitely wouldn't be as reasonably priced. :)
 
Taste of Home is trying to give everyone competion not just PC. Which is why they have a little of almost everything in the line. Their starter kit is $199 not $250. But for most of us here not appealling. They do offer a small line of cooking things, but it is mainly arty things like Southern Living. There "tagline" for right now is PC meets William Sonma and Pottery Barn meets Southern Living. I did some research on the company when I got my invite to join.
They don't cook because that would only cover one small section of there catalog. They don't open for sales until May of this year, but are at almost 3,000 consultants already!!

I think this one is here to stay though. Bill Shaw the same man who helped launched Sourthern Living at home, left his spot as co owner to start his own company. Plus they have some big name endorsements.
 
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I wonder if any PC consultants took the bait and joined :confused: Hope not!
 
I lost my Director and Executive Director to this company. A headhunting agency contacted my Ex. Director and told her she could bring 3 people with her. She took my director (who was an Advanced) and an Advanced in Houston, TX and another in Austin, TX. My Ex. Direc. left a 6 figure income with PC to join. I know they must have promised her something because that is just plain crazy to me!

Anyway...I know way more than I wish to about this company. I think the way they have started off by recruiting top people from exisiting companies is shady and not to be respected. It is sad to be in my business without the friend I had in my Director. We still talk, but it is weird. Like I said to her when she asked if I was mad at her, "I love you so I wish you all the success in the world, but I also wish you would fall on your face because I am hurt." We laughed, but those were my honest feelings.

It may do well because it is backed by TV Guide or some big magazine and several top celebrities from the Food Network, but they also have to bring it with the products, service and affordability. I wouldn't worry ladies. Just keep doing your business like they don't even exist. How often do you think a customer will bring it up?
 
The reason directors are leaving for this new company is that they are basically already National Senior Executive directors for the company. Well the initial 2,000+ who joined before open enrollment started. You get incredible bonuses. You only need 3 consultants to be a director. 5 to be top of the line. However they are almost at their 3,000 initial recruits, after that it will be put on hold till after the company opens for business. 3,000 is the cut off mark until August. Those people in the top get recruits handed to them.

No I'm not saying go rush out and join this company instead. I just did ALOT of research to see what company was best for me. So outside of new information that came out since I made my choice. I know almost everything about this company. :o
 
Chef Kearns said:
I lost my Director and Executive Director to this company. A headhunting agency contacted my Ex. Director and told her she could bring 3 people with her. She took my director (who was an Advanced) and an Advanced in Houston, TX and another in Austin, TX. My Ex. Direc. left a 6 figure income with PC to join. I know they must have promised her something because that is just plain crazy to me!

Anyway...I know way more than I wish to about this company. I think the way they have started off by recruiting top people from exisiting companies is shady and not to be respected. It is sad to be in my business without the friend I had in my Director. We still talk, but it is weird. Like I said to her when she asked if I was mad at her, "I love you so I wish you all the success in the world, but I also wish you would fall on your face because I am hurt." We laughed, but those were my honest feelings.

It may do well because it is backed by TV Guide or some big magazine and several top celebrities from the Food Network, but they also have to bring it with the products, service and affordability. I wouldn't worry ladies. Just keep doing your business like they don't even exist. How often do you think a customer will bring it up?
Click to expand...
Wow, that's amazing that your Exec. Director left! And the others. Wow, that does seem crazy to me. I can understand your feelings on this. Who was your Exec Director? Now who do you fall under? It will be interesting to see what happens with this company. I hope directors who choose to go to this company don't try to actively recruit their downline.

I do see it as a bummer for them to be recruiting the top performers, but then again, that's probably what they think they need to do for it to be a successful company. When I emailed them back to say "no thanks" I got no further emails. If they kept pestering me, then I would have thought that was shady.

But, like I said before, I really don't see this company having an impact on us at all. :)
 
Becky--I would rather not say who my Exec. was on the forum, but send me a private message and I'll tell you. I am now under Shan Eisler a Senior Executive Director. She is an awesome Director. She has alot of great information to share. She has inherited a HUGE team, but she lost alot of Directors as well. So this has shaken up her structure a good deal.

My Exec. has been sent legal directives from PC because she actively recruited from her downline (which is against the rules) and because there was a 2 year non-compete clause in her Director agreement. Our Directors are not supposed to try to take us with them if they decide to leave. Many of their downlines would probably join them just because of loyalty or whatever even without them asking.
 
My experience in business over the years has taught me a few lessons that fly in the face of this start-up.

1) You cannot be all things to all people.

2) Go with what works. Automobile sales requires a test drive. Selling a television requires seeing it plugged in and working. Food companies send demonstrators into grocery stores to get you to taste their product for a reason - tasting is believing. Cooking works best to demo cooking tools - DUH. Even some department stores have set up demo kitchens, with overhead mirrors, because they know it's the sizzle, and not a picture of it, that sells the steak.

3) Know your product. Today's consumer, more than ever, wants to know everything about a product before they plunk down their credit card. Walk into a department store housewares department or to Williams Sonoma sometime and eavesdrop on a sales rep. Better, pretend to be shopping for high end cookware. If this new company has consultants as knowledgeable as the typical retail clerk, you'll have no problem competing with them if you know your product.

4) If a catalog tells all the story needed to be told, why did Montgomery Ward, Spiegel and Penny's dry up? While Lands' End, Sharper Image, Levenger and others are making it in mail order with catalogs, each one is in a niche. See #1 above. (By the way, I shop the Lands' End outlet stores - I like to try things on before I buy them!)

We are also in a niche, and the marketing genius behind Pampered Chef has always been to cater to that niche. The Pampered Chef makes it a point to stay out of markets that aren't part of the core competency of the company. I can just imagine the hand-wringing that goes on each time the Super-Swat* comes and goes from the catalog. :rolleyes:

People like to touch and feel a product before buying it, if they can. We supply that part of the market demand. We all try to carry the minimum amount of product that we can to a given show, but there are certain "pet" items that we all take with us, because we know someone is going to want to see them ~ then buy them.

We'll keep doing what we do best and as a result, I see no reason to panic over this new competitor.

Bring 'em on! :cool:

* Note to Doris if you're monitoring this site: Leave the Super-Swat in the line once and for all, will you? A little lightheartedness always helps a show!
 
Nicely said. I liked that. :)
 
Me TooI was contacted becuase "I was a male." They said the owner came from Southern Living. He wanted to start his own business. This was back in Nov, so they said I would be on the top of the top level.

I turned them down, because I too have to go with what works for me, not just the income. I never would have done TPC unless it fit me. When I saw these products and it fit with my cooking background, I said, Sign Me Up!

What I saw on their website didn't thrill me. I'm not about vases and rod iron hangy things. I'm about making the kitchen a place that works for people!

It was a little tempting tho. The other thing that kept me was the 25 year history of TPC. This new company has none of that. They are the new kid on the block, even if they are taking people from other businesses. What is their delivery system like. What about their manufacturers? You know questions like that our customers are SOLD on TPC.

So I stayed.
 
It is common in industry for headhunters and recruiters to "steal" people from other businesses. It is not illegal although the methods used can sometimes be unethical. The directors who left and took some of their downline would be in this category.

Most people leave a current position because they want to grow, be challenged, earn more money, or gain a different level of experience. This is a very common practice in manufacturing.
 
Director's agreement
Happy Mom said:
It is common in industry for headhunters and recruiters to "steal" people from other businesses. It is not illegal although the methods used can sometimes be unethical. The directors who left and took some of their downline would be in this category.

Most people leave a current position because they want to grow, be challenged, earn more money, or gain a different level of experience. This is a very common practice in manufacturing.
Click to expand...

It may not be "illegal"; however, they did break their Director's agreement that they signed. When you accept Directorship you have to sign an agreement stating that if you do move to another company, you can not take your downline with you. So the Pampered Chef does have a foot to stand on in a court of law, if they choose to.
 
I agree with you about the downline. You are correct about the director's agreement. However, I was referring to the direct incentive to the directors from the other company, not their downline, being legal. The non-compete clause is the one that it is hard to prove in court.

Sorry, if I was unclear.
 
I went to their website but I could not find anything on them looking for consultants. I see cooking school info but that is it.
 
SpammingIt's come to my attention that there are SEVERAL people out there that are visiting this board, collecting emails, and then spamming people with recruiting emails. (How do I know...it's happened to me...3 times!)

I just wanted to tell you this is AGAINST Taste of Home Entertaining policy. I am both a PC and a TOHE consultant...there's nothing wrong with being both. What is wrong is using this board for unwanted solicitation for another company...SO if you get an unwanted, unsolicited spam email from a TOHE consultant, feel free to forward it to [email protected].

What these people are doing casts both TOHE consultants the the company in a negative light. Please know that this type of activity is NOT condoned by the company and will be dealt with if reported.

Thank you,
Sandy
 
Its not just on this site. I am a member of several yahoo groups that are suppose to be for consultants only. But since TOH is recruiting PC consultants they are posting recruiting information for TOH on the PC group boards. I received a posting this morning from The Pampered Chef Resources group. I don't have a problem with recruiting other PC consultants, but it seems to me it would be better to just post a "I have a great opportunity...for more info email me privately" type of post and not post all the details on the groups/sites. I personally am an Arbonne consultant, but would never openly recruit on the PC boards. Obviously this is a personal issue that each person will feel differently about. This just happens to be my opinion. I wish you all the best of luck with your new venture.
 
Thank You!!
ChefSandyK said:
It's come to my attention that there are SEVERAL people out there that are visiting this board, collecting emails, and then spamming people with recruiting emails. (How do I know...it's happened to me...3 times!)

I just wanted to tell you this is AGAINST Taste of Home Entertaining policy. I am both a PC and a TOHE consultant...there's nothing wrong with being both. What is wrong is using this board for unwanted solicitation for another company...SO if you get an unwanted, unsolicited spam email from a TOHE consultant, feel free to forward it to [email protected].

What these people are doing casts both TOHE consultants the the company in a negative light. Please know that this type of activity is NOT condoned by the company and will be dealt with if reported.

Thank you,
Sandy
Click to expand...

Sandy,

Thank you so much for that information! I have received 8, YES EIGHT, e-mails regarding TOHE! :mad: So it has definately put a bad taste in my mouth concerning TOHE.

And you are so right about there being nothing wrong with selling both products; however, I do want you to know that if choose to promote with Pampered Chef you will not be able to continue to sell both products. Upon promotion of Director, you are not allowed to sell ANY other products according to your Director's Agreement you sign.

Thank you again for shedding some light on all of the spam I have been receiving! :)
 
Yes, I think I lost count at 5 as to how many emails I've received from various TOHE charter consulants.
 
fruit76loop said:
Sandy,

Thank you so much for that information! I have received 8, YES EIGHT, e-mails regarding TOHE! :mad: So it has definately put a bad taste in my mouth concerning TOHE.

And you are so right about there being nothing wrong with selling both products; however, I do want you to know that if choose to promote with Pampered Chef you will not be able to continue to sell both products. Upon promotion of Director, you are not allowed to sell ANY other products according to your Director's Agreement you sign.

Thank you again for shedding some light on all of the spam I have been receiving! :)
Click to expand...


You're welcome for the information. I did know that about becoming a director with TPC...but I don't think I will every have to worry about that...lol. My frustration with TPC's director promotion policy was what made me interested in TOHE in the first place. (And I will start as a director with TOHE, so it is sort of a no-brainer choice for me.) Again, I am not trying to condemn TPC...I love the products and enjoy being a consultant. I just wanted a bit more potential for growth...

In any case, please don't let the actions of a few misguided individuals color your perception of the company. I can assure you that the HO takes professionalism very seriously and has already addressed the issue several times as the need has arisen...and promises that it will continue to do so with consultants that violate the policy.

Have a great day,
Sandy
 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Taste of Home's Direct Sales Company?

Taste of Home's Direct Sales Company is a platform that allows individuals to sell high-quality kitchen products and cooking tools through direct sales. It provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs to build their own business while sharing their passion for cooking and entertaining.

How do I become a consultant for Taste of Home's Direct Sales Company?

To become a consultant, you can sign up through the Taste of Home website. You'll need to fill out an application form and pay a small starter fee. Once approved, you'll receive training and resources to help you start your direct sales journey.

What kind of products can I sell as a consultant?

As a consultant, you can sell a wide range of kitchen products, including cookware, bakeware, utensils, and specialty food items. All products are designed to enhance cooking experiences and are backed by the Taste of Home brand.

What support do consultants receive from Taste of Home?

Taste of Home provides comprehensive support to its consultants, including training programs, marketing materials, and access to a community of fellow consultants. This support helps you build your business and succeed in your sales efforts.

Can I sell Taste of Home products online?

Yes, consultants can sell Taste of Home products online through their personal websites. This allows you to reach a broader audience and manage your sales from the comfort of your home.

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