A Mary Kay consultant's letter to her sale director, looking for some real information on Mary Kay.

Hi Sales Director:

 

What I have to tell you in these next few paragraphs has no bearing on what I think of you as a person or friend.  I appreciate you, and I want us to remain friends regardless of Mary Kay, but I'm going to be brutally honest here:

 

I'm having extreme apprehension about selling Mary Kay.  I'm anxious to make some extra money, and I really want this business to work for me; however, I am not comfortable purchasing any type of inventory at this time to get going with it.  I have already spent the following on Mary Kay:

1. Starter Kit:    $100
2. Online Business Starter Communications:  $10
3. Annual Website Fee:  $25
4. Business Kit Essentials (business cards, labels, and product labels):  $75
5. All total:  $210

I haven't made one penny yet, and I've already spent over $210 of my own money.  Now I'm expected to sign up for a $3,000 inventory???  I can't, in good conscience or faith, do this…I just can't.

 

I don't want any of my family or friends to know I'm doing this because the truth be told, Mary Kay does not have a reputation of being something "seriously professional" or "educationally sound."  It's network marketing, and the only way people make money at it is to pump the customer(s) up with wonderful stories about how well the product is and how awesome the business is.  This business is just like any other network marketing business… it's a niche market with success rates weighing heavily on customer demand and repeat sales. 

 

Not to mention, I'm supposed to recruit at least 5 people under me before I can even think of becoming a DIQ for car status.  I have talked to a few wonderfully supportive friends of mine, and they wouldn't sell Mary Kay if their lives depended on it.  I can both understand and appreciate their skepticism.  I truly think I have gone over the edge agreeing to do this so quickly based on what I heard at one success meeting. 

 

Let's be honest, it has taken both you and the other sales director that presented, a combination of 20+ years to get where you are in your career status with Mary Kay.  I'm crazy to think that I can achieve your level in less than 2 years.  My biggest reason for wanting to do this is to get the car by the time my teenager is driving (1.5 years from now).  However, if I have to forever hound people, become an absolute pest, and push product and phoniness to get the car status, I'm sacrificing my own integrity to become something I'm not!

 

Please don't misunderstand me… I'm absolutely amazed by your level of success in this business, and I respect your dedicated efforts to support it; however, I'm not optimistic about my own ability to do as well.  I'm a realist…. always have been…. always will be. 

 

I'm not at all phony, and I abhor people that are.  I hate lying in any form, and if I have to get up in front of crowds of women and profess my undying allegiance to the Mary Kay empire, I will croak with shame and self-destruction.  I can't honestly push something on anyone unless I am passionate about it's value myself. 

 

Truth be told, I'm not that passionate about the Mary Kay product line.  I haven't had much success with it myself, and I'm not into spending hundreds of dollars on cosmetics.  How can I convince others that these cosmetics would be a sound investment?

 

I guess my business side is taking over, and I'm feeling the overwhelming level of skepticism hidden in this venue.  I am skeptical…. very skeptical.  Before I agree to purchase a $3,000 inventory with money I don't currently have, I think we need to sit down and you explain to me the serious downside of this business, fill in the gaps, and make me an unwavering believer that this is something I can do.  Furthermore, please share your sales records for the last twelve months, so I can gain a better understanding of how the profit end of this business works?

 

Please advise…

 

TimeWiseWasted