Starting a home-based business is the dream of many people today. An easy way to transition into the entrepreneurial world is to represent products as an independent salesperson. Mary Kay is one of the more popular options chosen. Part of it is because of the religious component that is associated with the business. There’s also the fact that Mary Kay representatives sell products that are consumable and enjoyed by many.
If you’re thinking about joining Mary Kay, then here is a look at a few of the pros and cons that come with that choice.
The Pros of Selling Mary Kay
1. It teaches the art of the cold call.
Many Mary Kay representatives are going to make cold calls to people they don’t know on the off-chance that they’ll be able to generate a sale. Training from Mary Kay makes this process a lot easier because it gives representatives specific tools that can be used to create a meaningful conversation to begin building up relationships. This is a skill that can translate later into future careers.
2. People who use Mary Kay feel fantastic because they look fantastic.
Because beauty is a point of emphasis in selling Mary Kay, many representatives say that they feel more beautiful when representing the product because they have learned how to better apply the products they represent. This gives them confidence in demonstrating the products to others. Leadership in Mary Kay encourages this as well, helping others look and feel their best so that they can go out and sell at their very best.
3. Commissions come from sales and recruitment.
Representatives can build up their own business as a representative and earn commissions from direct sales and downline efforts. There are minimum purchase requirements that must be made, but inventory can be traded with other local representatives. Residual incomes happens with every downline sale and any direct sales earn a 50% commission above the wholesale price if sold at full price.
4. It’s easy to get started.
The costs of becoming a Mary Kay representative are quite low, so a minimum amount of investment capital is required. There’s no time commitments and active status is based on purchases instead of sales. In return, representatives get a lot of independence in how they operate so Mary Kay can be sold around a full time job.
The Cons of Selling Mary Kay
1. There are usually fees involved.
Many directors hold weekly meetings where representatives all are required to pay for the room where the meeting is held. It’s usually a fee of around $5, but it could be significantly more. When this is combined with the fact that income is based on sales that are made, if a representative or their downline are unable to create any sales, there won’t be any money to spend.
2. Negatives are often ignored or overlooked.
Because of the religious components of Mary Kay, anything negative that happens within the context of the business is often ignored, swept under the rug, or blatantly overlooked. There is a large amount of self-discipline that is require to be a Mary Kay representative because selling becomes a habit that includes evenings, weekends, holidays, and even vacations.
3. Marketing costs are the responsibility of the representative.
One of the most common methods of sales that Mary Kay uses is to host skin care classes. Beauty brochures and pamphlets are also printed and made available for purchase. To mail out beauty books, representatives must pay out of pocket any expenses that are incurred. Any free samples, makeovers, and other promotional events that involve products also come out of the representative’s pocket.
4. Most regular customers wind up being family and friends.
It isn’t uncommon for Mary Kay representatives to bring their products to family and friends to begin building their business. Then the next step is their church. After that, it can be difficult to find customers who wish to purchase the products. This ultimately winds up creating excess inventory amounts and a representative must either purchase even more or become inactive.
Mary Kay Isn’t For Everyone, But It Could Be For You.
If you’re looking for an easy entry opportunity to earn money and have a natural sales talent, then this could be a great business opportunity for you. Take a look at the full offer before signing up, be prepared for inventory purchases, and then have fun looking good while helping others to look good as well.
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