I Can’t Find New Customers
Here is a recent post in a Mary Kay group on Facebook. The poor consultant can’t find new customers, and knows she’s going to have to do the “warm chatter” thing. (For those who are new, “warm chatter” means walking up to a stranger in public and trying to start a conversation with them so you can push MK on them.)
As always, this is where the biggest problem is with retailing MK products. How do you find customers? You don’t have any foot traffic like a regular store. It’s hard to get people to buy consistently. (Partly because you’re always trying to recruit them and they just get sick of the MK routine.) You’re constantly looking for new customers, but no one can tell you exactly how to find them.
They’ll give you general suggestions: Get out and meet people! Do social media posts! Collect names at your hair salon! But it’s impossible to get enough new contacts. To make just $2,000 per month at MK, you’d need to find 70 new contacts each month.
Visit the
Warm chatting was always pushed by my director. I hated it. It always felt fake – which it was. Look for anything to make a connection, compliment, introduce yourself, offer a sample. If possible book! If that doesn’t work ask if they know anyone who would be interested. I’m so glad I can genuinely talk to people now with no other reason than to connect as a friendly passerby. If I want to that is. 🙂
This is the reality of any MLM because of unrestrained recruiting. Very quickly you reach saturation and there are too many sellers for the number of willing customers. Too many people trying to get their friends to “host parties”, too many other sellers offering discounts.
Any Suggestions? Yes, my child: return any MK products that qualify for 90% buy back and use the money to pay off (or reduce) any credit card debt you may have. If you need income, apply for positions at established businesses. Home based party plans are not a reliable source of income. Warm chattering is soliciation and not allowed in many places. It can also be dangerous!
Dear J’Nay,
Your answer is in your own post.
They don’t want you to resell your already bought merchandise. That profit only goes into your pocket. Upline and the company only profit on new recruits who place orders and your new orders. Yes, if you resell some, you’ll need to order more; but really how much can that be – compared to finding fresh meat to place a huge “inventory” order at the 50% off price thinking they might make money. Anyway, you don’t have the foot traffic to make that many resales, as store fronts and eBay aren’t allowed. They want you to RECRUIT and sell that “opportunity”. Isn’t that what was done to you?
P.S. People really can’t stand MLMers and avoid them like the plague. As a MK consultant, that’s what you are. MK is a multi-level marketing company. Also, your new friends are just using you for orders. All this should only add to your anxiety, unfortunately.
Send your products back and stop being a scammer. The “work” you are doing is pyramid scheming….ewww. MLMer = pyramid schemer
Even thought I signed up as a PUC to help a friend who was in DIQ, she convinced me to come to her house for an “orientation” meeting with some other new consultants. In the first five minutes, one of the other consultants started to complain she was having finding customers. She worked for a local gym and thought it was a great place to promote her business. Two years later I can still remember the list of rejection reasons she was given:
– They already had a “MK Lady”
– Their dermatologist told them to use a specific skin care regime
– They had sensitive/allergic skin and didn’t try new things
– They didn’t wear make up
– They couldn’t afford it
Honestly, at the time, my thought on hearing that list was, “No one wants this stuff. Those are all ‘white lie’ answers to make the new IBC go away.” I still think that.
Only 17 comments! No one knows what to suggest, they’re all in the same (sinking) boat!
J’Nay, if you’re reading this, you’ve come to the right place, er, stumbled onto the right site.
You should not be doing Mary Kay. As much as they claim “anyone can do it,” no one can. The market is saturated with sellers. Most people don’t want MK products, and those that do either know someone selling it or already are selling it themselves (your competition). Add to that your social anxiety, and all I can ask is: why are you putting yourself through this? And why are you letting others talk you into staying with it? They don’t have your best interests at heart; they just want your money.
You do not want to sell at a discount? Good luck with that, because everyone else does. Do some Ebay searches and see what others are charging for stuff you’re trying to unload. Ask yourself why anyone would buy from you unless you guilted or tricked them into it. Is that any way to build a business?
Even though you don’t know us, we’re on your side, J’Nay. We’ve seen too many lives ruined by Mary Kay… we don’t yours to be one of them. That’s why I say you’ve come to the right place. Follow the advice of those who KNOW and get out.
Of course no one is interested in hosting a “party” or coming to your house for a “party,” because these aren’t parties, they are sales pitches! NO ONE wants to waste their afternoon listening to someone try to sell make up. REAL parties are friends getting together to have fun, relax, laugh. (REAL fun…watching movies, having deep conversations, enjoying adult beverages, eating junk food).
I would NEVER buy ANYTHING from someone in an MLM! When I buy mascara from Target, the Target Lady doesn’t try to warm chatter me, follow me home, call me, text me, ask me to help her meet her Target Lady goals, try to guilt me into supporting other Target Ladies, etc. She puts it in the bag and I LEAVE.
Or best option, I check out myself and don’t have to talk to anyone.