This post was mailed to the Wikimaster.
One thing I do know, we have choices with how much we buy, how much we sell, our activity level, AND, who we place blame on when "it doesn't work out". I have worked little, and I have worked hard, I know what it takes to move the inventory, but, am I willing to do it. NO ONE forced you to purchase anything, NOR did anyone force you to "work your butt off". You chose to do both those things.
As a director of a dept at a very large hospital, I can advise, urge, encourage, even strongly suggest that my dept staff work their butts off......they have the ultimate choice.
This company has been and remains #1 because of the quality of the product. yes some people get rich, some don't......it is directly related to how and how much you work it. I feel very sorry, that you did not have success in this business, but you choose to blame all those who "offered you the opportunity", but you do not seem to own any responsibillity..
Many women with inventory collecting dust(I've had it) is because they aren't moving it by making the contacts, holding the appts, and generally operating it as a business, not a hobby. I can speak to this because I've done it both ways and there is NO ONE TO BLAME but myself when I'd rather watch tv than hold a class , or I'd rather think and talk about it versus acting on it.
I had a friend who blamed Mary Kay because her marriage went sour....give me a break....when I talked to her further...her husband was insecure with her newfound confidence.....that is what broke up the marriage....let's get the blame where it belongs.....
I hope you will reconsider the negativity of your statements and understand........you had total control.....if someone twisted your arm or convinced you to invest that much........remember who made the final choice.
Lynn
I really love this post. I love it because it takes such an extreme point of view, and that makes it lots easier to point out the flaws.
As Wikimaster, I made up the title "You have only yourself to blame", and to be fair, you never say that.
But that seems to be your point... whereas my point is that manipulative tactics are common in Mary Kay. "Manipulative" is not good. Using manipulative techniques while pretending to be your friend or otherwise watching out for your best interests is really a very nasty thing to do.
Are such techniques officially approved of by Mary Kay Corporate? Not likely, but that doesn't help anybody who gets tricked by such techniques. And it doesn't smell very good when somebody basically says that we should after all only hold responsible the person who finally made the decisions, regardless of the manipulative techinques that were used in the process.
EliMantel - 27 Jan 2006
Lynn:
Why don't we put a new spin on your comments and talk about Mary Kay's business model - being an MLM and having statistics that DO NOT favor success for MOST is what everyone should be talking about.
Prove to me, with any data you possess, that if you work X amount of hours, you will reap X amount of success. According to the MK mindset, if I held 3 classes this week and YOU held 3 classes this week and we EACH had the same # of people attending - our results SHOULD be the same. Now if you think that assumption is wrong, then you disagree with ALL of the training documents in Mary Kay because they mass mail them to everyone with the message "if you only do this, you'll get that".
So, give me someone in a metro area and give me someone in a rural area and try to tell me everyone SHOULD get the same results.
I don't understand your comparison to the workplace - the direct selling/mlm business model is different than that type of business. In a workplace if you work harder (at the same paygrade/position title as someone else, it's not going to make a difference except perhaps on a rating or in the form of a promotion down the line -
In MLM's, the more you recruit, the higher you go IF those recruits are producing orders. MK is walking a fine line by now compensating for recruits. Seems when they gave the directors a "raise" they are also entering the pyramid zone whereby they DO compensate you for bringing people into the system. Some pretty hefty bonuses, I might add.
In as much as you call all of us "negative" and unrealistic in our viewpoints - you are making quite an assumption yourself that product WILL be sold if you just make the calls and hold the appointments. Well Lynn, some women are just sick of beating a dead horse and losing money and/or do not want to go out and spend nites/weekends at classes & Mary kay functions spending ALL of their profit from the paltry sales they make.
What I'll never understand is why, at recruitment, much emphasis is put on the recruiter telling the prospect that if it doesn't "fit" you, then you can return product, etc. THEN, when the recruit decides that it didn't FIT and complains that they found it to be something much different than what it was represented, the name calling, on the "pink" side begins. You women can be really mean and very un(?)compassionate. You should just say, well, hey, it didn't work for them and they opted out. Nope, what gets back to the group by the rep is "they didn't work their business", they are a "quitter", a "whiner", a "complainer", "negative nellie", "negative ninnie" and whatever else just because they decided to take the advice of their recruiter and flit.
There are hard working reps who make money in their sales and many of them come here and that's all well and good - but rarely will you see the condemners (those pink ones who condemn the quitters) talk about what the average consultant makes. Now, if you all came here and said, 80% of women in Mary Kay make $20,000-30,000 yr CLEAR, and I make an average of $25,000/yr CLEAR as a consultant and have the tax forms to prove it, I'd shut my mouth.
You cannot blame those who come here looking for a viable business venture to have the expectation of knowing how much the majority makes. It's a "business" after all, isn't it?
Regarding your opinion of blame, here's mine: everyone knows the jist of MK is "Do it Faster" and that means "work the numbers" and churn people. They will even train and tell you it's a numbers game (a "game" - hmm, thought it was a "business"?) It's the nature of Network Marketing, period. Educate yourselves about it, it's a dangerous thing for most people. People need to google "network marketing, mlm, Multi-level-marketing" and become educated and INDEED BLAME THE SYSTEM for their failure!!!!!!!!
Regarding your claim that MK is #1 company - NOT! That's a MK talking point. Avon beats them hands down and although Mary Kay claims more and more "sales" - tell me "exactly" what the "sales" are? Selling product to distributors doesn't necessarily make them #1 with the public because there is no way you know how much product went to the public, nor do they include repurchase amounts in that "sales" claim.
With Avon, at least the product is SOLD before ORDERED - what a concept! Take orders, get payment and then order product which is already sold! WOW!
Another thing you can ponder on (and if anyone has facts, let us know) is how much of the $2Billion in sales claims is attributable to the doubling of some product prices and the addition of the new "Pearl Star Level" initial inventory order of $4200. Hmmm. All a director needs now is ONE Pearl Star person per month to make her production! And, if "selling" is the focus, then why do they keep upping the "initial inventory" levels?
So, MK's upped the ante and, that IS part of their $2Billion in sales claim. What would really make me a BEEliever in Mary Kay is if they could prove, like other non-mlm cosmetic companies how much was sold to the public and not to just distributors. The FTC, I believe, requires 70% - I think MK is FAR from that percentage. I think it's more 70% of product is being stored, 20% returned and 10% to actual customers, that'd be my guess after talking to hundreds of women and former directors who have stuff in their closets and basements.
You have Queens of this and that racking up credit cards to get that recognition. Recognition is powerful and that's what makes some successful - their ability to pour on the charm. But as scripture says, "charm is deceptive".
Another question I have is IF product repurchases are deducted from that sales claim? I wish I had access to the numbers! THAT would be fun to investigate, but there ARE Federal Agencies who are SUPPOSED to be doing this to protect the public from companies who promote inventory loading to distributors and compensation/focus on recruiting.
Before you generalize and condemn, think a little deeper.
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