Avoiding Postponements

Anonymous

Any show worth booking is worth coaching!!!

1. Coach your hostess.  Tell her how to invite her guests.  What to say word for word.  Stress over inviting.  Tell her what to do to have a super show.
2. This is my career.  Tell her I will be there rain or shine.  If I break my let, I will send someone in my place.  Your show will last no longer than two hours.  Your guests will not have to wait for delivery.  Reservation only.  Only six, they relax thinking only six not needing 15 or 20.  Commitment to be on time.  They must be there on time, or you can set up a separate time for them.  At the show you must start on time.  Keep yourself professionals.  Do not try to help someone catch up.  Everyone else will be unhappy.  You will lose control.  Have her list 10 names to invite.  If she has ten she will call them all.  If she calls two and they cannot come she may cancel.  Have other guests suggest others who may attend.
3. Use Customer Profile.  Call the hostess and get her guest list.  Call each guest and say Hello this is . With Mary Kay Cosmetics.  You have been invited to .s house for your Mary Kay facial.  I am a trained professional beauty consultant.  I need to ask you five quick questions about your skin so that I may know how to help you.  Do you have a minute?  If you introduce yourself and tell her it is five quick questions and you are professional, she will say yes and then you ask her the questions.  Then say I am really looking forward to meeting you.  See you ats house at time.  Please, be on time so we can start on time.  Wear a blouse or top with a low neck.  Any questions?  If she cannot come at that time then schedule her facial and turn it into a show later.  If she has objections about using makeup etc. you can overcome these on the telephone before the show.  Then she will come with a good attitude.  Your close will be much shorter, and higher sales.
4. Act very busy.  People like to do business with busy people.  Say I am booked solid etc.  I can fit your show in on. If you must change the date of your show, call me at least two days in advance.  Make them feel lucky to fit in to your schedule.  Put all your appointments into your datebook.  Fill it up with names.  Have the hostess write her name in your book.  She will feel more obligated.  Dont you keep a doctor appointment, even it if is inconvenient?  You know it will be a long time before you can get another date.  Be professional with your customers.  Yet you must remain warm and understanding.
5. Overbook.  Schedule more than you really want to hold so if one show does postpone, you really do not mind.  Do not have 3 and expect all 3 to hold.  People do get sick and die.  If they all do hold and you cannot do them, then dovetail.
6. Dovetail, This Mary Kay created for us mothers and wives to keep the family first.  If your kids are sick or your husband wants you to go with him, then dovetail.  Then you are where you belong and are still making money.  Also it was created to keep your business going!  Use it as another source of income.  Schedule two shows for the same time and if they both hold, dovetail, Always dovetail to your best personal recruit or the best consultant in your unit.  If one show postpones, you still have the other show to keep your business going.  By the way, if you do get a postponement, do not do housework, etc.  You set this time aside for Mary Kay, so use this time for Mary Kay.  Call customers, do deliveries, warm chatter, spend it on people.  Do not mistake this time for paperwork either.  Talk to people.
7. Always book every appointment within two weeks maximum!  If it is farther away, the hostess is cold.  I book my warm chatter facials within two days.  Booking a show from a show the next show should be the next week.  Never ask when or if but which day next week?  Memorize and use the direct booking approach and the tentative booking approach.
8. Send a thank you gram, postcard, or note to hostess to remind her of her date if the show is more than four days away.  If you call, she can cancel.  She can not argue with the mailman.
9. Excite the hostess.  Create desire to have a super show.  Find out what she wants and tell her how to get it.  Excite her with a contest.  It can be Hostess of the week.  Have a special prize for the top hostess of the week.  You can use cologne, anything you want.  Have all the hostesses call in their orders on Saturday at noon.  Saturday at 10:00 call each hostess and tell her she is close to winning and you now that she can do it if she just gets more outside orders.  Many times the hostess will find many orders in those two hours.  Many will have done nothing all week but will when they find they can win.  Stress that they are competing with only four or five other hostesses, so they can win.  When they come over to pick up their orders, have all the orders ready but the hostesss order.  Mary Kay, herself, takes the hostesses to her stock room where there are plenty of samples.  I have things displayed on my dining room table.  They usually find something else to try.  More sales.  Also once they start coming to your home, they will return and not expect you to deliver.  That saves you time and money.  Also the customer will just stop by on her way more frequently if she feels comfortable.  But always tell them to call first.
10. Excite the hostess with a special on cologne etc. for anyone holding a show within 48 hours, two weeks, next week whatever.
11. If they wish to cancel just say it must have been a bad day or bad timing, lets try another day.  Now get your calendar and we will find another day.  Use tentative booking approach.  Do not ask if she wants to schedule another time, assume that she will.  Show your confidence in the product, your ability etc.  That extra confidence many times does make the difference.  They want to work with a winner, so they are a winner.