Tupperware, Pampered Chef, Mary Kay. These are very successful MLM (aka “Pyramid scheme”) businesses. Anyone who is anyone can see that it sells. But that’s just it. It sells. It would be dramatic of me to say that I’ve been “burned” by this structure of business in the past, but sometimes the way I can instinctively respond to it may make you think that way. So as I process through that, let me try and briefly share my story.
When I was 17, while I was at the gym, I was cold approached by someone who seemed nice enough. As an introvert living with a lot of extroverts, going to the gym was my safe place to be alone. So I already felt a little “violated” (again, trying not to be dramatic, lol) just by the approach itself. I was young, naïve and was taught to always be kind to strangers so even though everything inside of me wanted to just abruptly end the conversation, I wasn’t courageous or creative enough to do this. Long story short, after a long, unwanted, conversation, I was pressured in to having a party for her business.
Ugh! A party was the LAST thing I wanted to do! But I just wanted to get her off my back and get this over with. So I rounded up 3 reluctant and kind friends to come to my party. I was selling Princess House. For those of you who know this company, they sell beautiful crystal. Truly beautiful. At 17? Yeah, didn’t care. I just wanted to appease this saleswoman to get her off my back. Long story short again, I sold pretty much nothing and felt like I/she was just wasting my time. But this saleswoman? She was good. She suckered me into doing more. After telling her that I REALLY didn’t want to do that again, she pushed for a couple of “catalogue parties” where I just collect orders and go door to door. That was WORSE!! I did get some decent orders from that process, but it was more from people who felt bad for me I think. I started to really like the beautiful crystal, but I still didn’t want to do this anymore. Man, was this saleswoman good. Somehow, she got me to sell the stuff as a market partner. I really had a hard time saying no, can you tell? Long story long, I bought a big start up package, sold just enough to get it paid off and then finally had the burnt out courage to tell her I was done. This time it stuck. Well, mostly. She came and had her hair done by me in attempts to try again, but I was having babies by then and, even then, she got a couple more parties out of me, but I wasn’t AS easy to sway.
Some would say she was an excellent salesman. And, obviously, they would be right. She was actually a really sweet and good person, but one of the things she lacked was the ability to listen. See me. Validate where I was at for a 17 year old just trying to figure out life. She didn’t want to help me, she wanted to use me. For her sales. Or at least that’s how I felt. And, for several years after that, I talked to plenty of people who can say that their friends turned into salesman the second they started up their business. Happy hour turned into a sales pitch. Ugh. Such a bad taste in my mouth from it all. But as a business woman, and as I grow and mature and see some of these businesses from the inside out, I’m learning that not all people take that sales approach in the MLM structured business. Meeting other women who sell Tupperware Pampered Chef Rodan and Fields, I’ve noticed what a soft approach they take. They listen. And I have to say, some of them do better with sales than the saleswoman that approached me. And I have to see that this business goes beyond my own experience.
My point in saying all of this, is that I love relationship. I love people. I love listening to peoples stories and being a hairstylist has allowed for the time to listen to so many different perspectives, opinions, hurts, pains, joys and so much more. From so many walks of life. I want to HELP PEOPLE!!! Truly. That’s all I want to do, I want to give people the best experiences, feeling amazing about their hair and educating the best way to do that at home. I feel like when you take that approach, things start to happen. For the good of all. And there definitely no harm in doing business that way.
As a new Monat market partner, I promise to not violate your trust. I will listen. Do my best to see you. Validate that as a person you are just trying to make your way and figure out life yourself just as I am. No one gets that more than me. I will educate, review and offer only what will work for you and help you achieve your beauty goals. Nothing more!
Thank you for reading and see you again soon my friends.