| Ha Ha! Isn't that funny!? I hope they were joking.... but then maybe not. I remember when I was new I tried to give my mother a discount and she wouldn't let me. She said, "Absolutely not! Why would I pay full price to a stranger, but short my own daughter, who is trying to make money so she can stay home and take care of my grandchildren?" I love my momma... and some things you don't appreciate till years later. I would think there would be a sense of, "I don't want to take advantage of Lynn" , that would keep them from ordering as much from you. And I think it would devalue the product in their eyes. It's sort of like giving a kid a car.... they will never value that car as much as if they had to work to pay for it themselves. If I want to give someone a gift that's one thing... I give the kids free Mary Kay all the time, birthdays, Christmas, Valentines Day, or because I see they have chapped lips, etc. But if they ask for it ("I need to get some cleanser) they pay for it. There's no question, I just write up a bill and sack it up. My Dad orders and pays full price, but then he was a business owner, so I think he realizes a little more about the business. How would I handle it? I think I would laugh, and give them the benefit of the doubt and act like I thought they were joking. Then I would joke right back and say something like, "GREAT! You want to be a Consultant, too, so you can get a 50% discount?!!! We would make a great team!!! I'd love it!... I'm really excited about being able to..... (whatever you want to use your profits for... work from home, get a new house, pay for our first vacation, schooling, get out of debt, etc). I know you are joking, but I will work with you to help you get it free! You want to get a couple of friends together for a party?" You have to act a little naive, like you only think the best of them. :) If you want you can tell them my mom's story. "You know my Director's mom wouldn't let her give her a discount, she said..." I will tell you that I have a Consultant who has three daughters, and she gave them all a 50% discount from the beginning. When she was building a team to earn her red jacket, she asked them, and they said "Why would we want to do that, I already get it at cost, and you don't make any money" She had set an example for them... it wasn't a real business nor was it profitable. Going back to my mother... Before she became a Consultant... while she was my customer, I always would put a few extras in her bag when she ordered... samples, discontinued products, etc. And she was a great hostess... even though we live 700 miles apart, she would do book parties, and parties in her home, so she could get free product or a discount. And when she retired, she asked me if she could be a Consultant, so she could continue to afford her Mary Kay while on a fixed income! While retired, she has about 20 customers, from her working days (I gave her the ones she brought me) that she kept on her Preferred Customer List. And every quarter when the new Look Books came out, she would call them, and see what they wanted to order. When they ordered a total of $200 ($10 each, 10 ordering $20, or 5 ordering $40) She could take their $200 and order $400 worth of product and get ALL $200 of HER Mary Kay FREE! :) To sum it up... it's not a good idea for many reasons, but it is your family and your business so you get to decide. Just think about how you would want to be treated. And do all things with humor and a positive attitude... setting a high standard, always expecting the best of people, but not being hurt or angry if they let you down, being quick to forgive. Just be your sweet self!
Big love and belief,
Lynn
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