Gifting Etiquette: Determining Value for Different Occasions

[Aynot]

How does one determine the value of gift to give for various desired results? Season's Best ($1.00) for hosting a show, Attendance prizes ($1.00-$5.00), etc. If I offer a gift to my host for collecting at least $200 in sales before her show, what type of gift or value of gift should I give? Or to someone for booking when needed, the drawing prize at a booth, etc? Thanks!

 

[wadesgirl]

It's really up to you! Most people don't offer anything extra because our host program is so generous. I do give my hosts the round up trivet for collecting 7 orders before their show. To me it's a great gift and it gives back.

 

[ShellBeach]

I usually don't give anything, anymore. I did when I first started but I was too generous, I think, and started getting demands for free stuff.

Now, my only exception is if they book at my request.
In June, I wanted to get the two shows to get sell-a-thon product. A repeat host booked a show for me, so I gave her my used finger guard which she had expressed and interest in. I gave my 2nd host my opened oven mitt. I didn't like either item, and they were delighted with them.

 

[Aynot]

Thank you Wadesgirl and Shellbeach for replying. I was just trying to get an idea of what I could give and not seem too cheap if compared to what other consultants may have given nor be overly generous and then they start expecting too much.

 

[kristina16marie]

I pass around a current Season's Best for everyone to sign & I give that to my hostess to remember the fun we had at the party. Everyone who brings an uninvited guest gets an retired Season's Best. You can get 10 of them for $2.25 on the Supply Order. I also play one game and do a door prize drawing. These are either a Citrus Peeler or a couple Twixit Clips wrapped up in a clear bag & tied with a ribbon. I also punch a hole in my biz cards & add that to the ribbon. Everything I get on the Supply order, but I also agree that you don't need to do any giveaways if you don't want to. When I first started out I didn't do any out of cost concerns. We like to say don't spend any money until you start making it (meaning until you've got the cost of your kit back). Good luck to you!

 

[lt1jane]

I offer $2.25 shipping for all orders that are ready for me when I walk in the door. It costs me $2.37 for each order, but I make more than that in commission anyway. Also, it motivates the host to gather those orders BEFORE the party to boost party sales and it motivates people not coming to the party to place their orders before they have to pay full shipping instead of 50% off.

That's all I offer besides letting my host choose from a variety of items in a basket what her gift will be.

 

[Sheila]

Okay, is that new math? LOL (Just picking on you Jane!)I buy a LOT of the Season's best off the suppy order & hand one to every guest (and the host) as a "being on time" gift. I used to give away free shipping as the door prize (a big deal overseas where everyone is paying direct shipping rates) but converted last year when I moved to Tokyo & started doing 2 of the PC Rubs (I let them choose). It's a fairly small cost considering that I usually make $200 plus commission on each Cooking Show.That's it! I don't offer booking benefits unless it's under a fundraiser. Then I give $10 to the organization after the show closes (if & only if they were a booking off the fundraiser & if they hold their show within 6 months of the fundraiser).

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I give my host a Seasons Best cookbook, and I also give one to the Past Host in attendance, if it's a new season and she doesn't have one. If she does, I let her take a pick from my Gift Bowl. (QK knives, citrus peelers, retired SB, etc...) and I thank the host for opening her home, and I thank the past host for the contact.
I use either a Rub or a Prep Bowl filled with candy as the gift for the Card Game I play. Then I do a door prize drawing for a pick from the gift bowl. I also bought the bulk spices and rubs, and have them in little plastic condiment cups (1 tbls. in each cup, and a label on the cup) and I give those to guests as they check out as a thank-you.

 

[lt1jane]

Sheila, you may pick on me about that. I have noticed a significant increase in outside orders since I started doing this.

Why did I start? My sister sold PC from 1998-2001 to support her sewing. She saved a lot of her business materials and sent them to me when I started to sell. She sent me an entire pad of outside order forms. I decided to use them.

On my last two parties, I have had over $100 in outside orders waiting for me when I walked in the door and it has cost me only $5.74 on each party. It helps to boost party sales which gets the host more free and discounted product. It's a win-win situation. It's amazing how "Half off shipping" will motivate some people.

 

[dme.grant]

I've started something that was passed down to me called the Batter Bowl Bonanza. I give the host a sheet in their host packet that has 10 batter bowls pictured on it, and tell her that if she has a name (and corresponding outside order) written on each of those batter bowls when I arrive at her show, she'll receive a small batter bowl free!! So far, I've had that happen at one show and she had over $300 before I even got there!

I do give the host a SB right at the beginning of the presentation as a thank you, then I put a PC sticker on the bottom of one product and whichever guest helps me demo that "mystery" product will receive a little something (usually a SB or citrus peeler). I tell the guests beforehand that one product is special to encourage participation, and it usually works.

Other than that I play one game, usually for a rub as the prize and around the holidays I'll fill a prep bowl with candy and have them pass it around to guess how many pieces are in there. Whoever is closest takes it home.

Other than the batter bowl I'm out maybe $5. And I think if the host is going to collect 10 outside orders before I even show up, then that is definitely worth the cost of the small batter bowl.

 

[PamperedchefDaly]

I'm getting some great ideas here. I like lt1jane's idea of the discounted shipping rate for orders before the show. It's so frustrating to have a show open for 4 weeks before the date, and when you walk in, the host says she has some outside orders coming in next week!

As far as gifts, I was extremely generous when I first started, as in giving the ice cream scoop to the host. Seriously? What was I thinking? I now give the current SB to pass around (I put a thank you note in the cover first). Lately I've been giving the prep bowl filled with kisses or Skittles, tied up in cellophane paper and a curly ribbon. I make a point of explaining how the prep bowls come in a set of six, and make a great token gift for bus drivers, the mailman, teacher's aides, etc. (My last host thought it was such a good idea that she bought 3 sets of prep bowls!). I also do a game, (usually Left & Right, which is a good icebreaker), with an old SB as the gift in the tote bag.

As someone said, our host benefit program is extremely generous, so I don't feel the need to spend a lot of my own money on thank you gifts.

Oh one more thing I do for the host. I offer to pick up the ingredients for the show. It's one less thing she has to worry about and I have control over what is purchased since I know EXACTLY what I need. I tell her that she can reimburse me that night, or WHEN (not IF) her show goes over $500, the ingredients are on me. BTW, the dotted picnic tote we got last month makes a great carry-all for the groceries. Plus, I freeze the C&S inserts beforehand and use them to keep the food cold.

 

[1PamperedMommy]

I've started something that was passed down to me called the Batter Bowl Bonanza. I give the host a sheet in their host packet that has 10 batter bowls pictured on it, and tell her that if she has a name (and corresponding outside order) written on each of those batter bowls when I arrive at her show, she'll receive a small batter bowl free!! So far, I've had that happen at one show and she had over $300 before I even got there!

I do give the host a SB right at the beginning of the presentation as a thank you, then I put a PC sticker on the bottom of one product and whichever guest helps me demo that "mystery" product will receive a little something (usually a SB or citrus peeler). I tell the guests beforehand that one product is special to encourage participation, and it usually works.

Other than that I play one game, usually for a rub as the prize and around the holidays I'll fill a prep bowl with candy and have them pass it around to guess how many pieces are in there. Whoever is closest takes it home.

Other than the batter bowl I'm out maybe $5. And I think if the host is going to collect 10 outside orders before I even show up, then that is definitely worth the cost of the small batter bowl.

I love the batter bowl idea! When I checked the files, I only see the ones with 20 batter bowls (20 orders). I feel like 10 outside orders before the show is a more attainable goal. Would you be willing to share your file? Thank you!

 

[esavvymom]

dme.grant - Love your ideas! Very inexpensive and a great motivator both before and after the show.
I would love to see your pages also.

 

[wadesgirl]

Sheila, you may pick on me about that. I have noticed a significant increase in outside orders since I started doing this.

Why did I start? My sister sold PC from 1998-2001 to support her sewing. She saved a lot of her business materials and sent them to me when I started to sell. She sent me an entire pad of outside order forms. I decided to use them.

On my last two parties, I have had over $100 in outside orders waiting for me when I walked in the door and it has cost me only $5.74 on each party. It helps to boost party sales which gets the host more free and discounted product. It's a win-win situation. It's amazing how "Half off shipping" will motivate some people.

I think Sheila was more talking about the numbers ($2.25 shipping in which you pay $2.37). It threw me off for a little bit but then I remembered that most states have to pay tax on their shipping so that must be why you pay a little more than half of the shipping.

 

[lt1jane]

Yes, in Wisconsin shipping is taxed. So, when they figure their totals at 2.25 shipping, they pay 12 cents in tax and I have to pay that same 12 cents tax on my $2.25 gift or the numbers won't come out. So full shipping here really costs us $4.72 (depending on the county, it's only 5% tax in my county).

 

[sherri lynn]

I love these ideas!! I too would like to see the batter bowl page for 10. I think I'm giving away too much as hostess gifts and gifts for the drawing slips. But when I first signed with my director (I was a home office lead) and went to watch a show, she gave a SB and I thought, that is it? But I was just at a Scentsy party and they gave away very little for hostess gift but did give everyone that was there samples. I love the idea of the cellophane wrapped prep bowls and the idea of giving them as gifts, and now people will have the choice of 1,2 or 3 cup prep bowls to choose from.

 

[Malinda Klein]

I pass around a season best at the party and have guests sign it and give it to the host. I also give out SB cookbooks for anyone bringing a friend, and for those PC virgins - i give a hair clip (or a twixit clip). I'll do one drawing, giving a choice of a rub, SB, or something small on the supply order.

The only thing extra i do is offer the host a free $25 stone if she has 3 bookings - available at the 3rd held show. The host is really motivated to get three bookings, sometimes rebooking herself to get the stone when she has 2 guests booking.

 

[dme.grant]

I like that idea of offering the stone as long as the shows are held. I have a bad track record with people booking at shows, then either cancelling or rescheduling several times. I don't know if it's just our area or the season or what, but it's very annoying. It seems like this way the host has more incentive to help urge those bookings along a little.

I've attached the Batter Bowl Bonanza sheet. I think 10 is a pretty good number. I was doing incentives for 5 outside orders, but I would end up with 5 orders totalling about $30, which is great and all, but I wanted more!!! LOL.

 

[dme.grant]

Oh wait, that is the old one. I amended it to be the small batter bowl, but I can't find that saved on my computer anywhere. Hmmm, time to go digging I guess!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Oh - I do have a pre-show booking/sales incentive too.For every show booked (with a date on my calendar - not just a "oh, my friend wants to book a party) BEFORE the party I give an extra $10 in free product. (which costs me less because of the host discount.)If they have $250 in Outside orders before the party - they get to choose the cookbook of their choice on their order.

 

[kristina16marie]

I pass around a season best at the party and have guests sign it and give it to the host. I also give out SB cookbooks for anyone bringing a friend, and for those PC virgins - i give a hair clip (or a twixit clip). I'll do one drawing, giving a choice of a rub, SB, or something small on the supply order.

The only thing extra i do is offer the host a free $25 stone if she has 3 bookings - available at the 3rd held show. The host is really motivated to get three bookings, sometimes rebooking herself to get the stone when she has 2 guests booking.[/QUOTE]

i do something similar. i started offering the large round stone but now it's the fluted stone. my show schedule has exploded since implementing it. here's the thread about it: http://www.chefsuccess.com/f2/who-doesnt-want-get-leid-pc-party-right-67840/

 

[Sheila]

Sorry Jane! I didn't know you guys paid tax on shipping, I was referring to your numbers not adding up, not your theory.

 

[Brenda.the.chef]

I give my host a calendar as a thank you gift. I have a host that hosts more than once a year so she gets to choose her other thank you gift. I let her choose from a SB, twixit clips, I-slice, etc... just the things you can order on the Door Prize portion of the supply order sheet.

I also have a 5-4-3-2-1 Challenge that I give with the host packet. This is an incentive for an additional $25 in free products from me. I'll see if I'm gifted enough to attach the flyer here...View attachment 54321 challenge.doc

I also give 1-2 SB as door prizes. On time drawing, who brings a guest, and sometimes Queen of the Shopper, and sometimes the ticket game. It all depends on the timing and mood. If I don't have extras on hand, I'll put one on their order and pay as 'Consultant Gift' in P3.

Also, don't forget to record these in "Show Expenses" for a tax write off!!

 

[Lisa/ChefBear]

Brenda, I like that sheet you give to hostesses.

Lisa

 

[Brenda.the.chef]

I pass around a season best at the party and have guests sign it and give it to the host. I also give out SB cookbooks for anyone bringing a friend, and for those PC virgins - i give a hair clip (or a twixit clip). I'll do one drawing, giving a choice of a rub, SB, or something small on the supply order.

The only thing extra i do is offer the host a free $25 stone if she has 3 bookings - available at the 3rd held show. The host is really motivated to get three bookings, sometimes rebooking herself to get the stone when she has 2 guests booking.[/QUOTE]

i do something similar. i started offering the large round stone but now it's the fluted stone. my show schedule has exploded since implementing it. here's the thread about it: /]Page Not Found - Chef Success

Kristina, I may have to try this at my August shows. I have a show tonight but don't think I have enough time to pull it off since I'm at work right now.

 

[kristina16marie]

Kristina, I may have to try this at my August shows. I have a show tonight but don't think I have enough time to pull it off since I'm at work right now.

You don't have to have the leis to try it. It's more about getting your host involved in asking each guest to book a show. They're much more open to it if it's coming from a friend. Plus the host is motivated to get that stone for free!