by Senior Sales Director Carol Hatem

Recently I have been noticing that we arent as careful as we should be about how we talk about our products, our clients and our business opportunity. There is great power in the words we use to describe our products and our business. If we dont use them properly, we run the risk of creating a detrimental impression of Mary Kay. And since first impressions are lasting, we need to think carefully before we speak.

Products

Lets start with products. When youre describing our products, consider the adjectives that you use. Believe it or not, Ive heard consultants use words like greasy, grainy, watery, or harsh to describe our products! Lets look at alternatives you can use to

talk about the benefits of the Mary Kay product line:

Wrong Word/Phrase                                  Right Word/Phrase

Greasy                                                            Emollient/rich

Thick                                                               Creamy or concentrated

Grainy                                                             Using microbeads

Heavy/oily                                                       Emollient or has extra moisture

Dry                                                                  Matte

Light (color)                                                    Soft or muted

Dark (color)                                                    Bold or striking

Harsh                                                              Strong or effective

Watery                                                            Lightweight

Has a smell                                                    No added fragrance, contains only

the natural fragrance of the ingredients

Makes you look pale/ashy/ like                    Lets try a shade darker/lighter

a ghost/sallow/orange-y/etc.

Can you see how the right word or phrase creates a positive impression of our products?

And if a customer is dissatisfied with our product for whatever reason, how we react to it with our words will make a big difference in how she perceives Mary Kay.

The product does NOT burn her face. Rather, she has a sensitivity to an ingredient in the product.

Its not that the customer cant use Mary Kay. She simply hasnt yet found the right formula or colors.

The fragrance does NOT stink on her or smell bad. Rather, she should try something a little less or more floral (spicy, citrus, whatever). Or that fragrance doesnt really match your personality why not try _________.

Customers

When youre working with your clients in their color makeovers, the correct language is particularly important. Every woman can be beautiful, and its up to you to use the right words to show her how beautiful she can be. (See Color Certification Training on www.carolhatem.com under Sales Training).

When talking about her features, put them in the most flattering light. For instance, a face is full, not fat. If she has no discernable cheekbones, they are recessed, not nonexistent. Skin is not blotchy; it is uneven. Skin is never red; it has ruddiness. Skin is mature, not old. And crepey sounds better than wrinkly.

If your customer has very small eyes, talk about what a great brow bone she has and how youll use it for contouring effects. If her eyes are close together or far apart, youll create the illusion that they are farther apart or closer together. Lips are full or slender, not fat or skinny.

Effective words to use when talking about color cosmetics include: lighten, soften, define, contour, lift, set off, retexture, smooth, highlight. If a color you have chosen doesnt look quite right, DONT say that the color looks bad on her! Rephrase it with a positive. For example:

That color doesnt effectively bring out the blue in your eyes.

I think a blush with a little more pink in it would complement your coloring better.

Your eyes will look bigger with a deeper color for your contour.

Business Opportunity

It is especially important that we speak positively and honestly about the Mary Kay business opportunity. It is an opportunity unequaled anywhere in the world, and it doesnt need to be embellished or exaggerated.

I have listed below some points that I want to make perfectly clear to all of you and all future consultants and Sales Directors.

Product sales are always the core of building a successful Mary Kay business. As you know we have 5 ways of retailing our products. Always offer samples and product sales with the intention of gaining a new customer prior to offering the Mary Kay opportunity.

Remember that Mary Kays three foot rule was used as a means of teaching the importance of offering product samples to people they came in contact with during the course of their daily activities.

Always follow the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Always qualify potential customers and refer them back to their own consultant, if one exists.

Only offer the Mary Kay business opportunity to your own customers and prospects.  Never offer the Mary Kay opportunity to another consultants current customers or prospects. There are millions of women out there that have yet to be introduced to Mary Kay products and the career opportunity.

We are independent contractors, NOT employees of Mary Kay Inc. Never claim or imply that your relationship or your potential recruits relationship will be anything other than that of an independent contractor. For example, do not use the Companys trade name, Mary Kay Inc. in connections with your business.

Owning your own Mary Kay business is a tremendous opportunity that requires no exaggeration, period! Do not misrepresent, exaggerate or provide unsubstantiated earnings claims or career opportunities (i.e., More women have earned $50,000 or more per year than with any other company). As you all know, earnings cannot be guaranteed. Only use factual and truthful information in a manner that is not misleading.

Our Mary Kay business is built on a one-to-one relationship with our customers. Mary Kays personal philosophy was to hand pick her new team members from her skin care classes. For this reason, the Company does not authorize recruiting advertisements. Never place unauthorized advertisements anywhere, including but not limited t Internet, newspapers, magazines, etc. ONLY use Mary Kay Inc. approved advertising formats and literature.

Mary Kay corporate headquarters has provided me a list of unacceptable phrases have legal ramifications. They may seem outrageous, but make absolutely sure that no one ever uses such phrases or implies anything that can be misconstrued. Such conduct is unacceptable and can adversely affect all of our Mary Kay business.

Here is just a sampling of what NOT to say (items in parentheses are mine Carol Hatem):

You would be great in training with Mary Kay, and I dont mean peddling cosmetics. (Sales are the building blocks of our company we are not a multilevel company that just signs people up without equipping them to sell.)

Your consultant hasnt offered you the opportunity? You should hear it from me. (We should always refer women back to their consultants for career information.)

You should sign on with Mary Kay. (This makes it sound like Mary Kay is hiring employees when we are really independent contractors.)

You dont have to sell makeup; youll be in Mary Kay leadership. (This is misleading all directors in Mary Kay have been successful in sales before they moved into leadership.)

I represent Mary Kay or I work for Mary Kay Corp. or Mary Kay Inc. (No you dont! Youre an independent contractor.)

Were a Fortune 500 company. (We are privately owned and not on the Fortune 500 list of publicly owned companies).

You can easily earn a six-figure income. (While its true that you can earn a six-figure income in Mary Kay, its not a get-rich-quick kind of company. You must work hard to earn that kind of money.)

All you need is a Web site to earn $2,000 a month. (Your website can certainly help your sales, but in no way can it guarantee any specific sales number.)

We are looking for corporate trainers. (No, were looking for Independent Beauty Consultants.)

Im a recruiter with Mary Kay Cosmetics. (This makes it sound like youre a corporate headhunter and can be misleading.)

By sticking to company-approved language, we avoid any misrepresentation and/or legal difficulties with prospective team members.