Some older sales directors can at least admit to themselves and Mary Kay Inc. that they will never become national sales directors. These self-described “long-term sales directors” are asking Mary Kay Cosmetics to give them extra income to help prepare for retirement.

I thought Mary Kay was the greatest opportunity in the world and you had unlimited earning potential? If that’s the case, couldn’t sales director just work harder to prepare for retirement?

The sad truth is that virtually all the sales directors make about minimum wage, and only a small number make real career wages or more. I can see why older sales directors may be concerned about retirement. They haven’t made enough to even support themselves while working, so I’m sure they haven’t done much saving for retirement. (To get a glimpse of what a “long-term director’s” Mary Kay journey is like, take a peek at Suzanne’s story.)

A sales director (over age 60) put together a flier in order to gather support for a plea to Mary Kay to raise commission levels for older directors. This is her theory:

While not impossible, it is less likely that I, and others (at this stage of our lives), can achieve the level of NSD. I have many director friends, who like myself, are excited about the younger directors being able to build to National. However, we are concerned that many of us who have built, maintained, and supported the Company for many years see no current incentive programs in place for increasing our commissions, modifying our car requirements nor making our later years more financially secure.

Many of us are continuing to build offspring for added commissions, but believe that with such prolonged effort our compensation should be increased. Many organizations reward employees with longevity pay increases/bonuses. We believe this is appropriate for us also.

Here is the pay scale [director] is suggesting for older directors:

• 60 years of age/20 years as a Sales Director receive 20% commission instead of 13%
• 19 years as a Sales Director receive 19%
• 18 years as a Sales Director receive 18%
• 17 years as a Sales Director receive 17%
• 16 years as a Sales Director receive 16%
• 15 years as a Sales Director receive 15%

[Director] also suggests additional commissions for offspring and would like half of their offspring production to count toward their own car production. She also wants guaranteed arena seating at seminar.

I think the plan makes sense, and I understand the financial concerns of these women. However, if they are truly indoctrinated into the Mary Kay world (as one would expect after 15 years or more) shouldn’t they just commit to work more????

After all, the standard Kaybot response to just about anything is to work more. Heck, just think how these women would increase their incomes if they’d each just recruit one person with a star order each month! Or are they too lazy?