How do I handle a host who wants me to make five recipes at her party?

[PamperedK]

I just got an email from my host for next Saturday. I had left her a message with her 2 recipe choices and she responded with an email saying "here's the list of recipes we'll be making for the show" There are FIVE of them!!!I am NOT doing 5 recipes at her show. I will do ONE. How do I explain this? I told her that during the first host coaching call we did and I also told her that I would send HER the choices. She is also planning to have a BBQ AFTER the show....how am I supposed to respond to this? There's no way I'm going to get any bookings at a show like this!!!Oh and she also plans on me being there at 1 to start the recipes and then to help with the BBQ after 5! I'm not staying at her house for 5 hours to help her cater her party!!!

 

[pamela]

DANG!!!!!!!! talk about b@lls!

I would call her~email takes all emotion out of it and you don't want that at this point~and tell her that she can make as many recipes as she likes, but if YOU make more than that, her guests will get bored. Explain that the recipe is only done to showcase the products NOT to feed everyone a meal. I would also tell her that "I plan to be at your home at _____ and will be out of your hair by _____ so that you & your guests can enjoy your social time at the BBQ"

GOOD LUCK!

 

[micocina]

How in the world did she get the idea that you would do something like this??!

I would tell her: Thank you for getting back to me (blah, blah, blah). My shows are usually only 2 and half hours long and I set aside that time to be away from my family, this would only give me enough time to do one recipe. I have found that doing one recipe is perfect because your guests will not have to sit through too much informaiton and get recipe overload. In my experience doing more than one recipe may actually hurt the sales for your show because after seeing so much they will be confused as to what to purchase and I want you to get the most free products possible. I also want you to get bookings so that you enjoy the 60% off at every future show and everyone will be happy to learn a new recipe each time. Something like that..

Oh what Chefmeg said too!

 

[finley1991]

WOW!I think the posts above are really helpful and I'm going to add a little more here... Has she ever been to a show before? Does she understand that we are not caterers? How were the guests invited? Did she invite them to a BBQ or a PC show?I'd get all of this out in the open and clear it up before you go. Also, I would add like Addie said, that you can only be there 2 hours as you have another commitment that evening.

 

[chefkathy]

when my hosts push for two or more recipes, I say the same thing Addie does---if I do more than one, your guests will be bored. If they push, I will offer a second recipe, but something EASY that I can prepare in advance or just finish off, like a dip or a drink.Good luck!

 

[micocina]

The beer margaritas would be a great second recipe. Yeah, nothing more elaborate than that...

 

[PamperedK]

She's been to shows before - that's what blows me away! She's invited her friends to a "BBQ Pampered Chef style"She will only correspond with me in email. I leave her messages and she emails me back.So basically I said that she can make those other recipes if she'd like to but I will only be making one because that's all we'd have time for in the time I'd be there. I also outlined the whole show - I'll show up at this time and do this for this long and then I'll be done and I'll let you guys party!I hope this works. I also told her I would do One of the recipes she already chose, but she needs to tell me which recipe book they came from cause I can't find them anywhere.I have no idea where she got the idea that this is what we'd be doing. In my voicemail to her, I said I can make either Fiesta Nacho PIzza & Margaritas OR the Triple Citrus Mojitos and a dip - which would you prefer??

 

[amy07]

:bugeyeid she forget whose business to run this is!??!!?

Somehow, I think she confused Independent Consultant with Independent Contractor and thinks you are hired help!!!
Good luck with this one!

 

[PamperedK]

Ok so she emailed me back and just clarified one of the recipes. She wants me to make the Turkey Wreath but with Tuna instead of turkey! ewwwwwI want to make the Triple Citrus Mojitos and let her do the food - I don't want to be responsible for making something disgusting.

 

[PamperedK]

Ok so we're going to make this Tuna Wreath thing...2 pkgs crescent roll
2 cans tuna
½ c mayo
2 T honey Dijon
½ tsp ground black pepper
1/2c celery
3 T fresh parsley
4 oz cheddar cheeseShe's still going to make all the other recipes but this is the one we'll make during the show. \ This woman loves being in control. I give her a choice and she picks something different and I think it's simply so she can be in control.

 

[pamperedlinda]

Ok so she emailed me back and just clarified one of the recipes. She wants me to make the Turkey Wreath but with Tuna instead of turkey! ewwwww

I want to make the Triple Citrus Mojitos and let her do the food - I don't want to be responsible for making something disgusting.

that just sounds nasty!

 

[jwpamp]

I love the words that others have given to you, but if she gets nasty with that reply, I would let her have a BBQ by herself and reschedule that show for a date when she isn't planning another event.

I am not a catering company....and it's not worth the stress to me to fight someone who would be so disrespectful to me.

OK, stepping off the podium...

 

[PampMomof3]

The beer margaritas would be a great second recipe. Yeah, nothing more elaborate than that...

Okay Addie, what is a beer margarita?

 

[finley1991]

The beer margaritas would be a great second recipe.

I LOVE those and make them when I do the jerk chicken nachos!!!!!

Kristi... here's a link to the recipe I use: http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/web-exclusive-recipes/beer-margaritas/article.html

 

[PamperedK]

Oh I do them differently:2 cans 7-up
2 cans Limeade
2 cups Tequila
2 bottles of CoronaMix well and serve with lots of ice.

 

[chefruthie]

I have a Host that I've had 3 shows within the past 3 years. She is an awesome cook and loves to entertain. She always makes a ton of food and I do 1 recipe that she picks as the demo. One time I just did garnishing demo. She loves to be in control also. I have learned how to respond to her personality type (Thanks Tony Allesandra from back in '99!) and have had all 3 shows over $1,000. At each show I have gotten 4-5 bookings. I love to work with her! The first time I talked with her, I thought seriously about giving her to another consultant. Boy, am I glad I didn't.
I would remind her that you are a team and you want her to have a very successful BBQ. I think the tuna wreath sounds pretty tasty. Lots of people make tuna salad and put it in hot dog buns and toast it in the oven.
I also agree that you should only stay the normal amount of time that you would at a regular show. Did she ever say how many guests were coming?

 

[Mel5497]

Our 'forever' home is in a retirement community and we love to get together to eat, drink, and just enjoy each others' company. We're going home for Labor Day and will have to test these two recipes.

 

[PamperedK]

She said there's lots of people coming but she doesn't know exactly how many.How do you end up with 4-5 bookings? I'm nervous that with all that food and prep that she's been doing, it will look way too hard to host. I'm really short on fall shows and need the bookings!

 

[PampMomof3]

Oh I do them differently:

2 cans 7-up
2 cans Limeade
2 cups Tequila
2 bottles of Corona

Mix well and serve with lots of ice.

I'm thinking these are like the Slap your mama margaritas!

 

[chefruthie]

The guests that attend all know that she loves to cook and entertain. She has around 20 guests at her shows, who all enjoy her food and her parties! She has lots of PC products and uses them, so she adds her tips about products too. I tell everyone that "Jodee is an awesome cook, we all know that, but you don't have to be to be a Host with PC. Like Jodee, you'll be able to get a huge amount of PC products that will make you look like you're a great cook because if you can follow a recipe you can make a PC recipe and with FREE kitchen tools, you're good to go! All you have to do is invite your friends and family just like Jodee did and I'll make a recipe or 2 that everyone can enjoy."
I went back and looked at the shows booked from hers. Out of the13 that held shows only one made a spread like hers. That Host also loves to cook and entertain and she had 3 bookings from hers. All others just had regular food. As I was looking through my shows, I saw another Host that makes a lot of food and she has held 3 shows and 1 catalog. The lowest was the catalog show...$636 in sales. Her highest 1401! She also had bookings from each of hers.
My lesson that I learned a long time ago is if the host is insistant on making lots of food, I don't panic. It's their home that I am going in to. I truly have no right to tell them what to do in their own home. I tell them that we definatley don't want to keep the guests waiting so I will make 1 recipe and she is welcome to make the rest. I ask her to make sure her guests know that she enjoyed making the extra but it was not required to do the show. I never ask a host to make more food. I usually make 1 sweet and 1 savory. The sweet is usually a volcano cake.

 

[micocina]

I'm thinking these are like the Slap your mama margaritas!

You're right that's the one I meant. I don't do to cans of Tequila it's too much. I used 1/2 the limeade can and it was great.

 

[micocina]

The guests that attend all know that she loves to cook and entertain. She has around 20 guests at her shows, who all enjoy her food and her parties! She has lots of PC products and uses them, so she adds her tips about products too. I tell everyone that "Jodee is an awesome cook, we all know that, but you don't have to be to be a Host with PC. Like Jodee, you'll be able to get a huge amount of PC products that will make you look like you're a great cook because if you can follow a recipe you can make a PC recipe and with FREE kitchen tools, you're good to go! All you have to do is invite your friends and family just like Jodee did and I'll make a recipe or 2 that everyone can enjoy."
I went back and looked at the shows booked from hers. Out of the13 that held shows only one made a spread like hers. That Host also loves to cook and entertain and she had 3 bookings from hers. All others just had regular food. As I was looking through my shows, I saw another Host that makes a lot of food and she has held 3 shows and 1 catalog. The lowest was the catalog show...$636 in sales. Her highest 1401! She also had bookings from each of hers.
My lesson that I learned a long time ago is if the host is insistant on making lots of food, I don't panic. It's their home that I am going in to. I truly have no right to tell them what to do in their own home. I tell them that we definatley don't want to keep the guests waiting so I will make 1 recipe and she is welcome to make the rest. I ask her to make sure her guests know that she enjoyed making the extra but it was not required to do the show. I never ask a host to make more food. I usually make 1 sweet and 1 savory. The sweet is usually a volcano cake.

In that case play dumb and just say to her. "Wow, you're really going to go all out. Which one of these recipes would you like ME to do as the demo recipie? I'm sure they will enjoy all of the other PC recipes that YOU do and will want to host their own show to find out how to make each one."

 

[chefruthie]

In that case play dumb and just say to her. "Wow, you're really going to go all out. Which one of these recipes would you like ME to do as the demo recipie? I'm sure they will enjoy all of the other PC recipes that YOU do and will want to host their own show to find out how to make each one."

Too funny Addie! That is pretty much how I say it. The extra food normally are PC recipes too. Maybe 1 at each of the shows were a non PC recipe. All the hosts I'm referring to love PC. Jodee is thinking about signing at the end of this month. She already knows she can only make 1-2 recipes at a show if she does! She may need to go for counseling for that .

 

[micocina]

Too funny Addie! That is pretty much how I say it. The extra food normally are PC recipes too. Maybe 1 at each of the shows were a non PC recipe. All the hosts I'm referring to love PC. Jodee is thinking about signing at the end of this month. She already knows she can only make 1-2 recipes at a show if she does! She may need to go for counseling for that .

Right! I know a consultant who had great sales and was doing three recipes, she became a Director but her girls got worn out and she lost Directorship. I told her that her people will do what they see her do and even if she's fine with doing all of those recipes it's not conducive to a successful business and trying to build a solid team.

 

[baychef]

I am so sorry, I haven't read all of the responses but here has been my two experiences with this same situation lately...GAK!! No tuna wreath, however!!

My aunt just had a PC party/summer get together with neighbors...an intimate party, not too many invited, however I narrowed her list down to...about 4 recipes for me and 4 for her!!!! She LOVES to cook and we end up talking about cooking whenever we are together. I decided to give it a try but explained that if we get too many recipes going, the party will get too long. Luckily, I am a demo/try this product consultant!!

I made the Creamy One Pot Pasta, 30-minute chicken, mojitoes and the Chocolate Velvet Cake w/ Strawberries. She made our brie recipe, 3 cheese garden pizza, her own quiche and I may be forgetting one other thing!!!!

She did comment to me part way through that she now realized that we had too many recipes. The women were full to the brim! This is how my aunt likes to cook. Everyone loved it, however, and my aunt was pleased.

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I just had a host buy the ingredients for about 5 of the recipe choices I give hosts. It told her one and because she wanted a grill recipe, it was not on the list! I did the Italian Grilled Pizza and Mojitoes.

I have to explain to hosts that one recipe is ENOUGH!!! And for them...anything more than snacks is too much.

What I tell them is that it drags the party out and people do not like the time it takes. And then I explain that people do complain if it is too long and will not come back to another party if they know it will be too long. I offer to give them a second recipe for them to make.

STICK TO YOUR GUNS!!! Politely, and with their guests in mind. Also, get her mind off that crappy tuna wreath GAK!!!!!!!! I like tuna and can even tolerate a grilled tuna sandwich, but in the summer?????:yuck::yuck::bugeye: