In keeping with the already excellent flow of conversation going the last few days, let us talk about the fence.
They* say, "The grass is ALWAYS greener on the other side of the fence". Anyone find this to be true in your life? I know I do. All the time. I have one job but I go for the "better one" and discover that it may have actually been better at the first one! I move (one apartment to another) only to discover that perhaps the first one was a better deal! I sell my old car and buy another one only to discover how much I loved the old faithful one that I knew so well.
So the "fence" we talk about here has to do with Mary Kay. Almost everyone here has been on the "outside looking in" and made the move to the Mary Kay side of the fence. Some have then moved back to the other side, and some (ahem Shay!) are getting ready to go back to the MK side.
The questions tonight (this morning) are:
1. At this point in your life which side are you on - and is the grass greener where you are?
2. Do you feel that those in Mary Kay use the greener grass appeal to attract new recruits?
3. Do you feel that they OVER use it?
4. Do you feel that some people "fake it 'till they convince you that it is great"?
5. Considering that a sour, frustrated, always complaining salesperson will not attract anyone - and an overly hyped, eternally positive, "see no negative" salesperson will inevitably convey a dishonest perception of the opportunity; to what point is it healthy to ignore the negative and accentuate the positive and at what point does it become deceptive?
6. How do you personally deal with the disappointment of discovering that your new "greener grass grazing" is not so green after all? (Can be anything, not necessarily Mary Kay)
You don't have to answer all, just the ones that strike you as worth discussing, and as always, please keep the conversation lively and friendly. No one here should be trying to hurt you, so if you feel attacked, say so. Most likely they will back off, and if not, everyone else will come to your rescue... regardless of which "side" you are on.
Time to go jump the fence... again!
Posts
mk4me likes this side of the fence just fine as far as I know
ReplyDeleteeven though my green grass is covered with snow
My office, calculator, and pen were not as much
fun as a Perfect Ten.
The Computers were built and shipped. The boilers well, their tops may blow..
but it all paled after my clients finished their facials and loved their healthy glow.
My Chevy Beretta Gt 5 speed was devine
it would take me to work and out to dine-
but free is mighty fine
the payments of $200 weren't as bad as they could be
but now I drive for free.
My hubby works third shift
at night I will feel lonely and adrift
but not having to punch a clock
I can be here, near, and dear when he gets home so we can talk
and we can sleep
or we can "beep"
Kids are at school
so the parents rule!
MK is for me as you can see,
I better stick with it
cuz I sure as heck would starve as a poet, and y'all know it!!
I was on the MK side of the fence for a while. I had a pleasant experience. I was personal use, so I wasn't into inventory or whatever.
ReplyDeleteI also had a Director that did not pressure me at all about inventory. While she did talk about inventory options, once I said I was a personal use consultant, she was fine with that.
During my time as a rep, my Director took me to breakfast a few times just to see how I was doing and if my goals had changed at all. Again, no pressure at all - just trying to make sure she was not "neglecting" me. LOL She also made sure I knew about upcoming events. (I think I went to one or two.)
The one event I did (a church bazaar), I got 62 names in around 2 hours for my drawing. I gave the drawing prize, kept a few names (those of my friends) and gave the rest of the leads to my Director/sponsor. She laughed and asked if I wanted to use them, but I really didn't have a desire to do that at the time.
I moved, went inactive, etc.
Fast forward 13+ years.
Now I want back "in." LOL Having been in before, I know what I am getting into and I am looking forward to it. :D
First of all--LOL!!! MK4MKE that poem is too cute! Very original.
ReplyDeleteI'll answer the questions: :D
1. At this point in your life which side are you on - and is the grass greener where you are?
Right now, I'm on the less green side of the fence. I am not happy with my current day job. Honestly, anything (MK or otherwise) seems more appealing than my current position. There is zero upward mobility I have learned as I have applied for several positions--including promotions within my department--only to be told NO. My husband says I need to get out of here because they are just going to hold me back. I'm good at what I do and they want to keep me where I am. :( So, the grass is definitely greener on the other side of my current fence.
2. Do you feel that those in Mary Kay use the greener grass appeal to attract new recruits?
I think to a certain extent it is used to appeal to people. If something doesn't look like it's going to benefit a person in some way, why would they even be interested? The most commonly used greener grass appeal I hear somewhat regularly from my directors is more time at home. I don't think they exaggerate. They talk about their own situations.
3. Do you feel that they OVER use it?
No, but I can only speak for the people I know. I'm sure there are people out there who overdo it.
4. Do you feel that some people "fake it 'till they convince you that it is great"?
The people I know do not do that. They know that "fake it til you make it" is not about putting forth false appearances, but rather about tricking oneself into believing they have certain personal strengths in order to overcome their weaknesses. Let me explain: I'm shy. I feel very nervous when it comes to calling customers. I don't want them to know I am nervous. I have to pretend that I am confident so that I don't sound all wishy washy on the phone. If I work through the fear and pretend I am confident when I really don't feel confident, I will eventually gain confidence. It is already working in my favor. THAT is what is meant by "fake it til you make it."
Have I observed anyone pretending to make more money than they are? I have no idea. No one's personal income is any of my business. No one has told me to do that, though.
5. Considering that a sour, frustrated, always complaining salesperson will not attract anyone - and an overly hyped, eternally positive, "see no negative" salesperson will inevitably convey a dishonest perception of the opportunity; to what point is it healthy to ignore the negative and accentuate the positive and at what point does it become deceptive?
I don't think it is necessary to volunteer the obstacles when you are talking to a prospect, but if someone asks about them the questions should be addressed.
6. How do you personally deal with the disappointment of discovering that your new "greener grass grazing" is not so green after all? (Can be anything, not necessarily Mary Kay)
Hmmm...well, the only example I've really dealt with was changing from part-time at my day job to full-time. I wanted benefits and more hours. Once I became full-time, I experienced more health problems and less energy--and, therefore, less time for things I enjoy (dance, going out, exercising, etc.). I wish I could work part-time again. That is not an option, however. I figure if I am going to be working full-time, I should be dedicating my time to a line of work I enjoy and I don't enjoy my current work at all. So, I have some interviews lined up and I'm working harder with MK because if I have to be working a lot, it may as well be something I enjoy.
I guess I had better answer the questions, too. :D
ReplyDelete[b]1. At this point in your life which side are you on - and is the grass greener where you are?[/b]
I am a SAHM. The grass is pretty green, but I want what MK has to offer - time around grown ups and earning potential. :D
[b]2. Do you feel that those in Mary Kay use the greener grass appeal to attract new recruits?[/b]
Yes, I think so. I think some do it more than others. I don't see anything dishonest about it. They simply promote whatever aspect of MK is most appealing to the potential recruit.
[b]3. Do you feel that they OVER use it?[/b]
No.
[b]4. Do you feel that some people "fake it 'till they make it" to convince you that it is great?[/b]
Yes, I am sure some people do that.
(We'll see if this posts the way I want it to. I am trying to use html tags....and that is not my forte. LOL
Shay are you trying to make your text bold?
ReplyDeleteYou need to use < > instead of [ ]
I hope that makes sense... the "b" and "/b" should work fine as long as you use the proper brackets!
Yes, David, that's what I am trying to do.
ReplyDeleteThanks! LOL
Hmmm. Grass can be nurtured, fertilized, weeded, cultivated.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking I can make my own grass the greenest grass around.
Why is that grass over there on the other side of the fence greener than mine? What can I do with my own grass to make it just as green? Or even greener?
I agree with ShadesofPink regarding the "fake it till you make it".
ReplyDelete"Fake it till you make it" is not permission or approval to lie, cheat, steal.
2. Do you feel that those in Mary Kay use the greener grass appeal to attract new recruits?
ReplyDeleteNo. I believe those in Mary Kay use various aspects of this business to attract new recruits. Sometimes, there are those who make comparisons between MK and some other job. But so what?
Thanks, Rebecca. That "fake it til you make" misinterpretation makes me want to pull my hair out. If you've read (and I'm sure you have) Mary Kay's autobiography she makes crystal clear what she means by "Fake it til you make it." It's not even a concept exclusive to MK. It's used quite rampantly throughout sales.
ReplyDeleteThat's right, Shadesofpink. It says a lot as to the character of a person who takes "fake it till you make it" as permission or approval to lie, cheat, steal.
ReplyDeleteUh, oops. Did I just insult a whole bunch of PTers? Oh, well.
People love taking things out of context, especially if you are on PT.
ReplyDeleteSelling anything you are going to promote the good down play the bad.. Have any of us ever watched a commercial on tv where they have said buy this product but.. this isn't as good as brand x and such and such Co does have a beter that.. etc...
Don't feel like doing each question. Life has good and bad, as adults we make decisions, if you don't like the decision you made then do something to change it. Don't sit there and wallow in self-pity, you control your own destiny.
And I third what Shades and Rebecca pointed out about, Fake it til you make it" .
I guess when someone says, "it is raining cats and dogs" - all pter's really expect to see cats and dogs falling out of the sky, right??
God gave us a brain, it is too bad more of us don't show our apprectiation for it and USE It!
"5. Considering that a sour, frustrated, always complaining salesperson will not attract anyone - and an overly hyped, eternally positive, "see no negative" salesperson will inevitably convey a dishonest perception of the opportunity; to what point is it healthy to ignore the negative and accentuate the positive and at what point does it become deceptive?"
ReplyDeleteDepends on the negative. Is it my negative? Is it the other person's negative? Is it simply a normal, basic negative of doing business?
Is it a negative that I can do anything about? Can I fix it? Is it really necessary that I warn others about this particular negative?
If the negative is mine, then I need to own it, take responsibility for it, and go about fixing it or figuring out how to cope with it. I don't think it would be necessary to tell others about it; but that would be my choice - to tell others or to keep it private. No, it would not be deceptive to keep my own negatives private.
Now if I were to refuse to take responsibility for my own negative, and try to figure out how to blame someone else for it, and wallow in it, and carry on and on about it, then that would be very unhealthy.
If the negative is someone elses, then it's not likely that I can do anything about it. Is it my responsibility to warn others of that person's negative? Am I being deceptive if I don't warn others about this person's negative, or failing? Or would I be a gossip?
Regarding the negatives that are simply a normal part of doing business: Experience is the best teacher. I could sit down with a new recruit, or prospective recruit and outline all the negatives of doing business. I don't think that would be productive. A prospective recruit doesn't need that info at that point. I don't think a new recruit does, either. I think the best way is to help the new recruit deal with these negatives as they come up. Again, experience is the best teacher. Is it deseptive to not list all these negatives right away? Or is it practical, logical, reasonable, even wise, to deal with them as they arise?
Any one else ever hear the term "information overload"?
Dang it, MK4Me! You need to start posting a "spew" warning! Caution: don't be drinking anything when about to read MK4Me's comments!
ReplyDelete"I guess when someone says, "it is raining cats and dogs" - all pter's really expect to see cats and dogs falling out of the sky, right??
God gave us a brain, it is too bad more of us don't show our apprectiation for it and USE It!"
ROFLMBO!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry Rebecca, I am just in one of those moods today, where I want to slap anyone that can't seem to think for themselves and want to blame everything that goes wrong in their lives on something or someone else. Yegads, no wonder our society is in the mess it is in.
ReplyDeleteI need to get off my soapbox but I still want to scream, take responsibility for your own actions.... okay... I am taking a breathe.... another.... okay....
I promise to try to add "Caution" first if I am planning on getting too sarcastic and I will go take some midol before I continue to post.
I also resolve to not call any unit members or clients tonight, and promise myself, I will try to be very patient with my husband and my daughter and son. I will not attempt to cook tonight because I know it will not go well. I will not get in back of the wheel of a car because if someone cuts me off, I just might run over them. And I am not much in the mood to stop for a red light.
Oh, sorry, yes, even us Super pro MK directors with the "perfect" (haha) life can have "hair pulling out days" and for no reason, our production is in, my personal selling goal is done, and it is only the 29th. Yet, I am really in such a mood.
No worries, MK4Me! Rant away.
ReplyDeleteYa know, a while back, before the anti-MK internet world turned on one another, there were those of us on the yahoo group, MKSurvivors, who would RATT. Boy, did we get silly! Had "Spew" warnings all over the place.
What is a RATT, you ask? It's actually kinda a play on a MK thing. Ever heard the advice to jump up and down, or run around the table, to get yourself breathless, er, sounding excited when making your phone calls? That's what it is, Run Around The Table. RATT.
We didn't actually run around the table, it is the internet after all. But it was extremely silly and hilarious.
back on topic...(sort of)
ReplyDeleteMK4Me, sounds to me like your grass is beautifully green right where you are! Congratulations on your production and personal selling goal achievements!
Three cheers for MK4Me! Great job!
You have earned an evening OFF! Order delivery for dinner. Get in your jammies. Watch TV. Veg. Split a bottle of champagne with hubby. Do whatever you like. ;)