Director How Effective Was My Premier Designs Jewelry Party Hosting Strategy?

[dannyzmom]

I hosted a party last night - a Premier Designs Jewelry party. I like to host a party with another DS company every few years just to help me see what it's like to be a host and so I can look at what the other consultant does to get ideas of what to do and not to do.
This year I did Premier.

I personally mailed out 50 invitations (she only offered to do Evites). I then printed another 50 flyer invites which I passed out at carloop and at the baseball fields. She did not provide me with ANY invitations at all.
I ended up with 18 adults in attendance.

She told us all about her jewelry and which ones tangle easily and which ones are fake pearls and which ones will tarnish if you sweat while wearing them. No. I am not kidding. She pointed out all of the negative features. I wanted to crawl under the table. Oh...and she shushed the guests. Oy.

I had a gold-selling party an hour before her demo so that I could be sure my guests had plenty of cash on hand. 5 of my guests sold gold...$2000 total so that averages about $400 per person in 5 people's wallets.

I collected $69 in outside orders before the party. Final sales total...are ya ready for this? $220.
Yes. 18 guests and $220 in sales.
Comments I heard from my friends after the demo:
"Well, I was admiring the such-and-such necklace for $58 but when she said it tangles easily I decided against it."
"I was going to get the blah blah bracelet for $49 but when she shushed me I decided I'd rather buy a similar one at New York and Company for $19."
Well... I learned a lot of what NOT to do, that's for sure.
She is a REALLLLY nice girl - but she's new to the business - I don't think she'd ever had a large crowd before & seemed very nervous. I felt awful for her,
Oh, and she's having a Pampered Chef show with me in August. Yikes...

 

[Sheila]

She may have realized by August that she's wasting her time trying to sell stuff that she doesn't like & doesn't believe in. Maybe she'll make her Aug show her 1st PC show as a Consultant on YOUR team!

 

[Chef Kearns]

I was just about to say the same thing Sheila did. She obviously has no love for her product line. I know what sold her on the business...50% commission that you keep the night of the party. OH, but small print! That's what will get you!

 

[chefkathy]

That poor girl.I recently had a bad experience with a Thirty-One Consultant. The lack of training in other DS companies ASTOUNDS me.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

The really sad thing that I've found with the Premiere consultants is that they pay SO MUCH up front (like $1200 I think) to become a consultant, and then they have to pay a $400 "jewelers fee" every year to stay a consultant...even if they do make 50% commission, alot of that is going towards paying back their start-up and continuing costs. I feel sorry for them, and I always wonder how they could have thought it was a good idea to sign.

 

[Ginger428]

I don't understand how these other companies just sign on people & throw them to the wolves ( so to speak)...When I talk to other Direct Sellers ( especially jewelry) they don't know anything about what they are selling & I don't think they care, they just want to confuse the heck out of people when it comes time to pay. Last one I went to, she started saying, buy this & get this etc....I just looked at her & said I just want this 1 piece & Nothing else!! She shut right up . It took her almost an hour to check out 6 or 7 women.

 

[finley1991]

even if they do make 50% commission

I'm signing a consultant tomorrow night who originally was going to go with Priemier because of the 50% but then when she looked into it further... the 50% is bogus.. they have to pay for all host benefits and guest specials and cc processing fees. That was just the start of it... this girl said forget it and is doing PC because PC pays for all of that stuff...

 

[Sheila]

I'm signing a consultant tomorrow night who originally was going to go with Priemier because of the 50% but then when she looked into it further... the 50% is bogus.. they have to pay for all host benefits and guest specials and cc processing fees. That was just the start of it... this girl said forget it and is doing PC because PC pays for all of that stuff...

Smart girl!

 

[pamperedbecky]

That poor girl.

I recently had a bad experience with a Thirty-One Consultant.

The lack of training in other DS companies ASTOUNDS me.

I just had a joint show with a Thirty-One Consultant. Well, kind of. She set up her bags in the other room. The host is a BC survivor and I think just let her friend set the stuff up as a favor even though I told her the cons of doing a joint show. Well, I have no idea if she even got any sales. The host has over a $1000 show!! I was quite pleased. She didn't really do any kind of demo/talk and in the end, I was glad! I was kind of looking forward to hearing more about the bags, but oh well.

Hey, Deb, where was your consultant from? Someone who toyed with becoming a PC consultant and continuously talked herself out of it ended up going with 31. She was from Plainfield, so I wondered if she could be your girl.

 

[Ginger428]

I'm signing a consultant tomorrow night who originally was going to go with Priemier because of the 50% but then when she looked into it further... the 50% is bogus.. they have to pay for all host benefits and guest specials and cc processing fees. That was just the start of it... this girl said forget it and is doing PC because PC pays for all of that stuff...

Thanks for this info....
Its good to know!

 

[chefkathy]

I just had a joint show with a Thirty-One Consultant. Well, kind of. She set up her bags in the other room. The host is a BC survivor and I think just let her friend set the stuff up as a favor even though I told her the cons of doing a joint show. Well, I have no idea if she even got any sales. The host has over a $1000 show!! I was quite pleased. She didn't really do any kind of demo/talk and in the end, I was glad! I was kind of looking forward to hearing more about the bags, but oh well.Hey, Deb, where was your consultant from? Someone who toyed with becoming a PC consultant and continuously talked herself out of it ended up going with 31. She was from Plainfield, so I wondered if she could be your girl.

Her name is Lindsey Davis. I never met her. My sister did a catalog show, I needed to exchange my item, she got the process started, but I ended up calling their corporate myself to get what I needed. Turns out she processed it as a return so I would have had to place an order all over again. Um, no thanks! I didn't need the bag THAT bad!

 

[pamperedbecky]

Her name is Lindsey Davis. I never met her. My sister did a catalog show, I needed to exchange my item, she got the process started, but I ended up calling their corporate myself to get what I needed. Turns out she processed it as a return so I would have had to place an order all over again. Um, no thanks! I didn't need the bag THAT bad!

Ok, that's not the one I know. Good thing you took the initiative with that!