Written by SuzyQ

Sales directors are continually taught that their job is to bring in new recruits. New recruits mean new inventory purchases and more production means a higher monthly commission check.

For those of you who are laboring under the assumption that directors are taught to be concerned with your customer sales and numbers of classes you are having, it simply isn’t true. They are concerned with your customer list because within that list, potential new unit members can be found. This is why they push you to bring models and guests to the weekly meetings and other events.

Directors are concerned about the quality of women you bring to these success events, and they are not looking for women who do not have any resources (credit cards, cosigners). Women who cannot place initial inventory orders do them no good. The bigger the order, the greater the commission check. This is also why directors admonish you not to discuss inventory options with your new or potential recruit. That is the sales director’s job. They are not inclined to “turn their paycheck over” to you.

At company events sales directors are continually taught that unit size is everything. They sometimes are assigned classes based on our unit size. Those with bigger units are taught retention ploys, those with smaller units are taught recruiting ploys. Star Consultants equal unit club – 20 star consultants in a seminar year equal $200,000 Unit Club. 50 Stars equal $500,000 Unit Club etc etc.

You may have noted that the inventory options worksheet does not include the $225 wholesale order. A $225 order does the sales director little good. You may have also noticed that it is almost impossible for your score anything less than $1,200 inventory on that inventory options sheet! There’s a reason!

“New blood” equals new money. New consultants are the most excited and the most likely to purchase a profit level inventory. “Seasoned Consultants” and their orders are referred to as base production. Directors count on 1/3 of the unit ordering each month. This is base. Directors’ personal orders are also included in the base production amount. Sales directors nearly always order at least $600 wholesale – not because they need that much, but instead to earn a 13% commission on their personal team members’ orders. They count more heavily on new recruits to bring the numbers up and increase the unit production.

Mary Kay sales directors need to replace at least 1/3 of the unit to make forward progress, at least a 20% growth, or they will go backwards. Mary Kay told us that we need to keep the front door open to replace those who are going out the back door. There has also been an analogy to trying to fill a bathtub with the drain open. The attrition rate is breathtaking.

The directors focus on getting you into a red jacket as soon as possible in your career in case you lose interest and decide to quit. We call this recruiting behind you. If you leave, so what. The director still has your recruits. (And their recruits, and their recruits, and their recruits.)

You are offered Pearls of Sharing to inspire your efforts to get the names of those in your immediate circle of friends and family, as they are the most likely people to “help” you. Your director will very often call your models, guests and sometimes, your hostesses, to insure they will attend an event or a class so we can “offer this opportunity” to them. Meetings are designed for recruiting, training and motivation.

So tell me… Is it about selling the products or getting the recruits?