How to Sell Mary Kay

Last Updated: November 22, 2021 References Approved

Becoming a Mary Kay beauty consultant is easy enough—the real trick is in learning to market your Mary Kay business so you can sell products. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to get more customers, allowing you to sell more Mary Kay products in-person and online. Our how-to guide has the tips you need to start learning how to sell Mary Kay products like a pro!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Become a Consultant

1
Find an existing consultant. If you already know a Mary Kay consultant, you can go to her for help. If you do not know a consultant, however, you can look for one in your area using the Mary Kay website.^{[1]
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- Mary Kay beauty consultants receive benefits when they recruit new people, so the vast majority of existing consultants will be more than happy to help you through the process.
- To find a consultant near you, go here: http://www.marykay.com/en-US/_layouts/MaryKayCoreLocator/Locate.aspx
  - Enter your zip code in the "New to Mary Kay?" box and click the "Search" button. A list of nearby consultants should appear.
  - Choose a consultant from the list and view her profile. Feel free to click through the results until you find a consultant who you feel comfortable talking with.
2
Talk to your consultant. If you already have a relationship with your consultant, go to her directly using whichever method of contact you usually use. If you do not know your consultant yet, however, you can contact her through her profile on the Mary Kay website.^{[2]
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- From your consultant's profile, click on the "Learn how to become a Beauty Consultant" link.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page until you see the words "Let's Start Your Success Story Today." Clicking on that link will take you to a messaging page.
- Use the form to send a message to your consultant. Ask her about becoming a consultant. Most consultants will usually get back to you within one or two business days with information.
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3
Purchase a starter kit. The standard price of a Mary Kay starter kit is $100, plus shipping and tax, but there are occasional sales and special offers you can take advantage of. As of 2014, there is $400 worth of materials inside the starter kit.
- You will need to purchase this starter kit through your Mary Kay beauty consultant.
- Each starter kit contains retail-sized products to use for demonstration purposes, samplers to share with potential customers, brochures, and informative DVDs.
4
Go through the kit. Take the time to sort through all the instructions and guides provided in your starter kit. There will be several DVDs and CDs, along with brochures and pamphlets with helpful selling tips.^{[3]
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5
Attend a training meeting. Each Mary Kay consultant is part of an overall unit. To help you start selling, you'll want to go to a training meeting with the director of this unit.
- Note that you may want to attend several weekly meetings before you go out into the field. These meetings are meant to sustain the unit's consultants in positive attitude, friendship and support for each other, while teaching them good business skills. Training is never obligatory in Mary Kay, but it is highly recommended for your success and confidence in your business. You can also train online through a very large visual media source powered by Mary Kay Inc, at marykayintouch.com. (must be a consultant to use).
- If your director is out of town or otherwise unable to attend to you, she should be able to guide you to an "adopted" director you can work with, instead.
6
Get to work. Once you complete all of the outlined steps, you'll be a stocked and trained Mary Kay beauty consultant. The next thing you'll need to do is simply to start selling.
- You might be encouraged to build your home inventory shortly after you join. Inventory is NEVER an obligation in Mary Kay, but it is a privilege. It's like a grocery store stocking its shelves before it opens, so its customers can take home TODAY what they want to buy TODAY, rather than waiting a week for the product to be ordered from the company. Rarely do direct sales companies allow their consultants to keep inventory, but Mary Kay offers this privilege. Take your time when making decisions and start smart, only purchasing as much as you have time sell. Ask your recruiter or director to show you statistics of how much inventory will be smart for you, based on the number of hours per week or per month that you are wanting to spend in your business. The more time you spend in your business, the more you'll sell, and the more inventory you'll want to have on hand. The company offers free product bonuses on your very first inventory purchase, so make sure you ask your recruiter about that, so you don't afterwards regret having missed out on those free product bonuses. Mary Kay offers a 1 year 90% buyback guarantee on initial inventory purchased, but beware that you can never again be a Mary Kay consultant if you send back inventory to the company. (N.B. This is not the same as the 100% satisfaction guarantee. Mary Kay stands behind all its products, and will replace them for free, forever, if consultant or customer is not satisfied.)

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Basic Selling Strategies

1
Give out samples. Your starter kit comes with samplers you can give others and retail-sized products you can use for demonstrations. You can also buy more samplers and demonstration products as you need them.
- Samples allow potential customers to experience the products before purchasing them. Showing customers how great a product is can make them more inclined to purchase it.
- Be generous but smart. Giving away free samples to random people you pass on the sidewalk is a good way to get rid of those products, but not necessarily a good way to get more customers. Whenever possible, engage a potential customer in conversation first. If that person seems interested, give them a sample. If not, thank her for her time, and press on.
2
Host parties and classes. A Mary Kay facial means teaching skincare. At the same time, you will be sharing the Mary Kay products (selling), and, if you want, sharing the Mary Kay opportunity (recruiting). It's just as easy to facial 5 ladies as it is to facial 1 lady, so invite friends and family to a small party or skin care class, and encourage them to bring along acquaintances, as well. Afterwards, you can ask one or more of them to host her own party, inviting her own friends, and have the party at her house, and you'll offer hostess rewards to thank her (often free products or discounts.)
3
Meet with potential customers one-on-one. You will want to follow up with each person who attended the party, to address her specific needs and develop a better relationship with her. You can offer her hostess rewards if she wants to invite friends to her follow-up appointment.
- Before each facial or party, contact each guest to talk with her about her skin care needs and the best makeup application techniques for her to use based on her skin tone, face shape, and other unique qualities.
4
Manage your digital presence. Through Mary Kay, you can subscribe to have a personal website for your business for only $30 for the first year and $60 a year thereafter. This is fully run and operated by Mary Kay, and looks almost exactly like the company's official website at marykay.com. Your personal website however will make it possible for your customers to make their purchase online directly through you. In order to maintain Mary Kay's professional image, you cannot create a personal website outside of the one Mary Kay offers. You can however advertise on social media if you follow very specific guidelines, to protect the image of the company.^{[4]
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- Through your website, you can also offer limited deals, post digital catalogs via social media outlets, and send out an e-mail newsletter to customers who have signed up.
- Your website also gives you access to your customers' personal information (birthdays, order histories, etc.). You can use this information to give personalized recommendations and special offers, but it is illegal to sell any such information.
5
Pass out catalogs. Leave product catalogs with prospective customers. You could also ask your local hair salon for permission to leave a catalog there. Make sure that each catalog you leave behind has your contact information so anyone who wants to make a purchase knows to get in touch with you.^{[5]
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- Aside from catalogs, you can take advantage of print postcards, fliers, brochures, and business cards. These also need to be purchased from the company or a company they endorse, again, to protect the company's professional image.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Additional Tricks of the Trade

1
Meet the neighbors. Once you start selling, spread the word to your neighbors. Talk with neighbors who already know you and introduce yourself to a few new ones.
- When someone moves into your neighborhood, give them a welcome bag with a few Mary Kay samples and your business card.
- Similarly, when you move into a new neighborhood, introduce yourself to your new neighbors and give them each a free sample and a business card.
2
Have the Scents of Mary Kay: Mary Kay Ash told the consultants to be "Go-Give, not Go-Get". Be kind and courteous, and always follow the Golden Rule. Have in mind to share what you love, not sell what you want to get rid of. A consultant generally sells what she loves, so use all the Mary Kay products you love, and don't be afraid to try new ones. Be a walking advertisement for Mary Kay: Have a beautiful, tasteful general appearance, using Mary Kay skincare, cosmetics, and fragrances. Any comments you receive are a chance for you to share with them about the products you love, and you can offer to schedule a facial with them, if they are interested.
3
It is not legal to advertise for your business in any way that makes the company look cheap. Putting a sign on your lawn, online, or anywhere else saying: "Discount Mary Kay" is not professional. Mary Kay products are department store quality, and Mary Kay retail price is already only a fraction of the price of department store brands, so advertised discounts should be rare.
- Have a birthday sale. For instance, offer a 10%-30% discount to customers who order during their birth month.
- Consider offering free gift wrapping for gifts purchased during a special occasion, like Mother's Day or Christmas. To encourage higher sales and prevent yourself from getting too overwhelmed, specify that the customer needs to purchase a certain amount to qualify for the offer.
- When you are a consultant, you can buy as much as you want for your own personal use, also at 50% off. You can likewise give Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, etc, out of the inventory to buy from Mary Kay, and that helps you get your friends and family using and enjoying Mary Kay products, and eventually buying it from you, if they want.
4
Turn every party into a Mary Kay party. Stealing the show is an obnoxious thing to do, but that does not mean that you cannot take advantage of another's social gathering to quickly spread the word out about the products you're selling, just by sharing in a casual way how much you love a product (bring it with you in your purse, and they can try it out).
5
Be creative about print media placement. Leave catalogs, flier, and business cards behind wherever you can.^{[6]
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- Community bulletin boards are also places to leave fliers and business cards.
- Leave catalogs in coffee shops, near ATMs, or inside beauty salons. Make sure that you have permission from the owner of the store, though.
- When you recycle old Mary Kay catalogs, attach a sticker that says, "For a current book, please call me at..."
- Tuck fliers under the windshield wipers of cars at local stores and restaurants, but make sure this doesn't look obnoxious or cheap.
6
Give a little. A good way to make a great impression is to leave something special behind for someone who never expected it. Make sure that any product samples you give out are accompanied by your business card so that the recipient will know who to get in touch with if she likes what she got and wants more.
- When you leave a tip for a waitress at a restaurant, attach a free sample and a business card. Just make sure that you leave a real monetary tip, as well—never substitute an actual tip with a Mary Kay product.
- Prepare "spa baskets" or "coffee break baskets" and donate them to local businesses. These baskets should contain samples, catalogs, and business cards, along with a few other appealing goodies, like muffins or packets of instant coffee.
7
Reward referrals. Let current customers know that you are willing to give them something extra if they refer another customer to you. Doing so will encourage your customers to send more traffic your way.
- One way to offer a referral award is by crediting a set one-time bonus to their next order. You can offer a bonus with a set amount, like $0.50 or $1.00, or you can offer a bonus percentage, like 5% or so.

Community Q&A

Question

How can I ask someone to join me selling Mary Kay? Are there specific rules?

Community Answer

You just need contact any consultant and they are going to help you to join in and explain how make yours orders.
Question

Is there a sales quota that has to be met?

Community Answer

No. To stay active, there is a minimum order that must be placed every three months, but if you don't meet that, there isn't any repercussion other than you become "inactive" until you place an order of that size. If you remain "inactive" for a full year, then you become "terminated". Terminated isn't a big deal, either, because you can come back in whenever you choose, for a fraction of the original cost.
Question

What if I buy a product off my shelf for my own personnel use or for a gift, do I write up a sales receipt at 1/2 the cost with no sales tax (because I already paid taxes when I first bought it)?

Community Answer

Keep a record of products you keep for personal use and gifts. You don't need to write out a sales receipt, just a list with the price and sales tax paid is fine. You will use this list when you prepare your taxes.

Warnings

Know what you're getting yourself into. There are plenty of advantages involved with selling Mary Kay. You can establish your own hours, work from home, and so on. Nonetheless, the business itself is not as easy as you might be led to believe. If you treat it casually, expect to make casual money at best. Only by treating the opportunity as a serious business can you make serious money.

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Know the catch. You can make money simply by selling Mary Kay products, but if you want to move up in the organization, you'll need to recruit other consultants. If you want to become a sales director or get the opportunity to lease a pink Mary Kay Cadillac, you'll need to recruit an impressive team, first.

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