BellaOnline Forums Career Business Owners Have you ever been in direct sales

Another market research project....

Have you ever been in direct sales and if so how long before you quit? If you didn't quit how long have you been with the same company?

I had a meeting this morning with a government backed economic development business analyst which I found helpful. They can't give me a loan because I live outside the region but she did give me a contact within my region... UNNECESSARY INFO.

Anyway here's my business idea and you can let me know if the avon, mary kay type reps would have benefited.

1. Non Traditional Networking Group
Each week has a business development topic after a quick presentation everyone is split into different groups to discuss challenges and brain storm ideas.

2 Cooperative Marketing
As the Network progresses into a decent size companies will be divided into smaller groups with non competitive companies to work together as a marketing unit

3. Store Front
A coffee shop for network groups to meet at, a place for cooperative marketing groups to host events, and for direct sales reps can rent space to have presentations and open houses. There would also be display/advertising space available as well.

There is a lot more. Just wanted to know if you thought that direct sales reps who are starting out would be more successful if they had these services available?

Hi Carennedy,

It's great to read that you are really looking at all your possibilities. I firmly believe as we start to open up to possibility, an avalanche of ideas start to come. Then the fun begins as we choose the ideas we are most excited about.

I was a Mary Kay rep at one time in Vancouver, BC. I don't tell too many people because it turned out that I was simply not a saleswoman at heart. I enjoyed the business part, but gave away so many "deals" that I barely made any money. I've since learned that the purpose of a business is to make money... Duh!

A lot of what you are talking about in #1 and #3 WAS available to me. Our weekly networking groups were broken into small groups and quite informal with lots of possibilities for extra support and events.

More than anything, I found the greatest support was one on one (just like coaching). However, because there was so much pressure to do things the proven "Mary Kay Way" it seemed that there wasn't openess to discuss our own unique ways of marketing. It kind of reminded me of the cattle pen. I was a business owner without the sense of freedom to fly.

I also found that going to so many "meetings" seemed to be an added duty, rather than an energizing support. Before long, I stopped going and just booked Mary Kay parties instead.

The biggest truth in all of this is that I wanted to be invited to express my own talents without feeling the pressure of doing it a specific way. I guess that's why I wasn't a successful Mary Kay Rep. I wasn't willing to work incredibly hard for that Pink Cadillac doing something I wasn't REALLY enjoying.

Funny enough, I've met many Avon and Mary Kay dropouts who felt exactly the same as I did. Perhaps there is an answer here after all, since you want to keep them in the group and satisfied at the same time. I was beginning to wonder if my comments were useful.

I can't say much on #2 since it didn't apply to me. I CAN say that taking competition out of a group really adds to the synergy of a group.

Wishing you all the best!

Tami

I forgot to say I was in Mary Kay exactly one year.

My mom was in mary kay for years. Now she sells real estate and is one of the biggest sellers in her home town.

She did learn a lot about business from Mary Kay though.

I find that an upline can be very pressure oriented because of the benefit for them. So much of it is very narrow because of the corporation's way of doing things, not enough outside of the box or freedom. I really don't like the rah rah of the corporate recognition either. The latasia conference calls spend more time saying names of people who sold so much and don't give any ideas, information on markets, or business help.

I haven't been able to go to an upline meeting because I didn't live in the same province and now that I've returned to Calgary I have my kids and can't take them with me.

I did Mary Kay for about a year and found the exact same things you did Tami. The meetings were supposed to pep you up but it felt kind of false to me. I also had a big issue with trying to convince women who might be hard up for money to spend it on expensive skin care products.

I went from there to Avon and did that for about 3 years. I didn't go to the meetings there! Just handed out books. I liked Avon products and the prices were reasonable. I did pretty well with it and then we moved so I quit. I tried doing it again recently but people these days need websites (which cost extra) and there's lots of places to get Avon besides just handing out the books to people.

I guess I'm like you. I'd like to think up my own marketing ideas and go with them, rather than following some plan. I know some people need the plan or just like the comraderie of meetings, etc.

What I prefer now for business support is a good forum where I can ask questions and can participate or not. Nobody is forcing anything on me, it's just nice to know they are there if I need help or someone else's opinion.

I've done Avon too, which I like as a product. Some others I've tried, like Juice Plus, I didn't think were worth the money so it was hard to convince others they should buy it.

I have to really believe in a product to be able to sell it and many direct sales are a lot of hype.

Would you found meetings more helpful if it included more business education and marketing ideas - brain storming?

Would it of been more of a benefit if you had met with women from an array of different companies, industries and backgrounds to discuss pooling resources and marketing yourselves as a group to the marketplace?

Would it of been helpful if you had a store front that you could have access to for open houses, demonstrations and advertising?

Anyone who is in direct sales OR Has BEEN in direct sales and wants to write a review on their direct sale company, please let me know.

I have a few posted on my website and am looking for more to help women who are looking to start a direct sales business get more information before they invest.

ALL reviews will have links to your website and/or email for self promotion.

I think brainstorming is a great idea!

I have found it incredibly effective to honour the intelligence we already have as women and invite it forward. It allows each woman to express these great ideas because we let her know the ideas are already in her head, she just needs to release them. When someone comes along side us and believes in our ability, the sky is the limit!

Does this make sense?