Hostess Coaching for a $1,000 Home Show

In order to have a $1,000 show, there are some key elements that must be in place before you ever arrive at the home of your hostess. As a Consultant, you need to properly coach your hostess so that together, as a team, you can maximize your efforts to make the most of every home show. However, before you train your hostess you have to train yourself! You must believe that you actually CAN have a $1,000 show. It really does happen! On my very first home show as a Consultant, without even realizing what I was doing, I stumbled my way through the four MOST important categories necessary for hosting a $1,000 show. With sheer enthusiasm as my guide I covered: 1. ATTENDANCE, 2. OUTSIDE ORDERS, 3. ANNOUNCEMENTS and 4. COOKIE TIPS. Here’s how I was able to achieve $1,000 results, and how you can, too!

My First $1,000 Show
When I decided to join Cookie Lee in September 2000, I jumped in with both feet and booked my first home show with one of my good friends. I showed her the jewelry (which she could hardly wait to get her hands on) and the catalog where she saw the Hostess Rewards and was hooked! To ensure a good ATTENDANCE, we invited EVERYONE that we knew. Without realizing that I was “hostess coaching”, I excitedly called her three or four times before the day of her show even arrived. She was so excited that instead of scrubbing her bathroom the day of her show, she called all of her guests. My hostess reminded them to bring their wallets so they could take the jewelry home THAT night, and told them that the early birds would get the BEST selection. Plus, she encouraged many of them to bring a friend!

The show itself was poetry in motion! Guests came in droves. Only about 15 minutes into the evening we had several ladies crowded around my jewelry table. They were trying on various pieces, and I was showing them matching earrings and bracelets as well as COOKIE TIPS for different ways to wear various pieces. With only a few light snacks and a little to drink, guests had a great time playing dress-up and quickly started making purchases. While I was busy at check-out, I asked my hostess to help guests shop. Everyone noticed that she had so much fun mimicking what I had been doing so it was the perfect time to make my ANNOUNCEMENTS about Cookie Lee’s hostess program and the business opportunity.

After the last attendee made her purchase and I was loading up to go home, my hostess said, “You know, a couple of my friends canceled last minute and couldn’t come.” So, I suggested that she keep her show open for just a few more days and provide the catalog to the ladies who couldn’t make it that night. She ended up getting several more OUTSIDE ORDERS from her friends who didn’t come and a few other orders from ladies who just happened to see one of her friends looking at a catalog. When all was said and done, the show totaled over $1,200! My friend was thrilled with all the FREE jewelry that she earned. But the best part was when I told her that I earned $600, and she decided to sign up to be a Consultant, too!

Hostess Coach to Increase ATTENDANCE
Ever since my first show, I always tell my hostess that we are partners. I assure her that I will do everything that I can to help her earn FREE jewelry! I go over the Hostess Brochure (Available at www.cookielee.com—Business Tools—Customized Biz Products) with her and remind her that the more closely she follows that guide, the better her show will be.

Have Your Hostess Set a Goal
The most important thing that a hostess can do to have a successful event is to be excited about her show. Nothing gets a woman more excited than the possibility of FREE jewelry! One thing that I love to do with my hostess is to set a “show goal” with her. This step makes a huge difference in my show totals. I like to have my hostess look through the catalog and write down her Hostess Wish List (available at www.cookielee.com—Business Tools—Business Resources or in the Hostess Brochure) and include all the items that she would love to earn. I like to say, “If money wasn’t an issue, what would you choose from the catalog?” This phrase usually gets her dreaming about all the beautiful pieces that she would enjoy owning. Once I have her Hostess Wish List, I add up all the items to find out the total amount for which she is wishing. Usually a hostess will choose a couple hundred dollars of jewelry. I love when this happens because, based on our incredible Hostess Program, when we have a $1,000 show I can give her everything that she is wishing for absolutely FREE! This is when I like to challenge my hostess to set a show goal of $1,000.

Explain the Importance of Over-Inviting
Now that we have the goal set, the next important element for a successful show is lots of shoppers! I always encourage my hostess to over-invite. I ask her to concentrate the majority of her efforts on inviting everyone she can think of, not on creating an elaborate spread of refreshments. Using the F.R.A.N.K. Contact List (available at www.cookielee.com—Business Tools—Business Resources), I challenge my hostess to come up with 50 friends, family members, neighbors, etc. that she can invite. I help make over-inviting easy for her by printing all the labels with the show details including hostess information, any particular incentives that I am offering and the monthly customer specials. I strongly encourage her to use all 50 invites that I send her. I also suggest that she try to hand deliver as many of the invites as she can (not everyone has the flexibility to do this). There is something about the personal contact of talking with someone face to face that really improves the likelihood that they will attend her show; it’s easier for people to say “no” to an email, text message, or note in the mail. However, if she is unable to get her guest at home, explain that it is NEVER a good idea to leave the invite shoved under a doormat, or taped to a door or jammed in a mailbox without sending it through the postal service.

Remember…Reminders are Essential
A hostess should call and remind every single guest about the show the day before the event. She can say something like, “Just a reminder, the jewelry will be available to take home that night. So arrive early for the best selection!” I remind my hostess to let her guests know that by coming to the show they will have access to all my sale items and special show discounts that they wouldn’t see in the catalog.

Encourage Hostesses to Obtain OUTSIDE ORDERS
Another way to ensure the success of your home show is to enlist the help of your hostess in collecting outside orders. I like to encourage my hostess to try and have six outside orders before I arrive. If she is able to collect the orders, I typically give her an additional “goodie”, which is an item from my treasure box. This is a small box that is full of items from Month-end Madness, 2nd Saturday Sale and Cookie’s Outlet. The fantastic part of this is, if she is able to gather six orders, they usually total about $200–$300. You are nearly a third of the way to a $1,000 show and you haven’t even set up your jewelry table yet! If she isn’t able to have the orders before I arrive, I allow my hostess to keep her show open for about one week in order to gather additional orders and bookings from friends who were unable to attend. Just make sure that you set a date to close the show. Deadlines motivate people to action! I also love to send my website address to any friends that she has out-of-state so that they are able to see the catalog online and order from her show. In order to make sure that outside orders get to customers as quickly as possible, I handle delivering items to my hostess’s friends and family. Not only do I want a reputation for prompt deliveries, I also want the hostess to feel like having a Cookie Lee show is so fun and easy that she would be excited to schedule a show EACH season.

Take Time to Make ANNOUNCEMENTS
One of the greatest aspects of our business is that we are not required to make a formal presentation. This was one of the deciding factors for me when I was debating about joining the company. However, just because we do not have a “formal” presentation, doesn’t mean you should ever miss the opportunity to share what you have to offer through the use of an “announcement”. I typically give my announcements about 20–25 minutes into the show. I make sure that I have everyone’s attention and I present my hostess with her Hostess-exclusive Gift and tell guests about our hostess program and what my hostesses typically earn. I also give my testimonial about what the company has done for me and my family. I highlight the amazing Dream Getaway Trips I have been able to take or explain the fact that my Cookie Lee business has paid for both of my children’s braces. I encourage guests to take a company information packet (Recruiting Brochure available at www.cookielee.com—Business Tools—Customized Biz Products) if they are interested, or if they know anyone who might enjoy doing what I am doing. I always give referral credit for FREE jewelry for anyone who refers someone to me who becomes a Consultant or if they refer someone who books a show with me.

Show COOKIE TIPS to Boost Sales
At a home show, you are there to work your business. Make the most out of every minute you are there by showing Cookie Tips and jewelry combinations! Demonstrating the value of our jewelry line is a great way to achieve a $1,000 show!

Have Your Hostesses “Model” Jewelry
I love to have my hostess be the jewelry “model” throughout the show. I always encourage her to experiment with something she might not typically wear, and I ask her to try on lots of different looks throughout the show. I use her to “break the ice” with the other guests and show them that it is okay to touch and try on anything that they see.

Demonstrate Your Product Knowledge
I always carry three of my favorite pieces that I know really well so I can demonstrate the corresponding Cookie Tips comfortably. From my experience, three is a manageable amount of items to present. Sharing Cookie Tips is one of the best ways that you can sell yourself as a fun, knowledgeable and enthusiastic Consultant, as well as a way to get your customers to fall in love with the jewelry.

• Show customers how to change the look of their outfit by putting different looks on them.
• Reinforce the affordability and versatility of the jewelry by showing your customers how to wear a particular piece several different ways and breaking down the cost per jewelry look.
• Point out how much money they would save on clothing by changing the look of their entire wardrobe with the help of a few key pieces of jewelry!

Helping a customer see how beautiful and put together they look in the jewelry will increase your sales, but more importantly, it will help someone feel better about themselves. You are the jewelry expert! Share your knowledge and you will increase your sales and earn customers for life. Click below to learn how to use the Cookie Tip Cards to increase your product knowledge or go to www.cookielee.com—Business Tools—Business Resources—S/S ’10 Cookie Tip Cards to download them today.

Use These Tips for Your $1,000 Show
By having a positive attitude and believing in yourself, you can comfortably and competently coach your hostesses. It is up to you to make the most out of every show opportunity. Use these hostess coaching tips to ensure ATTENDANCE, OUTSIDE ORDERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS and COOKIE TIPS at every one of your events, and practice them until they become second nature! A well trained hostess will help you achieve better results whether it’s your first or 50th show. Just share your love of the product, be excited about your business and what you have to offer, and transfer that enthusiasm to your hostesses and their guests. Now get out there and have some shows—you never know where your next $1,000 home show will be!