It’s a dirty little secret that nobody really talks about but that we all know: 95% of the time, the reason hosts cancel is because you’re not doing your job.
Ouch! I know, it might suck to hear that, but it’s important to come to terms with what it means for your business. If your hosts are consistently cancelling, chances are it’s because you’re not following through.
Nurture Your Hosts Like It’s Your Job (Because it Is)
Your job is to make your hosts feel excited and confident about their wine tasting. Make them feel like they’re going to have a good event! Talk excitedly about what will happen, recall times when other hosts had an incredible event that you’ve attended, and reassure them that their friends are going to love the tasting.
Defining expectations is an important part of helping your host get in the right mindset. Help them understand what will happen at the event, especially if they have never hosted a wine tasting in their house before.
Remember, your host wants to look good, she wants you to sell lots of wine, and she wants her friends to walk away thinking, “I can’t wait for the next one!”
When Consultants Drop the Ball, Hosts Get Overwhelmed
Of course, we’re not perfect. Heck, there have been times where I dropped the ball big time, because you know what? Life happens. Sometimes we get busy and forget to reach out to our hosts, or worse, we get scared that they’ll cancel the tasting so we avoid making the call.
The funny thing is, the hosts are way more likely to cancel if we DON’T pick up the phone and talk to them before the big day!
If we don’t consistently reach out to them, encourage them, and check in with them about the status of the wine tasting, the hosts can easily get overwhelmed. They’re thinking about how they have to clean the house, prepare snacks for the guests, make sure the right music is playing… and if they start feeling insecure about those things, if they think they can’t pull it off successfully, they bow out.
We consultants know that all it really takes for a tasting to be good is some crackers, cheese, good people and a relaxed attitude.
And of course, a corkscrew!
Encouraging Words for Your Host
When you’re working with a host and the inevitable concerns come up, here are some things you can share with him or her to help them feel excited and confident about the upcoming event…
- “All you need to do is provide some snacks and the atmosphere, and I’ll make sure everyone has a great time!”
- “I did a tasting last week where no one wanted to leave because it was so much fun. Trust me, your friends will love this.”
- “Knowing you, your friends are probably really looking forward this party and we’re going to show them a great time.”
It’s all about staying in communication and helping them see how much fun the tasting will be. I know you can do it!
Do you have any ideas about how to help your hosts stay engaged in the tasting experience? Leave your ideas in the comments area, below! And if you’re hoping to host a tasting of your own, click HERE to connect with me directly.