The concept of “dialing for dollars” is as old as MLM itself. These days, your sales director can email or text you, but we still call it dialing for dollars. The end of the month is coming. Commission checks have to be topped off and car qualifications have to be completed. The way that is done is  by calling unit members and begging them to order.

Your director already knows you don’t need any products  because you haven’t sold what’s already on your shelf. So she’s going to need a convincing argument to get you to do something (spend money) that benefits her and harms you. What does a director say to get you to order? There is a very specific formula to this:

• Thank the consultant
• Make her feel important
• Pretend she’s part of a team
• Use guilt in a subtle way (ex. ask her to order sooner than she was planning because of our goal)
• Tell her you love her even if she doesn’t order

Directors tell one another that this isn’t “asking for production.” This is giving a consultant “an opportunity to participate in a victory.” Uggh.

Here is one script:

I’m sure you’ve noticed that in the past month, that you’ve been hearing from me more often. It’s because we have this HUMONGOUS goal and it’s probably one the hugest goals that our unit has ever tackled. I’m so proud of everybody and the part they’ve played.

I just want to say Thank You! Your participation this year has made a big difference and I know that because you don’t come to the unit functions and you choose to do Mary Kay very part time, that maybe you think that you’re not as important! But you know what? Nothing could be further from the truth. Your order in January and your order in March, that $200 wholesale, it all adds up to making a million dollars, so you’re very much a part of our unit, and I want to say thank you for all that you’ve already done!

We are working on a really tight deadline and so what I’m looking for right now is just to see if you’re going to be able to help us out with our unit goal this month by placing another wholesale order maybe a 200 maybe a $400 or $1000 order…whatever, little or small or big or large. Bottom line is this; if you were planning on placing an order in the next couple of months, it would be great if you could do it this month. You could stock up on your own personal products.

These scripts are so manipulative. And directors and NSDs know it. But they will promote this idea that you’re part of a “winning team.” And everyone want to be part of a group of winners with an excited leader. What exactly are they leading in Mary Kay? They’re leading a unit of women who are all losing money, but as long as the director is making money, I guess that makes them winners.