Director Host Coaching Woes: The Importance of Inviting All Guests to Your Party

[PamperedK]

I have a host who would NOT return any calls for host coaching. Her party is today and yesterday she told me she has 3 people coming.

I'm talking to a friend of hers today who just had a party and I asked if I'd see her this afternoon and she said no she wasn't invited!!!

How do you expect to have people at your party if you don't invite everyone? Oy.

 

[pamperedbecky]

That's very frustrating! I had a show yesterday and the host only invited people through FB and email. She was expecting 4 people, which was a major disappointment, but I hadn't done a cooking show in 2 months because of a crazy November and December. So I didn't care! And guess what? I got two very solid recruit leads out of there! One is signing for sure! So, sometimes those small shows can have good results.:clap:

 

[PamperedK]

Yeah I don't mind small shows...it's just annoying that a friend who lives down the street and isn't doing anything today isn't coming because she didn't bother to ask. I told her she should come but she said no because she wasn't invited. I'll make the best of it!! I have a new consultant coming with me so I'll be working extra hard!!

 

[PamperedK]

congrats on your leads, btw!

 

[chefkathy]

I know. I had a show on Friday for someone who is an acquaintance of my sister and lives one block over from her. My sister wasn't invited. WTF????

 

[pamperedbecky]

I know. I had a show on Friday for someone who is an acquaintance of my sister and lives one block over from her. My sister wasn't invited. WTF????

That's just bizarre!

 

[Chef Kearns]

This one is even worse!! On Friday night my Sat host had 8 guests coming to her party. She starts texting me Sat morn that people are calling her and now she's up to 12 guests!!! We start almost an hour late waiting on guests and ended up with 5, 6 if you include her adult daughter that lives with her. I feel so badly for her!

When they tell you ahead of time only 3-5 at least you are prepared for something small (unless you get a little miracle).

 

[pamperedbecky]

This one is even worse!! On Friday night my Sat host had 8 guests coming to her party. She starts texting me Sat morn that people are calling her and now she's up to 12 guests!!! We start almost an hour late waiting on guests and ended up with 5, 6 if you include her adult daughter that lives with her. I feel so badly for her!

When they tell you ahead of time only 3-5 at least you are prepared for something small (unless you get a little miracle).

Exactly! I would love to have the problem of running out of catalogs/order forms! That's a bummer.:cry:

 

[baychef]

Exactly! I would love to have the problem of running out of catalogs/order forms! That's a bummer.:cry:

A VERY unusual thing, but a wonderful lady who hosts a party with me every year in January apologized and said her party was not going to be as good as last year (it was $1400). The reason being because a new consultant (in my downline) works where she does. She would only have about 12 coming. Well, I not only ran out of my show packets, I ran out of catalogs from her host packet and had she not run off more OOF, I would have not had order forms. Her party is over $1000. I jokingly told her that I just couldn't believe her anymore and would bring many more packets next time.

Wish all my parties could be this way!

What I was not happy with was someone was sending around a Thirty One type paper...not sure if it was a fundraiser, but this bothers me. Do it somewhere else other that at the table right in front of me. Not much I can say to her.

Last week my host is an adult toy direct sales person. She booked a party and was following up with a recruit lead during the party...she had only 5 guests!! No wonder her sales were a whopping $74 when I left! I think she is up to $170 now.

Ok...back to booking parties for me. My calendar is in sad condition due to my work schedule (which will get a little better after this weekarty.

 

[PamperedK]

Yes it's very bad when another consultant starts "stealing" the show. I was doing a Lia Sophia party for a LS consultant, and she basically told her friends she'd be mad if they booked because none of them had booked with her! Oy. Today's show isn't qualified yet....I did book a May show though so that's good.

 

[flemings99]

I was supposed to have a Fri. show. Gave her pkt. Sent all the holiday letters, left multiple msg. on phone, fb and NO WORD back. So I didn't go. No call as to where I was either. Why can't people just cxl. Is it that big of a deal to text, e-mail, call or fb me to say...sorry I'm not doing my party!!! Sunday host did the same thing, but finally called me back Sat. afternoon and said she would have to clx b/c no one was coming. Do these people not think I have a life other than to wait around on them?! Good news is my 2 Sat. shows held and were great & I have 2 possible new recruits.

 

[cookingwithlove]

Since we are on the line of uncommunicative hosts… I have did a party on 1/ 11. I still have not closed the show. She is a past host and usually very good a returning messages. She did want to keep it open a week, ugh! I emailed her on Thursday, 1/19th, to check in with her (email is her preferred way to contact). I did not hear back. We exchanged emails the previous day. I called Friday, Saturday and today. I'm a bit worried. I told her in the last email that I was worried that I have not heard back and concerned that something happened to her or her family. I still have not heard from her. I have to say that this has never happened to me in 7 years. Her show that night as at $800 and she had $200 more in outside orders that she emailed me. What should I do… those credit cards are getting stale!

 

[dannyzmom]

I have a host who would NOT return any calls for host coaching. Her party is today and yesterday she told me she has 3 people coming.

I'm talking to a friend of hers today who just had a party and I asked if I'd see her this afternoon and she said no she wasn't invited!!!

How do you expect to have people at your party if you don't invite everyone? Oy.

This is EXACTLY why I refuse to hold a date for anyone unless they give me their guest list with names & addresses of no less than 40 people. That way, I KNOW enough people are being invited to guarantee at least 10 in attendance.

 

[Nanisu]

Ok wait till you hear this: Yesterday morning I talk to my host for that night, 10 confirmed. Coached her like crazy, we decided on Wednesday on Fajitas and Pineapple upside down cake. I asked her yesterday morning if she was able to get the ingredients, No problem. 10 confirmed.

Drive to her house 25 mi away, get there at 5:15 for a 6 pm show. First words out of her mouth: I changed the recipe, we are doing lasagne, I found recipe for vegetable lasagne with spinach on the internet. And we are doing a dump cake with peaches and pineapple instead in the skillet. I told her "lasagne takes a long time (thinking to myself thank God I brought the DCB)...she says "they will wait. We are down to 3, and two of them are my sisters and they won't be here till 7, we'll make ahead of time.". I explain to her I have to demo the tools, not just make the food, and she still insists this what we are doing. I ask her about orders from those who cancelled and her answer "most of my friends don't have any money."We make the homemade sauce with spinach, tomato sauce, yada yada on the stove for 20 min while we are waiting. I finally decided we would assemble part of the lasagne and start it in the microwave to get it done sooner. She puts the dump cake together in the skillet and does not drain the peaches or the pineapple. I think to myself "it's too moist...." yeah, it cake out like cobbler. But I digress...

So..waiting, waiting..finally the only other guest that is going to come shows up. Her neighbor. WHO IS BLIND AND DEAF AND ON WELFARE....her son walked her over. She can't hear, she can't watch the demo and certainly can't look at the catalog...the other two sisters finally showed up at 7:30...an hour and half late. Lasagne. We are doing Lasagne.

It was so bad I had to walk into the kitchen and start laughing to myself. Each sister ordered $70+ to get the free collander, that's it. The deaf/blind welfare lady ordered $20 because she wanted the garlic peeler, I let her hands on demo it and the slicer.

So the next time you have a low show or cancellation just be happy you don't have a deaf, blind welfare person at your demo and two others who are fashionably 90 min late, and a host who arbitrarily changes the menu on you and doesn't tell you. I had to laugh because it was so bad it was funny.

 

[Chef Kearns]

OMG! That's freaking horrible!

 

[Sheila]

(((hugs))) Nancy! I'm surprised you had what you needed to get the job done! I pack specifically for the recipe(s) we've agreed on doing. You were nice to try & improvise at all, but especially with that situation. I'm sure it was tempting to send her butt to the store for the right list of ingredients to go with the tools that you brought. LOL

 

[baychef]

WOW...I give you credit for laughing instead of getting upset!! So did you offer the blind neighbor the business opportunity?? She is in need of extra income..:veryfunny:

 

[pamperedbecky]

Holy cow!!!! Are you sure that wasn't some bad dream?? That's the best way to handle it - laugh about it! I still can't believe it!

 

[DuenFounnyHok]

OMG! I've had host change a recipe on me before, but this story takes the (soggy) cake! :roflmao:

Sandi

 

[pamperedlinda]

Oh wow Nancy! My Friday night was bad too, but it doesn't compare to yours! (My Saturday was awesome, so the weekend wasn't a total loss!)

 

[chefkathy]

Wow, Nancy! I'm glad you were able to laugh about it!