Who Has Success With Daytime Shows?

[ChefBridgetA]

Hello Everyone,

I need some advice and tips! I am a previous Pampered Chef consultant. I did well at it when I tried the first time but lost my ambition once my husband returned from a 3 1/2 year tour in Turkey with the Air Force. I am considering starting Pampered Chef again but I have some problems. As Ideal as Pampered Chef is for work flexibility, I do not want to work evenings as I spent long enough without my husband, I want to be home when he is. Has anyone had success with doing Daytime shows? AND, does anyone actually have a thriving PC business with just doing Catalog shows? My children are in school between 8 am and 3 pm every day, Ideally I would love to work solely while they are at school so I can concentrate on my family when they are home.

 

[dannyzmom]

My very first show ever was a 10:30am weekday brunch show and it was $700 in sales.
I do a lot of saturday and Sunday shows at like noon or 3pm...they always do well...

 

[gilliandanielle]

bumping to the main page!!

 

[SusanBP0129]

You could try to do some "lunch hour shows" too - at local businesses, maybe?

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I have had some success with Daytime shows - but only during the holiday season. I have alot of teachers as clients, and during the holidays (mainly Nov & early Dec) I will go to the school and set up a small display(new products and my tool turnaround) in the Teacher's break room, and provide a dessert. Basically, I just sit there and answer questions and take orders. There are some school districts that don't allow this though, so you have to find out which ones do (and find a teacher to host the show!)Teachers love the idea of being able to shop on their lunch hour! I have offered it to other professionals, but so far haven't had anyone else want to do it. I have also had great success with Saturday brunch shows - I hold them at 10:30 or 11 am, and I'm done by 1:00, and have the rest of the day with my family. They are some of my highest attendance, highest sale shows!

 

[ChefBridgetA]

Thats a great idea Becky! I had thought of leaving catalogs for the teachers with a treat like a dessert or something but I hadn't thought of sitting there and chatting with them and answering questions. I'll have to see if I can do that in our school.
I sold PC for about a year but did mainly evening kitchen shows. I miss selling PC in how much I love the products and incentives but I don't miss the evening shows which is when my family is home. While my husband was gone I worked full time and did PC and so now I just want to enjoy having them all together!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I can understand wanting to be with your family! That's why I sell PC! I limit myself to 2 shows a week, and 2 Sat. a month. So I will either have 2 weeknight shows, or a weeknight and a Sat. brunch show. That way, I am bringing in a good part-time income, but still getting the time I want with my husband and son. I actually think they look forward to the evenings I'm gone, because they get some father/son time, and hang out and do "Guy" stuff. I try to always remember that I run my business, my business doesn't run me! You do whatever you need to do to make sure your famly comes first, and just keep it in perspective! Good Luck to you!

 

[gilliandanielle]

I think that is a good idea to pick two days a month, and two Saturdays a month. Or you could even do no weekends and have available dates marked on your calendar.

 

[ChefBridgetA]

Thank youThank you guys for your advice! I'm still considering it but I definitley feel more like I might be able to pull it off now. If anyone else has any more tips or Ideas I'd love them.

 

[karlene]

You may also want to try any of the bus garages for schools...sounds funny, I know, but I had a bus driver (guest) at one of my shows a few weeks ago, and she said she would like to have a "shortened" cooking show during the time the bus drivers wait between taking the afternoon kindergartners home and then start their afternoon routes. We are setting that up for early November! We'll see how it goes...I have quite a few school systems right here in my area.
I also, just took letters around to each of our 3 elementary schools offering them the "food item" in their lounge with a few products set up and will draw one name from all the orders placed to be the mystery host. (got that idea from someone here on the loop last week)

 

[Rebeccascabinet]

I never do saturday evening shows. I always do 2 saturdays a month (11:30 am) and 2 fridays month. If you work sundays (I don't, but some do), I would have brunch shows then. I've always done well with brunch shows.

 

[KimmyDarling]

You could also contact local Real Estate offices, and ask if you could bring food for one of their weekly meetings (which, in my area, are Tuesday mornings at 10am). In fact, do a search for "realtor" -- I think we've talked about doing this before.

 

[gilliandanielle]

Anything sound good here B? I need a good chef like you on my team, hint, hint!

 

[tlennhoff]

Between daytime shows, mommie & me shows, a few weekend shows a month, and catalog shows I would think you could be successful.

 

[ChefBridgetA]

Wow! Great ideas everyone! Thank you again!

 

[gilliandanielle]

Does anyone know anybody that actually survives in PC without doing night shows? I know we always say someone can just be a catalog consultant, but is that actually worth it? Does anyone know a consultant that only does catalog or daytime shows and makes more than they spend on supplies, etc.? I think it could work, but I was just wondering if it has worked for someone else!

 

[tlennhoff]

For my SS1 I only did 2 weekend shows, 2 catalog shows, heavily encouraged freinds and family to use my website, and no nightime shows, and I had sales over $1250 so I got my SS bonus as well as the $50 PC for stoneware and I have money in the SS bank.

To do daytime/catalog shows only, I think you have to be very aggressive with the website. You would need to make sure that you were reaching out to stay-at-home moms and aggresively get them to do outside and web orders from family and friends that work.

 

[gilliandanielle]

I think that office parties would be successful if you scheduled it ahead and dropped off goodies, but I am not sure how long it would last. Hopefully in a big town you could last a while going from place to place, but I am not sure what percent of businesses you call would be intersted. The only way you know is to try though!

 

[PCGINA]

Hi Bridget...

Don't forget about personal websites. I have customers that shop online with me every month or every other month. I send out newsletters via email and let them know all of the up coming specials. Works for me...

I work full -time so I depend on my website sales so I don't have to be gone in the evenings as well.

I have had GREAT success with lunch hour shows - in and out in 1 hour - simple dips and chips or salsa & chips mingled with lots of laughter seems to get sales. My last lunch hour show scored me a $420.00 show - not bad for 1 hour of "FUN"!!! AND most of those ladies shop regularly at my website.

Hope this helps as well...

 

[gilliandanielle]

Gina- do you do a demo/bring products at these lunch hour shows or just bring food and catalogs??

 

[ChefBridgetA]

Thats what I needed to know! It sounds like some of you have actually been successful simply doing daytime/lunch and catalog shows. I'm curious what you mean when you say "aggressive" though. I'm not an aggressive salesperson. Thats what I've always loved about PC is that you don't have to be aggressive. PC sells itself because of the truly great products that everyone actually wants. Its not like a $30 plastic bowl to hold your leftover takeout chinese. I"m not unwilling to do the legwork but does this success come after hounding your potential clients?

 

[gilliandanielle]

I think that if you were agressive about calling the different businesses and good about keeping track of who you talked to, what the plan was about picking up dishes/orders and closing that it would be perfect for you! I'm sure that you could get bookings from this for home shows if you wanted them, but you could also just say that you only do weekday shows.

 

[tlennhoff]

By "aggressive with the hosts" I mean sit down and help them develop the guest list including the not-local guests and convince them that it is to their benefit to give you a good sest of addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. Giving "gifts" for getting their list of 40+ to you in a timely manner while pointing out what benefits they get for an over $300 show should help with getting this information. And by also offering to send out the invitations, evites, e-reminders, and reminder phone calls you lessen the amount of work the host needs to do which should also be an incentive for her to get you a good list early on.

I am so not a sales person and not into pressure at all.

 

[ChefBridgetA]

Ok, Gilly, I'll call ya in the morning and we'll sign me up! I have to say that I wouldn't have had the confidence to try again without all the help from everyone here on Chef Success! Thanks guys! I'm sure you'll see more posts with more questions as time goes by!

 

[tlennhoff]

Glad we could help. Make sure you let us know how it is going and let us know what we can do to help you out. This is a great group.

 

[gilliandanielle]

Woo hoo! Recruit #3!! (Here's the back story---> Bridget is my sister, and she recruited me at her very first show! Now that she has been inactive for more than a year, I get to recruit her!!)

 

[tlennhoff]

Woo hoo! Recruit #3!! (Here's the back story---> Bridget is my sister, and she recruited me at her very first show! Now that she has been inactive for more than a year, I get to recruit her!!)

That is so funny and great. May she have much success.

 

[ChefBridgetA]

Yippee! I just signed up again. Now all I have to do is put all your great advice to use! Thanks again guys!

 

[gilliandanielle]

Yippee for me too! Two more and I'll be waiting for the call!