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.  :)