The Piranha Party Plan Consultant
While I was writing my recent post on the last two Sales Experiences I have had this week, I was reminded of a conversation I had with a friend I went to school with who contacted me with some questions about hosting a home party in her house.
Knowing that I work with Home Party Plan Consultants all over the world, she came to me for support on how to Hostess a successful home party.
The conversation that ensued highlighted one of the problems with the “old school” trainings still being taught today.
Last week I received an email via Facebook that read:
“Hey, so I want to have a *company* Party in my home to kinda welcome the new wives in the neighborhood, get everyone together, etc since all of our husbands just deployed again. What do I need to do to have a good party? And before you ask, NO I am not signing up, NO I am not interested in doing parties and NO I would not make a “perfect consultant.” Thanks.”
I laughed as I responded simply “I see, so you have met a Piranha Party Consultant too.”
My friend Jamie is a 20-something military wife with three children, and a fourth due in the fall.
She is in school to become a Registered Nurse, and is really the perfect image of a “Soccer Mom” -organized, fun, social, smart- in other words, a Party Plan Consultant’s Dream Hostess.
Notice I said “Hostess”
The Piranha Party Consultant
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Over the next two days Jamie and I talked about her experience with her Piranha Party Consultant at length.
She had hosted a very successful home party, complete with high sales, bookings, even guests interested in the business.
Jamie said that from the moment the party ended, her Piranha called, texted, wrote letters, emails, every few days – all trying to recruit her into the business.
This continued, Jamie said, for nearly a YEAR. “It got so bad I actually told her my husband had gotten orders to move, just so she would quit calling.”
Now, Jamie and I were both raised in the South, where it is incredibly frowned upon to be out-right RUDE to anyone – over anything.
She said that she had tried to decline the Piranha’s offers in several different ways, from “I just do not think I would be good at it” to “I really just do not have the time to put into the business.”
In all fairness, Jamie never came out and directly said “No I absolutely DO NOT want to EVER be a consultant.”
However, the Consultant did not understand this basic Party Plan Truth:
Not every great Customer makes a great Hostess, Not every great Hostess makes a great Consultant.
Jamie never had another party with this Consultant, and in fact, she warned her friends against Hostessing their scheduled parties with her.
The Piranha Party Consultant lost a great Hostess, several potential Hostesses, and who knows how many sales, all because she continued to use the old techniques that unfortunately are still being taught today.
Because Jamie never *technically* said “NO!” her Consultant continued to try, continued to push, (I am certain because that is how we ALL were taught) and ultimately pushed her too far, and lost it all.
Jamie was/is the perfect Hostess.
She enjoys the social aspect of the party, and likes to earn free stuff in exchange for offering up her home for a party, cooking orderves, getting a babysitter for her kids, and inviting all of her friends over for a fun afternoon of shopping and mingling.
She is not necessarily a “Customer” – she would rather have the party.
She is not a good candidate for the business, mostly because she doesn’t WANT to do parties.
The Piranha Consultant tried to push Jamie into a role she didn’t like or want, and has left a bad experience for her AND her guests.
Luckily, Jamie is giving being a Hostess another chance, though apprehensively, in hopes her new consultant will understand this simple rule.
The moral to this story:
Everyone has a place in the Party Plan Industry – some as great Customers, some as great Hostesses, and some as great Consultants.
Do not try to PUSH anyone into a different role.
Reward and RESPECT your great Customers, your great Hostesses, and your great Consultants – they are ALL what makes YOUR business a success!
