Becoming a Pampered Chef Consultant- Direct Sales

The Pampered Chef was started by Doris Christopher, a former home economics teacher and young mother, as a means of increasing her family’s income while at the same time being home to raise her two daughters.  She started The Pampered Chef in her suburban Chicago basement with an inventory of 71 hand-picked kitchen utensils and the help of her husband and girls.  As the first Pampered Chef Kitchen Consultant, Doris Christopher developed the idea of an in-home kitchen show where customers could see the timesaving, multipurpose products in use, try them out themselves, and taste the finished results in the comfort of their own, or a friend’s home, all before purchasing.

The Pampered Chef became a member of the Direct Selling Association in 1986 and has since grown internationally to 70,000 Kitchen Consultants working in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany.

In 2004, The Pampered Chef launched the use of personal web sites for its Kitchen Consultants, increasing their sales territories to anywhere across the globe.

Initial Cost and Commitment Needed to Start

The Pampered Chef offers a Super Starter Program to get you started.  To qualify you will need to invest $90.00 (for $350.00 of product and business supplies) and agree to do at least four shows of $150.00 each or have an overall total of $1250.00 in sales.  Your shows can be in-home demonstrations or catalog shows.  You will be offered other incentives such as additional free products or products at increased discounts during your Super Starter time period.  International Kitchen consultants may have different start-up costs and commissions.

Profit Involved and Expected Earnings

As with most direct sales companies, the profit you earn at The Pampered Chef is dictated by how much time and effort you are willing to put into your business.  Your starting commission and discount on personal products are always the same and starts at 20%.  Your profit margin will increase to 22% with monthly sales totaling more than $750.00.  Once you have achieved $15,000.00 in career sales, your base commission jumps to 22%.

The average amount of sales at an in-home show is stated at being around $500.00 dollars netting the Kitchen consultant approximately $100.00 per show.  There is a $2.00 deduction per show for the cost of insurance, to cover the Kitchen Consultant in the event of any mishaps during the demonstration.

In addition to profit on your own sales, The Pampered Chef offers additional profit and incentives such as vacations, jewelry, free products and cash awards, for recruiting and building a team of Kitchen Consultants who work along with you.

Pros and Cons

There are many pros to starting a Pampered Chef direct sales business.  The company  is well known for its quality products and has been in business for more than 25 years.  Most people are already aware of The Pampered Chef so you are selling the individual products not the company’s reputation.  You set your own pace and monthly goals.  To remain an active consultant, you need to have $200.00 in commission-able sales bimonthly.  Pampered Chef products are shipped directly to the party hostess who will do the sorting and bagging.  You only need to make sure they include a copy of the warranty information for each customer.

A couple of the cons involved in owning and running a Pampered Chef direct sales business would be your discomfort at speaking in front of a crowd, and lining up home party bookings, if you don’t have a lot of friends and family nearby when you are first getting started.  The Pampered Chef is not a get-rich-quick scheme.  It takes time and effort to get your business off the ground.  If you aren’t inclined to be outgoing, or if you aren’t willing to invest a fair amount of time, The Pampered Chef may not be for you.

Contact the Pampered Chef

For more information or to get started as a Kitchen Consultant visit The Pampered Chef online at www. Pamperedchef.com

Company Headquarters is located at:

One Pampered Chef Lane
Addison, Illinois   60101-5630
USA

Telephone (630) 261-8900

US Toll Free (800) 266-5562

~ Robin Svedi

Robin Svedi is a freelance writer who specializes in gardening, cooking and information.