Failing to Meet a Goal in Mary Kay

In Mary Kay, there is great shame in not meeting a goal. So much so, that women are routinely encouraged to use their own credit cards to “top off” production and get that last little bit in.

This year (the seminar year that ended June 30), Chelsea Adkins was going to be a million dollar director. God told her so.

But she failed to get her team to order $400k to $450k of products. (That’s the number they need to order so that corporate can add on some incentives, double it all, and pretend the unit sold $1 million of products.) Instead, she got to almost exactly $650,000, the number needed to go on the top director trip. You think it was sheer luck that the number came in so close? Of course it wasn’t. That was the result of Chelsea and a couple of key unit members using their credit cards at the 11th hour to guarantee that she crossed the $650k threshold.

And of course, once $650k is done, you have to take the name of the lord in vain. You have to say it was all God’s doing. No, it wasn’t. God didn’t make you lie to recruits to get them to order large inventory packages. God didn’t coerce unit members to order products they didn’t need so you could claim some prize. God didn’t cause you to use bad judgment and order products you don’t need, only so you can sell them for 50% off and make no profit on them.

There is a careful way that you portray yourself on social media if you’re an MLM person. Chelsea does it well. Appear humble. Brag a bit. Say it’s okay that you didn’t hit that goal because you still hit a big number, and then make a big goal for the NEXT year. I guess Chelsea is “crowning million” next year.

Same for Megan Wilkes. She missed the $800k mark she was going for and only got to $775k. There is probably a LOT of shame involved in the fact that she couldn’t put $12,500 on her credit card at 11pm on June 30 to make it happen.

It’s okay. Social media posts like this go a LONG way toward getting women to order in the future. Because you wouldn’t want us to miss the goal AGAIN, would you?

Here’s a reminder that in January, Chelsea said she was going to be a national sales director in 12 months.  Actually, GOD told her. Clock is ticking!

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13 COMMENTS

  1. You can’t make this shit up.
    A friend of mine whose daughter works at Denny’s as a server to make ends meet while in college. A Mary Kay rep tipped her business card and a pamphlet and when she handed it to her she asked what it was and she said it was better than a tip she is literally giving her an opportunity for financial freedom is and she will never have to serve coffee again.
    This is the same MK lady that goes in every week and leaves pennies for a tip. I am sick. literally.

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  2. “Yesterday pastor whats-his-name preached about having visions that are so huge and wild that they sound dumb & don’t even make sense, but to write them down and share them anyway as a sign of your faith.”

    Okay…now they’re just pissing me off.

    I don’t even know what to say any more. This is just bad theology. Stop it.

  3. So god promised her she’d be NSD by 1/22, even to the extent of exclaiming it was on him, not her, so she shouldn’t worry, or doubt, or whatever. Then when “it doesn’t come to pass! (She) can point back to him.”

    So which is it? Gods promising it to her but also might change his mind? Or not have a high enough limit on the Bank of Heaven credit card?

    • My Director has said she’s going to be an NSD for over a decade. Not one bit closer in 20 years, though. Love how you pose the question that God directs them to a goal and then keeps moving it around. No, He doesn’t work that way. Sick of people blaming God on a failed business model!

  4. I’m sure my POV gets old sometimes, but I just can’t keep quiet when it comes to these types of posts. Back in my (legit) sales career days, I always had annual and monthly goals. When I hit them, or exceeded them, I’d celebrate with a few fellow reps and my managers.

    Meeting my goal wasn’t of interest to my casual friends or extended family. Bragging to them (but announcing that I WAS NOT actually bragging, proclaiming that I’m super humble, and reiterating that God made it happen) would NOT have had any impact on my career and instead would have just make me look like an asshole.

    REAL sales professionals do NOT announce their every success on social media. They definitely don’t make YouTube videos wherein they thank everyone and cry just because they met/exceeded a goal. They don’t, because 1) that’s SUPER tacky, and 2) they aren’t using said YouTube videos to sell potential recruits on “the opportunity”.

    Man, what I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall in the room where Chelsea has to do her first actual J.O.B. interview after she leaves MK (yes, Princess Chelss, there will come a day where you are no longer with MK)…I’d love to see how she answers legit questions about sales, P and L, overall business knowledge, et cetera.

    *sigh* I am SUCH a broken record on this, but I guess I keep harping on it in the hopes that just ONCE, my comment will be read by a potential Kaybot:

    NOBODY in Mary Kay owns ANYTHING. Not their own “business”…not ANYTHING except the inventory stuffed in their basements and closets. And contrary to assertions made by everyone in MK, the only time the product “flies off the shelves” is during an earthquake.

    Sorry, that was a bit of a tangent. I’m (gently) dismounting my soapbox. ?

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    • No your POV never gets old!!! Like you have been in sales, I now co-own a business. There is absolutely no comparison between those careers and being in an MLM like Mary Kay and people need to know that truth.

    • Thank you for this! Such a good point. I wasn’t sure why they’re bragging made me uncomfortable. It’s because it breaks every business and social norm! And, asking your friends to buy from you so you can meet “X” goal?! Yuck. Can you imagine the employee at Sephora saying the same thing to a customer? ?

      And her nickname on Social media PrincessChelss? So unprofessional!! I’m starting a new job soon, if my new boss referred to herself as Princess anything, I’d be running for the hills. ? There’s a fine line between casual & fun & simply ridiculous.

    • Girl!!! Not the P & L… lol! wonder if Princess knows anything about gross margin. ? I, too, would love to be a fly on the wall for a job interview for any of these “business owners”

  5. I’m not wishing ill will on Chelsea by saying this, but what would happen if her husband lost his job for an extended period? Like, a stretch where HER fantastic successes and commissions are the sole earnings in her household?

    I feel like, now that we’ve achieved additional traffic due to posts about Chelsea, can we add a post or two that reminds everyone just where she stands financially (based on Applause or similar means)? Like how she is NOT making an executive salary, nor even an above average salary? New readers need to see those things, IMo.

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