Marketing ME
- November 5th, 2008
- View Comments (20)
This has been a long time coming. I have been wanting to share what I have changed in my business to get the better results I’ve been experiencing since July. There is a combination of different factors that led to my productivity. The biggest has been consistency. However, before one can be consistent, one must have tasks to do consistently. I was always stuck about being consistent because I never seemed to have enough leads to work with (or so I thought). There was also the problem of me getting stuck in my own head listening to what some call “the committee” rumbling and grumbling about all that goes wrong and ignores what goes right. Recently, I have quieted that committee and found some confidence in myself and in my business. Know what I did? I figured out how to get leads!
Things started to come together for me this summer. First of all, there is a saying that people resist change until the pain of change is less great than the pain of remaining the same. Without going into too much detail, I’ll just say I’m there. 
Next, I want my business to be taken seriously by those around me. Playing around with it here and there as I have in the past is fun and keeps me sane, but now I need to take it to the next level and turn a fun hobby into a second income. Finally, I had to figure out how to promote my business, maintain my customers, and still remain myself. I started looking for some outside help.
When working online I often see ads about the “lies” my “upline doesn’t want me to know.” Curiosity got the better of me and I visited the link. There was a free Ebook by Ann Sieg called The Seven Great Lies of Network Marketing. As you have most likely noticed, there is an ad for her books on this site. I’ve read them both. The red one is free. I recommend going ahead and reading it. I downloaded it last winter or spring and read it. The information isn’t really “what my upline isn’t telling me.” To the contrary, my upline teaches us to find the people who want what we have. They also give product and sales training. If you feel like you’re not connecting with your director or are having some doubts about how to prospect, this is a good place to start. Also, if you are a director and feel as though what you are saying isn’t conveying itself effectively to your unit, this might give you another way to look at it. For me, these books are exactly what my upline directors are telling me, but worded in a different way and it finally clicked. I do not discredit my director or the others that I train with one bit. As a matter of fact, they are right on the money in their training. I hope that things I post on this blog shed light on that fact. Sometimes it just takes going outside the inner circle to get it and to see how it fits into your own business practices. 
Here is what I got from reading these Ebooks: it’s all about marketing! Fortunately, I already knew this. The trick is figuring out how to market YOU. Guess what! Mary Kay teaches us this! They even equip us to do this! They give us a Mary Kay pin to wear everywhere. Our Starter Kit comes with an “On-the-Go Tote” that can feature our catalog. The idea is to attract the people who want what we have.
How do we market ourselves in Mary Kay with advertising limitations placed on us? This goes directly to what I titled this post. We are not necessarily marketing Mary Kay. We are marketing ourselves! Of course Mary Kay is the product we sell, but we want people to want to buy it from US and not someone else. This is where I think people get confused. Macy’s doesn’t run ads to tell you what Clinique does. Macy’s runs ads that say, “we have Clinique!” Since we are not a store, we can’t run TV ads. Mary Kay does allow us to use company approved ad slicks; which are quite nice.
So, given our contract restrictions on advertising, what can we do? Well, here’s a great way to start: wear the products! Be a walking Mary Kay billboard. This is why you shouldn’t sell this product if you aren’t in love with it. If you don’t love your product, good luck selling it. It doesn’t matter if you are selling cosmetics, cars, or toothpaste! If you don’t like it, you aren’t going to convince your customers! There can be exceptions. But for now, let’s just say you should believe in your product. Not liking it and being allergic to it are two different things, too. I know successful Mary Kay directors who have allergies or skin conditions that prevent them from using certain products. They can still demo them to their customers and sell it. They believe in the products that work for them so they can sell the ones that don’t. Honesty helps.
So, we want to have a great image! This is why image is important. If you want to sell cosmetics, don’t you think you should look somewhat glamorous? And if you aren’t a glamor goddess, just look professional and polished. I know this might sound like things you hear over and over again, but do a personal experiment. Get dressed nice. Wear a trendy outfit and do your hair and face and go out with your Mary Kay pin on and carry your tote and see if anyone talks to you…FIRST. This is my thing now. I do my best to look my best whenever I’m leaving the house. You never know who you’ll run into or who will want to know more about you!
Now, I don’t get leads this way every day, but it happens enough to make me confident that looking nice and wearing my pin and/or carrying my tote will attract people who want what I have. Sometimes they want the product and sometimes they just ask me about selling the product. Sometimes they want both. This is how I’ve been building my team and customer base lately.
Another great way to find the people who want what I have has been table and booth events. I have been doing bride shows, fairs, festivals, and craft shows. I prefer this to fishbowls and facial boxes. The main reason is because I can read the people and talk to them in person. I can read body language and see how eager or reluctant they are to sign up for my drawing. It is so key to watch the prospective customer. You will see people who will walk boldly to your table and ask what you have and sign up without hesitation for your drawing. Others will walk by and pretend they don’t see you. I don’t chase people who aren’t near my booth. If they come close and stop I greet them and ask if they want to enter the drawing. At this point if they shy away, so be it. If they warm up and chit chat, perfect!
The most important key to having consistent business is following up. This does not mean badgering everyone to the point where they will hide when they see you coming or avoid your number in the caller ID. This means having integrity and when someone seems excited to meet you and do business with you, call them in a timely manner! You really do need to call them within 24-48 hours. I have learned my lesson. I waited recently on calling a lead and she called me! And I felt really embarrassed that she had to call me. I never want that to happen again so I vow to follow up! If you meet someone at a fair or table, don’t wait! Another lesson I learned was earlier this year when I was in my frozen in fear phase. I was afraid to call people. When I finally did, a couple had found other consultants or a friend or family member had signed up and they were going to that consultant. Doh! Follow up! I want to stress that it is much easier to call a lead that you know wants to talk to you than someone you may have cold (oh I mean “warm”) chatted at random! I have met people who want to do business with me and I make it my priority to keep them thinking of me fondly. If you don’t follow up they will find someone else. Period. The end!
So, basically, what I took away from The Seven Great Lies of Network Marketing and The Renegade Network Marketer was that it’s about marking myself and advertising what I have to offer by using what is called viral marketing. Viral marketing is simply marketing a product without blatantly using its brand name. I carry a tote that might not be obviously Mary Kay. It has a catalog, but someone has to ask me what it is. For example, someone saw my tote and asked me if I sell Avon. I said no, Mary Kay. She’s a new customer now. Viral marketing is more conducive to internet and The Renegade Network Marketer goes into that in some detail.
Somehow my curiosity for Ann Sieg led me to meet an interesting lady who uses this Renegade System. That would be Pink Renegade. Her website is interesting and please check her out. She knows more about the Renegade System than I do. Pink Renegade’s blog (different from the website) is very resourceful, as well. I will say this about the whole thing. If you like Mary Kay and the way the company is set up and you want to earn cars and become a director and hit court of sales, then you don’t want to get too caught up in the Renegade System. It really caters more to making money on the internet through affiliate programs than it does for Mary Kay specifically. If you decide to purchase The Renegade Network Marketer, you will take away from it a lot of good information about marketing which I think is very good. You will have to use your own judgment and vision in order to effectively implement it in your business.
Tags: Advertising, Direct Sales, Home Based Business, Marketing, MLM, Multi Level Marketing, NaBloPoMo, Network Marketing, Networking, Viral Marketing, Work from Home
Linda J
MJ
Jessica
beautyinpink
elaine
Stumble It!
Wow Shades, do I hear confidence or what??
Woo Hoo, love the growth that has you have experienced in the last several months, you go girl!!
Thanks Shades for posting this, I was waiting for it. How do you go about finding bridal shows and events beforeot other consultants. I have never done an event on my own before. Also have you usually gotten enough leads for it to have paid the cost of the event? I like the fact that you want to get the cusotmer to come to you, that does make it easier. I havent had anyone asking me about my tote or pin yet, but I still intend to carry it everywhere I can.
What I have heard when I introduce myself to someone I know, they always complain about how pushy MaryKay consultants are. I have heard this from so many people. I definately dont want to leave that impression on anyone.
I really would love to get people to shop from my webiste.
Something I was thinking of trying and those of you who have already tried it I would love to hear reuslts, was going around local businesses, and just dropping off some samples, catalogs with business cards and to do this regularly, atlesat eveeytime we have a new catalog and new products.
and see if that starts soemthing.
One of my other problems is giving myself time away from the children to work my business.
Anyways it late and I think I’m rambling now, but I hope you keep posting other things that have been working for you, and I hope some of that confidence rubs off here too.
Talk to you soon.
Glad you like this, beepink!
To answer your questions:
Bride shows: They are typically in January and October. I landed a big one and it was really just by sheer coincidence or maybe Divine Intervention (we’ll see what results are)! I was off work sick one day and went to my parents’ house to rest because it was quieter there than home. On my way the first thing I heard on the radio was “Vendors, call now to reserve your table at the bride show!” The radio station sponsors it. I took a chance and called and left a message (they weren’t even open yet). A couple hours later they called me back and I had an appointment to discuss the event, cost, and details. Bride shows are pricey so I asked around to see who would be interested in joining me to absorb the cost. I also asked what everyone’s limit was as far as how much is too much. Everyone agreed that $100/person would be the limit. I think we will be paying a little less than that! So, how do you find bride shows? Listen for ads on the radio, check the papers, ask people you know if they know of any upcoming fairs, bazaars, shows, etc. See if any consultants in your unit do events and see if they need someone to help out.
Pushy Consultants: I have also had people tell me their past experiences had been with pushy consultants. Most of my customers like that I am not pushy; however, I’m learning that maybe I’m being a little too passive because my customers shouldn’t have to come looking for me. That is a disservice to them. Now I’m making sure I call when the Look goes out and keep them informed of promotions via email. This way, they never wonder, “does she still sell Mary Kay?”
Time Management: This is HUGE and this has made a SIGNIFICANT difference in my results. When you treat your Mary Kay like an actual scheduled job, it works wonders. I highlight my datebook and my weekly plan sheet. I color code them like this:
PINK = Mary Kay office time (phone time, meetings, interviews, etc.) Note that “office time” does not need to take place in an office. I looked at my entire day to see when I might have spare time to make some calls. I make a lot of calls during my lunch hour at work. I had to sacrifice some social time, but it is worth it to keep in contact with my customers.
BLUE = J*O*B time. This is when I absolutely cannot possibly work my business. For me it’s my day job, for someone else it might be another activity they are involved in.
GREEN = IPA time (Income Producing Activity). Classes, facials, meetings (I tend to do meetings pink or green. Guests to meeting makes it potentially green!).
ORANGE = Husband time. My husband likes to have his own color. It makes him feel important.
YELLOW = ME time. Time for me to blog, read, meditate, whatever. It’s MY TIME.
It wasn’t too difficult for me to do this. I danced my whole life and that was like a job even though it was really intense training. If you aren’t used to having a set schedule, you will have to adjust to this and that is difficult for some. If you can discipline yourself to follow the schedule you make for yourself and stick to it like you have a boss that will fire you if you don’t; you can really make things happen!
Keep on asking questions. LOVE having discussions on here! Hope some of this info helps you!
Great post Shades!!! And the additional answers to questions should really help some of the struggling consultants! Your time management system is one that can be adapted to ANY type of business or home needs, so thanks on that
Keep up the awesome work!
Hi shades I was just checking if you had replied, and you had. Thanks for that. I do like to check to see whats going on at the site, its always fun to catch up and see what everyones been upto, and I will definately have more questions.
Oh I wanted to ask are you a star every quarter?
I wish I was a star every quarter. I haven’t been a star in a couple of years.
Working on selling enough to do it! 
you know when I was watching the elections I was thinking, that if you want something bad enough anything is possible, and why do I let my mind intimidate me, thats what the NSDs mean when they say the only thing standing between our success is the 6 inches between our ears.
I am going to consistenly try some of the suggestions. Also I will hand out coupons to my website and see what kind of response I get.
I will let you all know in the future.
Have a wonderful weekend, whats left of it and will check in tomorrow.
You are absolutely 100% correct!
Consistency is everything and you can’t give up when you feel like you’ve hit a brick wall. Go around the wall to the next obstacle. 
I’m going to be very consistent during my time off work! 
Shades~
Awesome post!!! I have been really in the blues the last week or so and I hate how that effects my business. But hopefully I make up for it this week.
I have done two booths this fall and I received a total of like 25 names. I have called half. I am slacking on my last booth which was almost two weeks ago. YIKES!!
I gave out a look Book to the receptionist at my optician, so next week when I go to pick up my glasses I will ask her if she looked through it, and give her some samples. I am going to post here when I have done something to hold myself accountable.
Can’t wait to see what your results are! Yesterday I gave my card to the girl who helped me with my new cell phone. We’ll see where that leads.
I just read the 7 great lies about marketing, but now what, it doesnt really tell you what they want you to do. I guess they want us to buy the book.
I know a little from what you told me.
Anyways, I know I have to work on follow up, that is my weak point.
I agree. It’s pretty vague. The other book is a little more in depth, but not as telling as it claims to be. The message I got from them both is just to use plain common sense.
My directors DO say what these books say. It’s just another spin. The Renegade Book, IMHO, is not really worth the full price. They make it that price because they want you to become an affiliate and then when someone else buys it from your site you get half the price back. Here’s a secret: I got it for half price. 
That is the only reason I purchased it. Once I downloaded the free one, I was eventually offered a discount.
The book is always saying that the author gets all these hundreds of new leads and sales, but never HOW it happened. It is good at explaining that you don’t need to wear yourself out going after people who weren’t interested in the first place.
The key points are these:
Look for the people who want what you have to offer.
Follow up with the people you talk to.
You’re on the right track.
Beepink, I emailed you at the address you provided to leave comments.
beepink said: “What I have heard when I introduce myself to someone I know, they always complain about how pushy MaryKay consultants are. I have heard this from so many people.”
Pink Biz says: Hi beepink, I’ve heard this also. I believe them when they say it too. My response to that person is to say that I’m sorry for whatever experience they’ve had in the past. That it must not have left a very good impression of Mary Kay. I say to them that I do not conduct myself or my business in that manner. That if given the chance, I will provide a quality product and service to them. I try to reconnect of sorts.
By encouraging them, I want them to feel that just maybe I’m not like her. It’s hard to change a wrongful image in someone’s thinking once it’s been placed there.
Hi Pink Biz, I was on your site last night. I enjoyed reading all the posts.
In refernce to above, when does it become pushy, and when is it follow up/with phone tag. I mean all of us have read those stories where a consultant was making a 5th or 6th call and the lady was getting real annoyed and only showed up to get the consultant off her back, but what do you know she becomes a NSD, so if that consultant had been persistant what would the results have been.
What protocol do you all follow with your leads?
If I’m playing phone tag I eventually leave a message saying something like, “if you have changed your mind and are no longer interested; please just give me a call and let me know. I don’t want you to be bothered by my calls.”
Hi Shades,
I have a couple of Christmas Boutiques lined up, and I needed some suggestions. Last year I did a couple and didnt have tremondous results, but hey its better than sitting at home. I need ideas to attract customers to my booth, I was thinking maybe have all of them who are willing fill out a survey, and I was thinking of getting the cards of all the other vendors there to see if they will sit for a networking portfolio.
What else sign up for PCP, virtual makeovers,…
open to suggestions
Hi beepink,
When you do your booths do you offer a gift basket for raffle? That gives incentive for people to sign up. Have an attractive display. Offer a raffle prize. It can be simple like a Satin Hands set or even smaller like Satin Lips. Dress it up a little. If someone approaches the table ask them if they’d like to enter your drawing. The entry form is a survey. I have one I love and I’ll send it to you.
Hi Shades, thanks for the love on in your post! You offer your ladies such great advice, they are very lucky to have you here.
You have also grown so much this last year, it is fun to watch your transformation into this very self confident woman and mentor to many.
Please, keep up the great work!