Avoiding Unproductive Host Shows: How to Set a Minimum Attendance

[reesefamily5]

I know some people tell their hosts that they must have at least 5 people attending in order to do the show. For those of you that do this I was wondering how you tell your hosts this without sounding mean.

I had a show last night and it was such a waste of time. It was suppose to start at 6:30 and I planned on starting on time and anyone who was late could just catch up. Well you can't start a show with NO GUESTS! The first 2 people showed up 10 minutes late and the other person showed up 15 minutes late. (Yep only 3 guests,but it gets worse!) I kind of had an idea that this would be a small crowd but I didn't think this small so I made it an express show. I was hoping to get back home within a short time.

So we got off to a late start. My demo was less than an hour (about 45 minutes) This group didn't talk at all so everything went super fast! When we played the first game only 1 person particapated. I was done at 7:30 with my part. So while I was waiting for everyone to place their order I started packing up. I had everything packed up within 5 minutes. I then had to waite 45 minutes before the first person was ready to place an order. Then I waited for the others. One person decided to take it with her and she took an order form for her future daughter in law. The other person didn't bother to tell me she wasn't ordering. I had to finally ask her if she was ordering tonight. I didn't get to leave until 8:45. So much for getting in and out fast!

I didn't feel it was worth my time for one order and no bookings. Only one person paid any attention to my demo. One of the girls had a 7 month old baby along and the baby cried the whole time.

So I'm thinking I might start saying that there has to be a minimum amount of people there in order for me to do the show. I'm not sure hwo many, 4 or 5. But I don't want another show with only 3 guests and 1 order. That isn't even worth the gas. Right now her show doesn't even qualify as a show. I encouraged her to try to get outside orders, so we will see what happens!

Thanks for letting me vent!!!

 

[Gina M]

Hi Tina,

I had a similar situation a few weeks ago - however the host had 15-20 rsvp yes and only 2 show up (and one was her mom) - we started the demo about 30 minutes late - I still did my whole spiel but the great thing was that she had $300 in outside orders prior to the show and worked her tail off after and ended up with over a $600 show - and I think she might possibly be interested in the business. She also rebooked off her self a catalog show in May so I'll have even more business from her. I felt bad and she did too but in the end it all worked out pretty well - I hope your host tries to at least qualify it as a show - sorry it was such a bummer!

Gina Miller
Pampered Chef Consultant
[email protected]

 

[Kelley Sells]

Yes....Absolutley let the host know from the beginning......my Director suggested that from the START to me....that if there where not at LEAST 5 attendees to do it as a catalog show.

I had one party that was for the beginning of this month, she only had 3 people, so we pushed the date off some and now she has 10 folks coming.

BUT I had another host that had no responded to me and the day before the show, after sEVERAL emails, phone calls, she EMAILED me to tell me that she only had 2 people and did I think it was a "waste of time"....I told her it wasn't a waste, if she wanted to supply all this for that many folks and I would gladly do the show, but it was up to her....I planted the seed for her that she needed so much in orders to qualify....so she cancelled last minute.

My Director has this thing she puts on her folders that basically says that she would like notice of cancellations as a night of a no show is a night of unemployment for her....;O) put very eliquently though.....

It IS YOUR business you are running....so you are not sounding mean, just lay down the law to them.....LOL....

I'm sorry it was such a disappointing show, but your next will make up for it right?

My last show I had only 4 people there, but the show was 482 so that wasn't bad.

Much success to you......

 

[heat123]

I have had alot of shows with only 2-5 guests and some are ok and some are good because I have gotten bookings with small shows.
If I get the feeling they are going to have only a few people at their show I try and entice them with getting $200 outside orders before the show and I will give them $10 Extra FREE product. That seems to motivate them and ($200 gets them qualified).

Some consultants send invites for their hosts and make sure they have 40 on their list to send. I have heard it helps with higher attendence!

Good luck!

 

[reesefamily5]

I mailed the invites and made the reminder calls. I also did everything I could think of to try to get her to have outside orders. She used to sell partylite so I would think she would know the ropes of having a good show! I really hope she gets enough orders to make it qualify as a show. Time will tell.

 

[AJPratt]

I once waited for an hour for thelast guest to place her order. Since then, I tell everyone, "I'm going to be here for the next 20 minutes to take orders and answer questions." Then I pack up and I'm ready to walk out. For the most part I haven't had anyone as rude as the one lady. If someone is chatting I take my stuff out to my car, and then come back and announce I'm leaving and its the last call. That usually rounds up the last couple of stragglers.

I hate when people think their time is more valuable then mine.

 

[AFwife]

I had a show like that today, just 2 guest.

She's working on outside orders cause I don't think it'll hit $100 unless she does.

I hope she gets good orders.

Only good thing is one of the guest wants to sign up under me.

 

[Jayne]

I had a show yesterday that only 3 people showed up. So far she has $330 in sales (closing Monday) and I got 2 bookings. You never know how it will turn out. I did a show with 1384 in sales and no bookings I feel the same way Kelley does, it's your business, run it the way you see fit!

 

[rayday]

My show last Saturday was like that too. She even called me the day of the show to confirm 12 guests for sure and about 3 more that she didn't know either way. There were only 3 guests and only two placed orders totaling about $40. Luckily I had a few individual orders that I tacked onto the show so it did qualify. She got 2 more orders after her show but it took her a week and her show still would have only been at $70! She was a past consultant and I did all my host coaching which so I was really expecting a better show. I missed the mid-season products by $200 so I think that is why I was so disappointed. She did get one booking though so maybe that one will go great and everything will have worked out!

Hopefully with the show being open a few more days your host will surprise you and bring in a lot of orders and/or bookings!

 

[gilliandanielle]

I read somewhere that before you leave the show make a list with your host of who to call (the people who said they would come but didn't, the people who didn't come at all, etc.) for the next day, It is still in your host's hands, but at least it is outlined for the host. Discuss with her what to say like "Its too bad you couldn't make it to the show last night but I can swing a catalog by or you can see the products online" Reinforce with your host that you are just trying to get her the most out of her show, and that it isn't pushy to ask people who said they would attend to look at a catalog.

Gillian Wright
#417481
Wasilla, Alaska

 

[Muppetgal]

My cousin had a show for me with 15 confirmed guests, who all cancelled while I was on my way there. She had two people there and my aunt came too (although she had already bought stuff at a previous show so didn't really count). I just about didn't do it, BUT I muddled through anyway, and treated it the same I would a big show.

Both ladies spent over £70, and my cousin got a few outside orders in too. She ended up reaching level one for the host bonus and one lady has booked a party and expects 20 people there, while the other gave me a lead for a party.

Some will be great, others will be flops. That's why we have to do more than a couple of shows a month to get them to average out.

 

[DebbieSAChef]

HAVe fun!!!Sometimes we really can't be in control of how many people will actually show up. One show the host insisted she was having 15-20 people coming and of course she only had about 9 with only 8 that actually ordered. I just did my show, played games, and had fun!! The ladies had a great time and one lady ordered $140 worth of stuff, another ordered about $80 so by the end of the night she was already at about $350! The lady who ordered $140 called back the day we were closing the show and ordered another $70 worth of stuff!! So she got to the $400 level and was happy. The host ordered about $200 worth of stuff that I get commission on! Plus her half price items and she told me I could have her host special since she wasn't really interested in the stainless steel bowls!!
Another lady told me that she would only have about 8 people who actually RSVP'd. At her show about 15 people showed up and her show hit $1,000!!

I usually don't do shows with less than 5 people and I let my hosts know right from the start. I have never had that happen, yet. But if it did and everyone cancelled while I was driving over to the show, there isn't much I really could do. I would just have fun!! You never know who will be at the show, a big spender, a future recruit, a future host, etc...I really host coach my ladies and tell them without outside orders they aren't going to reach the level they really want. So this gets them to work harder. I also tell them to call each person who couldn't come and ask them to help out by placing orders. I offer FREE shipping to guests who can get my host 2 outside orders. Or I offer them a little thank you pack - Season's best, Quikut paring knife, or citrus peeler (whichever I have more of) and their choice of either a PC sample Coffee pack, or sample Dill mix!
It has worked for my hostess. Just this past Saturday I had two hosts promise to gather 2 orders and when they do, they get their stuff. She is already at $560! I let my hosts know that if they do not reach the minimum of $150, they do not get anything FREE. I had that happen one time this year and thankfully my mother told me to bring those profiterole puffs to her work during lunch time and she gathered $270 worth of orders from co-workers for a total of $400 with the show that didn't make it!
The Lord has been so good to my business this year, and he has answered my prayers for a little extra income. I am grateful!
Debbie

 

[beepampered]

1000 showI had a host call and say she had a lot of "maybes" and did I want to cancel? Well, my husband was watching the kids so I said I would come in case some folks came. Well there were five people - the host, her husband, her mom, her dad and her 2 month old sleeping baby. I did a demo and was there too long just cause we were talking.

After the show, she went and got LOTS of orders and it ended up being a $1000 show - plus she bought the cookware! She is a Southern Living at Home consultant but I hope will begin selling Pampered Chef. Obviously, she would be great!

I got one booking from one of her friends (I asked her to ask everyone to do a show) and hopefully her mom will do one eventually as well.

BEE

 

[newbiePC]

My director will not do a show form less than 15 people. If the host thinks it's less than 15, my director either suggests looking for a future date or turning it into a catelog show. Of course, I'm too new and don't have that luxury.

 

[KennethandTiffany]

I would NEVER say that to a hostWhile I don't tell them it's okay not to have a lot of guests, when I have gotten a call saying "I think only 2 people are coming!" I say NO PROBLEM! Business is business, the last small show I had was a host and her mom (who both lived there) and her niece. Guess what, her niece booked a show and then a fundraiser that ended up being over $1700! I never turn down anything because you never know what you may get from it. You may upset that host and lose a customer/potential recruit forever! I think it makes the host feel like they aren't worth your time! I had another host who only had 5 ladies there but handed my $500 in outside orders when the show was over. Don't be too quick to judge!

 

[nikked]

The last show I did had 3 in attendance, one who showed up at the end! I always look at small shows as "experience" and an opportunity to try something I wouldn't normally do at a large show (at least for the first time). One lady had marked "no" on the drawing slip for being a consultant, but I could just tell. So I asked, and a week later, she signed up! Definitely worth my time!

 

[pchefgirl1982]

Small ShowHi!

I have had a similar problem recently too, but it's turning out better than I expected. My host invited 12 people and only 4 are coming, however I encouraged her to tell any guests who couldn't make it to place orders on my website. She seemed really happy about this idea and she said she would talk to everyone, plus she had gathered outside orders as well.
I have to admit, I was a little discouraged at first, but since I've only been doing this since November I won't turn down a show. I think it's best not to judge too hastily, you never know where your next booking or recruit might turn up! GOOD LUCK

 

[bbauman07]

I have had a few small shows. I do my demo for the people who showed up. Then I explain to the host how important the outside orders are going to be. Most of those closed around $300 - $500 shows. I have only had 2 shows that the host didn't qualify. I had to place a $100 order to qualify one of them, since she was my last show for the month, I couldn't add her orders to someone elses show. the other one I add her orders to someone elses show, added her as a co-host so she would get the 10%, then paid for her $15 in free product. This one just had her 2nd show with me, it was a $400 show this time.

 

[dollfangs]

My last 2 shows have only had 5 people there in addition to the host. The one from January was 932 in commissionable sales and the one from this month was 1259 in comm sales. Don't discount small shows. Just host coach to tell everyone you know and get those outside order. Both of these shows only had around 200 in sales at the show but had about 20-22 outside orders.

 

[Jayne]

UpdateMy show of 3 people turned out to be a $520 show with 3 bookings, two that were at the show and one that didn't come but wanted to Host a show. And it qualified me for the mid-season products FREE!! Yeaaaah!!

 

[reesefamily5]

I have always thought that way before...business is business. And I never want to turn away any kind of show. I guess I was very discouraged about this show because I felt she didn't want to put any effort into it. And she used to be a consultant for PL.

I am still tossing around the idea of the minimum number of people especially with gas prices expected to go over $4.00 a gallon this summer. (That's what the news said anyway).

Right now her show qualifies and she is expecting one more order.

I have also had small shows with 3 people and have gotten bookings and decents orders and that's what makes this such a hard decision to make! And I was also one of those people who only had 3 people at my show that I signed from.

I guess I will just keep listing the pros and cons of of making a minimum and decide from there.

Thank you for all of your opinions on this!!

 

[AJPratt]

If the host told me no one was coming, I think I would still go over and talk about the opportunity. I had a show that was scheduled on a "Back to School" night and three people showed up. I knew it was going to be small. And guess what: The host signed up as a consultant and the show closed at $800.

In my mind: You decide was a successful show is, and it isn't always about the money or the attendance.