What Can I Do When No One Books? Ideas to Try

[pampered1224]

I called every person on my list and guess what? NOT ONE BOOKING!
What really stinks is I have 7 people who signed up in April and MAy to do shows for their hosts. But, 4 I have answering machines and the other 3 I can't get a hold of. I tried them twice. Thursday and tonight. No ansewring machines here. I am thinking I need to mail soemthing to them. think that will work? I have NOTHING on my books from last week until the end of the year and I am worried. I am too far into this to go inactive. Now I have to admit I got 11 answering machines so... Now, my question is what do I do? Hold my breathe until I turn blue or...
Now I have a couple of ideas so that's why I am here.
1) I have 100 catalogs. I was thinking of doing the doorknob thing. Has Anyone gotten results from this?
2) How about the business card posters from what's their name's? Do these work and how long does it take to get them?

What other things can I do that won't break the bank?

 

[ChefLoriG]

I'd say get on the phone and start doing customer care calls. You've been doing this awhile, call all your past customers, make sure they like their stuff, mention you haven't been in their area in awhile and you would love to do a show for them, would be great for their friends so they can do their holiday shopping.... just get on the phone and call

ps. remember, this isn't ping pong, they aren't going to call you back, just keep calling those original people to get them booked! Tell them the past host will love to get the 60% off item

 

[jaye]

I didn't have any success with the 24/24 either.

I am just going to keep at it, that's all we can do!

BEST OF LUCK!! YOU ARE DOING GREAT!

Jaye

 

[janel kelly]

I would keep calling those 7 people til you get an answer. Call at a different time of day. I know sometimes I can get ahold of people if I call on Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon but can never get ahold of them on a weeknight. Of course don't rely on just those 7. Go ahead and give out 25-50 catalogues and see if you get anywhere. If I were going to do that then I would knock on their door and try to give it to them personally maybe with a free recipe card showing the recipe you are going to be doing at your shows next month(assuming its dine out at home) Good luck!

 

[pamperedbecky]

mention you haven't been in their area in awhile and you would love to do a show for them, would be great for their friends so they can do their holiday shopping.... just get on the phone and call

I love the line about not being in their area in awhile! What a nice easy-going way to say that. I'll have to use that one. Thanks!

 

[Sally G]

I've tried the catalog door-knob thing several times, passed out many, many catalogs. The only time I ever got a booking from it was when I offered a free cookbook of their choice for booking and holding a show by a certain date, ( or whatever you decide). I put a flier in each catalog with this incentive. You need to have a deadline for calling also. I would try calling all your past hostesses also. I know you've built good relationships over the years with your hosts to be as successful as you've been John. Good Luck!

 

[lisacb77]

Maybe try to get some catalog shows, or fundraisers? Just something to stay active at least?

Maybe also get involved with a charity or other organization you might be interested in joining. These tend to help you meet people for leads.

Good luck and let us know how it goes...

 

[pampered1224]

Well...Here's the deal. I what I have done thus far is I contacted EVERYONE in my PP list. All past hosts and all customers I have phone numbers for. This is approxamately 236 phone numbers. It took me over a week to get them all called but... I did do it. I do have about 36 phone numbers that are no longer service so I am thinking they moved. The phone calls I made I did offer an incentive, that is that I would pay for their host bonus product. All that is except the roaster. That's too much money so I discounted the cost by 50%. Still nothing. The stoneware for me was a flop of a guest or host bonus. Only have two shows this month as most of my customers have them. I can't figure out why the knives are not going over better for me except that again, most of my customers and hosts have the ones with the cases and love them. They're thinking why buy duplicates even if they are not the same.
Then November well, I sold alot of roasters, carving boards and meat lifters last year and I have never sold many of the carving sets. I think I have maybe 5 on the books in 5.5 years. December is the holiday thing. I always have bad luck with December. Last year I did three before the deadline. That's the first time I have had more than 1 before the end of the year. So...
I also sent out an e-mail to everyone I have in my e-mail base. Even if they were called. I also did these as sepreate e-mails. Not like I usually do and bulk them. I put a personal message on each one. I got one reply. And it was a no. What she wants to add to her kitchen is cookware but she can't afford any thing right now. They are both going through job transitions right now so money is really tight and nothing else really trips her trigger so...
Well, deep breath and I will send out a few catalogs. I have a new idea and that is to contact the bar on the corner again and see if the owner would allow me to have a holiday open house there. I would put it in the owners name even. So we'll see. I will be seeing her on Wednesday.

Thanks for the insights and ideas. I'll keep trucking!

 

[bbauman07]

John,
Plan your own show within the next few weeks. Invite those 200+ contacts to your show. Make it a mystery host show, you could give away the host benefits or one of the kinves. Make your guests buy $25-$50 per ticket for the drawing, give them a couple tickets if they book a show also.


I like your open house idea also, I would do both if you can. That gives you 2 shows, leave a catalog every where you go, hang up flyers in the stores.

 

[gilliandanielle]

Sorry this was a bust! I told you people wouldn't talk to you while Grey's and CSI was on!! LOL! Call them back on a crappy TV night!

 

[pampered1224]

I didn't call during those times - Honest!Only because I was too busy watching and I even got my calls in before Deperate Housewives on Sunday!
I think the mystery host show might work. I will see about the first full weekend in October. It's only a week and a half but it should be easy enough to do. I would do it the the following weekend but as luck would have it, I have to work my regular job that weekend. I plan on lots of OT to get our new AS/400 computer up so we can use it Monday the 16th.
Otherwise I have to wait until the 21st or 22nd. I don't know if I want to wait that long but it might be better for getting invites out. Hmmm. Guess I'll have to think on that a smidge. OK. The 21st or 22nd it is. Not enough time for invites to get out otherwise. Only becasue I will not have time until this coming weekend to make them out and mail them. You see, this I can do on work time after 4 p.m. because I can hide the screen quickly enough. But to monkeying around with invites, they would be all over my desk and that won't be tolerated. Oh well. No time at home this week either. I so much to do as we are having company Friday night.
Oh well. I will keep you posted and thanks again!

 

[sailortena]

Have you considered getting a booth at a fair? My cluster (5 of us) did a Kids Fair on Saturday and as a group we got 170 leads. 45 of them are mine. Yesterday I called about a third and got some answering machines, but I put 3 definites on the calendar. I am doing a couple of more callbacks tonight, and calling about 15 more contacts to tell them that they won a free cooking class. I say do a fair, it really works.

 

[pampered1224]

Well, there is a wrench in my plans...Barb at the corner bar is not sure when I would be able to do an open house there as they have several special bookings of their own in October on the weekends. She will take a look and see what might work. At least she was willing to do that for me. Even if I push it into November, something is better than nothing. And not to mention that I am having health issues again. The doctors want me off my feet (not all the time so one job is it for a while) No extra job. So this means no cooking shows for at least a month and play it by ear after that and after I get a new type of brace for my leg. So November will work better that way too. This really stinks. It looks like all I will be able to do for a while is bearly stay active. I'll just have to crank it up for the new year. New year, new start and go from there. It won't be the first time or the last time I bet that PC will have to go on hold because of this &#*! leg.
Oh well. Such is life. I have to be grateful that I still have the leg to gripe about! So I best take care of it!

 

[bbauman07]

I'm sorry to hear you are still having problems with your leg. It sounds like you "ran" out of shows for a reason. But sometimes it takes a while to see the why. You could always check into taking a leave from the company, with your health problem I'm sure they would approve it. Then you wouldn't have to worry about trying to stay active.

I wish you the best John.

 

[HeatherPCLady]

John- Let's see. A great way to boost sales is to make a great dessert on a stone and drop it by a business you frequent or one a good friend/family member frequents. Leave some catalogs with the stone/dessert. Let the manager/owner know you will be back tomorrow to pick up the stone and if he/she could gather 5 or 10 orders you can give them a discount on their order. This is a hit at beauty salons...especially on Saturday.

 

[gilliandanielle]

That is a good idea! Do you ever get turned down? I have a HUGE fear of rejection!

 

[lacychef]

John- Let's see. A great way to boost sales is to make a great dessert on a stone and drop it by a business you frequent or one a good friend/family member frequents. Leave some catalogs with the stone/dessert. Let the manager/owner know you will be back tomorrow to pick up the stone and if he/she could gather 5 or 10 orders you can give them a discount on their order. This is a hit at beauty salons...especially on Saturday.

I did this a few times last year; called it "pampering your business". Got the idea off a tele class. I didn't really get anything out of it; though people were happy for me to bring them dessert! I probably should have encouraged orders more with offering a discount, I didn't think of that!

 

[bbauman07]

John,
How are things going?