Ideas for new product meeting

[baychef]

Hey, nothing like waiting till the last minute,:eek: but does anyone have something written up for a meeting that will help consultants get familiar with the new products? My meeting is tonight so it will be just a simple affair.

I am the only director in the area so I don't do a fall kick off. My house is our meeting place right now, the church that we loved to host our meetings at has a bug in their bonnet so I am in the process of finding an alternative spot because my house is not in a central location.

Thanks in advance if anyone is able to help!

[baychef]

Glad I didn't break my hinny on this meeting...I had one consultant show. She is about to be a director and other than having a nice chat and eating some new recipes, nothing else happened.

Oh well....I tried.

[dannyzmom]

Oh, Ann - I am so sorry :(

[finley1991]

I'm only getting 4 to my fall kick-off... 2 of which are hospitality. :(

[chefmeg]

what is wrong with people? We have seen a huge drop in numbers of attendees for our monthly meetings this past year.....what d you all think is going on?

[wdpmap]

I have the same problem with low meeting attendance. This has frustrated me for a long time until Jan Gilbert pointed out to me that it is the same for show attendance. We coach our hosts to invite 40+ so that they will have 1/3 come to the party: about 10-15. It is the same for our meetings, we can count on about 1/3 of our consultants coming to the meetings. so, until our teams are 40+ we will have smaller turn-outs.

I feel better about my small meetings!

Michelle

[baychef]

I think I know what the problem is. First, the location. As I stated, my house is not centrally located. I do have a lead on a new church. Is $25 a month a bad price to pay?

And, for those that are in the military, their block leave is right now. Another camps out of town for the summer and yet another is taking classes for teaching in the evenings.

Still, I was frustrated...cleaned my damn house for nothing (:DLOL!!:D)

Just don't want to hear the whining about no bookings and wondering why their sales are not higher. I can't make them "want" or "do" in their business. I have to remember that I have provided what they need. It is not up to me to do much more than that.

So as Michelle just posted....I need to recruit more for my meetings to be larger!!!

[DebChefIA]

I too have been plagued by lower meeting attendance. I have about 25 in my first line and am lucky to get 4 to a meeting these days. I have been a director for 10+ years and this is the lowest my meeting attendance has ever been.

Here's what I credit it to: When I started with PC 11 yrs ago, we had to go to meetings to receive information, training etc. Now there is SOOOOO much that is available to us on the Consultant's Corner. Online classes, CNL, teleclass recordings.....other than recognition and companionship, what reason do consultants really have to attend meetings?
Most of my consultants live at least 1 hr away from me...so that combined with high gas prices combined with lack of need for training....
Maybe I'm just making an excuse, but this is the way it seems to me.

[pampmomof3]

I agree although I have 8 coming (2 hospitalitly and 6 of mine) this month and I'm teaming up with 2 other directors and my recruiter for this months meeting to be held at my house.

I remember when I attended the meetings and my dh didn't get why I wanted to go. It was a night that I left the house and didn't get paid. I think that's why some people don't attend.

[finley1991]

There are no other directors in my area to team up with... at least none that are committed to the biz. I have a few that live 40-60 minutes away and I get that it's hard to make it. I just remember back when I started that we went to the trainings no matter what. But as DebChefIA said, we have so many resources now to tap from.

So with my fall kick-off this weekend (which I am down to 3 attending... 2 of which are hospitality), I'm changing up a few things.

Each Tuesday morning I do a TEAM Tuesday Call from 9-9:30am. Anyone can call in with anything they want to discuss. Then once each month, I'm going to have our TEAM R&R... Recipe and Recognition. If they want their recognition, they can come get it and try a new recipe.

That's the plan... at least for now...

[ChefLisa]

There are no other directors in my area to team up with... at least none that are committed to the biz. I have a few that live 40-60 minutes away and I get that it's hard to make it. I just remember back when I started that we went to the trainings no matter what. But as DebChefIA said, we have so many resources now to tap from.

So with my fall kick-off this weekend (which I am down to 3 attending... 2 of which are hospitality), I'm changing up a few things.

Each Tuesday morning I do a TEAM Tuesday Call from 9-9:30am. Anyone can call in with anything they want to discuss. Then once each month, I'm going to have our TEAM R&R... Recipe and Recognition. If they want their recognition, they can come get it and try a new recipe.

That's the plan... at least for now...

That sounds like a lot of FUN!

I have been doing sales meetings the first Monday night of the month with my Director and one other Director on her team. Since my Director is moving to Ohio early next month:cry:, I am switching to the first Sunday afternoon of the month. The meetings will be held from 2-4. I am hopeful to get my attendance up. Most of my Consultants live one hour or more away.

However, my team is not very big so attendance will probably be small.

[pampmomof3]

There are no other directors in my area to team up with... at least none that are committed to the biz. I have a few that live 40-60 minutes away and I get that it's hard to make it. I just remember back when I started that we went to the trainings no matter what. But as DebChefIA said, we have so many resources now to tap from.

So with my fall kick-off this weekend (which I am down to 3 attending... 2 of which are hospitality), I'm changing up a few things.

Each Tuesday morning I do a TEAM Tuesday Call from 9-9:30am. Anyone can call in with anything they want to discuss. Then once each month, I'm going to have our TEAM R&R... Recipe and Recognition. If they want their recognition, they can come get it and try a new recipe.

That's the plan... at least for now...


I think thats a great idea. I'll have to think about that one!!

About that other director in the area, I don't think that situation would work out so well, would it? ;):p

[baychef]

I too have been plagued by lower meeting attendance. I have about 25 in my first line and am lucky to get 4 to a meeting these days. I have been a director for 10+ years and this is the lowest my meeting attendance has ever been.

Here's what I credit it to: When I started with PC 11 yrs ago, we had to go to meetings to receive information, training etc. Now there is SOOOOO much that is available to us on the Consultant's Corner. Online classes, CNL, teleclass recordings.....other than recognition and companionship, what reason do consultants really have to attend meetings?
Most of my consultants live at least 1 hr away from me...so that combined with high gas prices combined with lack of need for training....
Maybe I'm just making an excuse, but this is the way it seems to me.

Deb, I think you hit the nail on the head! I love Colleen's ideas too! The funny thing is....even with everything that they have available now, there many details are missed. We are a society of "skimmers" (I am in this society myself!:o)

I am seriously thinking of not having any July meetings next year. The one that I held just days after conference was attended by 2 people that went to conference and one that didn't attend. The last one that helped introduce the fall products was attended by one person. She not only attended conference but she is about to promote to director so what I miss, she catches!

It was a serious waste of time and it bothers me because I am already trying to set my September up (because it is hell month at school and I can not wait until the last minute). Many of my team are just realizing July ended and they may not have done a thing, let alone trying to set up August will be more difficult. (getting kids off to college and buying school clothes come to mind and then there is the last minute vacations.)

WOW...I feel better now!!:bugeye: