Building Patience and Success with a New Consultant: A Lesson on Recipe Demos

[amy07]

OMG!! I don't even know how I did not scream and shake this woman!!!
I have a new consultant who has been great at building my patience level. She is truly a sweet woman but not very bright. She has been struggling to get her business up and running. So today she comes over to submit a "show" on my computer.
She goes on to tell me that she hosted a show in her home recently and only had 4 guests show up. I offer encouragement and ask how sales were and bookings. NO sales. NO bookings. So of course I ask more questions, starting with what recipe did you demo. Her response? "Oh, we did the chicken in the microwave." So, now I'm really impressed since she did not borrow the DCB from me, and I know that she did not get one from her show. So, I ask, her when she ordered one. Her response? "Oh, I just put it in a glass bowl with saran wrap and cooked it in the microwave"
YOU DID WHAT?!!?!!?

I'm hanging my head in total shame. I have totally failed this woman. Apparently she thinks we are out selling microwaves........

 

[dannyzmom]

Oy...I don't even know what to say...

 

[PampMomof3]

What? Does she know what she signed up to sell? I'm so sorry. No wonder there was no bookings, no sales, how'd the chicken taste?

 

[pamela]

OMG....well, first don't blame yourself. You have been so successful, so you know you are doing something right with training everyone else! Second, I would make it mandatory for her to attend as many shows of other consultants as soon as possible! Sounds like she needs to SEE several people do some shows so she can "get it"


I can't even imagine how bad that chicken must have tasted with cooked Saran Wrap on top of it!!!

 

[chefkathy]

oh my....I am at a loss for words.

 

[finley1991]

UGH! I was so fearful that when you started out saying she came over to submit the show, she erased all of your P3!!! Glad it wasn't that!Maybe you could walk her through the cook & book new consultant training... maybe an abbreviated version over the phone so she gets it?

 

[pamperedlinda]

She needs to borrow your DCB and invite those same people over and cook the chicken THE RIGHT WAY so thathey will see how awesome our products are! If they are even still speaking to her.

Ick.....Saran Wrap! That is so wrong.

 

[DebPC]

Just when you think you've heard it all!

 

[ChefLisa]

I think I would like to buy some of the plastic wrap she was selling. Oh wait, Pampered Chef doesn't sell plastic wrap.:bugeye:

You can certainly look at her as a great training opportunity!

 

[Mel5497]

She needs to borrow your DCB and invite those same people over and cook the chicken THE RIGHT WAY so thathey will see how awesome our products are! If they are even still speaking to her.
.

Great idea! (Though you may need to be there!)

Wow, what a story! You have to give it to her for resourcefulness...what would she have done if she was making the chocolate cake?!

 

[amy07]

thanks for the kind words! I would've responded sooner, but I just got back from getting my head checked after I beat it against the counter after she left AND getting the tip of my tongue reattached!:yuck:
If patience is a virtue.......

and yes, we spent the better part of the afternoon doing remedial product knowledge and business basics. LIKE WHAT PRODUCTS WE ARE SELLING!! And have scheduled coaching calls set up for the next 2 weeks! ******deep breath!*****

 

[amy07]

UGH! I was so fearful that when you started out saying she came over to submit the show, she erased all of your P3!!! Glad it wasn't that!

Maybe you could walk her through the cook & book new consultant training... maybe an abbreviated version over the phone so she gets it?

AGHGHHHH!! That would've been awful. AND justifiable homicide! No, I allow my consultants to use my desktop if they do not have a computer, my P3 is on my laptop. So there is no accidental anything. Even DH has to have permission to use my laptop.

 

[pamela]

thanks for the kind words! I would've responded sooner, but I just got back from getting my head checked after I beat it against the counter after she left AND getting the tip of my tongue reattached!:yuck:
If patience is a virtue.......
and yes, we spent the better part of the afternoon doing remedial product knowledge and business basics. LIKE WHAT PRODUCTS WE ARE SELLING!! And have scheduled coaching calls set up for the next 2 weeks! ******deep breath!*****

BWAAAAAHAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!
I needed a good laugh! Thanks!

 

[MORFIA]

thanks for the kind words! I would've responded sooner, but I just got back from getting my head checked after I beat it against the counter after she left AND getting the tip of my tongue reattached!:yuck:
If patience is a virtue.......

and yes, we spent the better part of the afternoon doing remedial product knowledge and business basics. LIKE WHAT PRODUCTS WE ARE SELLING!! And have scheduled coaching calls set up for the next 2 weeks! ******deep breath!*****

roflmao---

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink---
best wishes on your new (puppy) paper training lesson to follow
We are all lucky enough to have a few as well!!

 

[pamperedbecky]

Oh my goodness that is just nuts!! I can't believe this. I have NO idea what my reaction would have been but it would have been hard to stay calm and diplomatic.

 

[baychef]

roflmao---

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink---
best wishes on your new (puppy) paper training lesson to follow
We are all lucky enough to have a few as well!!

Sounds like you will have to hold the horse's head underwater!! (the trick is to let up before it drowns!!) And try not to swat the puppy with the paper!!

She takes the cake (pun intended!!) I had a consultant once that spent more time trying to figure ways to either get products cheaper (bought them off the "E" site!!) and trying to go totally opposite of PC training. Offering her own recipes, etc. Then when one of my consultant's business was taking off and hers was not, she really got down on PC. Very strange how people can act and/or react.

 

[PampMomof3]

I started telling my dh and he asked "Is this a Joke?" That explains it all!

 

[BethCooks4U]

I have a consultant who is always telling me how she is doing our recipes in other things she already has and how she's changing them.

I remind her that she is sellling OUR products and recipes and that she needs to remember that when talking to others. As far as the recipes, I encourage her to use them as is for shows since they are foolproof as is but that she can tell her guests that they can make them their own and they'd still be great.

Whenever she tells me how she used another pan to make something, etc. I roll my eyes and stop her. She just laughs but then she assures me that she talks up PC products at her shows.


Who of us hasn't also had a host who brings out a pan, colander, bowl... and says use mine so yours doesn't get dirty? When I reply "let's use mine so you can see how nice it is" (or other such words) they always laugh and say "oh, what was I thinking?!"

 

[amy07]

Kristi, my DH thought I was joking too. Until I told him who it was. Then he was like, "are you surprised?"

Here's the kicker. She also sells MK. So, in the effort to get my point across I asked her that when she does a "class" (I think that's what they call them) if she brings Cover Girl or Mabelline to put on the clients and show them colors but then tell them to order MK from the catalog? Would she be surprised if they went down to Rite-Aid or CVS to buy their makeup instead? I think she got it. I pray she got it. ray:ray:

I still has this awful sick feeling in my stomach. Thank goodness for this site, cause I have no one else to share it with for fear that it would get back to her.

 

[finley1991]

Great analogy... sometimes we need to say things so they can "get it."Good luck... keep us posted... we're here for you!!!!!

 

[cmdtrgd]

Ummm...if she had no sales, what did she submit?

 

[PampMomof3]

Kristi, my DH thought I was joking too. Until I told him who it was. Then he was like, "are you surprised?"

Here's the kicker. She also sells MK. So, in the effort to get my point across I asked her that when she does a "class" (I think that's what they call them) if she brings Cover Girl or Mabelline to put on the clients and show them colors but then tell them to order MK from the catalog? Would she be surprised if they went down to Rite-Aid or CVS to buy their makeup instead? I think she got it. I pray she got it. ray:ray:

I still has this awful sick feeling in my stomach. Thank goodness for this site, cause I have no one else to share it with for fear that it would get back to her.

Great analogy!! Hopefully she does "GET IT!"

 

[Chef Kearns]

Ummm...if she had no sales, what did she submit?

That's exactly what I was thinking Kate (it was nice to meet you at NC)! Did she just come over to hang out or did she really have something to submit?

 

[amy07]

she had the only 2 orders from her kickoff that we did together LAST MONTH. She only had 2 guests show up. She had to submit them so she did them as individual orders. It's gonna be a long road to qualification with this one.