Create A Cash Flow Show

This is the second of the three part article, Create Cash Flow After The Show. Yes you can increase your sales after the show. Cash After Show is the acronym for 13 secrets to generating sales after the show. If you haven’t done so yet check out the article posted on May 30th to see what the first 4 secrets are in the Cash part of Cash After Show. Today’s post will focus on the AFTER part of the acronym Cash After Show. Remember that in order to have Cash Flow After The Show, you must have Cash Flow before the show! The reason is that you can not stop a moving train. So let’s keep working on that train so that it will keep rolling after the show.

The A is for Attitude and Ask

It always comes back to attitude, doesn’t it?! Your attitude about the orders before and after the show affects the outcome tremendously. When you position yourself (positively)with the attitude that it is normal for everyone to have orders before and after the show, then they will. When you position yourself (negatively) that it is hard or pushy, or asking too much of the host, then it will be. Your attitude will determine your hosts’ willingness to collect orders. So your attitude will determine the outcome. Position yourself as a sales professional that always has good shows for the host, and you always will. The other part of A is for Ask for what you want. That means be specific. You may have noticed that I said have 8 orders when I arrive…. I did not say our goal is to have some orders, or that all good hosts collect orders, or that extra orders will give you more free products. I said “Our goal is to have 8 orders before I arrive.” I set a specific bar. Another example is to say “When we have 16-21 guests in attendance, I can guarantee a $1000 show” or whatever it is you are saying. The specific numbers here are not the point. Pick out numbers that work for your business, and remember to go high and be specific. These examples are just that. The things that you ask for specifically are unique to your business. It may be that you ask them to have 2 friends lined up in advance to host a show, or what ever you specifically want. Your Attitude about the ability to reach those specifics and the bar that you set when you ask for what you want will create specific results. Vague statements will result in vague returns.

The F is for Fun and Focus

When your attitude is positioned professionally and you are asking for what you want, the next step is fun and focus. Always have fun, as a part of your attitude. Without the sales rep having fun, then the host won’t have fun either. Be silly in your messages, make fun of yourself, tell the host how much fun it is being a consultant.  Have fun! If you are not having fun, then your host will think it is too much work to collect orders or even to have a show. Stay focused on your specifics that you asked for. In Host Coaching 101 on the study set Create A Cash Flow Show, we talked for more than an hour on host coaching, so I am not going to go into that now. Your focus on your specifics must be carried through continuously in every area of contact you have with the host. Every time you talk to the host, email him/her, leave a message, send a note or card, or web announcement, be sure you focus in a fun way on your specific things you asked for. Every single time you contact the host be focused on your specifics and have fun doing it.

The T is for Tell

Tell your host how it works. We think that she knows how it works and that is because we are conditioned to it. If the host is not comfortable collecting orders, then she won’t do it. Tell her about how the order forms work, the tax, and the payment plan. Tell her how to take credit cards or who to make the checks out to. Tell her what is on special and tell her word choices on how to generate interest in products. Tell her when we plan to close the show. I usually say “In order for our guest to get their orders quickly, our goal is to submit the show within one week of our show date. It is easier when you collect the money as you go along, instead of having to go back later and collect it”. This does a few things. First it implies subliminally that we will have time to collect extra orders after the show and it also establishes the fact that we will not be keeping it open for a month, while at the same time encouraging her/him to get the money when the order is placed. Tell your host how it works so that she/he is comfortable with the process. When I say TELL. I really mean discuss, explain have a conversation and interact, but tell her the facts. Don’t be wishy-washy!

E is for Energy and Enthusiasm

Did you notice how we never get away from the Attitude part! Your energy and enthusiasm is what makes or breaks your business. I am talking about physical and emotional energy. When you are excited and are able to translate that through the phone, letter, card, internet and into the host, then she too will have the energy and enthusiasm to get this locomotive rolling so that we can not stop it after the show is held. Stand up and wave your arms when talking on the phone. Talk in a higher pitch voice. Hand-write notes, even on preprinted cards. Be perky. You may be saying that I am nuts at this point, and I am here to tell you that the only time you will come through as being energetic and enthusiastic is when you overact to the point that you think it is ridiculous. Energy and enthusiasm does not go through the media well. You must overact so that your host catches your energy and enthusiasm so that she in turn can transfer that to the guests.

Remind, Remind, Remind

The R in AFTER if for remind, remind, remind. Always remind your host continuously of what your/her goals are. Every single time you talk, leave a message, or communicate in any way of form, remind her of the specifics that you are asking for and of the fun and excitement we are all having! Remind, remind, remind!

So that is the After in the Cash After Show acronym for generating sales after the show. I know you are thinking that we haven’t even talked about the after the show yet. Well, that is tomorrow. The first part of Cash Flow After The Show is having cash flow before the show, and creating a train that won’t stop. When you have done all 9 of the secrets we have already talked about, this train is really rolling and it won’t stop when the show is held. Once those orders start coming in, they keep coming. My experience is that any host that has 8 orders before the show can usually come up with close to that after the show as well.

So, check back tomorrow for the last 4 secrets to developing Cash Flow After The Show.