Comments on: What I Don’t Like About Mary Kay and other Multi Level Marketing (MLM) Companies

By: antonio

antonio — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:40:09 +0000

i’m married to a marykay sales director so i know what you mean,i too get tired some times ,however i think the benefits we get out of it are worth mentioning,good paycheks(and getting better)free new car on the driveway,she’s never been an early bird and thought she works hard she does it at her convenience(gets up late but works till late in the evening and she ’s got the freedom to change that any way she wants to)

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By: Amy H.

Amy H. — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:37:27 +0000

Thank you for this post. My best friend recently became a rep for Mila, which is a relatively new MLM product line/company, and every single conversation we have had since she joined up has included a reference (by her) to this product — if not centered on it. It makes me really sad, because I am concerned that I’m going to lose her friendship / she’s going to lose my friendship over it.

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By: Cat

Cat — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:54:18 +0000

I have a cousin who’s doing it, but all she seems to do is market to the same group of us over and over. I think it might be a good sideline for some, but if you don’t have time to invest in finding new markets and networking with new groups of people, I don’t see how it’s sustainable.

By: Søren Egstrup

Søren Egstrup — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 08:35:14 +0000

Why do I have a mentor and coach?

EVERY Olympic athlete has a coach. The top ones hire their own personal coach.
I’ve had my own mentor-coach in network marketing since 1991. One person actually once told me he thought it was a weakness for “people like you to admit that you need a coach to help you.”
A weakness???
I replied that having a coach was (and is) one of the smartest things I have ever done.
A coach keeps you accountable and focused. There are just soooooo many opportunities in life to get sidetracked.
Pro athletes like Tiger Woods, Bobby Bonds, Peyton Manning, all the big stars, have several coaches. Each coach teaches their own specialty.

By: shelley

shelley — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:39:05 +0000

I agree with Jane Carpenter. Your sister-in-law is new and is very excited about her new career opportunities and the new products that she’s selling. She is starting a new business, so please give the woman a break! Maybe she’s a bit over the top now, but it will level off after a bit. In most any MLM, there are product that you can’t purchase anywhere except through their sales force, and if you don’t check them out, you may never discover a great product at a great price.

I’ve sold Tupperware, Jafra, Avon, etc. in the past because the earning potential for leadership simply does not look attractive enough for me to invest the amount of work that it requires. I still am an Avon rep, but mostly just buy their exceptional products at a discount these days. My manager has been in leadership for several years yet she only makes about $2oo/biweekly for all the extra work she does in leadership. That’s not enough for me.

I recently began with Monavie, and love the products! I am not held back in my earning potential by the level of achievement that my upline is at; I can exceed them in rank and pay depending on the amount of work I put forth. In less than 2 years w/Monavie, my upline became a Diamond making over $200,000/yr. She works at it, but she is totally in control of her time and her ability to increase to higher income levels if she continues to work her business. It helps to have her to guide me, to counsel me on what mistakes she made in her business along the way, so I don’t have to learn the hard way. If I were to start my own business the usual way, I wouldn’t have a business plan already proven to be successful available for me to plug into, nor would I have an entire team to encourage and teach me, as I do with Monavie. Plus, as with Avon, I’ve found product that I never want to be without, that I can’t run to Target to buy. The wrinkle creams from Avon actually do work, and are less expensive than the ones at the stores. The acai berry juice from Monavie has given me better health and more energy, plus the energy drink is great and healthy, so I feel blessed to have had the good fortune to have joined these companies and have access to their product lines.

If you’re going to buy something anyway, why wouldn’t you want to buy it from yourself and get the tax benefits of a business owner! And, if I think an opportunity is outstanding, why wouldn’t I tell others about it? It could be just what they are looking for! As for your sister-in-law, maybe you aren’t interested in the product line that she has available, but you probably know other folks who would love to find out what she has to offer. Why not help her out and refer some possible customers/business builders to her? If your buddy opened an auto shop, you wouldn’t hesitate to plug his new business to others I bet. Why treat an MLM any different?

By: Janet Carpenter

Janet Carpenter — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:58:45 +0000

Interesting post! I am a Mary Kay consultant…have been for more than ten years. In some ways, I agree with you, it can be overwhelming for people around a new Mary Kay person. I’d ask you, though, to give your sister-in-law your support and patience. Let her show you the products and buy some! Help her out! She’s starting a new business – it’s not easy and the support of her family will be so valuable for her.

Keep an open mind, when she “goes over the top”. Mary Kay is very exciting. It’s more than a product. The training that the company provides can help you do alot more than just sell. It helps women (and a few men) set goals, learn what to do to reach a goal, and then celebrates with you when you get there.

Yes, it’s a little, okay, a lot, hokey. But in my opinion, the world could do with a little more hokey. MK pushes the golden rule, “treat others the way that you would like them to treat you”.
Yes, it’s corny, but how can you argue with the philosophy.

The training can give you the tools to learn selling techniques, book-keeping, inventory control, marketing. I’ve been to business school and Mary Kay gives you almost as much!

Okay, now I’m sounding like it’s better than sliced bread which is what is driving you crazy. Sorry, I guess I do think it IS better than sliced bread.

I’m going to end before I completely alienate you like your sister-in-law has done and just ask you one more time to support and help her. Listen and have patience, she’ll calm down – a little anyway. Let her know that even though you aren’t crazy about MK, you are crazy about her and so you’ll help out. It’ll mean alot to her.