Where Do You Post About a Bad Show?

[TheFreddiesCook]

I think I had my worst show ever... or so it feels... don't know what to think... very low sales, and no bookings. Appliances were not helping and so took a bit longer for food to cook, people just dropping orders on me and leaving before food was ready...so I had to stop cooking to do check out. Good reviews on the recipe, but it really left me down and wondering if I really want to keep doing this, before I keep investing any more money in miles, gas, copies, mail, etc... How do you come out of this?

Well, I guess I went ahead and posted here...

 

[Sheila]

(((hugs))) Sorry you had a rough night. Maybe try the interactive shows so that the guests are up & involved ~ making it easier for you to interact one-on-one with anyone who has to leave early. Also try setting up a full service checkout where they have to come to you. That way you can put your hand on the recruiting info & ask if they would like to take home some information to learn more about being a consultant, then on the host pack & ask if they are interested in hosting a show like _______ did tonight. I also give printed copies of the recipe(s) that we did at the show so that they get something besides just a receipt. The full service checkout WILL make a difference in you bookings. I've loved PC products for years but had ZERO desire to host a show until the consultant asked me at checkout. I caved & said yes. Then signed after my show & she gave it to me as my first one. So ASKING really does get you further than just letting them speak up if they are motivated enough to do so.

 

[Sheila]

Oh, and with the fully interactive shows when things go wrong in the kitchen ... THEY did it, not you! LOL That's when I joke & tell them "Hey, we are Pampered Chefs, not PERFECT Chefs!" That always gets them laughing.

 

[cookingwithlove]

You will come out of it and learn and grow from it. Don't give up because of one party. You will feel more confident and then you can laugh at it. Now let's all share our horror stories....

I was 8 month pregnant in August (1 yr into business) and it was the hottest month of my life. I had met the host at a fair so I did not know her very well. When I got to her house there was a mattress propped up on the porch. I thought, "getting ready for a garage sale?" I walk in the house and it was a mess! Clutter everywhere, kitchen was a mess with dishes everywhere. I should have walked out, but did not. She is drinking "iced tea". I think it was a Long Island Ice Tea because she was drunk. It was 11 in the morning. Should have walked out. She is making a quiche with scallops. On her dirty counter, rolling out dough. Where did the scallops come from? I ask her where I should set up. She clears off a small round table. It was filled with newpapers, magazines, small animals (?). Should have left, but did not. She tells me she invited all the women from Church and there should be 8 people coming. I try not to judge. Meanwhile she goes back to making her quiche. I wait for people to come. I wait, I wait, I wait. Finally she runs next door and gets her neighbor (who is a very nice woman). Then she runs up the street and gets her Mother In-Law (who is not a nice woman). I should have left. I made those summer berry cups you put in already baked wanton wrappers. It calls for cool whip, but she only has a half used can of redi whip. It is so hot the redi whip melts. So I do this demo for just the 3 of them and I decide that I am just going to practice everything I know. She tells me while I am talking that she feels like she is being "sold". I was not sure exactly what she meant since it was at a Pampered Chef party and I was there to sell things. Meanwhile the quiche is done and she offers me some. Dirty kitchen and 8 months pregnant. I declined. I leave shortly after this. I get $60 in orders! I cry on the way home and my husband hugs me.

The point is we all have them. You are now intiated into the "club" Welcome! What defines you as a consultant is what you are going to do next. Chalk it up and learn from it, or let small, silly, rude people define your business.

 

[rlohearn]

I am new in here, but I wanted to share. Never give up because of a bad show. It doesn't matter if you are new or been in the business for years...things will happen and you will have not so good shows. You will also have great shows...near perfect. If you love it, embrace all of it. I haven't been doing this but 8 months. I have had some experiences! I have even BURNED nuts in the microwave from being so nervous. The whole house smelt like burnt pop corn! I came out of the kitchen and said, " See, Pampered Chef products are amazing! All the nuts burned evenly! LOL..Everyone laughed. I didn't cook and walked out of the show with it still being a 500 show. I've had a show that only one person showed up...I did the show and then told the host she could collect outside orders for the next 2 days to get her free items. The bad shows give us experience how to handle uncomfortable situations. Don't give up! You can do this and I bet if you keep pushing forward you will enjoy the results!

 

[TheFreddiesCook]

Thank you for the advice and for sharing your stories... I feel a bit better today, and after reading here...

I just don't think about having the "business" personality needed, I am not agressive enough, I try to please people, I know that I try to make it sound like they don't have to buy anything, that I am not a pushy consultant. I know that attitude won't pay off, and I have to change that if I want to do well.

Yesterday was an example of it, not to mention that I was nervous and overwhelmed... But I think I can now pinpoint some the mistakes on my part, although I would't know how to fix the host's mistakes for a future host... Arrgh! It's hard when you don't know where you'll be working, you may have a plan and then you get there and you see it won't work and you have to try to improvise ( which I am not good at) or make the plan work ( which is a big part of what I tried to do yesterday, but it didn't and I should have gone with my instincts)... I don't think I will get any bookings from that crowd, so I have to get on the phone to try to get more shows for April...

Thanks for letting me vent...

 

[TheFreddiesCook]

(((hugs))) Sorry you had a rough night. Maybe try the interactive shows so that the guests are up & involved ~ making it easier for you to interact one-on-one with anyone who has to leave early. Also try setting up a full service checkout where they have to come to you. That way you can put your hand on the recruiting info & ask if they would like to take home some information to learn more about being a consultant, then on the host pack & ask if they are interested in hosting a show like _______ did tonight. I also give printed copies of the recipe(s) that we did at the show so that they get something besides just a receipt. The full service checkout WILL make a difference in you bookings. I've loved PC products for years but had ZERO desire to host a show until the consultant asked me at checkout. I caved & said yes. Then signed after my show & she gave it to me as my first one. So ASKING really does get you further than just letting them speak up if they are motivated enough to do so. [/QUOTE

People were just not waiting for a check out... They were in a hurry for some reason. There was no way that I was going to be able to sit down with every guest to do a proper check out. How do you make that work?

 

[BethCooks4U]

Some shows will be like that. I am not "pushy". I want to please. Very much like you. But I have learned that it is important to put it on the host. Host coach. Tell them what they need to do to have a successful party. (be excited, invite, remind, ask) if they don't do it or don't even respond to your attempts to host coach it's on them. We all have those shows but it's the law of averages. The $1000 shows balance out the low ones. The amazing host balances out the crappy one.

Same thing with full service checkout. Some guests will NOT do the checkout and that's okay. They probably wouldn't be a good host anyway. Ask everyone who gives you a chance to talk to them but don't fret about those who try to avoid you by staying away. Not worth your time, effort or thoughts.

That being said I have had people who avoided me at a couple of parties come up to me a year or two later and say they want to have a party. They weren't ready before but they liked that I didn't pressure them and now they want to do it. We never know. Treat people how you would want to be treated and it will all work out.

 

[sailorsarah]

I just don't think about having the "business" personality needed, I am not agressive enough, I try to please people, I know that I try to make it sound like they don't have to buy anything, that I am not a pushy consultant. I know that attitude won't pay off, and I have to change that if I want to do well.
QUOTE]

I don't think you need to change your personality. I'm not very aggressive at all and I think I do well because of that. People are usually turned off by pushiness. Usually all need is a gentle nudge most of the time.

And sometimes parties just don't go well. I had one about a week ago that only had $50 in sales despite both me and the hostess doing everything we could. Then I had another party that wasn't as well planned because the hostess didn't get back from a three week vacation until two days before the party. While I was doing my "speech" it felt like no one was really paying attention and there were five or six kids running around the whole time. It turned into a $1000 party with three bookings.

 

[Sheila]

It's not always possible when you are in the middle of the show like the one you just had and they throw orders at you & are ready to go. Sometimes you just have to improvise.But on a regular show when it's actually checkout time, you can just politely ask them to come to the table, desk, etc. where you are set up to calculate their order & away from the group so you can hear them better. I'm definitely not pushy either. I'm very laid back & easy going. But having the one-on-one time can definitely get you further with the guests than when they are distracted & talking to others. Or when you can't fully hear what they are saying for the distractions around you. When it's more like a "check-out station", people tend to do more of a line & wait their turn just like any customer service desk. If you are in the middle of the floor, they'll attack you from every angle. But when they see someone standing (or sitting) next to you at the table talking, they tend to be more polite and wait their turn. LOLOf course you always have one in the group that wants to not follow the leader. I had one last weekend who brought me her order & took 4 steps back to the table & sat down. I called her back over to give her a total. She gave me her card & went to sit down again. I wrote down all her credit card info & called her back to sign the order form. While she was signing I put my hand on the consultant packet & asked if she was interested in taking home some information to learn more about doing what I do. She said yes. I gave her the info but realized super quick she wasn't going to stand around long enough to listen to what I had to say. She signed, took the consultant info & went to sit down again. I gave up & just took her receipt to her & copies of the recipe. She didn't want to miss a thing the group was saying. I didn't even ask her if she wanted to host. I figured I'll do that on the follow up call! LOL