Mary Kay Consultants: How were your sales in the first 30 days?

Question

I'm seriously thinking of starting up, but how realistic is it to have 2 classes per week with $800 in sales a month starting out? Those are the numbers my director gave me, and I'm just not sure if I should set my goals that high. Thanks!

Answer 1

Don't do it! http://www.pinklighthouse.com http://www.pinktruth.com .

Answer 2

You're never going to get a straight answer about income from a current Mary Kay person. They all "love it!" but will never ever tell you what they make, because most of them lose money after all their costs, dues, inventory, and sales materials are accounted for.

$800 in sales = $400 in gross profit, minus the $100+tx for your kit (if that's the only thing you buy) = ~$280 for eight classes at minimum two hours each, plus the time you'll invest even getting new people to come to these. Let's be optimistic and say it will only take two hours to fill a class with new people each time...

= $8.75 per hour invested per class net profit, which you will then be strongly encouraged to parlay into a large inventory order, of which your director gets 26%. And that's not being "negative" or raining on a pink parade -- it's just simple arithmetic. This is a business decision you're making and you need to account for all time and expenses when you're working out how much a business is worth.

That figure you were given isn't realistic at all. Your director is embellishing a little because she makes money by recruiting you and from your initial inventory order.

In the first month your sales might be half-way decent because sympathetic family and friends will buy one or two items from you, but that dies off quickly.

My cousin has been selling it for a couple of years now and has never made more than a few dollars off it here and there, and believe me, she was recruiting, holding parties like nobody's business, buying the pamphlets, making these little sample bags and handing them out to women, you name it, so it was hardly for a lack of trying.

Don't do it.

Answer 3

It is possible to do 2 classes a week and get $800 in sales a month; but the problem is that usually only half hold. And with how the economy is right now, it's going to be even harder to get $100 out of each class.

Yes $400 "profit" sounds really good but take a minute and think about it. Will you be traveling to these classes? If yes, than deduct gas money. Will you have to mail products to any of the women that buy from you? If yes, than deduct even more money for postage. Oh and don't forget about Taxes that they company charges YOU (so you don't have to deal with it in your state) plus freight. Oh and don't forget about going to career conference AND seminar (because your director is going to want you to go).

I just recently quit being a Mary Kay Consultant. I loved it but it wasn't for me and it isn't for everyone. I love the products and will continue using them but in my first 30 days, I saw less than $100 profit. I had even tried doing it full time. I had saved up enough money to live off of for several months and even when I was doing facials and classes several times a week, I only saw around $100 profit.

Please think this through completely before you do anything. Some women have huge success at it but others end up in debt because of it.

If you do decide to give it a shot, wonderful. Just be smart about it. Don't spend more than you can afford when ordering and DONT allow anyone to pressure you about doing something you dont want to do. And if it doesn't work out, well then at least you tried.

But it isn't all sunshine and roses in the world of Mary Kay. Please be realistic about it all. Keep a level head and be ready to say no and be ready to be told no.

Answer 4

Well I have been doing it for 4 years and my first year was my best I made queens court of sales and won lots of prizes I believe it is all up to you I also believe it is your excitement and enthusiasm that sells so if you love the product and you are excited you can do well my second year I was pregnant so my focus changed I am now getting back into it again but in the meantime I lived off of the customer base I made myself the first year please don't let the negativity scare you if you read the link provided above and focus on the negative experience of some people you will fail after all Mary Kay Ash herself was told the company would never make it 45 years ago :)

Now as for the beginning what I found is truly practice on your family and friends don't expect them to buy from you but let them help you get started hold appointments and shows and have FUN that is the key people have fun they like you and they will buy from you they will refer their friends to you think about it if you went to a show and felt obligated to buy you would go home and say I bought something just to help and never used it so on if you went to a show and had fun you would talk about the fun and that you weren't pressured to buy that then generates leads which is the base of your business so focus on FUN and bookings the sales will come with experience and those that don't buy will I have several on term customers just from being patient.

Answer 5

Jennifer,  The fact that you have a sales goal already in mind is great! If your goal is $800 in sales per month (that's $400 profit) and you are going to have 2 classes per week - or 8 classes per month, that isn't going to be hard at all. That would mean that you only need to sell $100 in products per class. In my experience, on average, I have between $200 - $450 in sales per 1 hour class with 4-6 women in attendance.

The key to keeping your date book full is to get new referrals from your skin care classes. As long as you get the referrals, you will get the bookings and in turn, get the profit.

I have been selling Mary Kay for over 3 years and have found it to be very profitable.

My e-mail is: [e-mail] - I'm happy to answer any other questions that you may have.  :)