Are You a Con Criminal?
Over at Pink Truth, there is a provocative piece, What are the Mary Kay Little White Lies?
"One of the reasons you are kicking yourself for joining Mary Kay is, you knew it was suspect from the beginning. You felt it in your gut but you swept that idea aside because you fell for the charisma and sincerity of your “presenter.” One of reasons you successfully got guests to attend, is because you did not tell them the total truth, because if you did they would resist your invitation. You know this. You cheerfully called guest events by any other name besides recruiting meeting. Your first was innocent, being naïve and all, but eventually you figured it out... and bait and switch no longer bothered you. As mentioned in the Dreams Drive and Deception article , the small seemingly insignificant “little white lies” do a slow indoctrinational assault on your integritythat one hardly notices. We here at Pink Truth are chastised for “not taking responsibility” for our “lack of integrity” and I have to say we do own 50% of that issue. "
One of my observations is the people often detect a fraud, but somehow let their mind talk them out of what they know to be instinctively true: run away.
Tracy identifies a number of techniques which allows the MK recruit to skirt the truth, and here they are:
"It still begs the question though, how even from the beginning we understood that full disclosure – “honest communication” would not create the “success” we were looking for. Some examples:Don’t say “dollars"... just say the number “just 104”
Say “practice face” instead of sales appointment, she might not book, otherwise.
Say, “you plus two”, that seems small and you can add more when pre-profiling.
Call everyone in the fishbowl and tell them they won the free facial.
Say, “I was challenged by my Director” even though technically you weren’t, it makes people want to help you.
Use “yes answer” questions, they make the prospect agree with you, instead of finding out what they really think.
Use a choice between two things instead of asking a yes or no, like, would you want to take home the Miracle Set or the Ultimate Miracle set? Asking a direct question will many times get you a “no.”
You’re not “recruiting”, you are building a “team”... business associate is so much better! "
A number of these sales techniques are what we would come to expect from any legitimate sales or distribution company.
Well, except for the fake prize trick.
How do you know when you have crossed the line with your sales technique, from smooth compliance operator into con criminal fraudster?
Any suggestions?
Read More From BizOp News
June 6, 2007
How much can you earn in Mary Kay
There are two different opinions about how much you can earn as a Mary Kay consultant. Over at Pink Truth Tracy opines that
"All these consultants. All these units. All these orders. Surely some are making a living selling Mary Kay products?
Maybe we haven’t looked at the right units. How about Lisa Madson’s unit? I mean, she’s one incredible woman! Her unit even did $2 million retail orders once! So I’m sure she’s teaching her consultants to sell!
Well sadly, no. You see below that November’s numbers show only 12 consultants ordering enough for a $500 profit a month or more. In November, 173 consultants placed orders for the Madson unit. There are likely more than 200 consultants in Lisa’s unit, so based upon 200 total consultants, those 12 represent 6%.
That’s right. 6% (or maybe less) of Mary Kay and Lisa Madson’s unit order enough to get at least $500 of profit if they sell it all."
Over at the Fuschia Blog it is argued that "How many of us remember hearing, and even saying ourselves, that only 2% of the MK sales force are directors? And do we not also remember hearing and saying that only the top 20% of the Company are Star Consultants? We’ve been hearing and saying this for, oh, dare I say – DECADES. I also dare to say that many of the former and current directors that comment on PinkTruth have heard this and said it many times. Maybe even hundreds of thousands of times."
So who is right in this debate?
How would anyone know? Tracy is relying, correctly, upon some published but internal reports. She does a nice analysis of the numbers, but then the Fuschia Blog argues that everyone knows these numbers and that Tracy is banging an empty drum.
But since Mary Kay has sided with the DSA in opposing the new FTC Rule for Income Earnings Opportunities, we have this debate. Had Mary Kay presented on their website the same sort of earnings claim information that Arbonne had, we would not have this debate.
It doesn't make sense for members of the DSA to fight the new FTC Rule, it only looks like the have something to hide. If we believe that many of the individuals who become involved with DSA companies do so for personal reasons, don't require an large income, then what do they have to lose by supporting the FTC's new rule?
Tell the truth about what people can reasonably expect to make with your company -how can that be wrong?
