Ladder of Success program – Incentive program to encourage Independent Beauty Consultants to achieve consistent sales goals. See “Star Consultant.”
Leadership Conference – A Company-sponsored conference held each January in which Independent Sales Directors and above may register to attend for inspiration, motivation and education.
LearnMK™ – LearnMK™ is the education Web site that provides information that may help you manage and grow your Mary Kay business. The Web site includes career resources, business development, legal issues and sales and marketing ideas. You can also access the Career Essentials Success Tools forms on this Web site. LearnMK™ can be accessed from the main page of Mary Kay InTouch®.
legal considerations – To find answers to your legal and tax questions and to access the Legal Ease brochure and Tax Essentials booklet, visit LearnMK™ on the Mary Kay InTouch® Web site. See also “tax information.”
- Travel to Foreign Countries – Mary Kay® products manufactured for sale in the United States cannot be sold in foreign countries. You should be aware that taking products designed for sale in the United States for resale in other countries could involve you in difficulties with: customs authorities for failure to pay import duties, packaging and labeling officials because products are not properly labeled for other markets and tax authorities for failing to pay tax on the sale to their governments through the Mary Kay Inc. subsidiary.
- Unemployment Compensation – You are not an employee of Mary Kay Inc. Since you are a self-employed person, the Company does not contribute any amount for you under various state unemployment insurance tax requirements. Thus, you may not claim unemployment by virtue of your having been associated with Mary Kay Inc. as an Independent Beauty Consultant.
- Use of Company Names for Personal Business Purposes
- Personal Accounts – No Beauty Consultant or Sales Director may use the trademarks or trade name Mary Kay® or Mary Kay Inc. on personal checks (with the exception of checks offered through MKConnections®) or credit card accounts. These accounts may easily be kept separate for business purposes by the designation cosmetics account, business account or similar words.
- Telephone Answering – You should not answer your personal telephone in a manner or have a message which leaves the caller with the impression that she has reached the corporate offices of Mary Kay Inc.
- Telephone Directory Listing – As a Beauty Consultant, you are not allowed to list your Mary Kay business or residential service telephone number in any white or yellow pages directories (whether published by telephone companies or private publishing companies) in any way in connection with the Company-owned trade name, trademark or corporate names.This privilege is reserved for those Sales Directors who have elected to participate in the Company’s yellow pages advertising program and only after an agreement has been executed between the Sales Director and the Company concerning the licensed use of the Company’s trademarks or trade names.
look book
The Mary Kay catalog of products, which also showcases several coordinated makeup “Looks.” A new look book is published every three months and features limited-edition items, new products and the current line of products.
mail orders – See “ordering Mary Kay® products.”
marketing plan – The Mary Kay marketing plan developed by Mary Kay and her son Richard Rogers which ensures that every Independent Beauty Consultant’s opportunity is equal to her ambition and ability.
- dual-marketing concept – Another important aspect of Mary Kay Inc. is its dual-marketing system — its separation of corporate management from independent contractors selling the Company’s products.
- corporate management and staff:
- plan product and market development
- provide quality products to Independent Beauty Consultants
- provide the most liberal discount structure and highest commission opportunity possible
- advertise Mary Kay® products to give marketing support for Consultants
- offer incentives and awards for Consultants who excel in sales, team building or leadership
- organize national and regional Seminars and Career Conferences which Consultants may voluntarily attend for education and inspiration
- make suggestions (as exemplified by this guide) designed to enable Consultants to succeed in their own Mary Kay businesses
- offer products and services to help Consultants grow their businesses and earn money.
- As a Beauty Consultant and the wholesale purchaser of Mary Kay® products, you:
- operate independently of corporate management
- derive earnings from retail sales of Mary Kay® products to the ultimate consumers
- corporate management and staff:
- About the Marketing Plan – When Mary Kay founded the Company, she developed a special marketing plan which included the best features and avoided the mistakes that she had previously encountered in her 25 years with direct sales companies. The plan ensures that every Consultant’s opportunity is equal to her ambition and her ability.
- Income is based on retail sales – The entire marketing structure is based upon and intended to foster retail sales to ultimate consumers, with commissions earned based upon the products being sold at retail prices.
- All products are purchased directly from the Company – All Sales Directors and Consultants purchase products directly from the Company based on the same discount schedule. There is only one wholesale sale (from the Company to you) and one retail sale (from you to your customer). Our products do not pass through several levels of distributors. Every Consultant sells her own products at retail to consumers of her choice.
- You decide to advance yourself on the basis of proven ability – Mary Kay Inc. does not sell franchises or distributorships. You are able to advance in this career when you are ready.
- There are no territories to limit where you may sell or recruit – Many companies sell franchise rights within a limited geographic area, and many assign territories. Mary Kay Inc. believes this is unnecessary. You may build your team and sell merchandise in any of the 50 United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam.
- Your Starter Kit puts you in business – Your Mary Kay business begins with a Starter Kit and does not require the purchase of any additional amount of product. Adequate inventory, however, will help ensure that you will be able to handle a quickly growing business. The benefits of purchasing inventory are discussed in Career Essentials on the Starting Points: Beginning Your Mary Kay Business audiotape.
- Only Mary Kay® products are presented or sold – Appointments with customers are the marketplace where our products are intended to be sold to the ultimate consumer. Any products or services mentioned during appointments are naturally identified with our Company and our trademarks. We ask Consultants not to introduce products or services not offered by Mary Kay Inc. during their appointments to avoid creating trademark confusion and customer misunderstandings.
Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation – Nonprofit, public foundation focusing on funding research of cancers affecting women and on efforts to prevent violence against women. Visit the Foundation Web site at http://www.mkacf.org.
Mary Kay InTouch® Community – See “Internet programs.”
Mary Kay’s mission – To enrich women’s lives. We will do this in tangible ways, by offering quality products to consumers, financial opportunities to our independent sales force and fulfilling careers to our employees. We will also reach out to the heart and spirit of women, enabling personal growth and fulfillment for the women whose lives we touch. We will carry out our mission in a spirit of caring, living the positive values on which our Company was built.
Mary Kay® Personal Web Site program – See “Internet programs.”
Mary Kay® philosophies – The principles and teachings of Mary Kay Ash which incorporate many founding beliefs of the Company, including the Golden Rule; priorities of God first, family second, career third; the go-give spirit and the adoptee program.
Mary Kay® Product Replacement Program – See “customer refunds and exchanges.”
http://Marykay.com – The Mary Kay corporate Web site featuring Company and product information.The Consultant Locator allows visitors to connect to the Personal Web site of a Consultant in their ZIP code. mileage, recording – See “tax information.”
Marykay.com
The Mary Kay corporate Web site featuring Company and product information. The Consultant Locator allows visitors to connect to the Personal Web Site of a Consultant in their zip code.
mileage, recording
See “tax information”.
Million-Dollar Circle of Excellence – Seminar achievements for Independent Sales Directors whose units achieve $1 million or more in estimated unit retail production during the Seminar contest year.
MKConnections® – The MKConnections® program supports Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants and Sales Directors by offering products and services to help advertise and organize their businesses, save money and invest in their long-term financial security. Business-building tools include business cards and checks featuring pictures of Mary Kay® products, stationery, a Visa® credit card program, apparel and business gear and product protection insurance. Detailed information and online ordering for all MKConnections® programs can be found at http://www.mkconnections.com.
- Business Cards, Checks and Stationery – offers products to help you grow your business with items such as Mary Kay® business cards, business card kits, stationery items and checks. For more information or to order business cards, checks and stationery, log on to http://www.mkconnections.com or call 1-800-627-9577.
- Apparel and Business Gear – offers apparel and accessories with the Mary Kay® logo to help you advertise your Mary Kay business and product carriers to keep your business organized and mobile. For more information or to order, log on to http://www.mkconnections.com or call 1-800-350-7382.
- Visa® Credit Offer from First USA – cardholders receive a gift of Mary Kay® product annually when the card is used to place a minimum $180 wholesale Section 1 order. This credit card program is designed to help you manage your inventory for the growth of your long-term business. Applying is easy. Just log on to http://www.mkconnections.com or call 1-800-804-8516.
- Product Protection Insurance – is an insurance policy designed especially for Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants who wish to protect their product inventory from theft or damage. For more information or to enroll, log on to http://www.mkconnections.com or call 1-800-697-4549.
- Select Savings – offers a package of discounts that provide savings on health-related services such as vision care, dental care, prescription medication and more.This program is not health or medical insurance. For more information or to enroll, log on to http://www.mkconnections.com or call 1-877-483-7478.
Note: More information about most MKConnections® programs mentioned above can be found in the Success Tools envelope.
MKeTouch™ – See “Internet programs.”
mkvelocity.com – Special area of the Mary Kay corporate and Personal Web sites devoted to the Velocity® product line. If the Velocity® generation is your target audience, you can use this Web site address on your Mary Kay® business cards and on your reorder labels allowing visitors to directly access the Velocity® content.
Momentum Month – The first month after qualification under the Consultant Grand Achiever program. During this month, the qualifier’s personal and team production is doubled, including any program credits. (For more information about program guidelines, ask your Sales Director or refer to the Advance brochure. You can obtain an Advance brochure from your Sales Director or access a copy through the Mary Kay InTouch® Web site.)
National Sales Director emeritus
Retired Independent National Sales Director.
National Sales Directors, NSDs
See “Independent National Sales Director”.
new Consultant rewards
- As a new Consultant, you can be eligible to qualify for a product bonus incentive based on your initial wholesale Section 1 order.
- If your initial order with the Company is $600 or more wholesale of Section 1 products and is received by the Company within the same or following calendar month as your Independent Beauty Consultant Agreement, you will receive a product bonus based upon the size of your initial order.
- You’ll be eligible to participate in the ongoing quarterly contest programs based on the accumulated wholesale orders postmarked during the contest quarter.
- You may want to refer to the Ready, Set, Sell! Inventory Options for New Consultants brochure for the product bonuses. For the online brochure, log on to the Mary Kay
InTouch® Web site.
notice of cancellation
The last copy of the sales ticket is a notice of cancellation form. When a sale is $25 or more retail, current government regulations require that this copy of the notice of cancellation be given to the customer. To fail to do so could be considered an “unfair and deceptive act or practive” by various government agencies. See “sales ticket.”
offspring
A sales unit that originates from within another unit. When a Consultant finishes DIQ and becomes a Director with her own unit, that new unit is known as an “offspring” of the unit she was originally a member of.
online, ordering – See “ordering online” and “Internet programs.”
Online Agreements
Provides the recruiter and the new team member with the ability to submit a Consultant Agreement to the Company through the Internet. The team member completes the personal information, agrees to the terms and conditions and purchases the Starter Kit. Upon successful submission of the credit card payment, the new team member is assigned a Consultant Number and is able to join the online community and place her first order.
On Paper
Sales made through catalogs and brochures only. No facial or skin care class appointment held. One of five ways to market Mary Kay products.
on target
Term used to describe a Consultant who has achieved part of a specific goal and, with continued activity, could achieve it.
On The Face
Sales made at a facial or skin care class. One of five ways to market Mary Kay products.
On The Go
A quick appointment, typically 15 minutes or less. One of five ways to market Mary Kay products.
On With The Show
Appointments where a Consultant displays and demonstrates product sets. These appointments are typically held for larger groups (6 or more) and do not involve the typical “face washing” and makeup application of a skin care class or facial. One of five ways to market Mary Kay products.
Online
Selling Mary Kay products through use of the Internet using the Consultant web site. One of five ways to market Mary Kay products.
ordering Mary Kay products
Remember, when you place an order with the Company for products, you are purchasing the products at wholesale prices.The wholesale price of a product order is determined by a discount from the Company’s suggested retail price.The discount is dependent on the amount of Section 1 products ordered on the Consultant order form. All Beauty Consultants and Sales Directors buy directly from the Company based on the same discount schedule. The Consultant order form lists all the products available in the Mary Kay® product line under the heading “Section 1 – Products.” Refer to the Consultant order form for the current discount schedule and product promotion.You’ll want to take advantage of the maximum discount whenever possible.
ordering sales aids
Items listed in “Section 2 – Sales Aids” of the Consultant order form are other items you may purchase for use in your business. Section 2 items are not available at a discount, are not intended for resale and are not subject to the repurchase obligation set forth in your Independent Beauty Consultant Agreement. The Consultant order form includes the most frequently purchased sales aids as well as the latest promotional items. For the less frequently purchased items, you’ll want to refer to the Section 2 Catalog you received in your Starter Kit. The catalog pictures all ongoing Section 2 items.When you want to order something not listed on the current order form, simply write in the name, part number and price in the “Write-In” section of the order form. (The catalog will refer you to the order form if the item is listed on the order form.) The catalog will be updated twice a year. A copy of the catalog will be in Applause® magazine whenever it’s updated.
The Consultant order form includes the most frequently purchased sales aids as well as the latest promotional items.
ordering online
A consultant can order Mary Kay products anytime from any computer with access to the Internet using the Mary Kay InTouch program.
ordering by telephone – Following are guidelines for using the Mary Kay Inc. telephone ordering service:
- Payment by MasterCard, Visa or Discover Card is required for orders by phone.
- Complete your order on a current Consultant order form before calling. Compute your suggested retail, wholesale and tax amounts. Sales tax is based on where the order is being shipped.
- Call toll-free 1-800-828-9897. Telephone orders are accepted from 7:30 a.m. to midnight Central time, Monday through Friday, except holidays and the last two business days of the month.
- Your Mary Kay telephone order representative will need the following information:
- Consultant Number
- Shipping address
- Suggested retail and intended wholesale amounts
- Quantity and part number for each item you order
- Credit card number and expiration date
- The normal discount schedule, freight charges and any special offers will apply to telephone orders.
- A $3.50 telephone charge will be added to each order.
- An Independent Beauty Consultant Agreement must be received in the branch with payment for the Starter Kit (or a Consultant Number must be on file) before a new Consultant’s order can be processed.
ordering by mail – Send your original completed Consultant order form to the branch designated for your area. Your Sales Director will advise you of the branch that will service your needs. You may find it useful to send your Sales Director a copy of your order and to keep a copy for your files.
Branch hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (local time). Local sales counter hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday (local time). Contact Customer Service at 1-800-272-9333, and they will connect you to your appropriate branch. See “branches” for branch addresses and phone numbers.
ordering with MasterCard, Visa or Discover Card – To pay with a MasterCard, Visa or Discover Card, you will want to follow these steps:
- Complete a Consultant order form and fill in your MasterCard, Visa or Discover Card account number, expiration date and signature.
- Do not call MasterCard,Visa or Discover to authorize your order before sending it to the branch (so that your account is not charged twice). The branch will call and authorize all orders when you purchase items from the Company.
- To allow for the maximum amount of time to pay off your entire bill, place your order the day after your credit card closing date (on your statement). For purposes of meeting production requirements, if authorization is declined, the order may not count toward that month’s production or be eligible for a contest or product offer based on the postmark cutoff or end-of-month deadline. In the event a charge is unexpectedly not authorized, the branch will attempt to notify the Consultant.
ordering tips –
- Remember to allow 10 days to two weeks for orders placed by mail. These orders must be accompanied by a valid MasterCard, Visa or Discover Card number, cashier’s check or money order (no personal checks) for the exact amount of purchase. Never mail cash.
- To place your order in person at your local branch, please submit a completed Consultant order form and full payment at least 48 hours in advance of when you wish to pick up the merchandise. During the heavier volume periods at the end of the month, fulfillment of pickup merchandise will require 72 hours.
- For customer service regarding your order, call 1-800-272-9333 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday. Automated information on the status of your order is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from a touch-tone phone by calling 1-800-440-5370.
- Using the automated information line, you can check your:
- order description
- process date
- postmark date
- ship date or projected ship date
- wholesale Section 1 total
- total order amount
- annual subscription fee for your Mary Kay® Personal Web Site
- Information is accessible for your five most recent orders within the last six months.
- To access the automated information line, you’ll need to enter your nine-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN). For easy reference, this number is your Social Security Number. If you do not know your Social Security Number or wish to have your PIN changed, call a branch customer service representative.
- Self-Service Order Resolution for problem orders is available via the “Order Status” page on Mary Kay InTouch®.
To resolve issues with your order, go to the Mary Kay InTouch® Web site, access the “Order Status” page and click on the link next to the order in question. You can then follow the instructions to correct the problem and submit the order back to the Company. It’s that simple. Just be sure to note that the problem must be resolved by the deadline indicated on the “Order Status” page and in the e-mail. After the deadline, the order will no longer be available for you to resolve yourself and you will need to contact Customer Service if resolution is still needed.
Once the order has been submitted back to the Company, you will receive a follow-up e-mail confirming that the problem has been resolved. Customer Service will contact Consultants who do not have an e-mail address on file with the Company.
This service will be available for the majority of mail orders received on the last day of the month. However, you will have less time to resolve any problems with these orders than orders received earlier in the month. Self-Service Order Resolution will not be available for any mail orders keyed on the final day of month-end processing.
Packing slip/Invoice
The computer printout which is shipped with the orders is provided to all Consultants and Directors to furnish a detailed description of the items shipped, items back ordered and the cost of the order.
part number, item number
Six-digit identifying number printed on product, carton and on the Consultant order form. Also used to order by part number when ordering online.
personal team commission – Percentage paid to all active Senior Consultants and above on the wholesale orders placed by their active personal team members. See “career path program” for details.
Perfect Start
The Perfect Start is one of two suggested goals for a new Consultant to help get her business off to a good start. To achieve a Perfect Start, a Consultant must facial 15 customers within a two-week period.
performance account
The account helps Grand Achiever participants make up any personal/team shortage during their participation in the Grand Achiever program. The account is established with a $4,500 balance in the month following qualification, which is the momentum month (see Momentum Month). Each month while participating in the program, excess production over the maintenance requirements will add to the account balance while production shortfalls will reduce the account balance by the production shortfall amount. The maximum balance carried forward each month is $13,500.
personal accounts
No Consultant or Director may use the trademarks or trade name Mary Kay or Mary Kay, Inc. on personal checks (with the exception of MKChecks offered through MKConnections) or credit card accounts. These accounts may easily be kept separate for business purposes by the designation cosmetics account, business account or similar words.
personal team commission
Percentage paid to all active Senior Consultants and above on the wholesale orders placed by their active person team members.
Personal Web Site program
See “Internet programs”.
placing product orders
See “ordering Mary Kay products”.
Pontiac Vibe
A career car that a Consultant can earn the use of by meeting the Grand Achiever program guidelines. Refer to the Advance brochure for guidelines.
Power Start
The Power Start is one of two suggested goals for a new Consultant to help get her business off to a good start. To achieve a Power Start, a Consultant must facial 30 customers in a month.
Preferred Customer Program
Also known as the PCP. A program for consultants to create a database of customers, potential customers, and potential recruits. Each quarter consultants are encouraged to enroll their “Preferred Customers” in the program for three mailings and/or emails. This is presented as a service to the consultant. Consultants pay a certain price per customer to participate. On behalf of the consultant, the company mails each customer enrolled a copy of the current edition “The Look” at a reduced rate, in addition to other mailers and emails not otherwise available through the Section 2 catalog. The Preferred Customer Program also offers customers a “Free Gift with Purchase” program, which the consultant may or may not participate in. This depends on if the consultant chooses to purchase the gifts from the Section 2 catalog to then give for free to customers who make qualified purchases. When a consultant terminates from the company, either by not ordering in 12 months or by returning inventory for buyback, the consultant’s Preferred Customer list is forwarded to her director.
Premier Club
Career car program that awards Independent Sales Directors the use of a Grand Prix or cash compensation by meeting the career car program guidelines for Premier Club. See “career car program.” For more information, log on to the Mary Kay InTouch® Web site.
pre-profiling
Contacting a skin care class guest, usually by telephone, to get her skin care information by asking her the questions on the skin care profile. When pre-profiling, a Consultant will want to ask guests questions 4 and 5 on the profile to help you know which products to use as well as the foundation shade range to select. The guests can fill in the rest of the profile information during the class or show. After they have completed the questions, the recommended products will be indicated on the hard copy of the profile.
private makeover session
An optional incentive to book the hostess for another class. The focus of this appointment is on a customized color cosmetic look for the customer or hostess.
Product Protection Insurance
Created exclusively for Consultants. Product Protection Insurance covers Mary Kay product inventory and is available to active Consultants.
ProPay
Automated customer credit card sales system, accessible through the Mary Kay InTouch Web site.
product reorder labels
Small labels with a Consultant’s name and contact information to be placed on each product sold to make it easier for customers to reorder.
Product Replacement Program
See “customer refunds and exchanges: The Mary Kay Product Replacement Program”.
product replacement request form
Form for Consultants to use to receive replacement products for customer refunds and exchanges.
Product Returns
For returns made by the Consultant, see “Consultant product return policy”. For product returns for customers, see “customer refunds and exchanges: The Mary Kay Product Replacement Program”.
production: personal, team or unit – The term used for the total wholesale or estimated retail amounts purchased from the Company by an Independent Beauty Consultant, team or unit.
qualification
The process of meeting the requirements of a particular level of achievement.
qualified team member
A person is qualified once they sign a Consultant Agreement and place a Section 1 order of $600 or more during a specific time period, usually within the month they sign the Agreement and the next month.
quarterly contests
Company-sponsored contests to help motivate a Consultant to earn a specific prize and encourage goal-setting.
quarters: contest, calendar
Contest quarters are the division of Mary Kay year into four segments, called “quarters”, with each lasting approximately 13 weeks. Contest quarters normally run mid-month to mid-month (e.g., Sept. 16 – Dec. 15).Calendar quarters (e.g. Oct. 1 – Dec. 31) are used for career car program production purposes. The Mary Kay Seminar contest year is July 1 of one year through June 30 of the following year.
queen’s court
An elite group of Consultants or Sales Directors who have qualified for special recognition at Seminar for sales or team-building achievements.
recording mileage
See “tax information” for details.
Recruit
The person that a Consultant or Director has personally brought into Mary Kay by convincing them to join and sign a Consultant’s Agreement.
recruiter
Person who recruits another person to start her own Mary Kay business.
red jacket
Red blazer signifying an Independent Beauty Consultant who has built her team with three or more active team members. As soon as a Beauty Consultant has two active team members, she can purchase a red jacket using the Company red jacket order form. She is eligible to wear the jacket when she becomes a Star Recruiter with three active team members.
regular line
The ongoing collection of Mary Kay products.
reinstatement
A former consultant may be reinstated and regain her active status simply by placing a minimum $200 wholesale Section 1 order with the company within one year of her last order month (or anniversary month if no order was ever placed). She will be reinstated to the unit and the recruiter indicated on record at the time removed, but she will not regain any personal team members.
reprogramming
Occasionally changing some of the customer’s product formulations according to her skin’s needs, often due to changes in climate conditions.
re-recruitment of former Consultants
See “Consultant activity” for details.
retail production
The total amount of sales based on suggested retail prices by a Consultant, Sales Director, team or unit during any given period.