As I was doing my routine review of pt, I happened across a post from a member that reports the time required to do a skin care class. After reading her breakdown, all I can say is I was…
ROTFLMBO … Please if anyone is reading this, I totally disagree. If this is how she did her classes,and the time she took to do them, then I am not surprised that she didn’t enjoy MK.
May I point out that she is even including time to get dressed and put make up on? If she has inventory that (she has been frontloaded with), why did she not have the product with her to give to the people (who according to pt never buy anything anyway)? Why would she need to call others to find what she needs and then take the time to go get the products she doesn’t have?? According to her agenda, she checks what she is low on and what she needs to order as part of her routine. Once invoices are entered into a software program, it automatically does the weekly summaries sheets and updates your inventory and can tell you what you need to order. As I reviewed her breakdown, the term “double dipping” seems to apply.
I can dispute many, many more things, but I thought it might be fun to play that game, “How many things can you find wrong with this picture?” I also think that her examples shows one, it is smart to have an inventory so that you can deliver the products right at your shows. Look at how much time she would have eliminated if she had simply delivered the products when she was at the show.
I had to chuckle at counting time to get gas and wash the car. Have you ever seen any 40 hour a week job that pays you for getting dressed and putting on your makeup to show up for the job or to get gas? She has exaggerated so much; I am surprised she didn’t tack on 6 – 8 hours for sleeping the night before her class so she doesn’t arrive tired.
For anyone doing research on what time is required to conduct a skin care class, this is not an accurate example. The whole process should not require more than 4 to 5 hours. If it is taking you longer, once you have figured out what you are doing, it is time to take a look at your process and adjust how you are using your time. Below is an example of taking way too much time to do a presentation, work smart not hard.
lightershadeofpink said:
Here's another try. Skin Care Class Task Analysis (7 to 21.75 hours)
Tasks to be Completed:
Contact client for class list (.25 to .75 hrs)
Organize list, profile cards, etc. to call guests (.25 to .5 hrs)
Call guests to pre profile (.5 to 1.0 hrs) Make list of special products to bring based on profiles (.25 hrs) .
Confirm class w/ hostess, discuss gifts, etc. (.25 to .5 hrs) .5 hrs -
Coach hostess prior to class (.5 hrs) .25 hrs -
Download directions from MapQuest (.25 hrs) .25 to .75 hrs -
Pack bags w/ appropriate demos, hostess gifts (.25 to .75 hrs)
Pack bag w/ appropriate product base on pre profile (.5 hrs)
Load car (.25 hrs) Change into career wear, do hair, makeup, touch up nails, etc. (.5 to 1.0 hrs) Stop for gas and car wash (.25 hrs)
Drive to client (.25 to 1.0 hrs)
Greet hostess, set up and coach (.5 hrs) Run class 1.0 to 1.5 hrs)
Individual closes for each guest (.25 to .75 hrs)
Total class, give hostess earnings (.5 hrs)
Clean up, pack up, load car (.5 hrs) Drive home (.25 to 1.0 hrs)
Unload car (.25 hrs)
Take off career wear, etc.(.25 hrs)
Put product back in office (.25 to .5 hrs)
Restock demo bags, clean mirrors, etc. (.25 to .5hrs)
Input receipts, etc. into software program (.5 to .75 hrs)
Locate product that needs to be delivered (.5 to .75)
Contact other consultants for product you don't have (.25 hrs)
Call SD to report of class success/failure (.25 hrs)
Input result in Weekly Accomplishment Sheet and IPA Sheet (.25 hrs)
Pack up products to be delivered (.25 to .5 hrs)
Call to Confirm w/ hostess drop off date/time (.25 hrs)
Change into career wear, do hair, makeup, touch up nails, etc. (.5 to 1.0 hrs)
Drive to client (.25 to 1.0 hrs)
Deliver products to hostess & chat politely (.25 to .75 hrs)
Drive home (.25 to 1.0 hrs) Take off career wear, etc. (.25 hrs)
Check software for low inventory, prep for new order (.25 to 1.0 hrs)
Posts
Well that does take her a long time. I don't get paid to wash my car or to put on my own make-up. I don't get paid to get dressed for work this is just part of your day. I think that if someone wants to they can find things that they can make it look the way that they want to make it look. There are things at my job that I do that I don't get paid for like cleaning, answering the phone, doing a consultation. So I find this something. Life is what you make it.
ReplyDeleteOne other thing I was thinking you can make something look good or you can make something look bad. I think it boils down to how you look at things is the glass half full or is it half empty. I can't really see how a class or preparing for a class would take a person 21 hours that is something. Also when you own your own business you do things that are not paying things so that your business gets up and running. If I wanted to I could write down everything that I do to prepare for my hair salon oh my Lord if I did that I would be working 24 hours a day. It is the way that you look at things and if you enjoy what you are doing it makes a difference. Well have a GREAT DAY
ReplyDeleteEverything is only in minimum 15 minute increments. It takes 15 minutes to mapquest? I do that in 5 minutes or less before I leave my office or the house. I suppose if your computer is a dinosaur and your typing speed is 10 wpm or less it could take 15 minutes.
ReplyDeleteFor training purposes, it is important to learn to be pleasant on the phone but you also must respect the hostess's time as well as your own. This is also important when preprofiling the guests, you must be brief, taking too much of others time will make them less likely to spend time with you because they will fear it will always be a big chunk of time if you are contacting them.
ReplyDeleteThere certainly are some unnecessary extra steps in here. Like making a separate list of special products. I would just jot that on the profile while on the phone.
ReplyDeleteThe searching for products, too. I would think most have a general idea where things are stored. By putting my lipsticks and other color products into a clear plastic drawer unit, I can see what I have at a glance. It took me awhile to get that organized, but I save time in the long run. No more digging through all the stuff looking for what I need. My lipsticks are alphabetized and I can keep track of what I'm low on. This is an amazing concept for me -- organization!
Timing getting ready is just silly. It takes me the same amount of time to get ready in the morning whether I have a MK appointment or not. Some days less than others if I'm being a slug for a day. ;)
I also don't understand touching up nails and makeup. I put my makeup on once a day. Maybe because MK makeup lasts all day. ;) And my nails? As long as they don't look raggedy I'm fine with that. I keep mine short anyway.
Oh, I meant, just for dropping stuff off. Why touch up for that? It's a 10 minute transaction. Sometimes longer if it's a good friend. We might chit chat. And I don't see that as a burden.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is OMG, no WONDER she failed! What an attitude! I do freelance marketing and am paid by the hour...should I now charge the business the hour it takes for me to get ready in the morning? Should I include in my hourly rates putting GAS in my car???
ReplyDeleteMaybe I can just keep doing things really poorly, creating redundant systems, retyping the same copy over and over again so I can charge them for more hours? Woo hoo! Who knew business works like this.
Seriously, this is really sad. They've gone off the deep end with this post and I can't wait for the backlash of women who google Mary Kay, Pink Truth pops up, they read this post, and figure out the nay-sayers just have no clue what running a business is about.
It's funny and sad at the same time.
My motto is "Keep it simple, stupid" and, mind you, I am calling MYSELF stupid - I don't want to be misquoted.
ReplyDeleteSo, how do I keep it simple?
I keep skin care class supplies in the sideboard of my dining room, as that is where I hold my classes. I just pull everything out for facials and parties (which I rarely do, in all honesty), and then return everything and shut the cabinet door!
If I am holding an appointment elsewhere - my bag is already packed and the products I think I will sell are in a box that can be quickly moved to the car. No extra packing required. Color is in a tackle box. Grab and go. Samples are in a binder. Grag and go.
Thus, for appointments at home or away, I'm already packed.
Seriously, I'm not going to break down my class time, as this PT'er did, as THAT is a waste of my valuable time.
However, I can honestly say, that my class prep (and I don't include getting dressed - sheesh), set-up, the actual class or facial, and final details (close, etc.), takes about 3 hours.
There is waaaay too much micro-managing happening in her scenario. That's my humble opinion. It is a shame that there wasn't someone to walk through those details with her to assist her in streamlining her entire approach.
My biggest fear is that if they end up at pt before the look any place else, that many may actually look at this and think it is true. That is why I wanted to make it a post here, so that there was at least a balance.
ReplyDeleteI must admit, she does a great job as far as working with her hostess, and preprofiling the guests, and doing individual closings, but if she had streamed lined her systems and didn't duplicate all her efforts, she would have enjoyed her MK much more and would have freed up alot of time.
I can't imagine anyone wanting to do Mk if it took that long to pull a class together -
And, I should add, that for a facial only, I am able to "grab and go" and get it all done in an hour. If someone says, "I'd love to meet with you, but I only have an hour." I make it happen within their timeframe.
ReplyDeleteThe 3 hour example I gave is on the long end of how much time I take to run an appointment and all the details that accompany it.
No longer than that.
My total time is probably 3-4 hours. My appointments generally take 90 minutes to 2 hrs. If it's one on one it's usually an hour to an hour and a half. Classes are typically 2 hours. I count the time of the demo as the class/facial. Many times I am there awhile because, whodathunk, people like me! So we chit chat. I did a class one time and I was packing up and the ladies were like, oh you can't leave yet! You have to stay and eat dinner with us! It was great. I love the relationships I have built with my business. Besides, I don't want to be the stuffy saleslady who just comes in to make a fast buck and be on my merry way. You want to build rapport.
ReplyDeleteI certainly don't include my drive time, getting dressed/made up time, or putting stuff away at home time in my total time. That is just silly. I drive 30 miles one way to work. It can take me an hour or more to get there if traffic is bad. Do I get paid for that? NO! If anything, I get DOCKED for being LATE.
Sometimes I wonder what world people are living in.
Perhaps I'll add that the only people I know of who actually get paid for time spent driving on the road are bus drivers, taxi drivers, and truck drivers! LOL
ReplyDeleteI believe the longer we are in MK and the more classes one does, we learn out to stream line our process. I would like to suggest the I have product in a plastic tub and in my color carrier and in an insulated carrier. I keep product in those that I can just grab them and put them in the car. After the class before the next one, I restock from my shelves what I sold at the class. So the next time I need them they are ready to go.
ReplyDeleteYou may spend 15 minutes initially setting this up but after the initial set up it will on take a couple of moments to replenish it.
When I fill reorders or do appointments at my home, then I pull the stuff off my shelves instead of my packaged product so the carriers are always ready to grab and go.
This system has worked very well for me.