What's the Best Way to Announce New Products and Retired Products?

[PamperedChefDebi]

I want to announce all the new info with a BOOM! I plan to have an Open House or Mystery Show next month, but do I not tell anyone anything until then? Or only my Aug hosts? What have you all found to be the most effective and fun?

 

[lacychef]

I don't like to spill the beans to early, especially if my August isn't fully booked yet. I like to wait until my Aug shows, then create the excitement of the new catalog...to get those Sept & beyond bookings. The mystery host has worked well for me in the past. If I do that in Aug, I only show a few of the new things, then say at THEIR show, I will have the rest of the new items.

 

[jcwarr]

retiring productsi'm not telling people about the new products but i am sending a flyer about the retired ones as well as mentioning it in my newsletter.

 

[rayday]

One thing I try to keep in mind is that I don't want to Rave about something I know will be upgraded. I just don't want someone to buy something; especially if it cost a little more or has huge upgrades and then find out in month that there is a new one. I just don't want them getting mad at me and asking why I didn't tell them.

I do tell them about all the discontinued stuff that won’t be coming back and I try to hype them up a bit. I also mentioned that I will have a preview show to see some of the new stuff and to book a show for Sept if they want to see even more!!

 

[kat29]

I just sent out my August newsletter and all I included in it was the retiring products and metioned that the new catalog was coming. My september newsletter I will announced the new products and see what happens. But if I can get the sample packs in before the middle of August then I will do a sneak a peek show and invite all my past hosts and customers.

 

[cmdtrgd]

I've been successfully using the line "We are coming out with so many amazing prroducts, but I'm not going to tell you what they are!" It gets people intreagued, I can get their info to invite them to my Mystery Host show, and they laugh at it!

 

[allisonserna]

don't tell them the new products make them book sept-dec shows instead

even if you have to put a piece of masking tape on the front of a new catalog and put "TOP Secret" and then tape the catalog - so they know that it exsists, but they shouldn't open it.

 

[babywings76]

One thing I try to keep in mind is that I don't want to Rave about something I know will be upgraded. I just don't want someone to buy something; especially if it cost a little more or has huge upgrades and then find out in month that there is a new one. I just don't want them getting mad at me and asking why I didn't tell them.

I do tell them about all the discontinued stuff that won’t be coming back and I try to hype them up a bit. I also mentioned that I will have a preview show to see some of the new stuff and to book a show for Sept if they want to see even more!!

Do we know what ones they are just restyling? I know the cheese grater is one. One thing I always wonder is if they'll bring things back in a season or two, and will it be better? Like the Chillzanne. What if they bring it back next spring or come out with something better, will everyone be upset that they felt pressured into getting it because they're being retired now? I know we can't predict the future, so what wording does everyone use when they discuss this with customers?

 

[Knothead]

Okay I just started in April. I have like a zillion questions about the new stuff. Will we get a list of retired products or will it post on CC? We get new catologs in September, do we order this or are shipped automatically?

 

[chefann]

You'll get 25 new catalogs in your changeover box. Both S/S and F/W catalogs will be available from tomorrow through mid-August. After that, any orders will be filled with F/W catalogs. The list of retired products is in the Special Edition newsletter, which has, in the past, shipped in the changeover box. It will be posted online on Aug. 1.