Obligatory chips and lemonade greeted the 12 guests in the Evans Scholars house basement. However, this was not a typical student club meeting: The real incentive would follow. Each attendee participated in a one-on-one consultation with host and SESP sophomore Diamond Greer about their skin problems, interests in skin care products and possible solutions using Mary Kay products. Others busied themselves trying makeup samples on various palettes while perusing perfumes and other skin care products.
Greer, who held this pamper party on Oct. 23, is one of three Northwestern students who became a Mary Kay consultant in early October.
The students became interested when Kia Jones (Communication '11) invited members of Movement, a hip hop dance and step team, to receive facials after one of their practices. Toward the end of the session, Greer and her new teammates, SESP junior Camielle Taylor and Weinberg sophomore Raven Smith, listened to Jones pitch opportunities available for becoming a consultant—someone that seeks and maintains clients to whom they sell Mary Kay products.
“I couldn’t figure out a reason not to do it,” Smith said.
Mary Kay is one of the largest direct sales companies for skin care and color cosmetics in the world. Direct sales organizations sell products outside of a fixed retail location through employees like Northwestern students.
Smith excitedly described the moment she first saw a return on her initial investment: Mary Kay offered the starter kit for a $75 special discount during the month of October rather than the typical $100 fee. After just 15 days, Smith, a Chicago native, earned double that amount selling products to friends and staff on campus as well as her nearby relatives.
Greer added yearly fees of $25 for her website and another $39 to process credit cards on her site. For every Mary Kay product consultants sell, they earn 50 percent of the price and Mary Kay retains 50 percent.
“You have to do $200 wholesale quarterly to be active and start earning 50 percent of your sales," Greer said. "If you’re inactive, it all goes to Mary Kay."
Greer also said she has mixed feelings about becoming inactive based on her concerns for increasing sales, as Mary Kay is perceived as a brand for older women. Having sold primarily to family members and friends so far, the student consultants said they hope referrals will help build their business outside of people they already know. Taylor mentioned going to nail and other beauty service salons in the area to keep her business going.
Working as teammates (since Jones is the consultant that hired them they report sales under her leadership), they support and encourage one another. In order to move up, you have to help others move up, Greer said. They share similarities like enjoying the flexible schedule the business allows, but ultimately are independent consultants with differences in how they choose to guide their businesses with varied reasons for joining Mary Kay.
Greer said she saw it as an opportunity to try something new and become independent. Contrarily, Smith was looking for a second source of income.
“I don’t have the time to have another job," Smith said. "I’m doing a bunch of other activities on campus and so I wanted something that was very low-maintenance, that I had control over. I didn’t have time to be checking into anyone’s time clock.”
It was the opportunity to network with other saleswomen that initially appealed to Taylor, a Northwestern tour guide who had not been seeking another job when she became a consultant.
Smith began selling to clients immediately and was the first to have a pamper party. Taylor chose to focus on completing training — six sessions, either in-person or over the phone, ranging from 20 minutes to an hour—before trying to sell products on her own. She supported Greer’s pamper party by handing out samples and directing attendees to Greer’s website for orders, and she said she anticipates scheduling her debut party in the coming weeks.
Pamper parties serve to introduce new clients to Mary Kay and try the products, which helps consultants increase sales and gain exposure to new clients. Consultants also invite others to host parties where they invite friends and receive a percentage of sales earned through the party.
Freshman attendee Crystal Lennix attended the pamper party to support her friend. “It’s very ambitious,” Lennix said of Greer’s decision to become a consultant, “It’s hard to reach out to this age group and I think it’s great that she’s willing to try something new.”
One of two male attendees, Evans Scholar Anthony Woldeit, said he did not feel strange being in the gender minority as he invited his sister Jacque Woldeit and her friend Emily Wessell, both of whom attend other Chicago-area schools. “I came to support Diamond and get something good for my hands,” he said. “It’s good to do something good for your body, whether male or female.”
Going forward, the student consultants said they think Mary Kay could be something they continue on the side post-graduation. They acknowledge that they didn’t begin selling because it related to their majors, but Greer pointed out she is gaining transferrable skills. “You’re helping me identify what you need and your issue with your skin, giving you recommendations, and I’m helping you see your results,” she said.
Since it is early for their businesses, each one said she plans to “see where it goes.” The appeal of prizes when reaching certain milestones — reaching a given number of sales, trainings or bringing on another consultant—keeps them motivated. They received J-Lo rings for completing the six mandatory trainings and expect more incentives in their future.
The most coveted incentive is the infamous pink Cadillac, a trademark of Mary Kay after founder Mary Kay Ash first purchased one in 1968 as a rolling advertisement to match the makeup palettes. With the SUV in sight, the three hope their connections pay off.