First welcome to the Family!! Yesssss we have all been there.
I took the manual and use the pretend shows in it along with the candle
information and wrote it all on 5x7 index cards. I
used them for probably the first
month and then just the candle information cards. I also viewed just a few months
ago the video tape (available from your leader)made notes off of that and used cards again
so I could get used to what I want to say. Use them until you are more comfy and don't
need them anymore. You can tell your guests that you have so much information to
give them that you don't want to miss any of it and you want to give them the correct
information.
Good luck in your business. You will be great. I became so confident I was
able to do a customer service presentation to my fellow JOB workers and my manager said
"Man that [Company] stuff is really doing good things for you." Linda
You will do fine. Like anything, the more you do it, the better you
get. How many PL paychecks have you received to date? It took one
paycheck and I was pumped. Knowing I get paid well is my inspiration to put
the nervousness behind me and get through the demo. A short and brief presentation
is the best way to get in and out of that show. Keep the guests interested
by making eye contact and smile. Again, once those paychecks start coming, you'll
want to keep doing lots of shows and making lots of money! Above all:
HAVE FUN!! Susan
I have one suggested outline written up on Best of the Boards - you are welcome
to look at it & see if it helps at all. I am working on another - more basic one - and
will post when it's finished. Here's a direct link to the present one: Show Outline Belinda
Since I am also from a similar background as yourself (former hotel resi
mgr/front office mgr and sales director for intl company) I have also - even after 2 years
- similar experience. In my case, I was most often always dealing with men - or
techie men - that maybe were looking more at my charm and charisma than anything
else. Don't get me wrong, I was good at my job and knew what I was doing.
I came into PartyLite because I wanted something different that was EASY and fun.
Now I have the opportunity to stay home with my children and work PartyLite as my primary
business. With time some of your shakes go away - I still have some shows where I am
more comfortable than others. I tell you a good tip is to create a short outline -
similar to that in the manual - and have a guest be your time keeper. That gets
him/her involved in your demo and also keeps you on track so you don't lose your audience.
I usually give this person a votive or tealight as a thanks!
I do introductions and then a brief overview of the company. Then launch into candle
care using the kit as an example of each candle. Section 2 is hostess program and Section
3 is sponsoring. Each area is usually 10-15 minutes long and I am usually done is 30
minutes.
Take this as you will and lots of luck! I'm just about to start year 3 and I know
this is the year that my unit will begin to build - I have 2 new consultants and will be
Team Leader Feb 1.
Good luck to you and don't give up!
Best regards for a great year. Maria
Here are a few tips I use and they work~
1. I stutter under pressure, since my first show 2 years ago, I take off
my shoes and that usually stops the stutter, I also play with the Chatham snuffer to keep
my hands busy.
2. I have my whole "demo" on paper in plastic sleeves, and in
sections, so when I get a bit confuse, I look at my book, and pick up where I left
off, I use tealights to mark my place.
3. When I am particularly nervous, like when I step out of my comfort zone into
a show that is a dove tail perhaps, or a booking over the phone where you have never met
the hostess, I tend to play an extra game or 2, or if they have all been in the circle so
to speak, I play "stump the consultant" and have them ask me questions, I give
everyone who asks me a question that I cant answer a tealight. At the end of the game,
anyone who has a tealight who books a show gets a free dozen votives or tealights
when they
hold there show.
Good Luck, hope these suggestions help! Christin
Here are some tips that worked for me - I had the same problem my first few
shows and I am a speech pathologist by career! My life revolves around helping people
communicate better.
1. Try to make the guests do just as much talking as you. Go around the room
and say why you like candles, Have veteran [company]-rs
talk about why they love PL (This
helps with sales for the new guests).
2. I found the index cards helped me stay organized and not shift from topic
to topic. Always take a second to breathe. This always helps you relax and collect
your thoughts.
3. Try to have the quests ask you about what they see on your display that
they like, instead of you going on about each .piece. This
way it is more like a
conversation, more natural.
4. Don't fight
with a pen or something. Hold the index cards, that should be
enough.
5. Try to make eye contact with people when you speak
It will come naturally with experience. Maybe you could also attend some
other consultants shows to watch their "style"
Good Luck. Hope this helps! Maria
Here are just a couple more additions to the great advice already posted,
regarding being nervous. I have been with PartyLite for over 2 1/2 years, and I
still have some nervousness at some shows. The following has helped me to have more
fun than nervousness.
One thing is using the "20 min. show outline." This is just
basically dividing your presentation into 4 quarters, not literally in front of the
guests, but in your mind to help yourself stay on track. lst 5 min: Intro. yourself,
thank hostess; sponsoring (why you started PL, how to get started, what you like abt
it.) 2nd 5 min.: Hostess plan (explain as simply as possible, w/o too much detail.
Include how much credit your average hostess gets, what in your display she could get with
this amt.) 3rd 5 min: Candle care tips, can hand out the tip cards, tell about our
candle quality, pass scents around. 4th 5 min. show some groupings, talk about product.
The other thing that helped me, which is almost what I consider my
breakthrough
in
making my shows easy, is something I learned at Regional from a consultant. I now
intro. myself and say we will do introductions in a few minutes. Then I proceed with
the first part of my show. When I aim ready to talk about candles and product, I start
introductions. Each person is asked to state their first name and where they like to burn
candles in their home, or when, or a favorite scent. Then I stop the intro's there,
and based on what that person said, talk about something in my display. It may be by
passing around the sp. van. jar because they said they like vanilla, or whatever.
Then I go to the next person. She may say she likes to burn candles at dinner time. Ok,
then I talk about the dinner candles and pass around a 10" square. On to the next
person.
This is sooo great! Thanks to Barb Whitman for teaching this to me!
No one gets bored with the demo, they know I will only talk for about 1-2 min. and then on
to the next person!
Sorry so long, but these are things I had training on that I just love and
wanted to share! Nancy
I hate being looked at, and so getting up in front of people was a real
challenge for me. Instead of standing in front of them, I sat down and made the demo
more of a discussion when I felt myself getting nervous. Now after a year in the
biz, it's finally not a big deal to stand up in front of guests. But, I still hate being
looked at, so at trainings no one is allowed to look. LOL
Just another piece idea you might want to try if it works for you. :) Robyn
Just keep having those shows--it will come in time--keep reading the manual-- I
think I had mine almost memorized! I read it 3 or 4 times before my first show. Play
with your starter kit, also, none of my shows have gone the same as the other, so even
when I have a "plan" it doesn't go--I just take a deep breath and go with the
flow of the room. Dawn
