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.

Sales Guru OR Master Manipulator?

I recently walked into a cigar shop. I did not walk in because I was interested in buying a cigar. I walked in because part of my job required me to venture into this cigar shop and discuss something with the owner.

The required conversation was quite brief and after exchanging pleasantries and dealing with business, I asked him about his products. It was a sort of generic, “What would you recommend for someone who has never smoked a cigar (me) but was just a little bit curious?” He walked me over to a bin of cigars and pulled two out. “This one is a pretty good place to start”, he explained.

He walked me back to the register while he told me a little bit about it. When we got to the register I asked him about cutting off the ends. I had seen people in movies cutting their cigars but had no idea what needed to be cut. He took out a cigar cutter removed the cigar from its packaging and showed me by cutting it right in front of me. Then he showed me how to light one by lighting the second one he grabbed. So now I have a cut cigar in a “fresh-lock” baggie sitting on the counter in front of me.

...



He is smoking a cigar and has a “I am really busy so if you’re not going to buy anything, get out” demeanor. Not rude, just busy. Then… he said nothing. There was a long awkward silence. Probably not really long, it just felt long. I knew he wanted me to buy it. I knew he couldn’t really sell it now that it was out of its wrapper. Finally I volunteered, “How much is it?” “Two Bucks”, came the instant reply. Again, silence.

Finally I pulled out my wallet.

I have thought about that encounter quite a bit. Is he a really good salesman because he got me to buy something I would otherwise have not bought?

Is he manipulative because he knew I would feel bad about not buying something he would have a hard time selling.

I know it is just two bucks and either way it doesn’t really matter, but I believe that how you see this scenario will say a great deal about you as a consumer, as a sales person, and will probably be a good indicator of what makes you uncomfortable about Mary Kay.

Sales is sales. The point of being a sales person is to convince people to buy the product you represent. If you are not convincing people, you are just an order taker. (Tom Hopkins) Anyone can take an order when someone is already convinced that they need what you have. It takes a salesperson to convince someone that they need what you have.

It seems like there are three types of people that sell things. Only one should be considered a “salesperson”.

Order taker – not a salesperson. (People already wanted the product)
Manipulator – not a salesperson (People never wanted the product – now they hide from you)
Convincer – salesperson (People didn’t want the product, but you won them over and they love you for it!)

Because not everyone will want what you have to offer, a good salesperson knows when a “no” is really “I’m not sure” and when it is “NO, NOT EVER”. There is no point wasting your time with a “NO, NOT EVER” but a “I’m not sure” is exactly where you want to spend your time. Overcoming objections is a huge part of sales.

What are your thoughts? What are good sales tactics? What are awful tactics?

What are things you know work, but are uncomfortable doing because you hate it when it is done to you?

Where do you rank yourself? 1 – 10

1 is the order taker. “I don’t sell to anyone unless they ask me” “I don’t offer ‘up sale’ items, or suggest anything that they have not asked for specifically”

5 is the happy middle. “I pride myself greatly on my product and won’t “give it a rest” until either you have tried the product, or made it clear to me that you are not interested at all.

10 is the manipulator. “I won’t leave you alone until you get a restraining order, and even then, I know you are just “playing hard to get”. I will send you catalogues through a friend of a friend.