Who Should Teach?

Tonight at meeting, my director had two consultants with less than a year of experience do our training. To an extent, I have a problem with this. Don't get me wrong, I think it is great that they did different appointments lately. One did a lipstick class and the other did a spa class. I don't do many of those myself, so I'm open to hear how they work for others. With that said, I disagree with them being "in charge" of giving us promotion information if they don't understand what's written on the sheet of paper from our director.

This is where the misinformation began. My director wanted them to tell us that we are doing a promotion locally to have face models in a calendar that will be printed through Vista Print. We will choose 12 models. We did this last year in conjunction with the company's national contest "Model of Beauty." What the girls didn't realize was that there is no national contest this year. Now, I read InTouch just about daily. So, I thought this was inside info or something I had overlooked this week. I got really excited and sent out invitations to our event next week which is specifically focusing on our model contest. I thought it was also for a national contest that doesn't exist. Why? Because inexperienced people were talking about the promotions. They misread it. Since they were reading from a sheet of paper written by my director, I can only presume they know what they are reading. WRONG!

So, what are your thoughts? Directors, do you think it is appropriate for inexperienced consultants to lead the meeting? How long should they be in before they do this? Consultants, how do you feel if you have someone with less experience than you teaching you how to do your business? Do you think there are times when it is appropriate and times when the director should take over?

Here is what I think. I think if a consultant is new, but she has done something unconventional and had success with it, by all means she should share. I also think a new consultant that has been holding a lot of appointments can lead the skin care portion of meeting for guests. This way, the director is free to do the real training. The new consultant should NOT, however, talk about company or local contests or promotions as it is still overwhelming and she could get it wrong.

Here is what I think my director should have done (and believe me, she heard from me):

-Covered the details of this contest herself before splitting us apart.
-Have me or another consultant do the skin care for the guests and do the training herself (at one point it was becoming gripy and out of control)
-Only had the newbies talk about their respective experiences

Here are my general views (and I hope I'm making sense because it's late, but I gotta get it out) on the matter. Directors direct. They give the training, talk about contests and promotions, and make sure everyone is clear on what the rules are and whether it is LOCAL or NATIONAL or just our NSD promoting it. My director's director is very high D personality. I find more and more that I am, too. :P Who knew! I digress.

Consultants can teach on something specific. If Jane had a great spa class she should indeed be able to talk about it so we can learn from what she did. That is relevant. If Annie had large sales results from a silent hostess she did, let's hear all about it! If Linda did a lipstick class and sold tons of skin care, too; I want to know what she did. What they should NOT do is give out promo info impromptu without full understanding what it is.

When should consultants be given more responsibility? Should it be when they reach Red Jacket? Not if they did it in 2 months. Just because people are joining their team does not mean they are well read on what's going on. It means they are excited and exuding charisma. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but they are not ready to tell people with years more experience what is new in MK.

I don't like that if you aren't in a Red Jacket, it is as if you aren't working your business properly. There are people who have been in MK longer than I have who are not Red Jackets and they knew more than I know because they have been doing it longer. Just because someone is a Red Jacket (or has been one in the past) is not reason to have her acting as director.

My honest opinion is that in order to be qualified to "practice" being a director, one should meet one of two criteria (maybe three):

1. She should be driving free.
2. She should be DIQ (does it not make sense for someone who obviously has to lead to practice?)
3. She should be a Future Director (meaning she's probably driven free at some point and probably been a DIQ, too)

I think the reason you have a lot of misinformation in the first place is from people summarizing incorrectly; not understanding what they are reading in the first place, or just being plain bad communicators.

So, now, I will ask David's questions (he mentioned I bring these up when I told him what I was going to write about).

What, if anything can Mary Kay, Inc., Directors, and/or consultants do to combat the proliferation of misinformation? :D

Here are my thoughts:

Mary Kay, Inc. could perhaps require directors to streamline consultants they decide to put in charge. Make sure they understand what they are talking about. They could also make specific training requirements before advancements are awarded. For example: a Red Jacket must have 3 active recruits, but perhaps should do some type of written assessment on InTouch. If they don't pass, they don't advance. Just a brainstorm. They can get the commissions, but they can't get the jacket. The same goes for becoming a director. Experience is certainly required to be a director. There is way too much responsibility in that position for someone to breeze into it after just a few months in. Again, I'm brainstorming. These ideas may not even be realistic.

Directors would most likely hold the most responsibility in this situation. Because of the independent structure of our business, it needs to be up to directors to make sure their consultants have correct information and understand it well enough to convey it accurately to others. We are possibly the only Mary Kay someone may ever see. If we blow it, we've blown their impression of the entire company. First impressions are everything, you know?

Consultants need to read, read, read, read, and READ InTouch and other resources available to them. Miracles Happen, Mary Kay on People Management, Living a Rich Life, The Mary Kay Way, More than a Pink Cadillac are all books consultants should read. Mary Kay Ash's autobiography is like reading a training manual for how this business is designed to operate on the personal, regional, and national levels. Don't limit yourselves to Mary Kay books, though. There are a multitude of great business books out there.

Recruiting Tips

Today, Pink Truth posted a "script" that seems to be designed to help you start a conversation with a customer about becoming a consultant. It then walks you through some potential responses you may receive and some recommended responses to them.

Here is the original piece:

Look at your customer and lean forward some; try to get lower than her so that your head is lower than hers, even a little! Look her in the eyes and say, "I have a question to ask you. After watching me today, could you ever in your wildest dreams see yourself doing Mary Kay either part time for extra cash or for extra fun? I think you would be great and the reason I think you would be great is I watched you today and..." Give her a sincere compliment. She's sharp, she's fun to be around, people are comfortable around her - whatever it is that you picked up about her, tell her in a compliment! No one gets offended by a sincere compliment!

Once you finish telling her you think she would be good followed by the compliment, then button your lip and let her respond, because that's when we lose it - when we talk! She then will say something that isn't a flat no, she stammers a little, or she just might say, "Yes, I think I could." You will then offer the information to her that is necessary to give her so that she is more informed in order to make a decision. "Great! I would love to send you home with some information. I have a video (or tape or cd) that will really give you all the information about our company in a fun way. This is a video of one of the top women in our company at an actual guest event and she shares how she got started and moved up in the business. It's really a great tape. In fact, after many people watch it I find that they watch it 3 or 4 times more because they like it so well, I really do find that! I'll tell you what, after watching it this may not be for you, but at least you will be well informed and you will know what you are saying no to!"

Once you have handed her the information you will say, "By the way, do you have 45 minutes in the next 48 hours to watch this? Great! Let's plan on talking on X date; is there a time that is better for you that we can get together for coffee or talk on the phone, which works better for you? Great!

Remember do not leave her without a specific time scheduled to talk about what she has listened to. It is also better to do this on neutral ground - such as a coffee shop, and away from home interruptions. Say, "I also want you to know that I am moving up in management in my business and part of my training is to get women's opinion of this video and to work closely with my director for training. Do I have your permission that my Director join us? (keep talking!) I would love for her to meet you and part of my training is that she will ask questions to get your opinion, while I listen and learn. I know you will give us your honest opinion and that is what we want."

Having your Director join you all depends on where you are at with your training in your business. By asking your prospect "45 minutes in the next 48 hours," you are going to help her to visualize in her mind her schedule and when she is going to do this. She is going to respond with a definitive answer so that you can schedule in the next 24-48 hours to get back with her on the video. "Yes, I think I could watch it tomorrow." "Great! I will see you (or call you) on ________" (important to repeat the date and time). You ask her the questions for her opinion rather than giving her a questionnaire, this creates the dialogue, which is so important in a Marketing appointment/interview for building the relationship. After you talk with her about the video/tape, if she has more questions or needs more information, invite her to the Success Night Unit Meeting. Of course if her interest is very high and she is very eager, invite her right away to your Unit Meeting -- the sooner the better. It is better to refer to Unit Meeting Night as your Success Night, rather than a "meeting!"

If the person you are speaking with does not sound like they are interested at all in learning more about our Company then you might say, "I have to tell you, when you say you could never see yourself doing this I can understand what you are saying. I know how you feel, because I felt the same way when I joined this company 10 years ago. But, I decided that it would be better to listen to the facts before I said no so that I knew what I was saying no to! I promise you if after listening to the information you still do not see yourself doing something like this I will not bother you again!! I also promise you that you will be in shock when you hear what our company has to offer."

Happy Recruiting!

A couple quick points and then I will let you all have at it.

1. This has some great concepts that anyone selling anything should learn to develop.
- Looking for the positive in someone
- Giving sincere compliments
- Setting up clear, concise and specific parameters for the next level of conversation
48 hours should be plenty of time for someone to listen and decide if they want to go to the next level
If you don't set a specific time that you are both accountable to, you will both have a hard time "getting around to 'talking about the next level'"
- LISTENING. Sometimes we all need to just shut up and listen to the person we are talking to
- Closing the door - "I promise you if... you still do not ...I will not bother you again"
2. I don't know what the deal is with making sure your head is lower than theirs... perhaps so they don't feel intimidated by you? Any thoughts?
3. This does not spell it out, but it is also important to be sure to respect someone that is definitely not interested.

Ok, I have said enough, take it away. What are your thoughts?