Mary Kay Opinion 31

I am glad to see that someone else feels bitter about the "Mary Kay experience"! I was single, pregnant, and down to my last dollar. They portrayed it to me to be a win-win situation. They explained to me that within a year I can return my "kit' for a 90% refund and guaranteed me that as long as I attended the weekly meetings and all the "training" events that I would be successful. Well I recruited my first girl, who was a friend of mine, and when I saw how they explained the process to her I was ashamed. (She won her kit at a Mary Kay event so she was not out any money at this point). I was glad.

My Sales Director met us both for lunch one day and while she was explaining everything to my friend, she mentioned taking out a loan to stock up on product. I realized at that point this was not a good thing. They manipulate people into thinking that if you have product on your shelf it will sell, but how can most people afford to take out a loan for $1800-$3000 for makeup just to see if it will sell. And those poor unsuspecting women forget that if it does not sell the loan payment is still due every month.

My Sales Director was so verbal about how much money you can make. She sends out an update of sorts for her "team". I realized that she did not make any more money with Mary Kay than I did working my 8-5 in a year (around 15,000). What a joke! What a lie! And the thing that burned me up the most is that they use God in their slogan! I'm not sure what Mary Kay intended when she first started this program, but the way it is being run now is very manipulative, and I do not believe that God approves of manipulation!

I never took out a loan for this and neither did my friend, but I know others that have. Spread the truth. Like you said, they have wonderful products, but their way of doing business is wrong! I will not be a part of a company that does this to people

I am sorry to hear this, but it was your choice to start Mary Kay, and your choice not to set your mind to it, and it's your choice whether you take out a loan or not. Why wouldn't you want inventory, that is what makes you money. I wouldn't want to go to Wal-Mart and see something I wanted and not be able to take it home with me.

Sarah Clark
Journal Production Editor
450 Fame Avenue
Hanover, PA 17331
phone: 717-632-3535
fax: 717-633-8928

Would you expect to start any other business with no inventory? That just doesn't make sense. You wouldn't decide to start a clothing store and when people came in, say "Oh, we have to order that. It'll be 2 weeks." When I go to the store, I want to take my products home right then and there. I'm so sorry that you or your friend never took out a loan. I have seen consultants come and go for that very reason. All of the people I have been affiliated with since I began Mary Kay have been successful when they invested a little money into some inventory.

I disagree with you commentors.......isn't on-line shopping the hot item now???? Women shop MK websites of consultants all the time......and guess what ladies.....THEY HAVE TO WAIT!!!!!!! The wave of the future is ON-LINE SHOPPING......AKA.....ORDERING STUFF.......Being an X-Director, I saw my share of women who bought initial inventories, some of everything before they had a chance to see what their personal customer base wanted which left them with tons of unwanted items. Also, in 3 months when the quarters change, you have to buy MORE INVENTORY to get the newest products.....so quarterly, you have to buy those new things which sit on top of the old things. Best thing to do in this business is to use your entire 2 months you have to make an inventory decision and during that time, check out your market.

Stores have "inventory reduction" sales, 'clearance sales', etc., to rid themselves of unwanted items and we are not Walmart when we sign up, I wish they'd quit saying that stuff.......it's just not any sort of a comparison. Women do not mind waiting a few days for something......best thing to do when you start up is invest in samples and have some shows......samples sell......kick in your 50% at first w/ a $200 order or whatever you need to buy things you can use as testers (colognes), sample stuff where no samples are available.....have a product preview......and place a big order with THEIR MONEY and start building your store with stuff you know they like with the profit.

*****The problem is that a new Mary Kay Consultant is encouraged, reminded, nagged, prodded, offered loans - to purchase a minimum of 1200.00 Wholesale cost inventory. As a new recruit, my director offered to place 1200.00 on her credit card for me!!! I responded that I wanted ot use my sample kit, plus other samples that I would purchase, at my 'Debut'. I received mail, email, phone calls - one from a woman I'd never even met - all 'encouraging' me to purchase at least 1200.00 in inventory!! Problem, was, I couldn't afford it. I had my debut. No one came. I found NO market for my wares!!! I live in a town of 6000. There are 25 Mark Kay Consultants!!!! I was told "you sell to your friends!" OK. I called my friends. They all had MK Consultants and I could not sell to them. DUH!!! Where did I go for my First MK facial? A friends house!!! My second MK facial & lip party? Another Friends house. My 3rd MK party (a Holiday Show) A 3rd friends house!! Three different consultants were involved. Who was I going to sell to. What was I thinking!!! I wanted to see what my costomers wanted first before I went into debt. I was told that was why I failed.

Then, I was encouraged to trick people into sitting down with me. I talked an acquaintance into allowing me to be trained on her with my Team Leader (now a Director). She agreed that this could be fun. Everything went well at first. Then my Leader (trainer) whipped out the roll-up bag filled and offered 'YOu can get this beautiful bag filled with all of this for ONLY 285.00" I almost died!!! I had hoped to get this woman to purchase one of the facial items and book a show with her 2 adult daughters. But my recruiter/leader/trainer whatever you want to call her, totally turned this woman off. It is LYING outright to ask someone to 'Let me practice on you' and then turn it into a high powered sales pitch! That was the day I quit. I will NOT LIE, TRICK, SCHEME, to make money. I WILL NOT LIE TO MY HUSBAND or omit the truth that my Director put my purchase on her CC or loaned me the money!

God, Family, Career - in that order. BAH!!! I was told that if I don't want to leave my child with a babysitter, well, then I don't want it bad enough. My child should, at 6 years old, be able to do her homework without my help! Otherwise I don't want it bad enough. And no, my husband does not want to accompany me to a MK rally and watch a bunch of grown-up 7th graders giggle their way across a stage to applause, do a silly dance or sing an outdated song.

It is absolutely possible to make a good living selling Mary Kay. But I can tell you that the most successful Consultants will put out a pitch at a funeral. I want nothing to do with such low class, rude, ignorant people.

Now go ahead and ban me.

Deb Kearney

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