Bridal Showers

Want to be guaranteed a $1000+ show?  Book a Bridal Shower...

Bridal Showers are Cooking Shows with a twist.  Here are my random disjointed Bridal Shower thoughts:
Sorry it got so long....but there is a reason to my business madness.

A bridal shower is basically one cooking show with 2, 3, 4 catalogs included in it.  I say that because I always encourage the bride, the fiance, the aunts, the moms, etc. to take catalogs to their places of employment and gather orders!  The co-workers do not even need to know it is all for the shower...'just running a catalog show and wanted to share in case there was anything anybody wanted'.  Then all those random orders are put into the bridal shower and it just increases the Guest Sales which in turn increases the brides FREEBIES cuz she will be listed as the Host.

Which brings us to...the bride is the Host and gets all the free items...PLUS all the gifts purchased for her from the guests.

So when people are checking out, I ask them to put a STAR or a B(for bride) by the items that are for the Bride.  That way when the shipment arrives the sorter knows what goes to the bride, what goes to the guests AND the bride knows who gave what also if thank you cards are being sent!

You will need to Host Coach the bride AND the aunts, friends (whoever is throwing the shower).  You want the bride just as excited as the hosts.  If the bride is excited and wants the WHOLE catalog the shower is a lot more successful.  Ask the bride to create a registry for you....making sure there are a WIDE variety of items...lower priced and higher priced.  Some guests may be shopping for the wedding gift as well....and better yet going together with a few guests to buy a larger wedding gift (cookware). So coach the bride accordingly so she isn't shy on listed EVERYTHING she wants.

Now I take those registry items...write each item on a separate sticky note with price & item number. Sometimes is ambitious I may actually cut them out of a catalog.  All I will say about this is KEEP IT SIMPLE!!  Then...the sticky notes are laid out at the shower so the guests can pick what they would like to get the bride and add them to THEIR personal receipt.  This eliminates the chances of any doubles.  I do give the bride a pad of sticky notes and pen during the shower demo....telling her I am sure she will be adding to her registry during the demo.

A good introduction idea is: 'How do you know Suzie Bride and What one PC item do you think is a MUST in Suzie Bride's kitchen?"  ONLY if the crowd is a manageable size.  If too many people just ask for random shout out ideas for "registry must haves and why".

Three to four times during the demo (opening and closing) I explain how a bridal shower works, how their personal shopping today is also a blessing to the bride because she will be getting all the Host Benefit freebies from the home office... so  if they have any upcoming showers, Christmas shopping, the bride's wedding gift or other weddings to shop for those today as well...cuz that in turn will be a gift to Suzie Bride as well!!

This is ALL about the bride day.  I DO NOT play any bridal shower games.  If the Hosts insist I ask them to sneak it in before I start.  Cuz once I am done I DO NOT want them to be distracted and forget about all the products they were just excited about.  RARELY are there games at my showers though. And I believe it is because of the way I explain to the hosts how I will incorporate the bride in with the demo.  Here are some ideas I have done to put the bride on a pedestal and the keep fun in the shower:  Get her an apron and have her assist me, make alot of boy/girl/marriage comments throughout the demo, randomly ask questions about the bride/fiance (how they met, colors of the wedding, honeymoon location, etc) ...defer to the bride for the correct answer and always give her the small prize (season's best, quikut paring knife, twixit, etc)...

Still do the ticket game and prize drawing slip at a shower!!  Remember this is a Cooking Show with a twist.  The basics like ticket game, prize drawing slip and full service checkout are a must.  Your excuse before kicking off the ticket game and/or prize drawing slip is: 'now it is somebody else besides the bride to win a prize!'

ONE RECIPE: Yes you will still be doing one recipe during the demo.  You are not the caterer for the Shower.  If they want to have additional recipes, punch, etc. pre-made rock on. It is not our job or our worry. 

VERY IMPORTANT:  make sure the bride and the hosts understand the importance of using PC Bridal invites or something of the sort.  The bride, the hosts and the guests need to be overly educated on the fact that ALL the gift shopping will happen at the shower.  If this is not clear and people walk in with cute gift bags from Target...your Bridal Shower is in jeopardy because nobody is shopping PC today!!

And....CASH.  Some people will choose to bring a greeting card with cash in it OR just hand you cash for the bride.  Bring it on...however I am the keeper of that cash.  I even ask the bride to open her cards to see how much additional cash shopping she has.  So now during the Host Coaching after the shower "wahoo...plus you have $125 in cash to spend...why don't you grab the registry sticky notes right now that you want to use that cash for...."  This is important otherwise she will take the cash and spend it at Target or to pay the electric bill and not within the Shower.

There you have it!  I know many of you have had SUCCESSFUL Bridal Showers..so add your posts here or on Facebook so we can learn from each other.

My last comment will be:  A Bridal Shower is a Cooking Show.  The only thing that changes is how you market it, how you host coach it, and the verbiage you use at the Shower....really it is that simple!

Gift Certificates

This isn't perfect but will do!  

Currently we do not have Gift Certificates available for sale/purchase through Home Office.  

With the Holidays just around the corner, Gift Certificates can be a huge sale....IF/WHEN we talk about them.

So....posted off to the side is a template I put together this morning.  I initial the certificate and get it to the purchaser WITH the newest large catalog.

Happy selling,

Maria

DOUBLE your Cooking Show Sales!!

Fact: EVERY host wants to have a successful Cooking Show. Success could mean a ton of people there for a great time or a ton of sales for the host benefits.  Either way...we are the professional who needs to coach her on how to have a house full or collect $1000 in orders.

Check out the cut/paste of an email off to the side here that I send to my hosts within 24-48 hours following their show!  Personalize it to them...and cheer cheer cheer.  I am never disappointed if I leave the house with less than $300.....the show is never over until we hit 'finish'.....and doubling $300 is $600...and that is all good.

How about before the show? Check out that cut/paste email to the side that I send a few days (5-7) before the show date.  Give them the words and the formula for a $1000 show every time you communicate with them.

Host Coaching is how we get paid....the Cooking Show is simply where we go to pick up the paycheck!

On our way to 50% of us earning the February 2-show incentive!!

Sell four Deep Covered Bakers - remember taupe is discontinued 2/29/12. Offer for a payment plan: $45 paid tomorrow and $45 next Wednesday.  Or...$45 paid in cash, $45 paid on credit card.

Announce a My Favorite Product Sale - your favorite product is the Food Chopper you say? Well get passionate about it, tell the world and sell ten of them by next Tuesday!  It all starts with an 'OMG' and ends in a sale.

Sip & See at your house this weekend. Showing new products, selling Feb Guest Special and maybe an additional freebie (Season's Best, candy bar, citrus peeler...) for all orders placed and paid for by 2/28/12.

Collect $300 in orders via text, phone, Facebook, email, etc.....split the $300 into TWO $150 Catalog Shows (you as the host) and you earn it!

What other ideas do YOU have????!?!?

Post them below in the comment section, so we can all earn this 2-Feb Show Incentive!

Booking the show is only STEP ONE...

Ok friends - you picked up the phone and loaded your Cooking Show calendar. NOW WHAT you ask?  Learn all you can and practice, practice, practice....whether it be Host Coaching, the flow of the show, or the Full Service Checkout.   Growing commissions, teams or sales averages do not 'just happen'.

Note to self: always remember it does not matter what we are wearing, making or saying....if nobody is at the shows...so Host Coaching should be a priority.

Here are three easy to-do ideas you can do yet today:

 #1 - Listen to any or all the mp3's in the Online Training Center Resource Section.  This one is particularly good:  The Host Factor: The Path to $1000 Shows

#2 - Study, learn and practice the FULL SERVICE CHECKOUT - see the flyer off the side here.

#3 -  Track your numbers (attendance, bookings, leads, sales....) and look for areas where you need to develop that skill. 

Inch by Inch it's a cinch!

10,000 Points for your Incentive Trip HOW TO

Who is in?

Are you game to earn TEN THOUSAND POINTS towards your Incentive Trip goal?

Then submitting $5000 February Sales (Feb sales submitted IN Feb) is your goal....DOUBLE POINTS!
or....submit $4000 (book 12 Cooking Shows hold 10) and recruit one,
or....submit $3000 (book 8 Cooking Shows hold 6) and recruit two,
or ...submit $2000 (book 6 Cooking Shows hold 4) recruit three,

You can so do this....if you want to. Renee R, Liz R, Lindsey D and myself all earned an Incentive Trip in 2011. The #1 tip is to be CONSISTENT all year long and take advantage of Double Points Month....that is like giving yourself 13 months to earn rather than the 12.

Here are some ideas to implement now:

Kickoff a $1000 Mystery Host Catalog Show (see Host Letter to the side) ~ you need 10 participants who each commit to gathering $100 in guest orders. Add them all up and you have a $1000 Catalog Show that ships to your house for to sort and get to the ten participants who will in turn delivery to their guests.

Kick off a bazillion Catalog Shows nationwide.  This is THE time to call on your best friend, your mother-in-law, past neighbors, previous co-workers, etc. to conduct a Catalog Show.  See the flyer to the side with all my thoughts on how to conduct a Successful Catalog Show! (10 catalog shows x $200 each is $2000!)

Schedule your own Cooking Show, Grand Opening, Re-Grand Opening, Host Appreciation, Spring/Summer Season Kickoff...... find any reason to invite everybody you know who eats over to your house for a little PC get together! (Check out the Salads & Slippers flyer to the side)

Fundraisers like the January 30th Post talked about.

Ask for help!  Share your goal. Let people know how they can help...then be appreciative when they do.

Please add any ideas you have in the comment section below.