Pink Truth: If It’s to Be, It’s Up to Me!

Pink Truth Facts, opinions, and the real story behind Mary Kay Cosmetics.

If It's to Be, It's Up to Me! Nov 30th 2011, 12:00 Written by Raisinberry One of the devices used to achieve mind-numbing compliance with all things Mary Kay was the use of the slogan. We were led down a path of little to no resistance because no matter what ugly objection surfaced in our heads, we had a cancel, cancel, canceling thought that fought back. The [...]

Wow, if you want evidence that Pink Truth is the problem that Pink Truth seeks to remove from Mary Kay, look no further than this post. "Raisinberry" says (and while I am paraphrasing, I am almost quoting this), "Mary Kay is bad because they used slogans to brainwash the masses, lets 'fix their wagon' by using slogans to brainwash the masses". I am not kidding.  Read the article and tell me if I am wrong! Slogans are just slogans.  They take a complicated idea or position and simplify it into a sound byte (so to speak).  For better or worse, they are what they are. Let's think of some slogans for this site so that we can show Pink Truth how stupid it is to use slogans... oh wait... never mind.

Pink Truth: The Truth About Personal Use in Mary Kay and Why It’s a Losing Proposition

Pink Truth Facts, opinions, and the real story behind Mary Kay Cosmetics.

The Truth About Personal Use in Mary Kay and Why It's a Losing Proposition Nov 29th 2011, 12:00 Written by Black Nova "I can't believe it," I thought as I sat at my computer placing what would turn out to be my last personal use order. "I'm going to have to order crap I don't need in order to make the $200 mark." You'd think with seven of us ordering, it wouldn't be [...]

Once again, Pink Truth manages to find dark clouds in a silver lining.  The general point of this article by Black Nova is that being a personal use consultant is not as simple as saying, "yes, I prefer to pay 50% for my product than full retail price". **gasp**  According to Pink Truth, you have to pay taxes at the retail price.  AND you have to pay for shipping.  AND you have to make sure that you (or you and your 'group') are going to use the $400 RETAIL/3 month minimum required. I have thought of being a retailer for Dr. Pepper before because I LOVE Dr. Pepper.  I have never even "looked into it" though because I am SURE that I don't want to have THAT much Dr. Pepper to deal with every month (or week or year or whatever...) I think that Mary Kay's "personal use" deal is pretty great for some people.  If you are thinking about doing it, get ALL the information - Black Nova's little piece linked above is pretty accurate I think and analyze whether it is worth it to you.  The Mary Kay gods are not going to drop 50% merchandise on your lap, you are going to have to do a little leg work yourself, and you might need to tell some of your "friends" or "family" what the rules of being a part of the group are.  "Sorry Aunt Ether, I can't order one mascara for you right now... you are either going to need to wait until we are placing the next order or go buy it from a consultant that has it on hand at full price."  And maybe, after you, your friends and your family place a few orders and realize how much $400 RETAIL is, you might have to say that it is too much and that you can actually get a better deal paying full price for what you need. This mentality bothers me the same way those "extreme couponers" bother me.  In my opinion, no one needs 40 bottles of Ketchup.  I don't care if you got them for $0.10.  You have to store those ketchups until you use them.  It works for some people (I guess), but it just doesn't do anything for me.  So, if the deal works for you, go for it.  If it doesn't, move on.  There are tons of ways to make money, save money and spend money.  So do what works for you. Humorously enough, Pink Truth recommends that you purchase from Ebay or Pink Truth's message boards.  Personally, there are some things that I just wont buy "mail order" like that.  When I hear Pink Truth and Selling Mary Kay in the same sentence, all I can picture are crusty old bottles of inventory that someone couldn't move.  I picture the backseat of a late 80's sedan sitting in the direct sun all day with the Mary Kay product I am about to buy.  No Thank You. Thoughts?

Pink Truth: The Lengths Mary Kay Directors Will Go To In Order To Make Production

Pink Truth Facts, opinions, and the real story behind Mary Kay Cosmetics.

The Lengths Mary Kay Directors Will Go To In Order To Make Production Nov 28th 2011, 12:11 Written by JTA Since transitioning from a NSD to be, I have observed some very interesting and disturbing things with my offspring with regard to them doing fake orders to make production. These are things that have happened in the past but I either did not notice or chose not to face what was really [...]

Is it me or is Pink Truth turning over a new leaf of sorts?  This article seems to be exactly what one would expect from a website claiming to offer the truth.  With one small exception, this article seems to simply present facts and observations (appropriately labeled) about something going on with Mary Kay that is not good.  The recommendation that anyone engaging in this behavior (or looking the other way) should stop is also right on. As I said, there is one small exception.  JTA talks about her (former) unit.  This if fine.  Then she talks about Pam Shaw's unit and suggests we check her newsletter but does not provide a link or anyway to go about doing that.  Not a huge deal, but kind of on par with "You should see how much money my director makes..." without providing a way to do so. No, the only real issue I have hear is that JTA then uses this undocumented "proof" to suggest that her experience is "common" in Mary Kay.  This does give the impression that it MAY be common in Mary Kay, but certainly does not prove that it is. I do agree with JTA that "buying" sales goals is not a smart way to do business.  If you or someone you know is doing this, it needs to stop. But lets say, just for a minute, that this is an incredibly rampant problem in Mary Kay.  Let's say that 90% of all Mary Kay consultants are engaged in this sort of behavior and the majority of Mary Kay Corporate's money comes from this sort of nonsense.  Is that a reason to distance yourself from Mary Kay?  What are your thoughts about that?  Personally, I think if you are making money legitimately and are enjoying yourself, there is no reason to concern yourself with what the rest are doing.  If you are being pressured to do these things, that is different, but if you are "doing it right" and the people around you are as well, let the lazy, greedy (or whatever) suffer their own consequences. Thoughts?

Pink Truth: I’m Not Trying to Recruit You; I Just Want You to Join Mary Kay!

Pink Truth Facts, opinions, and the real story behind Mary Kay Cosmetics.

I'm Not Trying to Recruit You; I Just Want You to Join Mary Kay! Nov 27th 2011, 12:00 Written by The Scribbler Recently, I was educated on the Mary Kay concept of the “Gold Medal.” Simply put, winning a Gold Medal means that one has recruited five women within a given month. There are lesser metals assigned for lesser numbers: a silver medal for recruiting four women, a bronze for three, and an [...]

There is a lot here in this article, so please go have a look for yourself.  I will start things with this quote from the end of the article: There’s nothing wrong with a woman wanting a better way of life for herself; most (if not all) of the women who come into Mary Kay fall under this category. The danger comes when one is willing to compromise one’s ethics in order to acquire a shot at that better life. Are the diamonds, the cars, and the commission checks worth the steady stream of half-truths, gentle embellishments, and lies of omission one needs to tell in order to keep the “yes” answers coming? I actually fully agree with this sentiment and a few of the points that The Scribbler makes here.  Anytime that you have to compromise what you believe in or the things that are most important to you, you should walk away.  Whether that means saying "no" to a purchase you are contemplating, engaging in illegal activity or making promises to someone that you can't keep in order to get them to do something that you want them to do. I don't agree with the overall opinion that this "idea" promotes anything inappropriate.  It is kind of hard to tell as "scrib" keeps interrupting the flow with her own thoughts, but most of the ideas set forth seem pretty straightforward. By reassuring her that you are not trying to recruit her (assuming that you are willing to graciously allow her to say 'no' when you are finished), you take the pressure of her and you.  Obviously this is a big assumption, but Pink Truth makes the other big assumption that no one is really willing to take a 'no'.  Regarding the solidness of the information presented, there can be a big swing to two extremes on this one.  Mary Kay folks tend to believe that their people will do their homework and no their stuff.  Pink Truth, on the other extreme, emphatically insist that just by association with Mary Kay you turn into a bumbling moron and know absolutely nothing.  I tend to think that most people fall somewhere in the middle.  For your own sake, before you open your mouth, make sure you know what you are talking about and if people make vague references to something that sounds 'neat' or 'awesome', try to nail them down.  If you get too many, "uh, umms", chances are you should walk away.  Even if there is truth to what they are saying, if they are too lazy to get a solid grasp on the "facts" they are preaching, you don't want to be working for them. Developing an intimate relationship with someone is important in sales.  Using it as leverage to manipulate them is wrong.  Personally, I think that you should be able to ask to see some proof of the income someone claims to be earning.  In a business like this where you are not being given a contract of $x/hour, you need to see as much evidence of potential income as possible... but still know that your results may vary radically. As far as the inventory discussion goes, I totally agree with avoiding people that are only interested in personal use.  If someone approaches you and that is what they are excited about, I wouldn't advise turning them away, but if you are looking to build a business and looking for solid teammates, you are not looking for personal use consultants.  At that point, you would be best telling them to let you know if they ever want to sign up and just enjoy the rest of your visit. One thing that absolutely grates on my nerves though, is anyone that ever EVER uses the word irregardless.  It may have some level of acceptance, but to me it is worse than grinding teeth or nails on a chalkboard.  What does that have to do with Mary Kay?  Nothing.  I just can't stand it and had to say something.  Please feel free to add your own "anti" Pink Truth Comments here.  We all know you can't add them there.  :)

Pink Truth: Translating Mary Kay Director Lingo: What They Say Versus What They Mean

Pink Truth Facts, opinions, and the real story behind Mary Kay Cosmetics.

Translating Mary Kay Director Lingo: What They Say Versus What They Mean Nov 25th 2011, 12:00 Written by MaryKayExploitsWomen Directors feed everyone so much bologna about Mary Kay and how great it is.  But did you know that every line of every script has an underlying message?  Everything a director tells you and/or a potential recruit can be very easily translated into its true meaning within a split second. Here are [...]

Pink Truth offers a list of 20 phrases that they claim you will hear often in Mary Kay and then offer their translation of what these phrases actually mean. As usual, they are too lazy to back any of these up with examples or reasons why their translation represents a better understanding of the phrase. How many of these expressions have you heard from Mary Kay people?  Any of these stand out to you as particularly ridiculous? My personal take: 1. Pink Truth is trying to pick a fight over a nominal 'positive' slogan 2. Pink Truth is accurately criticizing anyone that pushes for people to buy too much inventory but fails to acknowledge that not everyone does this. 3. Anyone know the real story behind the Harvard line?  It seems to me like this one just gets repeated and no one really knows the real deal... I am sure there is something worth knowing here.  It is too bad that too many are too lazy to find out the real deal behind this quote as it would probably be a good selling point if repeated accurately and with some knowledge. 4. To say that there are absolutely NO quotas in Mary Kay is misleading.  However, Pink Truth's lie about the rampant quotas is much worse. 5. As with the Harvard thing, before repeating this 'story' Mary Kay reps should really research it and understand it themselves. 6. Pink Truth misquotes this fact -- but so do most Mary Kay reps... "Pyramid Scheme" and "Skin Irritant" are both much less factual than their misquoted Mary Kay fact. 7. Stupid 8. Mary Kay IS your business.  If you don't want to live by their expectations and standards, find something else to peddle.  Do you think McDonald's would let their owners use Burger King napkins because "they were cheaper"? 9. Buying wholesale at 50% of retail means that you can make 100% profit. ($5 wholesale - $10 retail = $5 profit on $5 investment -- this is 100%  profit)  Obviously there are expenses that will keep you from ever seeing that level of profit.  Pink Truth's assertion that Mary Kay Corporate is the only one making a profit is absurd - Just think about it. 10. Does Pink Truth have any idea what is meant by the phrase "Fly off the shelf"? 11. "I need you to..." should be a warning flag.  This is YOUR business run it your way.  Doing 15 faces makes sense though.  Put the product on people and give them the opportunity to fall in love (or hate) it.  Either way, you (and they) won't know until they put it on.  Putting product on faces and "recruit" are not the same thing.  If they are saying to put the makeup on people's faces, they are not saying recruit.  If they are saying recruit, find a different unit 12. Stupid 13. Shame on you Pink Truth for going after people's faith.  Shame on you Mary Kay if you are going after people with "faith". 14. Another example of Pink Truth (and probably Mary Kay) misusing a simple concept.  "Fake it 'til you make it" is healthy and smart when applied to confidence in approaching people and public speaking and the like... it is NOT healthy at all when it comes to mean buying a lifestyle you can't afford to make it look like you are successful. 15. Tony Horton says, "You can do anything for 30 seconds".  Obviously this is not absolutely true.  If Mary Kay sets a goal of 2 skin care classes a week, that seems like a good plan.  If it interferes with your family, try something that doesn't.  You should plan on making some sacrifices to reach new achievements.  But if the achievement doesn't outweigh the sacrifice, be content with what you have. 16. I was very impressed with Seminar.  Some personalities will love it and be energized by it.  Others will not.  Judging by the thousands that do go every year, I think Pink Truth is just playing the bitter card here. 17. Mary Kay claims that cosmetics are recession proof - not that Mary Kay itself is recession proof.  Although one does follow the other, Pink Truth truth is too lazy to quote accurately. Just like they are too lazy to prove that Mary Kay is actually sinking like the Titanic.  Something they have been claiming for years.  Last time I checked, the Titanic did not take years to sink ;) 18. It bears repeating.  You CAN start your own Mary Kay business for just $100.  Plenty of people have gone on to make small to big amounts of money.  Bottom line is you have to sell product to make money.  Buying MORE product is NOT going to make you money. 19. Personally, I think that it is in Mary Kay's best interest to look out for the best interests of it's sales force.  "Scamming" people out of thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars once is not nearly as profitable for them as having lifelong consultants that consistently sell and order more inventory.  Desperate individuals might twist this and try to drain individuals in the now, but Mary Kay would not risk stability to pursue the idiot agenda Pink Truth has cooked up for them. 20. Emperors new clothes right?  Except in this case, Pink Truth is basically criticizing the Emperors clothes instead of pointing out a lack of actual clothes.  If you don't like the stuff, don't buy it and CERTAINLY don't sign up to sell it.  People that like Mary Kay (that GENUINELY like Mary Kay) LOVE it and love selling it.  They are not faking it.  They are having a great time. If you are thinking about selling Mary Kay, don't listen to bitter idiots that can't think for themselves.  That applies to the idiots at Pink Truth and it may apply to the person or people trying to recruit you.  Ask questions to people that can give you a straight answer and that don't have a stake (bitter or profitable) in your decision. Ask questions here or visit -  http://balancedmarykay.blogspot.com/ Post your comments about this Pink Truth post below. Thanks!