This morning I heard that another direct sales company, Monet Handbags, is closing its doors at the end of the month. This follows Lia Sophia's announcement that it will close on December 31, 2014 at the beginning of the month. In the last year, Creative Memories also went through bankruptcy proceedings and had to close. That company has come back as Ahni and Zoe but can it ever be the same? Will customers and consultants be comfortable relying on the company to be there? It's hard to say.
I've been involved in direct sales since 1997 when I first joined Mary Kay as a beauty consultant. I loved Mary Kay and I did very well for quite a while. Then, life happened. I was on my way to becoming a sales director when my dad was diagnosed with cancer right after my son was born in 2002. With two little kids, a full-time job and the roller coaster of my father's terminal illness, building and maintaining my business with Mary Kay was not a priority. There were a couple of times that I tried to go back to holding skin care classes and facials after my last baby was born in 2004 but I just wasn't able to make it work. I've been a personal use consultant since then, as I love the product and won't use anything else on my skin.
So, you may be wondering why I joined Jamberry last month? I have a different, more intense full-time job now. My three children are now 10, 12, and 16 and involved in all sorts of time-consuming activities. I'm finishing my doctoral degree and working on my proposal for my dissertation, which is pretty time-intensive in and of itself. Why would someone with such limited time decide to join a direct sales company that is relatively new in an era where many direct sales companies are struggling? It's pretty simple, actually. I love the product and am having a great time holding the parties on facebook.
Jamberry attracted me for several reasons. First, there is no requirement or expectation that consultants will hold inventory. This was one of the main reasons why I have not attempted to start my Mary Kay business again. Maintaining an inventory is vital to your success in Mary Kay because if a customer runs out of cleanser, she doesn't want to wait for your order to come in to replenish her supply. Second, the customers do not have to try the product in order to know that Jamberry nail wraps will work therefore I don't have to leave my home to do a party for my hostesses. All of my parties have been on facebook so far and that is very attractive to someone like me who has a crazy schedule and does not want to go out after work, dressed professionally, to talk about nail wraps. I love how successful the facebook parties are - it fits my life and allows me to have a little bit of fun while having great looking nails. Can't beat that! And lastly, the compensation plan is competitive but fair. If I recruit a new team member, I receive a commission based on her sales but that in no way takes away from her commission on her sales. It is above and beyond what she receives. I also like that Jamberry consultants are also eligible to earn commissions on other generations within their downlines without having to go through a qualification period where you could lose them as members of your team or unit if you don't meet the qualifications. It is a better fit for the consultants, as they know that they are a member of a particular team no matter what happens up the food chain.
So, that's why I decided to join Jamberry nails and I am so glad that I did! Within my first two weeks of business, I earned more than the cost of my consultant kit in commissions and also lots and lots of free product by hosting my own launch party. It was pretty exciting! I love checking my account every Friday to see what my weekly commissions are and monthly to check out my monthly bonuses. Want to hear more about Jamberry for yourself? Feel free to let me know! (email me at
kelherjams@gmail.com) I'm happy to share more information about the company and answer any questions that you might have.
