The Mary Kay Lady

// 6.30.05 // Filed under: Thriving

I got a phone call last night. “Hi Shannon, this is Shelly with Mary Kay-ay!” Ah, I knew that voice pattern. The one that ended every sentence with a high-pitched echo of the last syllable to indicate extreme enthusiasm. She was calling to let me know that our unit was SO CLOSE to achieving a MILLION DOLLAR YEAR and to ask if I could help out by putting in just a $200 order before the Mary Kay year-end of June 30th.

Yes, I used to be the Mary Kay Lady. After my fitness web site business was sold, I tried on a few different hats and selling Mary Kay cosmetics was one of them. I was lured by the potential for a free car, a 50% profit margin, and a chance to learn selling skills from some sharp, successful women. Having just moved to a new city with no job and no friends, I was attracted to the sorority-like bond the Mary Kay consultants had – meeting each week and cheering each other on, sharing a common goal, learning from one another, and having fun.

I’ve never been the selling type, but I believe it’s beneficial to stretch yourself to new challenges. I threw myself into it – as I do with every new endeavor. I bubbled with enthusiasm while convincing all my friends and family to have Mary Kay home parties (or “Skin Care Classes” as consultants were supposed to refer to them). No doubt they all thought I had lost my mind, but they graciously indulged me.

After a few months, my interest waned. The key to selling success, as any good salesperson will tell you, is to pinpoint the reason why a potential customer needs what you are offering. I wasn’t very good at that. The business was also time consuming and exhausting – getting dressed in full makeup and hose and a skirt and heels and loading up the car with Rubbermaid bins full of product was not enjoyable at 6 pm after spending the day with a 3 year old and making dinner and cleaning up. But I did learn a few things. The Mary Kay company offers a slew of self-improvement-type tools to help consultants “get focused” and I found them extremely motivating and applicable to all aspects of life. I got better at setting goals and managing my time, and I became more comfortable and confident talking to new people.

Although I don’t do parties or sell anymore, I am still considered an “active” consultant because I am able to make my sales quota each quarter simply by ordering for myself and a few family members who enjoy the products. I hope “our unit” makes the million dollar mark and the women who do work hard at their business are rewarded. Home party consultants of all kinds (and there are TONS out there pitching everything from makeup to food to scrapbooking supplies) are often looked down upon or secretly made fun of. People feel threatened by them because they feel they might be coerced into buying something they don’t need. But there are a lot of wonderful, hard-working women out there just trying to balance career and family by selling home-party-based products. Next time someone asks you to have a party at your home – go ahead and try it. It will mean a lot to the sales consultant and you might just have fun!

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