Ordering on Behalf of a Consultant
Did you know that Mary Kay has rules about orders placed by a DIQ or sales director on behalf of a Mary Kay consultant?
As we know, it is commonplace for DIQs and directors to sign up consultants (sometimes even without their knowledge), possibly pay for their starter kit, and sometimes purchase products in their names. This is done to meet production goals, qualify for cars, or win various contests that require a certain number of recruits and/or a certain amount of product orders.
Mary Kay has rules against this, but we all know how laughable this is. Orders are placed in others’ names ALL THE TIME, and nothing is ever done about it. Why should Mary Kay put a stop to it? It brings in millions of dollars a year. Nonetheless, they have to make it LOOK like they disapprove of it. Here are the rules as stated in the Advance brochure:
- In the event anyone places an order for a Starter Kit and/or product on behalf of a Beauty Consultant, the following applies:
- The person placing the order must have the Beauty Consultant’s consent prior to placing the order;
- The person placing the order must use the Beauty Consultant’s funds; and
- The person placing the order must be in possession of the Beauty Consultant’s funds prior to placing the order.
- Taking a postdated check and placing an order for a Beauty Consultant will not count.
- A Beauty Consultant selling anyone’s inventory other than her own, then placing an order, will not count.
- The DIQ cannot sell her inventory to a Beauty Consultant and take her/his money to place an order to replace the DIQ’s inventory.
- If the DIQ uses her credit card to pay for a Beauty Consultant’s order, the DIQ must have already received the cash from the Beauty Consultant before the order is mailed, phoned in or placed online.
- The DIQ cannot place an order for a Beauty Consultant with her promise to pay the DIQ back.
How often did you see these rules violated when you were in Mary Kay?
Visit the
The rules are at odds with the incentives. There are rewards associated with breaking these rules, for MKC as well as the sales force.
A few simple changes to the incentive structure would stop this behavior in its tracks. It appears MyShop attempts to do this. But until they shut down the legacy channel, this type of thing will continue.
Imagine if commissions were paid only for true retail purchases made by folks outside the downline, with no bonus or commission on orders made by the sales force? That would all but eliminate front-loading.
This is why MyShop is such a gamble. Can Mary Kay Corp really survive without all the revenue associated with front-loading? And what about upline commissions? How much will those drop absent front-loading?
Oh to know the true breakdown of orders vs. sales that end up in the hands of outside, paying customers. Any guesses?
Rules without consequences might as well not exist.
This is nothing but a smokescreen designed to make them look like they’re complying with FTC rules. In reality, corporate doesn’t care what anyone does as long as that sweet, sweet inventory money keeps rolling in.
Been there, done that, got the tee-shirt.
I went through the DIQ process at least 3 times before I succeeded. Then I learned that “find a way, make a way” meant recruiting imaginary consultants, and activating inactive consultants with my own money.
My last minute “miracle” to finish DIQ involved me recruiting my mom and sister and activating them with my own funds. I also activated 3 other inactive team members with my own funds. I did all of this with permission from the individuals, and I had everything shipped to them so it wouldn’t arouse suspicion. I hadn’t yet learned that MK Inc didn’t actually care about this behavior, and, in fact, encourages it.
I don’t know a single director who completed DIQ without doing this. And I know many less scrupulous directors who didn’t ask permission before placing the orders.
To anyone outside the Pink Fog this behavior sounds insane. In what REAL career can you BUY your promotion?
You buy your promotion, then pay rent to keep it.
“Enriching women’s lives.”
“In what REAL career can you BUY your promotion?”
Between the 17th and 19th centuries, officers’ commissions in infantry and cavalry units of the English and British armies could be purchased. This avoided the need to wait to be promoted for merit or seniority, and was the usual way to obtain a rank in both armies. The practice began in 1683 during the reign of Charles II of England. It existed until it was abolished on 1 November 1871.
“In what REAL career can you BUY your promotion?” — Thanks for the great information, Lazy, and great question, PinkBoo. It reminded me of a show I saw, probably on youtube, about systemic official police corruption in Thailand. Rather puts MK in a better light lol but still a bit…..too similar for an alleged God centered “business”.
In Thailand, the practice of buying promotions and positions within the Royal Thai Police (RTP) is widely recognized as a pervasive, systemic issue. It is a culture where positions and promotions are bought and sold for exorbitant amounts. Due to the high cost of obtaining more lucrative positions, officers will resort to extorting businesses, taking bribes or running checkpoint shakedowns to recoup their “investment”. While recognized and criticized by governmental and citizen groups, nothing changes.
This is the primary reason why I’ll never buy MK products, put my name in a fishbowl for a “spa day,” or so much as talk to a consultant at a craft fair or anywhere else. I don’t want them fraudulently using my information to boost their numbers. I don’t trust a single one of them not to.
That’s perfectly fine you don’t share your info, but it would be really, really unlikely for them to sign you up without a signed consultant agreement form from you. (To my knowledge)
I’ve never heard of anyone signing up in a fishbowl contest & getting signed up as a consultant without knowing. They WILL probably hound you to order/ host a class, though!
Former directors please share if I’m wrong and who’ve heard stories of people signing up consultants without an a signed agreement.
I suppose it could happen. But you typically need a social security number, so it’s more likely to be a family member than anyone else. It would be extremely difficult off the info from a fishbowl entry.
Directors DO (or did) have access to all their current consultants, though, and could pretty easily place orders on their behalf. That’s what often happened when a director needed extra bodies or had maxed out her personal production limit.
That said, don’t participate in the fishbowls! As stated above, they’ll hound the life out of you AND it gives them hope that such an activity could work and delays their inevitable exit from the company.
I have such a hard time with rules that exist just to look cool. I don’t get it. They don’t compute. Why have them if we aren’t enforcing them? How do you know when it is the situation where you suddenly do NOT enforce the rules? This practice is growing more commonplace. I am a teacher and it is truly exhausting to be part of the group of professionals who still hold kids accountable. It often means I’m the bad guy, I’m the mean teacher, and I have even gotten “in trouble” with the principal before for being too strict. I do believe my days in public education are numbered.
In the MK world, I undoubtedly hold the record for the DIQ longest. I think I spent most of my 20 years as a DIQ. I did finish once, and I had to “bend” the rules to do so. I spent around $2,000 of my own money putting in fake orders. I felt so sick about it, I did nothing else after that and lost my directorship two months later when I had not made production.
Today I feel like I’ve turned a corner. I went to subway and purchased a footlong sub for my daughter. I nearly passed out when the teenage cashier with his earbud plugged into his head gave me the total: $14.78. That’s more than $1 per inch of sandwich! I gave him a $20. He gave me back $15.22 rather than $5.22. The old version of me would have corrected this and been so proud. This new modern me figures that he’s not being paid much, probably was poorly trained, and they aren’t going to hold him accountable for the error. Not to mention $14.78 for a cold meat sandwich is absurd.
We are working on my daughter’s eating habits. It’s been a whole journey.
On a side note, did you know the most stolen items at Hyvee are diapers and baby formula?
What is this timeline we are living on?
I’ve wondered how many young people know about cloth diapers and breastfeeding in place of pampers and formula? I’m not opining anything, just curious as a nurse once told me her children were genuinely shocked when she told them to use the faucet to get water to drink. There is absolutely nothing wrong with her water, but I guess they hadn’t ever seen it? I did once get “served” water by a friend that was truly vile. It had froth, it was brownish and warm. I still can’t believe she gave that to me. This was before bottled water was a “thing”.
As to Frosty Rose’s comment, AIN’T THAT THE TRUTH. Don’t put your name in a fishbowl as it WILL give false hope, and KEEP THE CONSULTANT DELUDED LONGER.