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If a customer places an order (not during a workshop or party) if it's in the range where a hostess of a party would earn a hostess set and an award, do you let the individual customer take advantage of that?
I'm thinking of placing a very large order individually (I don't do parties) and I don't really wanna sound "cheap" and ask my SU lady about this.
Heck yes!!! Get your hostess benefits! If you can stand to wait. . . Sell-a-Bration is right around the corner in Jan/Feb! Free sets for every $50 you spend!
Heck yes!!! Get your hostess benefits! If you can stand to wait. . . Sell-a-Bration is right around the corner in Jan/Feb! Free sets for every $50 you spend!
I'm actually putting all of the craft pads and several stamp sets and other misc. items on my Christmas list. I'm thinking my order should be easily around $500. My mom and SIL think I'm hard to buy for, so they're going to get me my SU list together. I've just never had my demo offer me any sort of benefit for large orders. I spent $181 the other day, and should have gotten the $150 benefit, right?
If you place an order at a Hostess workshop the Hostess gets credit for all sales. Personally if a customer calls me with an order over $150 I consider her a Hostess and she gets all benefits.
__________________ Jeanne S - Inky Paws SCS Moderator
Sounds like your demo kept the hostess benefits for herself. I would certainly ask her about it before you place any more large orders with her. If she doesn't agree to give you the benefits, then I would think it's time to find a new demo.
Sounds like your demo kept the hostess benefits for herself. I would certainly ask her about it before you place any more large orders with her. If she doesn't agree to give you the benefits, then I would think it's time to find a new demo.
I agree! If you spend more than $150 you should get the benefits!
You should talk to your demo. Keep in mind, SU offers hostess benefits for "workshops", not large orders. Workshops introduce new people to stamping and permit a demo to enlarge her circle of customers, while a large order doesn't. That being said, however, you should talk to your demo, because many demos will turn in your large order as a workshop if you ask. On the other hand, many demos rely on the hostess benefits they receive when they host their own events or take orders - they need it to replenish their cardstock & other supplies they use for workshops. All of those expenses come out of the the demo's pocket, without any reimbursment from SU.
Short answer: you're not entitled according to SU terms, but talk to your demo.
Maybe you should speak with your Demo. Another thing you might want to think about is becoming a Demo yourself. That way you would get a discount.
Do you actually have to participate (i.e., host workshops, recruit customers, etc.) if you're a Demo, or can you just use it to get the discount? Are there a lot of people that just do it for the discount? I see how hard my Demo works and there's NO WAY I could do all of that right now.
You can just meet the minimums yourself ($300 a quarter). The Starter Kit is $199 - you get tons of great stuff in it - just the stamps, inks and tools are worth more than $199.
__________________ Jeanne S - Inky Paws SCS Moderator
SU doesn't have workshop or recruiting requirements for demonstrators; you can become a demonstrator by signing up and buying the demonstrator kit; all you need to do to remain active is keep selling (or ordering!!!) the minimum of $300 (retail) per calendar quarter.
Do you actually have to participate (i.e., host workshops, recruit customers, etc.) if you're a Demo, or can you just use it to get the discount? Are there a lot of people that just do it for the discount? I see how hard my Demo works and there's NO WAY I could do all of that right now.
I signed up as a demo just for the discount, but when SU had an awesome promotion last April to get hostess sets from the upcoming catalog I started having technique classes in my house. But if you're going to sign up, wait until January for the Sell-A-bration promotion to start and you'll get another free set in addition to the 5 that come in the starter kit.
Someone else mentioned that it was against SU policy to give hostess benefits to someone who doesn't "host" a workshop. This is not true. If you place an individual order that is not part of someone else's workshop and it is at least $150 YOU should get the hostess benefits not your demo. To me that is not good business for the demo not to let you have the benefits you earned with your order. A hostess order is determined by the amount not the number of orders it takes to reach the threshold.
I speak the truth not so much as I would, but as much as I dare, .......and I dare a little more as I grow older. -Michel de Montaigne, essayist (1533-1592)
Someone else mentioned that it was against SU policy to give hostess benefits to someone who doesn't "host" a workshop. This is not true. If you place an individual order that is not part of someone else's workshop and it is at least $150 YOU should get the hostess benefits not your demo. To me that is not good business for the demo not to let you have the benefits you earned with your order. A hostess order is determined by the amount not the number of orders it takes to reach the threshold.
It's not against SU policy, and I don't think anybody said so. But SU offers hostess benefits as a sales promotion for "workshops", not large orders. So you're not "entitled" to the benefits and the question of whether you "should" get them is not a matter of SU policy. But as I said, talk to your demo; I don't know any demo who won't give hostess benefits for a large order.
If I have a customer who wants to place a personal order which is at least $150, then I let her have the hostess credits. While workshops are designed to introduce new guests to stamping, by giving a personal $150 order the hostess credit, I'm establishing a good relationship with my customer and she'll stay loyal to me.
I agree with the others that you really should consider becoming a SU demonstrator just to get the discount if you order enough to meet the quarterly minimum. If you have a few friends who also like to stamp, it's easy to make the minimum. That's how I started. I would wait until January, though, to sign up in order to get in during the "Sell-a-bration" promotion.
I'm a demo, and I would definitely give you the hostess benefits. Well, I say I would, but if you were placing the order at another hostesses party, I would have to give the benefits to her since she was the hostess of the event. But for an order that is just placed out of the blue, you bet I would give you benefits. So, let me be your demo! LOL Just joking. I really think you should talk to your demo and ask her if she would give you benefits for a large order that would qualify.
Now, as for an order the size of the one you are talking about placing, I would get the details about the starter kit from your demo. You could order the starter kit and then when you become a demo, you could order the rest of the stuff you wanted from yourself and get your own hostess benefits (if your order total comes to $150) and get to earn your 20% instant income. It's a great deal.
If you fail to meet your quarterly minimum sometime, it's no big deal. You just cease to be a demo. You still get to keep all the stuff you've bought in the starter kit and all of your orders, and that's that. No risk at all is involved.
Bonbonstamps is right, sign up to be a demo because the starter kit is worth it. Then as a demo buy whatever else you'd like to get with the discount (its 30% off your first order) and if in the 3-month period you don't make your quoto, it's okay. You still get to keep everything but will go inactive. But, if you think you might like to go further with it, make sure the person you sign up under is someone who will help you get your SU off the ground.
I would wait until January to make your order. You are only waiting another week to place the order. This is of course if you don't want to be a demo - and if you decide to be a demo, I would still wait until Jan/Feb. SU! usually (not guaranteed) has a pretty good sign up program during SAB.
If you have a $500 order DEMAND your benefits from your hostess. Technically, the person who said your demo doesn't have to give you hostess benefits for a book party, she is correct. I went and looked at the Demo manual, and they described getting benefits basically for a hostess show where the demo IS invited to the home. Another area stated that you can have a hostess order for any order over $150 and it can be a 1 person order or a numberous person order.
If your demo isn't giving you hostess benefits for orders over $150 that are placed outside of a workshop, then I would ask her why she didn't. She didn't have to do ANY work for the order (I mean prepping for a show, which takes a lot of time) and she kept the benefits for herself...that isn't right (IMO).
I would demand that your order be shipped directly to you. This also guarantees you would get all the hostess benefits and she isn't trying to keep anything from you.
If you wait until January and have a $500 order, you would get the following free:
11 SAB sets (1 for each $50 + 1 for reaching $300)
$60 in FREE merchandise
Painted Posies Hostess Appreciation set from the Winter Mini Catalog
2 Level 1 sets, OR 1 Level 1 & 1 Level 2 set OR 1 Level 3 set
I know there are only 6 SAB sets and you would have 5 extra, but if you order right away in January, you would have 5 sets to trade to get OTHER things that you would want - you would have great trading power with these in January (trade them in the Buy/Sell/Trade area. February is another story - there are such an over abundance of them it can be hard to trade them. After SAB, they have around a $10 trade value, at the beginning of SAB you may have a $15-$17 trade value, as the values normally are $16.95 in the catalogs. Even more important, the sets are ALL LIMITED EDITION this year, meaning they will not be available after SAB is over.
What is your hostess value in January versus December??? About $180 more with the SAB sets!!! But overall, here is the breakdown of benefits:
SAB sets: $16.95*11=186.45
Free Merchandise: $60
HA Set: $20.00
Hostess Set: $30
Total in December would be $110 value, January would be almost $300!!! If you keep all 6 sets you would have 5 extra with a trade value of around $75!!!
You would DEFINATELY want to have the order shipped to you or your demo may KEEP those extra sets without telling you keeping them for herself. You never know. But you should be in the know.
I always give hostess benefits for orders over $150 that are just call ins. I ship them directly to the customer as well. I also give them FREE catalogs for orders over $150 and little gifts. As I would do that for a hostess, and I didn't have to do all the prep work for the workshop!
If you do want to sign up to be a demo, don't feel you are obligated to sign up under the demo you are using. I'm saying this because if she is a hobby demo, she may not be a demo in 6 months, then you are left without an upline. Ask her what her goals are as a demo before you decide to sign up under her. You can find other demos in the demo finder on the SU! website. www.stampinup.com Make sure you sign up under someone with a business sense who has a lot of goals for continuing her SU! business and helping you with yours whether you decide to be a hobby demo or not doesn't matter. You can be a hobby demo this year, and maybe next year that would change. If this demo isn't around when you want to change your goals, well how would that help you?
WAIT TIL JANUARY TO PLACE YOUR ORDER...IT'S ONLY 2 MORE WEEKS OF WAITING!!!
You should talk to your demo. Keep in mind, SU offers hostess benefits for "workshops", not large orders. Workshops introduce new people to stamping and permit a demo to enlarge her circle of customers, while a large order doesn't.
Short answer: you're not entitled according to SU terms, but talk to your demo.
This doesn't sound fair...If a customer wants to spend that much money then they should get the hostess benfits.
Many of you all know that I am a TAC demo. and some of you don't well anyway. If I have a customer that wants to place a $100 or more I do it as a workshop. And they get all the benfits..That TAC has to offer them. Which would be 2 half price items and 20% off up to $150.
Of course our stamps are unmounted. But our supplies are super! So a Customer could do really well for themself by spending $100.00 or more
Before I became a demo, I went to a party, placed a $200 order, got no benefits. When I got home I realized what a dope I was!! It is a tricky situation at home parties, because the woman "hostessing" the event went through the trouble of putting on the event, sending invitations, putting out food, etc. She should get the hostess benefits under that situation, IMHO.
Long story short, now I'm a demo and control my own destiny. There are lots of different demos with different styles. Some are the traditional party sellers; others buy only from themselves and everything in between.
I don't do parties, so every customer gets the hostess benefits if she orders the right amount. And, I think most demos accept direct orders from customers even if they also do parties and you would get the beneftis.
I agree with the previous posters. If your demo balks, get another demo, or become one yourself.
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
I would encourage you to take advantage of the offer. Would it make you come back to me for more supplies? I would have to think so. I would also offer you party-type incentives if you were in the range of what a hostess would bring in and I had a special going. It's all about wow-ing and keeping your customers motivated and coming back. I'd also have to think about how much you are spending and advise you if it would be more beneficial for you to become a demo and buy from yourself. Just some of my thoughts.
Not only do I think you should get the benefits, I also try to reward my customers every time they spend $100 with me, starting with giving them their very own catalog. But, that's a totally personal decision.
With the ordering system that is in place now, only orders entered in as "hostess" orders are eligible for hostess benefits. This leads some demos to believe that only hostesses are entitled to benefits. But as another poster explained, the manual does say that a hostess order can have only one customer, and that customer can also be entered as the hostess for the order.
When the new ordering system is in place in the US (SU is testing it now in Canada), all orders except supply orders (for catalogs, paperwork, and other business supplies) will be eligible for hostess orders. In many ways this will be a much easier system, because (as I understand it) when an order is entered as a customer order, the demo entering the order in will be prompted to enter in the hostess benefits if the order reaches over $150.
I would give your demo the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps she just didn't realize that an individual order could be placed as a hostess order. I know other demos who have made the same mistake and were horrified to learn that their own $200+ personal orders could have been earning them hostess benefits!!!
If a customer places an order (not during a workshop or party) if it's in the range where a hostess of a party would earn a hostess set and an award, do you let the individual customer take advantage of that?
I'm thinking of placing a very large order individually (I don't do parties) and I don't really wanna sound "cheap" and ask my SU lady about this.
Any help is appreciated.
What's all this talk about "demanding" benefits, dumping her demo, and indignant responses regarding what other demos would or would not do??? Read the post, ladies: her demo didn't tell her she couldn't have hostess benefits; she hasn't even talked to her demo yet.
So talk to your demo, AmorA. Tell her you have a large order that you'd like her to submit as a hostess order. I don't know anyone who wouldn't do it for a large stand-alone order.
And for the rest of us, let's not get worked up & hit the "reply" button too quickly.
I offer the bennies to my customers on large orders. The only time an order over $150 would NOT earn you benefits is if you were placing that order at another hostesses workshop (she would earn the benefits) or at one of my classes or workshops (I earn the benefits - but for a $500 order I think I would offer it anyway at one of mine, or advise you to order on your own or have your own "party" to earn them yourself)
If any order reaches 150 or more, I always let my customers know about the hostess benefits and let them choose what they want. It doesn't cost the demo anything and she should do it without even being asked. If she doesn't say anything, certainly don't be afraid to ask. She's not out anything, and it may have just slipped her mind. Happy shopping!!
ETA: I said always, but I wouldn't do this at someone elses party. Only if they place an order outside of a party. Just to clarify.
Last edited by handstampedhappiness; 12-06-2005 at 10:02 AM..
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I would most certainly let her have the hostess benefits. If I didn't she might get turned off that I am getting her benefits and choose another demo. I would want to keep my customer happy.
There have been times in the past whenI would have placed an individual order but wasn't sure the hostess benefits would apply. Because I was with a fairly new demo, and the purchases weren't urgent, I just wanted until I hosted a party. Last month I knew I would have a big order so I emailed my demo & asked her - yes, absolutely, she would include the hostess benefits. Order placed and today received - so now I can do the christmas cards I wanted to do instead of the one I would have settled on.
Technically, your large order coupld be placed as a Hostess Order. YOU are the hostess. Have the whole order shipped to YOU. Customer #1 is your mom. Customer #2 is your hubby.... You pick out the hostess rewards! That's how I would enter it anyway.....
Question for Demos...
Not fair
