Home Party Hostess Coaching To Reduce Cancellations

This is a question posed to Deb by a direct sales consultant and Deb's response on how she would handle it to reduce canellations.

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Hi Deb,

 I have a question for you. Back in November, I booked all my shows for January and gave each hostess their package. I asked them to send me their guest list with postage. Two weeks later I see nothing in the mail. So I made phone calls, and needless to say I left messages with those hostesses. I waited another two weeks and left another message. And Monday left another message, and there are three shows that I have heard nothing from.  Could you give me a tip of how to handle this? One of the shows is next Wednesday!  I could really use some help for this problem.

Lucille S.

Homemade Gourmet

 

Hi Lucille,

I always talk to my hosts as if it is going to happen.  I will host coach them by answering machine or email and never say a word about doubt or the possibility of cancellation.  I may do it right up to the day of the show. 

 

I have had shows that I did that with, host coached totally positive as if all is well, and never heard from them for 6-8 weeks from the time they got the packet.  Then on the day before the show my message said:  "I got directions on the Internet and I will see you tomorrow at 6:00... give everyone a call and remind them about our fun show, blah, blah, blah..."  Usually that is enough to get them to call and say they have no one coming.

 

Several times I have done that, and never heard back, so then the day of the show I called an hour before the show and said: "Since I haven't heard from you in 8 weeks, I guess I won't come... If you have anyone coming, give me a call and I can be there in 20 minutes (or whatever).  Twice after doing that I have had people call me back and say they are having people come over and they want me to come.  The other times still nothing. 

 

If you always leave your messages or emails in a positive tone that it is happening, they frequently start inviting people over.  This is an area you really need to decide what you are comfortable with. I figure that I have already set the day aside, what difference does it make if I continue to do so until the last minute? 

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