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I have been in a Hostess Club with the same group of women for almost 2 years and just last month I decided to become a demonstrator myself.
I am not planning on starting a hostess group, I simply wanted to offer friends another option for 10 for $10's or Stamp-A-Stacks (and get a discount!). However, my upline told me that I cannot invite the women from my Hostess Club to my 10 for $10 or Stamp-A-Stack events because they are her customers. I do understand that those women are her customers, but they're also my friends and I feel bad not inviting them to events that I am sponsoring. I've had a few of them ask me about events I am holding and I don't really know how to respond. I would like to invite them to events that I sponsor and if I do solicit any sales, I would be MORE than happy to pass them on to my upline as to not take sales from her. Additionally, my upline told me that the women I introduced to her are "fair game" to invite to my events - so I can invite those 3 people but no others???
Please help! Am I being unreasonable? Should I tell the women who ask about the events that I have planned? Should I explain to them that they "can't" come to my events? I don't want to cause hard feelings at all, but I just feel very awkward and uncomforatable having to "hide" the events I do from 10 women who have become my friends.
If these women are coming to you ASKING YOU about your events, I see no reason why you shouldn't tell them all about them.
While it would be inconsiderate of you to try to "steal" customers from your upline, I also think it is WAY out of line of your upline to tell you that you can't invite whomever you choose.
Also, as a customer, I would be highly miffed with your upline if she tried to prevent me from going to whatever event I felt moved to attend, and I would not remain her customer for long.
I don't think you should rush out and try to coax her people to your parties, but there isn't any reason why they can't go to both. If they are your friends, they might get offended if you don't at least mention your events.
Maybe you should try talking to the upline and tell her how you feel?
JMO
If you were approaching her customers and inviting them to your events, that would be wrong. However....these are your friends and they are approaching you. If they want to attend your events, they can. The last time I checked, we did not own our customers, or make decisions for them. Just my 2 cents.
Danielle,
Boy does your upline have some balls!
What she is doing is wrong. Yes, you CAN and SHOULD invite those friends to your classes/workshops. Leave it up to them where they want to go. It will NOT take business away from your upline, actually, it will add to her bottom line, as she should be collecting off your sales anyway. (by the way DO NOT pass your sales off to your upline.)
Think of it this way.... customers who shop at Walm@rt also are free to shop at T@rget. There is plenty of money to be spent here, there and everywhere.
Congratulations on becoming a demo! No matter if you are a hobbyist, or someone out to make a million dollars, its great fun!
As a side note, you might try to find other demos in your area to get with to trade ideas, and even some stamp time with. Commerodery really gets the juices flowing!
Nope, I say invite them! She is your upline and still making money off any order that you do get and she did not have to do all the work for that percentage. I would make it clear to the ladies that it is a stamp a stack and they are under no obligation to order from you. If these ladies are your friends they will want to come to your stamp a stack. Afterall what if in one year the SU! business does not work out for you or just become a hobby demo, you will still want to be friends with these ladies and not have hard feelings b/c you would not invite them to your functions. If I were your friend (I am not a demo) I would want to come just to do new projects.
__________________ Admit to nothing...even if they have pictures! My Blog: Pam's Pride
I currently use 5 stampin' up demos. I go with the one who can offer me the best class, the best special, or the best advice- depending on what I need. They each have their strengths.
If they are you friends- you can certainly invite them, but do not try and poach customers who are not your friends (which it doesn't seem like you are doing) It is not up to the demo who buys from her- it is up to the customer!
Oh yeah! And take the orders for yourself if people do want to order. Perhaps it will encourage your upline to be more creative and have more functions herself for them to order at. I see it as a win win situation if I was the customer.
__________________ Admit to nothing...even if they have pictures! My Blog: Pam's Pride
I am a demo, and I say invite them. In my area we are so saturated with demos it is crazy. I have VERY good friends who demo hop! My great friend says she enjoys "spreading her wealth"...lol The way I see it, everyone benefits. Your customers <and theirs> see lots of new ideas and styles. Which in turn makes them buy more! Cause you know...you can never have too many stamps!
Thanks everyone for your responses! As I said in my original statement, I don't want to cause any hard feelings at all or "hurt" anyone's feelings ... I just felt REALLY uncomfortable last night at my hostess club when people were asking me about the events I'm holding - I just kinda avoided the topic and changed the subject.
The other thing I wanted to add was that I know my upline's upline invites some of her customers to events, which is another reason I wasn't really sure why exactly I "couldn't" invite "her" customers to my events. Does that make sense!?!
And, again, like I said, I really just wanted to give my friends another option when it comes to stamping events - I am not in this to make $, just as a way to have friends come together to stamp and have fun!
I think you very eloquently said what you should in turn mention to your upline. You are not being malisious in anyway. You are willing to give her the sales if there are any. By being secretive of your fun shops you will in the end loose your friends, and in my opinion there is not a business on the planet worth that. Friendships take priority in my opinion. I personally do not see anything wrong with inviting them to your funshops, I would however pass on the commission or the sales from THEM ONLY to your upline. If they bring friends that is yours. I would sit your upline down and have a heart to heart, explain that you are being asked what you are doing with your business . You do not want to ly to your friends, you want to keep them as friends. By talking it out together maybe you two can come to a agreement on the fine details so no one gets hurt or offended.
I am a demo, and I say invite them. In my area we are so saturated with demos it is crazy. I have VERY good friends who demo hop! My great friend says she enjoys "spreading her wealth"...lol The way I see it, everyone benefits. Your customers <and theirs> see lots of new ideas and styles. Which in turn makes them buy more! Cause you know...you can never have too many stamps!
I agree Kelly - I love going to other demo's events as I always learn new ideas and it's fun to have a variety of events to chose from. I never viewed it as demo's "competing" against one another. It's all one big community and if I chose to go to events with 10 different demo's that should be okay!
When I was a demo I was in a VERY similar situation and it made for tough times. Bottom line----NO Demo OWNS any customer. If a customer chooses to ask about another demo's specials, classes, etc., that is THEIR choice.
It's actually a great way to keep demos offering their very best to customers--competition keeps quality and customer service at its best IMO.
If your friends asked about your business at your uplines class, I would tell them that you would love to have them "visit" your classes but you know that they are your uplines customers. Say that IN FRONT of your upline -now you can let your friends know about your upcoming events and your upline knows you told your fiends the rules! A round about way to say that you love your friends but your upline doesn't want to share!
Wow, sounds like you have a lot of great advice already given. I will reiterate the point though where if they are asking you, it's not stealing customers. And ditto to DO NOT PASS OFF SALES TO YOUR UPLINE!!! She is way out of line with giving you these rules to follow.
Lot's of people love to go to many different events whether it's for social time, or they are addicts like us!!
Sorry this is how your first business encounter had to start!
Location: prolly in my 'rubber room'... in the mid-west
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the customer has the right to make the choice!
i wasn't happy with the first demo i was using and when another came along that i did like... i switched.
that phone call was kind of ackward... but i hadn't heard from the first demo in months.
i made the decision, that is my right.
this isn't exactly what you are dealing with... but the choice is the customers. there are other demos in my area that offer stamp-a-stacks and stuff but i choose not to attend them. i prefer what my demo offers. MY CHOICE!
No one owns customers. Before I became a demo I was actively searching for one that fit my style, so placed with a few different ones. HOWEVER, if your friends are asking you for details about your events at your upline's events, I feel it is only courteous to say nicely something like "I'd love to tell you all about it, but right now, let's stick to what ________ is showing us! What a cool technique!" I think that is more professional, and will make a great impression on everyone.
__________________ julia www.juliascreativemusings.blogspot.com
Again - thank you all for the fantastic advice!
I think I'll have to schedule a time to sit down with my upline and explain the confusion/frustration/uncomfortable feelings I am having. I'm sure it'll all work out in the end.....
I think you need to follow your instinct on this one. You will know if you don't feel right about this. I would go ahead and invite people to these events. If they buy from you than take the sales that are offered. Hugs to you. I hope you can figure out a good medium and be able to stick with it.
No one owns customers. Before I became a demo I was actively searching for one that fit my style, so placed with a few different ones. HOWEVER, if your friends are asking you for details about your events at your upline's events, I feel it is only courteous to say nicely something like "I'd love to tell you all about it, but right now, let's stick to what ________ is showing us! What a cool technique!" I think that is more professional, and will make a great impression on everyone.
Very tactful!
To the OP: if you get any sales from these people, they are yours not your upline's. You're doing all the work. As a customer, if I was told I couldn't order from someone in my club who just became a new demo, I would definitely be switching. If your friends are asking you about workshops or whatever tell them. However, in all fairness, do not tell them what your upline told you. That's between you and her.
I would think this happens a lot. You work with a demo for a while, start feeling comfortable in what you can do and are doing, and decide to become one yourself. You would know and probably make friends in the classes you take with your demo and some of those people would come to some of your classes too. I have a main demo that I use, usually book my parties through, but she knows I "fool around" with another demo, I do a stamp club with her. Both are totally different from each other, they know each other but they aren't uplines or downlines from each other, and neither have a problem with any of this. And with my main demo, I have talked to her about becoming a demo myself and I even said something about friends that I have that come to her classes - what if they come to mine? And she just said basically, so what? That happens. She would never make me feel that people I already have a friendship with couldn't either follow me or come to classes that I held. And frankly if she said that to me, I wouldn't become a demo under her because I would envision lots of problems in the future.
If they are asking what you are doing then invite them - it is a free world...
By not inviting them they may loose interest in what you are doing AND what your upline is doing...
I would say if you hold a class and someone wants to purchase something from you - you take the order...chances are if they are already in a hostess club they will wait and place their order with the person doing the hostess club anyway...
A lot of times people just want to get out of the house and create...
My upline and I share a few customers (and we usually fight over who is going to take the order - "You take it...no you take it" )
__________________ Jenni -Happy SU Demo - MY GALLERY & MY CHAOTIC LIFE One kid makes you a Parent - Two makes you a Referee
Yes, it's a customer's choice and yes, demos don't own customers, BUT...
That demo did a lot of footwork to start her hostess club and business. It would be wrong, in my opinion, to use her customer pool. That being said, if some of the ladies were you friends prior to or outside of the club, usually friends follow friends. If ladies ask you about your events, I would divert per the suggestion above and then call them outside of the club and let them know what you have available. I would not talk about your business at your upline's business event. (Which sounds like that is what you were doing.) It would be wrong to advertise at her events. Target does not advertise in Wal-mart.
Also, Target does not give their sales to Wal-mart just because they sell the same thing. Whatever "store" the customer is in at the time of purchase makes the sale.
Here's a thought...rather than just automatically taking the sales from your friends or automatically passing on the sales, why not say something like, "Ya know, if you still want to order from X, that's fine with me. I'm not offended at all. I just had this event tonight for the stamping fun. Please don't feel obligated to order something."
That puts the ball back in their court. They can say, "But I'd rather order from you" or "Well...I do feel a little disloyal if I don't order from her." And you can go from there.
I've had a downline sign up, and I was the upline. She had intro'd me to people who became my customers, then she signed up. She and I have discussed this openly, but when people would call me (some even still had FunShops booked when she signed), I'd say something to the effect of, "Did you know that X has become a demo now? Have you thought about how convenient it would be to use her now?" I know I lost some FunShops, and I've not heard from most of those customers, but she's servicing them quite nicely and doing a fantastic job! ;-) In fact, she's doing an awesome job!
It can be awkward, but you just have to be open and kind about it when discussing it. :-)
__________________ Diane H.
TAC Demonstrator #1484/Manager, Smilin' Stampers My TAC SiteMy BLOG
Yes, it's a customer's choice and yes, demos don't own customers, BUT...
That demo did a lot of footwork to start her hostess club and business. It would be wrong, in my opinion, to use her customer pool. That being said, if some of the ladies were you friends prior to or outside of the club, usually friends follow friends. If ladies ask you about your events, I would divert per the suggestion above and then call them outside of the club and let them know what you have available. I would not talk about your business at your upline's business event. (Which sounds like that is what you were doing.) It would be wrong to advertise at her events. Target does not advertise in Wal-mart.
Also, Target does not give their sales to Wal-mart just because they sell the same thing. Whatever "store" the customer is in at the time of purchase makes the sale.
Good luck with your new business!
I definitely agree with you!! She HAS put in a LOT of effort into building her customer base, which is precisely why I feel that this whole situation is just awkward....
Also, I wanted to clairify that I did not bring up the issue that I was becoming a demo at the hostess club last night - one of my friends mentioned it to another girl and before I knew it, everyone was talking about it!! :confused: I kept changing the subject as I just felt uncomfortable talking about it, as you said, at my upline's event.
My main concern here is that I don't want "Sally" to hear from "Susie" that I invited Susie to an event I held, but I didn't invite Sally b/c Sally is my upline's customer. I feel like I've developed friendships with all of the women in my group (some more than others) and I feel that if any one of them wanted to come to one of my classes, they should be able to regardless of who's customer they are.
I've had other women in the group ask me to go to other demo's events and if I was able to, I went - so I see this as no different.
Anyway, I really do appreciate everyone's advice ... I want this to be a positive experience for everyone and I'm one of those people who probably cares too much about what others think, so I'm just nervous about stepping on toes!!
I am a Tastefully Simple Consultant and feel that my downline should take their friends into their customer base. It makes for a smoother flow into the business and I make a percentage on my downlines sales anyway. GOOD LUCK to you!
__________________ Katie The TS Lady [B]There is no way of knowing which direction we are going~ Willy Wonka
Bella Bonanza SWAP
I met my current demo through the internet, she was the only one of 6 in my area that kept in touch with me about current goings on. Through a girl I met on here I actually met and attended some of her uplines meetings, but the upline was so great about saying to me, "I would rather you order though XYZ, if you place an order, so that she gets the benefits of it", so I have always done that, it made me feel much more comfortable knowing I was welcome at either event and that either was fine with me placing an order with my original demo. I love the suggestion of telling folks that they don't need to feel obligated to order through you if they feel more comfortable ordering from the other person.
__________________ Lisa C., Mom to 3 great kids, 3 super dogs and an cat that thinks she is a dog! My Gallery
I know that you've gotten lots of responses...but just wanted to add a thought~
my upline (who is also a friend!) and I SHARE our customer lists. We try to hold our workshops on different weekends (and always tell the other what ideas we have planned and invite each other!!) so that the customer has an option of which ws works better. We also always let our customers know when the other one's ws will be. I have had my uplines "customers" come to my ws and order from me....I have been to her ws and have had her announce that I'm also holding ws's and if any of her customer's are interested, give me or her their info so that they can be added to "my" list.....there are no hard feelings...sometimes what I am doing is something that they haven't tried before, or the weekend just works out better for their schedule. I think that I have the ideal situation!! Hopefully, you can work something out!!
BTW, she can't tell anyone who they can buy from. Customers are always right, and if someone told me I couldn't go to another demos workshops, that previous demo would no longer be my demo.
If they are your own friends, they may want to order from you and attend your events over hers! You can always tell them that they can order from her, but it is the customer's choice!
One of my friends (new demo) just signed up to demo under my own demo (old demo) recently. I have know them about the same amount of time and am closer to the more experienced demo (old demo). She very graciously said to me, "I know you are friends with new demo and may prefer to go to her events and order from her instead of me and I am interested in helping her promote her business so it is okay with me if you become her new customer!" I was very impressed with old demo as I know I am one of her top three customers! I told old demo that I really did want to attend and even purchase some items from new demo, but that I didn't want to leave her without my business totally! Then again, I would have been hurt had my friend, new demo, not ask me to any of her stamp events, either! As it is, I order from old demo much more frequently, but try to order from new demo at least every three months to help her out. They both send me invitations and I like to get them both! It works out great for me as I still get to see them both!
__________________ IIII*IIII*IIII*IIII*IIII*IIII*IIII*IIII*IIII*IIII* IIII*IIII*IIII* Take only photographs, leave only footprints.
I am an SU demo and I always make sure I say to anyone who signs up with me...you take your friends, I will find other customers who enjoy stamping. I say it a few times so they know...I mean who wants to have awkwardness between stamping buddies. (I do miss those customers who have also become my friends.)
Update: my upline phoned SU to ask what their view is on customer "sharing" (as this is what this sort of is) and evidentally they frown upon it. So, that being said, I don't think I will be contacting any of the women from my group. If they do keep asking me about events, I will tell them as it would seem odd to "hide" it from them. Anyway, I am glad to know where SU stands on this issue as (like some of you have said) I imagine it happens a lot!
Thanks again everyone for all your help - I am SO EXCITED about being a demo and sharing this awesome craft with all of my friends! And, I am so grateful for all of the support I'm already getting from SCS!! You guys RULE!
I have been in a Hostess Club with the same group of women for almost 2 years and just last month I decided to become a demonstrator myself.
I am not planning on starting a hostess group, I simply wanted to offer friends another option for 10 for $10's or Stamp-A-Stacks (and get a discount!). However, my upline told me that I cannot invite the women from my Hostess Club to my 10 for $10 or Stamp-A-Stack events because they are her customers. I do understand that those women are her customers, but they're also my friends and I feel bad not inviting them to events that I am sponsoring. I've had a few of them ask me about events I am holding and I don't really know how to respond. I would like to invite them to events that I sponsor and if I do solicit any sales, I would be MORE than happy to pass them on to my upline as to not take sales from her. Additionally, my upline told me that the women I introduced to her are "fair game" to invite to my events - so I can invite those 3 people but no others???
Please help! Am I being unreasonable? Should I tell the women who ask about the events that I have planned? Should I explain to them that they "can't" come to my events? I don't want to cause hard feelings at all, but I just feel very awkward and uncomforatable having to "hide" the events I do from 10 women who have become my friends.
Thanks in advance!
Huh? You're kidding, right? (Sorry if I sound snarky - I'm PMSing!).
I believe that when you choose to recruit (and it is a choice), you run the risk of losing some business to your new recruit because that new recruit will probably take her friends on as customers. In my opinion, this is simply part of the cost of doing business. I believe that your upline had no right to tell you that you "can't" invite your friends to your events. Since we don't have territories, it really is ultimately the customer's choice. Don't worry about what your upline thinks. You're trying to build your business, too, and I would think she would understand that.
Ewww that's really getting strict on su's part.
I say it's up to your friends to go where they want..i would follow my friend of course..i'm as loyal as a St. Bernard..lol..but i would also make a few orders or classes with the other..not many but only cause i hate hirt feelings..but also no-one can tell me where to go..so if they do come to your house on a nite they know about..whats the other demo going to do..go drag their butts out of there..nuh uh..let your friends decide..that's "Gail's rule".
good luck and have fun with your new venture.
loves ya
__________________ Gail
When the world says give up, hope whispers, try one more time.
I am not a demo for SU but I was a sales director for the Pampered Chef and had 30 people in my downline. One of the side effects of beginning your own downline is losing some of your customers. I actually WANTED that to happen - first of all, because it's natural for people to want to support their friend, and secondly, as a good manager, it was my job to help them get their business going. If you upline is not secure enough in her own ability to grow her business, perhaps building a downline is not for her.
I used to sell Mary Kay and I had my director come and do an open house here in my home when I first signed up, just so I could see how those things sorta flowed. When I was asking my guests if they had ever used the products before, if they're answer was yes she would jump in and tell them that they could ONLY buy from me that day because they were the customers of other demos!!! I couldn't believe it!!! To tell my mom that she couldn't buy her products from me because she used to buy from the lady that used to live across from her. I was shocked!!! So where I'm going with this (lol sorry pregnancy brain) is that most if not all home based sales companies have this "golden rule"
If you are already a demo, I would call SU yourself to get an answer. It seems VERY odd to me that they wouldn't allow that. Reading what your upline is saying is leaving a bad feeling in my chest and the bottom line is, business is business and when you get downlines you WILL loose customers of your own. If she is any good at what she does she should be able to recruit new customers for herself. You may even want to look into getting a new upline!!! JMO...
When I became a new demo my upline told me that my group of friends were now my customers. When people signed up under me, it was always understood that their group of friends were now their customers. I think your upline is .... (well I can't really say it nicely, so) being a jerk.
New Demo - Uncomfortable Situation - Advice?
