Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Pink Truth: Recruiting a New Consultant With Manipulation

Pink Truth
Facts, opinions, and the real story behind Mary Kay Cosmetics.
Recruiting a New Consultant With Manipulation
Jan 11th 2012, 12:00
Written by The Scribbler

This script has all of the finesse of a vacuum cleaner salesman inching his way across the porch, inching his way over the threshold, and finally through the front door. how the consultant softens up the prospect by initially utilizing manipulative body language and flattery.  The prospect gets the informational tape/video [...]
Pink Truth's protest over recruiting (and sales) technique training like this really makes me wonder:

1. Is Pink Truth's idea of selling or recruiting something like this - "Hi, do you want to buy this (try selling this)? You probably don't right?  I mean I don't blame you if you don't.  I probably should have never brought it up.  I'm sorry I even brought it up. Well?"

2. Has anyone there ever had their minds changed to a positive outcome?  I have a really good friend that was dead set against 'natural birth'.  She wanted the hospital, the meds, the works...  She ended up giving birth in a birthing center with a midwife and no meds at all.  She LOVED it.  How was she convinced?  Someone she knew used a birthing center and had a good experience (even though she ultimately needed to be transferred to a hospital).  She watched a video that the friend recommended (or the birthing center... I'm not completely sure which, but the point is it was a video).  Now, she can't imagine having that experience any other way.  There will still be "Pink Truth Types" telling her the "Truth" that she shouldn't have done that and shouldn't encourage other women to consider it.  In my opinion, they would be wrong.

Certainly, there are 'militant' anti-hospital types, but my friend (and her friend) are not like that.  If you are interested (or pregnant) they will enthusiastically convey their experience and their knowledge on the fact.  But they also respect your ultimate decision.

So, is this training manipulative?  No way.  Does it go a little to far by not taking the first "no" as a completely closed door?  I don't think so.

What do you think?

2 comments:

  1. Honestly, it doesn't hurt to through the option out there. There is a line, though, between being pushy and really not taking no for an answer and saying, "Hey, this is what the opportunity is about," or "This is a new promotion, and I did mention the opportunity earlier. Would you be interested in more now?"

    It's common is sales regardless. I worked at a department store between college and graduate school, and the retail outfit I worked for was big on pushing (and I mean PUSHING) their store credit card. Would that be viewed by PT as ok? Or as manipulative and too high-pressure? For the record, the cosmetics counters at this department store, which is a famous nationwide chain, was always horrendously pushy. Even as a fellow employee I avoided walking through there.

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  2. Ha. THROW the option. Not through.

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