I have spent hours/days looking at opinions both good and bad....and I'd like to be objective here and share some FACTS about the business since I see many women looking to the internet on these opinion sites seeking some facts to help them make a decision about their business venture. There are 'quotas' once you become a director......YES "QUOTAS"...in your director's agreement (I failed to read my fine print..guess I should have. It states that if your unit fails to meet the minimum $4,000 a month production requirement for 2 months in a row, you are done, with the exception of a one time only grace period as a new director. I didn't know about this little 'tidbit' til after I became a director....and per my inquiry to the company as to where this is written, they replied, 'it isn't written, it's understood'. So, maybe I need to snatch a copy of the agreement and see if it's there...
Also, it's common knowledge, as I learned in July Seminar from numerous directors (and tapes I received) that after building your unit of 30 (and all of us who went thru DIQ know how hard that can be!).......'that the people that got you there will NOT keep you there'.....so you must continually recruit......statistics reveal that out of those 30, (and mind you, these stats are on training tapes you receive when you become a director)...10 are done, 10 are on their way out and only a third of the remaining 10 will work. I was shocked and discouraged to hear those stats, then later, realized it when my unit was falling apart.
I also asked other directors at Seminar....'what do we do now as a director'.....my answer was to do what I did in DIQ!!!!!! More shock and awe. Soooooo, I guess being told DIQ was the hardest part was not the whole truth. We're always in DIQ as they say AFTER they said 'it's worth it!'
For those of you who units recruiting and growing, that's awesome......however, these statistics are the NORM and that's how Multi-Level-Marketing (MLM) companies work. They are set up for many to FAIL!!!!! So, ladies, take heart in that you are not the quitter and loser you've been told you are.......it's a natural disaster of an MLM, if you will....you were a consequence of this set up! If you are in DIQ and you are trying to "DO IT QUICK" in becoming a director, know these facts and consider them very hard....get people who want to work on your teams, choose them wisely and have another DIQ right behind you to help sustain your new unit. In MLM's it's common knowledge that high turnover is the NORM. I found that out, much to my dismay, as a new director, way too late.
MK does not, to my knowledge, supply information on how many Directors lose their positions within the first few months of debut or how many consultants quit or how much product is returned, but just this week (and I updated this Dec 15) I know of 3 women who most probably will be returning inventories of 2400/3600 & approx 3,000 and have been in it less than 6 months! While I understand, from a sales point of view, that those facts may not be what you want to provide to a potential new recruit, FAILURE to provide factual information is deception not to mention stating there are no "quotas" when there clearly are quotas for certain qualifications as well as maintaining 'awards' such as the car.
Also, before you get all full of high hopes when you see copies of large commission checks, realize that there are expenses involved in being a director..........many get assistants and housekeepers at the advice of top directors and then there are training trips (many of them), meetings, dinners, luncheons, prize & trip buying, promotions, meeting room space rent, postage, costs of monthly newsletters, year end prizes, annual suit expense, etc. If you are selling enough product and recruiting new 'stars' every month, you'll be fine, you'll have great commission checks, but as a director, don't mislead your unit by showing them a copy of your check without disclosing your expenses AFTER TAXES.
I started full of dreams, full of zeal, recruiting everyone I know cause I thought they just HAD to do this and being a Christian in a company w/Christian values and being able to talk God thrilled me to death! I ordered inventory, all on my own, small at first, then bigger and then began ordering just to make the next career move or get the next prize promotion........DON'T DO THAT LADIES, you'll live to regret it. I know many who went this route, all on their own, (we're not blaming anyone) and are now full of shame and guilt (least the ones with consciences) and are having to take some time to get over what they did and what tempations they fell into. Many, fine, hardworking women believed the 'dream' and DID GIVE IT THEIR BEST SHOT, but things didn't happen and they quickly became discouraged...it happens, it's real, and it needs to be addressed and talked about........negative as it may be, I want this comment page to serve to bring a little reality to this dream world. ....I had recruited all my customers and wanted to "Do It Quick" and get it over with only to find out I had to do it again and again and again.....UGH.....anyway....
If you find yourself, as a consultant, signing up at the end of the month and being pressured for inventory and flooded with all kinds of prize incentives (they don't keep the prizes ...'bait for orders'...in a 'fishing tackle box' for no reason), watch out because it is the "end of the PRODUCTION month" and "Quotas" to meet "goals" have to be met..... Be advised if you don't already know, that you have the month in which you sign up AND the following month to make an inventory decision and receive the product bonuses, so TAKE YOUR TIME making that decision and talk to other consultants..
There's a saying which states that the last 3 days of the month are "miracle days"!!?? I don't doubt anything God can do, but I can tell you there is alot of hustle and bustle those last three days to meet the 'no quota' criteria and alot happening in the name of miracles!! It's curious that a couple of the busiest days in MK are June 29 & 30.......which just happen to be the LAST TWO DAYS of the Seminar year where everyone is 'qualifying' to 'cross stage' or meet some sort of goal. I was there June 30. I wished I had gotten a call to go outta town or something.....but hey, it was all MY choice and I learned soo much......I grew immensely as a person, so ladies, lick your wounds and move on and learn from the lessons God wanted you to know about materialism, selfish ambition and deceit.
It is my hope that someone can go into this with eyes WIDE OPEN from what they read today. It is not my intention to bash MK or to be bitter, moreso to be 'real'.....(which is a rare thing in this business) with sound advice and to present facts you need to consider before going forward in your MK career.........there are things I miss, my unit and my unit meetings for one and my relationships with some others, but there are definitely parts that I don't ever care to experience again. I MAY do facials in the future as I enjoy those and may sell here and there.....but I don't HAVE TO anymore, and that spells F R E E D O M for me! I admire MK and what she did, but I do not admire what I became capable of nor do I admire many things that are going on. I hope the company realizes that things need to change because unless they do, perhaps they should consider eliminating the "God First" motto.
After spending hours on hours reading about MLM's and reading their sales pitches.....it struck me that that's what it was......it IS A SALES JOB, you must SELL.....why on God's earth are we telling prospective consultants they don't when they DO!!??? These are sales pitches....yes there can be alot of fun and success, yee hah - but you know.......many, in fact, THOUSANDS do not find it and are left in the wake of those successful people.........I began to get a bad conscience about their demise and discouragement and hated moving on to the 'next one' when the 'last one' went away discouraged......that is not success and I will not 'write my paycheck' based on someone else's credit cards or bank loans.
The wholesale system and recognition: I guess it's assumed that everything purchased thru the wholesale system is going to be sold or purchased to replace sold product.........I think there are TONS of women out there who can DISAGREE with this assumption because they have product on their shelves or have returned it...(oh, and many probably already know, but a fact that is always NOT disclosed is that IF YOU EVER RETURN PRODUCT YOU CAN NEVER DO MK AGAIN!)
Prizes are given mostly based on wholesale orders which are only a calculation of the RETAIL VALUE of product ordered + bonus product they receive with the order............it behooves me that they can give prizes for ORDERS alone.......I hope they are not maintaining they are #1 based on the retail value of wholesale orders received......that would definitely be misleading! To my knowledge, the only prizes given to anyone for ACTUAL SALES are to the consultants at unit meetings IF they turn in their weekly accomplishment sheets....so far, I haven't seen an ACTUAL SALES award given at any major event. How SAD! I feel that system really opens a door to just stockpiling product to get to the next level or a prize level or to maintain your car while the consultants out there selling their 'pants off' (pun intended!)ARE THE ONES THAT DESERVE TRULY FREEEEE CARS....And, that's another illusion...speaking of FREE cars......there is NO FREE CAR..as I began to mention earlier, if your unit and yourself earn it, it must be maintained, meaning you and your unit must make a certain amount of production each month, short of that,if your production falls below a certain level, you must co-pay including INSURANCE....(another fact I found out after the fact and cannot find anywhere in writing is that if you co-pay the lease payment, you must also co-pay the INSURANCE)..if it's written somewhere, someone correct me. Then, if you fail to increase your production after you've fallen short or do not have enough active recruits (for Grand AM), you will get an 'option letter' from the company giving you the option to to purchase the car or return it...Grand Prixs and Cadillacs have a quarterly quota.
If you are lucky, have a buzzing unit, and don't have to co-pay, you will be blessed with a 1099 at the end of the year reporting the dollar equivalent for the car which you have to pay taxes on. Multiply $375(Grand Am), $500(Gr Prx), $900(Cad) x 12, and that is what will be reported to you as misc income on your 1099!....so make sure you get plenty of other tax deductions to offset that income! FREE CAR....OH Puhhhlease??????? Then, after a period, for the Grand Prix and Cadillac's, you must REQUALIFY all over again after only 6 quarters, a year and a half! Go get some recruits!
At this point, I am disillusioned about the dream.
I have finally recovered from the physical stress symptoms I've had for the past few months which came about at the THOUGHT of perpetual recruiting and entering the Icy Cold Market of women who consistently reject our 'offer of a lifetime' as well as the shame for spending so much on inventory and other things as well......I was shocked at what I was doing in the pursuit of materialism......so what's the big deal about leading a life like the 'rich and famous'.....God says it will be hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven....so why would I want that????! I found myself neglecting my home, my husband and things I normally like to do......and yip, I am ok with cleaning toilets...a director once said 'no one will remember your cleaning the toilets', but you know what....Jesus washed feet and people remember that. I've never encountered stress like this nor experienced the level of bondage I felt at just the thought of having to talk to everyone 3 ft around me about the MK opportunity as I said before. I am no longer a director and didn't do much to try to sustain the unit.....I loved my girls and thought we had a great time, but the costs became toooooo high.......and with any sound business opportunity, you MUST count the costs........
I was grateful to have found and shared with some x-directors our TRUE FEELINGS...it was so REFRESHING to be able to be open and speak the truth about how we felt without being accused of being negative, doubtful, faithless or a QUITTER.......most people, healthy people, quit something that is not good for them, and yes ladies, in some cases being a quitter is a good thing.......quit smoking, quit drinking, quit stressing your body to the max to pursue recognition.........being real with those women and corresponding with some of the honest women on these websites has been very therapeutic.
Here's a couple websites I'd like to share....for those consultants and directors wanting some new fresh ideas....type in Unitnet.com .....Darlene Rutledge's site is awesome! Very informative....enter her site and click on the 'training' section......each unit has a training section, but as far as I've looked, hers is very informative.....so if you are struggling with your business and ideas this holiday.....look at it.
For those who have not 'made it' in this business (like me) and are needing some true comfort.........check www.pyramidschemealert.org.....or simply type in the words ... pyramid schemes ... on google and click the Pyramid Scheme Alert site.......No, Mary Kay is not listed, and yes, they say they are not, but beyond those technicalities.......there are some sections of this website I found to be VERY comforting and validating to my emotions........I've been on an up and down roller coaster ride ever since I decided to move into management and I wish I could turn back time a few months, truly. However, I've learned some hard lessons and wanted to inform those who are thinking about a career and perhaps offer some comfort to those who have not succeeded as a director or consultant sitting on thousands of inventory.
Again, type in: pyramid schemes using Google search, you'll see a site called Pyramid Scheme Alert click that one (or click here: http://www.pyramidschemealert.org/ ) ....on google, it's the FIRST site (most visited probably!) ....should be a big black triangle, enter site......then click on 'resources' then 'articles' and flip thru the Lies about MLM's..........so many of those things reveal exactly what I have felt for so many months........thank God for validation!!!!!!
Ladies, we are STILL AWESOME, incredible women who may have just plain ol run outta people to recruit, or didn't want to spend the rest of our waking moments recruiting.......and got sick of all the EXPENSES INVOLVED in running our businesses and you know????? Leading a 'simple life' may be more glamorous than all the glamor in the world....thanks Mary Kay for your awesome products and ladies remember what Proverbs 31:30 says......."Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised!
Maybe the "something more" we were looking for was right under our noses all the time! Have fun cleaning your toilets! Least you'll be home! LauraRyan? - 02 Dec 2003
JessicaA - 30 May 2004
I felt compelled (this is Laura...can't get the registration thing worked out) to copy and paste this opinion again. Since MK is right on top of finishing up their year (June 30......a very bad day for me a year ago) I wanted to get this opinion up front again in hopes that someone who is reading may save her money and realize thru all the great message boards going on, that her chances of succeeding in this type business are not all that great. There were plenty of rebuttals to this post, as originally appeared long ago, but I did not copy them here. You can read them on the original. It's such a sad issue, how women are left to feel when they do not succeed in this business, they are the ones' being blamed and what's especially sad, is reading on the message boards, links to them on here.....how directors who are in MK are posting insulting remarks against those who tell their stories. I've been reading them - call me obsessed, I don't care, many women read them, and if we are touching someone's life for the better, then we'll keep writing. What's disturbing, as we've said over and over again and is truly apparent, especially on the Complaint Station, how women telling their storis are being bashed by the 'positive women in MK' calling them 'whiners', blaming them for bad choices, etc. There is little or no regard or concept of the advice these little 'whiners' (being sarcastic here) were given by ones in the know.
I truly hope that MK will wake up and catch these women who are badgering women to purchase tons of inventory. I also hope that MK will quit rewarding women for ORDERS and focus on SALES like it should, verifiable SALES. In a multi-million dollar company, one should figure that out. It's a networking system, you MUST recruit to make the big bucks. MK makes a ton off of the orders it receives. Think about it, how else does corporate make it's money? No way except for WHOLESALE ORDERS YOU PLACE. The prizes they give, the shows they put on (I refer to them as SHOWs for a reason) are bought with the money they made from orders placed. Great managers in the company, for sure.
It simply kills me that women boast of being so successful when ALL of their success depends on someone else forking out money for orders. Whether being a Senior consultant or National Sales director, that success depended on someone else doing something for you. Then, if those women leave, they are bashed and called 'whiners', quitters and the like. Very horrible way to be positive and godly.
I see that you feel very strongly about your opinion however, not ALL directors "bash" a person who decides to change career paths. My Aunt is a Executive Director and she uses exceptional integrity in her MK business practises. Did you NOT realize that MK was similar to a MLM when you joined (minus the never ending downlines, residual income, etc. which is why it's called a dual marketing concept)? Did you take the time to do your research prior to joining? Unlike opening your own business with zero experience, MK offers a phenominal training program and the "chance" to operate a business with incredible support I might add. If it doesn't work? You get 90% back! So what's the problem?
I think the problem here lies within personalities and NOT with a company or it's directors. Some personality types are people pleasers so instead of standing up for what they believe in, they tell their director what they THINK she wants to hear. Now who's fault is THAT? The directors? Phuleeze! Another personality type are mega spenders, it doesn't matter if it's spending in MK or at Macy's, they'll max their card out regardless. Director's aren't your personal finance consultants. Who knows YOUR own financial situation better than YOU? So who should take responsibility for your credit card purchases? Does a director hold a gun to your head to make you order at the end of the year (sounds silly doesn't it)? Do you take responibility for anything you did in MK or does the blame game help justify a lack of discipline in spending habits or the inability to say "no"?
How can MK individualize "verifiable SALES"? Should they require 850,000 consultants to send in honest weekly summary sheets? That doesn't even make sense. They can only base their sales knowledge on w/s orders. As for recruiting, how long did it take you to realize that in order to build a sales company or a unit, you need to recruit a sales force? Didn't someone recruit YOU? Helllo!!!! Why didn't you choose another career path when your gut feeling told you to? In order to build a unit, you need to recruit. In order to build a restaurant buiness, you need to solicit business. You certainly wouldn't stop advertising once you reached 30 customers would you? Why would anyone think they have arrived at "30" unit members? In all the weekly MK meetings I've attended, directors recruiting efforts were very visible. I never saw anyone try to hide that fact.
As for the post you felt compelled to reestablish minus the rebuttals, again, blame everyone else but take no personal responsibility. "If" MK was so evil, why did God allow the above mentioned director to get involved to begin with? I'm only mentioning God because she refers to herself as a Christian who was full of dreams and thrilled to be able to "talk" God in MK. Perhaps the TIME to TALK to God and get His take on a business dream should have taken place "PRIOR" to joining verses afterwards.
I'm surprised everyone isn't blaming God for NOT stopping them from joining but then again, that wouldn't be very Christian now would it? It's far better to place the blame on a company philosophy rather than take personal responsibility for NOT praying about it to begin with and then waiting for God's answer. Perhaps we don't listen for God's answer because we live in a microwave world (we want it TNT). I know many women who have ministries and get to "talk God" 24/7. So WHAT makes some Christian women think that MK is the AVENUE that God chose for THEM to FINALLY be able to "talk God?" I mean seriously, there are plenty of bible studies to join and grow in or worthwhile ministries that desperately need volunteers.
When God calls you into your own ministry, you will KNOW it. "If" you try to jump ahead of Him, you'll surely fall. Women are nurturers at heart and emotional thinkers. Far too many Christian women "think" that MK will be an outreach ministry for them. If they were spiritually grounded to begin with, they'd realize that it takes years of practising self discipline, forgiveness, unconditional love, overcoming trials, and bible study BEFORE God calls them into a ministry. Not everyone can handle the self discipline and personal responsiblity that God requires of them in order to minister. Consequently, they will feel the most let down in MK "if" it doesn't work out for them. So WHO'S to blame for this, MK?????
Look, I don't mean to diss these posts, some points that were made were valid but some were not. I guess I'm just tired of seeing people blaming and pointing "one" finger at a company or a director while ignoring the fact that 5 more fingers are pointing back at themselves (due in part to lack of prayer/listening or self discipline "before" joining or over ordering). "If" these same women had taken a stand in MK along with the rest who are disilusioned, THEY could have made a difference by changing what they disliked. The "director" runs her unit NOT the company. My Aunt doesn't agree with large inventories so she does NOT offer them as an option and MK company can't make her do it any other way. She rewards activity (work) and NOT w/s orders. However, she is grounded. She knew that recruiting all of her customers was NOT the wisest way to build a unit. She recruited people who wanted to work the business (yes, there really are people out there who want to sell), she's successful and the "car" is an added perk for her. Expenses are tax write offs (benefits) that ALL self employed people enjoy. Instead of giving more of her money to Uncle Sam, she gets to take business trips, drive a nice car minus car payments, hire an assistant and write it all off.
I'm sorry for those who feel that MK "did them in" but if they don't take personal responsibility for their own actions or lack of action sooner or later, then it's just a matter of time before they feel they were "conned" again by someone or something else. We don't live in a perfect world, people will let us down, companies will let us down even some churches will let us down. This is nothing new. My God, "if" I based my personal Christian walk on the actions of what I've witnessed from well meaning Christians, I'd be an athiest by now.
As for healing? I don't see how healing can come out of arguments, heated debates, having to be right, anger, blaming others, pro/con MK bashing, talking the problem, etc. This only fans the fire. I think we've all seen pro/con sucker punches on pro/con mk message boards. I've witnessed nice women turn vicious just to prove their point and I've also witnessed Christians compromise their own witnessing and testimony because they were angry about an opinion and let it rip openly. Inevitably, people get mad, feel victimized again or get their feelings hurt and leave (including the mksurvivor board). Change or healing is a "personal" decision, there's no "magic" message board that will be able to accomplish it for you, sometimes they do quite the opposite.
I think we all know that not all MK directors use integrity and not all former consultants/directors worked or ordered wisely. We can't control what a director does no more than we can control our boss in corporate America but we CAN control what we do by practising integrity, self discipline and taking responsibilty for our own actions in our lives.
I don't mean to give the impression that I'm making light of someones hurts, my concern is how can they heal if they can't recognize WHY they allowed themselves to get hurt to begin with? Sometimes life just isn't fair. MK is not for everyone just like the restaurant business isn't either. However, at least in MK you can close your business down, return your inventory, chalk it up to a learning experience and move on. It wouldn't be as easy "if" you had to close down your restaurant business would it?
I think this saying speaks volumes; "The things we strongly dislike in others, are sometimes the things we dislike in ourselves."
Kathy
I see you also resurrected this post and responded to it after you left the Survivor group. Message boards, such as this board; mlmsurvivors club and mksurvivors (links below) DO serve in the healing process. The owners of the board were led, divinely and out of passion to inform unsuspecting people of the pitfalls of mlm's. Truly God will bless an endeavor that is motivated to help people.
What you will see on those boards is blame, anger and the like and all of those things are part of a recovery process. We trust those who have led us to this opportunity under the guise of "God has brought you here" - so for Christians, the bait has been set.
When people fail to tell us about average retention rates, average income, etc., I BLAME them for not telling me the whole story when there was more that they knew. Not all of us are savvy enough to ask the appropriate questions since MK sells most of it's recruits on girlfriend time and fun at first. I BLAME the company for promoting inventory loading and they do and that makes me angry. In a support group, you are going to see and hear alot of emotion and that's normal in the healing process.
Women have come and gone and some still need the validation from a support group to keep them grounded. When we help others feel better about themselves and not fully blame themselves for what they got into - that's just going to be blessed. And, for information, the women in my group DO accept responsibility for their part. We teach that they are not the only ones to blame and God knows this exists. HE sees everything, He will test our motives, He will reveal the truth and He is the one to whom we must give an account for how we lived our lives.
Laura Ryan - 19 Oct 2005
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