How do you get guest lists back?

[ilovecharms]

I have a hard time getting guests lists back from hostesses. Maybe I am not firm enough. How do you use the guest lists? I don't mail the invites for the parties. How do you do it? I'd love any ideas.

Thanks, Gerri'

[angie]

Since you do not mail the invites, I don't think you need it. At the party you will be able to get their information. I sometimes preprofile but people are hard to reach so I ussually just wait until the party.

[Sterling Silver Mary]

Hi Gerri

What are you getting guest lists for if you aren't sending the invites? Have you considered sending the invites? I think it is a great tool! I actually have my hostess invite everyone in person or on the phone & send me their guest lists and I send reminder cards for them - something to hang on the fridge. It works well and I know that the cards go out.

Best of luck!
Mary

[ilovecharms]

[tonja]

[ilovecharms]

[tonja]

Have gotten them EVERY time - people want things for FREE - when its really NOT free when they buy postage BUT I give them the list of ways to earn extras and they do all that I ask - at least so far LOL
Tonja

[ilovecharms]

I'm gonna try this! I'm also telling all my consultant friends about this.

Thanks so much Tonja.

[Sterling Silver Mary]

Hi Tonya & Gerri

Great ideas Tonya, thanks for sharing.

I don't take the replace the stamps approach but it sounds great.

In reality, if you send 50 cards, that will cost you $12 ($13 soon when stamps go up) If just 1 of those people come who otherwise maybe wouldn't have gotten a card from the hostess, it is well worth it. That 1 person could be a great sale, your next hostess or even the next rep on your team. I know that by getting that guest there it is well worth the 24 cents I spent on her!

I also make the reminder calls myself - this is a great service to my hostesses, takes me way less time than it would take them and in reality, if left to the hostess, it often doesn't get done.

Good luck, let us know how it works out for you

Mary

[ilovecharms]

Thanks Mary,

I can see how much of a benefit it is to mail the invites whether you get the stamps back or not.

Thanks all for your great insight,

Gerri'

[jewelryladi]

I already know the benefit of sending your own invites . . . I do it whenever I can . . . but what do we do to MOTIVATE the hostess to actually get off her proverbial duff and send it in?

I've tried drawing with honey (offering a gift) and vinegar (threatening to cancel the show if I don't get the invites out.) Most abslutely milk the last minute!

Current hostess is almost as busy as I am and has not returned 2 phone calls I left her! The first call was to inquire about moving her show up a week to ensure better selection. Guess it's too late for that now.

Short of showing up at her place and stalking her, what should I do?

I've had a lot of parties where guest lists were unnecessary or irrelevant. Several have been at an apartment building where we just needed to post flyers, and the rest was done by verbal invites. I've had one where I handed 20 blank envelopes to the hostess, who handed them to people at church.

These have been successful, but they don't apply to every party, and don't make for the kind of games that encourage attendance.

[tonja]

When I meet with host to discuss her party I give her a sheet to write out her guest list on, set a time to come back to pick it up - sometimes it is more work then it should be and seems like bugging the Host BUT then again THEY are the ones who contacted YOU about a party

BUT there are some that no matter what they are never happy - I just picked up orders from a host who did a book party( she booked off a inhome show last month)When setting it up we decided on the 2 weeks time frame, as I was going to be out of town - she had this in writing PLUS from our talk - well she emails me the weekend it is due says she will close it Wed and can I come over Thursday - cant get ahold of her on the phone, email her remind will be out of town Tue-Sat

So anyway I get with her this last Tue to pick it up -4 orders total $171 (and she did not charge correctly on one order so I will have to ask for the extra money) SHE herself did not order - sales were not high enough for any pick her own items - just the basic FREE things - she was mad - Well SHE was the one who wouldnt do a home show so people could see and feel items

Buy the time this is all said and done I will have made NOTHING from this party after my cost of catalogs, flyers, order forms, bags, postage, ink, paper, gas to her house assorted times and then the many hours I spent getting things together, trying to contact her, talking to her, emailing her, entering party, checking order when it arrives, bagging order, delivering to her

BUT it is yet ANOTHER way that my name has gotten around - So I TRY my best to stay possitive AND that is ALL we can do when in this line of work LOL

[ilovecharms]

It's comforting to know that we all go through the same things. I had someone who called me about doing a party flake out big time this week. I had my suspicions early one when she didn't return my calls, emails or acknowledge some catalogs I left at her house. One time when I called her I was sure she was the one who answered and the person (her) said she wasn't home! Drives me crazy!!! No more chances for her. I spent too much time already and wasted a night I could have used for someone else.

Thanks for letting me vent!

Have a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend.

Gerri'

[ravish30]

I set a date. If the host has her guest list back to me on or before that date, I give them a little free gift. It's usually enough of an incentive to get the guest lists turned in on time.

I mail out the invitations myself for the ones on the guest list, however, I do give the party host an additional 5 invitations for her to hand out incase she wants to invite someone that she didn't have on the guest list that she already gave to me. (aka last minute invites or something like that)