I'm going to be honest here,
this isn't going to be a super fun post.
But, I feel that my "followers" and customers need to know
what happened and why I made the decision to
no longer be a mark rep.
It saddens me to write that. It really does. As most of you could probably tell, I loved being a mark rep. I loved helping people. I loved my mentor and my team. I loved the makeup.
None of that has changed.
As some of you may know, on Thursday July 11th, 2013, we had our National Rep Webcast; a normal occurrence for a mag turn over. I was sad that I could not make the call, but now, I'm really glad I was not on the call when this all went down.
From the other reps, I got the basic run down of the call afterwords.
It was a ten minute pre-recorded video about how mark was merging with Avon, some basics, and a promise of an FAQ the next day.
None of that sounds too awful considering that we always knew mark was a subsidiary of Avon and as a business decision it makes sense, and it might very well make reps more money in the long run.
My problems then?
1. They didn't tell the Mentors beforehand- This is my biggest problem with this switch. While I don't really like the switch at all, I would consider making it... if they would have handled it more gracefully. I know some of us reps didn't act very gracefully after the news, but that's because it was dropped on us (and the mentors) like a hand grenade. Why does it upset me so much that the mentors weren't told? Because this is their JOB. They made an actual base pay being a mentor... and they were pretty much fired with no real warning at all. Not only did they not tell the mentors, if they do make the switch, they will have to start from the bottom and work their way back up.
2. They acted as if we could have never done this before- I'm all for trying to make a negative situation a positive one. But in this case they were just blowing smoke. They were saying that it was a never before business opportunity, which was/is a lie. We always knew that we could switch to Avon if we wanted to sell both. Pretty easily too from my understanding.
3. Tearing Up the Teams- One of my favorite parts about being a mark rep was my team. That was one of the main reasons that I didn't want to switch to Avon when my best friend would ask, I couldn't leave my team. And now...well, now officially we are no longer a "team" but, we are sticking together anyway. Which is good, because that is a group of amazing women.
4. Lack of Communication- They did end up getting the FAQ up the day the announcement was made but, they were going to post it the next day. Also, there were some things shadily not mentioned... like the fact that we wouldn't get 40% off of everything in the campaigns, just things without fixed commission.
The Bottom Line: I don't want to work for a company that I believe practices "bad business" and to me, the way this was handled was "bad business". Also, I don't want to be a part of a company that fires people without any notice... publicly.
The Bottom Line: I don't want to work for a company that I believe practices "bad business" and to me, the way this was handled was "bad business". Also, I don't want to be a part of a company that fires people without any notice... publicly.
I still respect those who have decided to make the switch, but for me, its just not worth it.
So, what does this mean for you?
For Blog Followers: This means, a new blog title and less focus on solely mark products. It will still be a beauty and fashion blog, so not much has changed here.
For Customers: I am currently looking in to other direct sales companies, but I want to make sure I'm making the right decision for me and for my customers. My current thoughts are: Mary Kay and/or Premier Designs... I'm leaning more towards Premier Designs but, we will see. If there is something you would like for me to sell or look into, let me know. I will continue to be a mark rep until August 8th. After that, my e-botique will no longer be available and I will no longer be a mark or Avon rep.
In honor of that I'm having a going out of business sale:
Order through me here
After that, I will direct you to my friend who sells Avon/mark. Don't worry, she will treat you well.
I know this was long so, if you stuck with me, thank you.
And thank you to everyone who has supported me in my business venture with mark.
Here's to the next chapter.
Stay beautiful,
Kailey
I agree with all of your points. Additionally, being a new Mark Rep Myself, I am upset that I was allowed to purchase the startup kit just a few months ago. I took the time and money to begin learning my product and attempt to build up a client base. I began stocking up on product and talking to friends and family about MARK. I was put on a great team and began to grow attached to its members. I don't believe that they did not know about this merge when I joined... They should have put a cap on new People joining. But then they would have come clean and be honest about their plans. Also, I was not offered the new merging kit because I had not been with the company long enough. They treated me like an inactive member when in reality I had places an 80$ order only 2 weeks prior (which was supremely bungled and took 3 shipments to make it right... and a lot of time on the phone). I am deeply saddened by all of this. I'd grown to enjoy and love being a #MarkGirl. Signed #AMarkGirlNoMore
ReplyDeleteI agree. Just very poorly handled all around which is sad coming from the second highest grossing direct sales company... Oh well.
ReplyDeleteThat is so unfortunate! I joined because I liked HOW it was not like the other direct selling companies and had it's own brand. I find it unfortunate because I understand some can make money from Avon, but it's just too tiered and I don't know enough people who are that devoted to makeup that will buy from me. I had that problem with mark and my customers weren't running through their products fast enough to really benefit me. So, I know it won't be any better with Avon. Especially since I'll be a tiny fish in a BIG OCEAN!!
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