Main > SCC Procedures > SCC Assistants > SCC Assistants Workshop 2007

Would it be helpful to bring my teen to assist in the booth?

This is where I (Sandy Hotz) feel most strongly. I have had a teen or two at my largest event for a number of years. They have been great. They can reach adults easier because adults are less likely to brush them off so quickly. Ours always asked first, "Would you like a free Sonlight catalog?" If the answer was "no" or "I already have one" we know that might not mean they are SL customers yet, so the teen would then ask, "Then would you like to sign up for a drawing for a Sonlight gift certificate? We will draw a name tonight (and if it is Friday) and another tomorrow night. You do not need to be here to win." By this time they have stopped and usually agree to this.

At our largest bookfair we have gathered approximately the same number of names for years...give or take 50-100 here and there. Two years ago the people who were to have the booth next to us had to drop at the last minute and we were given the extra booth for free! So, we brought 4-5 teens per day. The difference was astounding. We had an increase in contact names of 50% and an increase in sales by 34%. There was not an increase in attendance at the bookfair. Was it a fluke? Last year we increased the contact names by about 9.5% (so we did that phenomenal number again, plus another 100). And our sales increased another 22% over the prior great year. I think a couple of things happened. We had significantly more catalogs in people's hands and they eventually went back to look at them...or maybe because they stopped, they came into the booth. Also, because we had so many teens, they freed me and my assistants to spend time counseling customers.

We found that more teens tend to encourage each other to step out and talk to strangers. They are more motivated and it becomes a competition almost to see if they can get the next person to sign the card. They can also be stationed in such a way that if someone is walking down an aisle, doesn't look at your booth and passes the first teen, the second is ready to engage them. They even wanted to have a goal each day for how many cards they would get.

Having said all this, it does matter what type of teen you use. They must be outgoing, look customers in the eye, smile readily and be able to answer without giggling over every word. They also need to have the stamina to work...or give them breaks when they feel they need to sit a while. Don't have them sitting around looking tired.

Room is the biggest problem. In a small booth set up, we don't always have room for 4 teens. When it is an out-of-town bookfair, we can only carry 4 people in the van, so we must choose from a combination of all adults, 3 adults and 1 teen, or 2 adults and 2 teens.

How to recruit assistants, especially when your convention is out of town?

  • Peruse the Forums for frequent posters who demonstrate knowledge (sometimes their profile will identify them as being in the convention area).
  • If another consultant has worked in that area, ask her for references.
  • If I have worked in that area and already have good assistants, I may ask whether they have any friends whom they would recommend (keeping in mind the demands of the position).
  • Review your commission lists for recurrent customers who may be candidates to invite to interview for the position.
  • Advertise in the Beam and interview any responding candidates by phone.

Added hints from the Marketing Forum

  • Send emails to customers who were coded to that event and purchased in the past year - then wait and pray. Interview those who respond.
  • Consider having new assistants work only one day of the event (requires that you line up more and alternate them during the event) so that you can evaluate how they do.
  • Look for assistants who have purchased from Sonlight - not used the library or purchased used materials.
  • Watch for veterans in the booth and how they are 'selling' Sonlight to their friends and ask them if they'd ever be interested in working as an assistant.
  • Whether you seek part-time assistants, full-time assistants, or a mixture, be sure to hire 'Sonlight geeks' - those people who come into the booth and seem to know about everything, because they have researched everything - and perhaps a few who are newer to Sonlight who bring fresh enthusiasm into the booth!

How do you train your assistants, especially when you don't live close to each other?

  • Send them a training document (see examples in this section) with general information about our goals, how to handle customers, guidelines on how to counsel prospects, what they are expected to do, etc.
  • Stress reviewing the catalog closely.
  • Encourage them to peruse the Forums - and also to ask questions if they encounter recommendations that seem unusual to them.
  • E-mail dialog - you may want to use the time leading up to your event to ask a question each week and share some dialog with your team.
  • Phone conversations.