#i now have a job that is inventory and monkey work essentially | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

biswinedrunk · 7 years

Text

Why You Should Definitely Research Direct Sales Companies Before Handing Them Your Money.

Hey Y’all. Brooke Bozarth here, Young Living (YL) Star Member and proud of it. But let me tell you that I have given a lot of toads a lot of money before I found my prince. I am here to tell you about my direct sales (DS) journey and why you should most definitely not do what I did, and how a little bit of research, or the right questions to ask could decide if that company is the right fit for you.

Before joining YL, I was no newbie to independent consulting (direct sales, they are the same thing). I had grown up watching my mom jump from company to company and my dad supporting her every whim, and even helping in some of them. My family has represented Avon, Stampin Up, AdvoCare, Mary Kay, and I remember a lot of Pampered Chef and Tupperware but I don’t really know if my mom was a part of them or if she just really loved their products.

And monkey see, monkey do right? I began my DS journey at a really young age with Usborne Books. I always wanted to work, couldn’t wait to grow up and get a job and who better to sell kids books than a kid. I can’t remember how old I was exactly but I do remember that I was so young that my mom had to go open a checking account with both of our names on it because I was too young to have my own. And the actual account with the company was in her name but I hosted all the parties, it was my job! But I think I might have hosted like two parties. Because well, I was a kid and kids have short attention spans. I don’t remember the ins and outs of Usborne. I was way to young to do all of that, my mom did it all.

After my short stint in the book selling business, I focused on just helping my mom who was a Mary Kay rep at the time. I was obsessed with organizing her stock, taking inventory, and filling orders. I helped mom with all her parties. I have washed more feet than I care to admit, Jesus would be proud. But mom switched back over to Avon, with whom she is still with today, but at that time I was a sassy teenager who couldn’t be bothered with the shenanigans of her mother (eye roll, we all know I’ve always been a mommy suck up. I mean she is the greatest woman on earth).

Fast forward some years and now I am old enough to be considered an adult, and with adulthood comes copious amounts of caffeine. I remembered when I was in high school and my parents were also AdvoCare reps that I had lost a bunch of weight drinking Spark every morning and afternoon so I signed up as a rep for the company. I paid my fee, got my starter kit in the mail annnnnnddd that was about it. I’m not 100% how AdvoCare reps actually make money because I never got anything after that. So, I just got my Spark, my friends got some Spark and yea. I’m not even 100% sure of any other products they have other than Spark.

Then along comes Arbonne. This is where I definitely wished I would have known the right questions to ask and done research before shelling out thousands of dollars on products I knew nothing about. This was the first real company that I would say I personally represented and I learned a lot from that company. A lot about everything I didn’t want to do as a DS consultant. And part of the reason I decided to write this post was due to the fact that I just read a book that advocates for the exact same approach as Arbonne. Only validating that the approach works, but was definitely not for me.

Now, before I go on, I feel obligated to mention that I do not have any resentment or distaste for Arbonne as a company, or any of its reps. I love all the friends I made in the company, it just wasn’t a fit for me. Like essential oils, what works for one person, may not work for someone else (see what I did there, because of YL, get it?). So here are the questions I wish I had known to ask before signing the dotted line.

1. What exactly will I be representing? Companies like Arbonne and apparently Rodan + Feilds and I am sure many others lead with the business. They show you all of these potential income earnings and pretty flash cards and OH! you can earn a shiny new car and they reel you in without ever actually mentioning the products. And you’re thinking yes please I would love that shiny new car before ever even realizing what it is you would have to do to earn it. I am 100% a sucker too and was trying to sell a skin care line. I have never had a skin care routine. I am one of those lucky people that just doesn’t have to worry about that. So how in the hell was I supposed to sell a skin care line. And when you’re asking this question, don’t take “a healthy lifestyle” as an answer. You want to know products. I knew Arbonne was pure, safe and beneficial, vegan, organic, toxin free, and blah blah blah long before I ever even knew what it was.

2. What does my membership fee include? I can’t speak for R+H on this one but I can tell you that Arbonne, the membership fee is exactly that, a membership fee. You then have to purchase a starter package and the cheapest one is about $600. I have seen also, that ItWorks does this same thing. You think you’re joining for $9.99 but then BAM you get charged like $138 for products without even knowing it. Make sure you know EXACTLY how much start up money you are going to need before you take that step.

3. How do I earn an income? This is the big one for me. When I read the book “Get Over Your Damn Self’ I was actually kind of shocked when I saw words like lead with the business and products are a last resort come across the pages. Mainly because this is always what I heard from the upline in Arbonne and what I was most uncomfortable doing. Now, here are two businesses that do the EXACT same thing. And when you refuse, you’re deemed “uncoachable.” Which is stupid, IMO. These companies want you to make a list of everyone you know, classify them, and then cold call each person on that list and say “Hey Karen, I know we haven’t talked to each other in 30 years but I just took advantage of a business opportunity and I immediately thought of you, you who hasn’t crossed my mind in ages and just so happens to be on my facebook friends list, and how this could help your family, are you interested in learning more? No? Ok well I would love it if you could help me out and host a party for me and/or give me the name and number of every person you know so I can cold call them too. Still no? Thats ok, here let me tell you about the products we sell and maybe you will want to buy something since I couldn’t sucker you into any other part of it, I don’t know a ton about them because you were supposed to say yes at the business or hostess part but its toxin free skin care, I think.” Ok, ok, maybe I threw a lot of sarcasm in there but that is the gist of it. And you may be cool with calling every person in your contact list and asking them to join a business they know nothing about, but again, it wasn’t for me.

And lastly, I would ask to see a detailed compensation plan, what exactly you have to do to rank and what happens if you fall short a month and won’t meet your goals. Y’all there are companies out there that will actually make you purchase product yourself if you don’t meet your goal. Like, what, no. I can’t express enough to do your research. If cold calling people is something that is unsettling in your stomach, don’t do it. There are other companies out there that work solely on social media. We are millennials after all, putting a phone against our ear for any reason is petrifying as well as hearing the word “no.”

So why did I choose Young Living. I purchased a premium starter kit because my friend had joined and I wanted to support her. I had no interest in the business side of it because, well you just read that very long list of failed DS attempts. And because I was still trying to recover from the fear I had developed reaching out to people with Arbonne. But I was sharing the products because, well they are amazing products. I posted pictures on facebook, did a couple of DIY live videos, sold a roller. Then I thought hmm, what if I keep doing this, sold a kit, then another kit, then another kit, then she sold a kit. And boom, my business was born. I didn’t have to cold call anyone, I didn’t have to make a list of people or ask for referrals. I just shared a genuine love for the PRODUCTS and people responded. That is the beauty of this company. We work off of referrals. You get a bonus if someone buys a kit but you never actually have to ever sell anything if you don’t want to. If you sell, sell, sell then decide to take 4 months off, guess what, you can. You never have to reach goals or ranks. You do whatever you want. You earn an income or you don’t. It’s all up to you. Young Living is fully aware that life happens, so there is no pressure. That is why the system is set up the way it is. By referrals. Our products are first, the business is second. When you sign up with YL, you’re picking the type of membership you want. You can be a wholesale member or a retail member. You have to purchase a PSK if you want to be a wholesale member but what that gets you is 24% off future purchases, the ability to earn free products, and access to the referral bonuses if you want them. But you never actually have to do anything. Just spend $50 in a year to keep your discount. There is a little bit more if you choose to do the business side of things, you do have to spend money to make money, but hey, that is how it is with any business. If you want more information about our products or purchasing a premium starter kit click here. <--- See, that’s it.

I did not write this blog post to throw shade on DS or to tell you that one company is better than the other. I am a huge advocate for DS and working for yourself. There is success in this and the industry itself brings in more profits than the NFL. So for real, I will always tell you to go DS before anything. Just to take your time and do your research. Find out everything before you just sign up. Find a company that’s products and sales approach fit your personality and lifestyle. There are hundreds of companies out there so I am sure you will find one. And please, understand that direct sales is hard. Its not a get rich quick scheme. With any DS company, its hours and hours of dedication and commitment. You are starting a franchise from the ground up. You are the CEO of YOUR business. A person doesn’t become a CEO without putting in hours and hours of work. I do this for extra money, I one day hope that I can survive off of it alone, but I will tell you that I am not there yet, I still have a lot of hours to log before I get there. But the hustle is on y’all. Good Luck!

#direct sales #independent consultant #young living #multilevelmarketing #mlm #be your own boss #work from home #workflow #work from anywhere #work from your phone #network marketing #build your brand #build your business #build your empire

0 notes