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One of the ways that Mary Kay Consultants are encouraged to find new customers is by “warm chattering.”

The consultant spies a woman in the cosmetic department of the local Wal-Mart, for instance, and casually comments on her lovely skin. The consultant then tries to get the woman’s name and phone number so that she can set up an appointment with her to “try Mary Kay products” or be a “face model” at a girls’ night out, which is really a Mary Kay sales meeting.

I don’t know many consultants who were ever really good at this. Most tried it a few times and gave up because of the negative responses they received. Many people couldn’t stand approaching people in a way that they, themselves, would find irritating and offensive. (Hmmm…sounds like the Golden Rule to me!)

I know of several consultants who got thrown out of the mall or the drug store for “warm chattering.” Some of them were actually surprised that the businesses would do that. They didn’t think they were doing anything wrong.

Why would they? Mary Kay Inc. produced at least one video that I saw showing consultants how to properly warm chatter.  The one I remember featured two women in the greeting card isle of a grocery store. Woman A is picking out a card. MK Consultant Woman appears, wheeling her cart down the isle and stops to look at the cards. Consultant Woman glances over at Woman A and makes some conversation starter regarding the cards, then offers her helpful card suggestion. Somehow this syrupy, unbelievable nonsense leads to Consultant Woman talking about Mary Kay and getting Woman A’s phone number. The video continued, showing how to book Woman A for a facial, then turn it into a class, etc.

Here’s the problem: Warm Chattering is Soliciting.

That “No Soliciting” sign in the window of the store means no warm chatter. No trying to solicit business for yourself on the premises of another business.

That’s all there is to it.

If you’re a consultant, be advised that you can be asked to leave a store for this.

If you’re an unsuspecting shopper and you get caught in one of these “warm chattering” incidents, politely tell that Mary Kay consultant that she is soliciting, then find a manager and report her.

Here’s a plan to help you get better at “warm chatter.”

Three Weeks to Warm Chatter Success

Warm Chatter Ideas

A whole bunch of ideas on how to get customers. (Hint: Everywhere!)

87 Booking Ideas

“Let’s just call it “Model Searching” instead!”

Booking is an Attitude

This document could also be entitled “How to Turn Every Interaction with Every Person into an Opportunity to Sell Mary Kay”

Warm Chatter Training

Below is a list of words and phrases that you’ll hear used often by those in Mary Kay, followed by our definition and interpretation.

Awesome!
Used to describe everything MK-related.

Be a woman of your word
Phrase used to guilt you into something you never promised you would do.

Bee-lieve
Mutation of the word “believe.” The bumble bee is a symbol of the Company and often used as a motivational tool. Supposedly, the bumble bee is too heavy and aerodynamically-challenged to be able to fly, but is still able to. Therefore, don’t accept obstacles just because of your lack of belief (or bee-lief!)

Big Girl Panties
Used frequently by Directors to encourage Consultants to not be afraid of “working their business.”

“Put on your big girl panties and go to work!”

“Put your big girl panties on and handle it!”

“Fake it ’til you make it”
Pretending you are at a level of success you want to be before you actually are.

Great!
The often-uttered “positive” response to nearly every statement made by a Consultant.

“Hear my heart”
This phrase is used when your upline is trying to convince you that they are being sincere in what they are saying (gag).

“I’m SO excited!!”
Exclamation used by Consultants, usually in phone scripts to customers to entice them to book a class.

New Level, New Devil

A phrase favored by Directors when you’ve finally achieved a goal (by working MK to the exclusion of all else) and they’ve convinced you to immediately work toward the next step. What happens is, suddenly awful things begin to plague you. Your car breaks down, the babysitter quits, your husband draws a line in the sand about all the time you’re spending on this “simple” opportunity, someone in your family suffers a serious illness. You want to step back and focus on what is important, but the Director’s response is: “Now, now you defeated that first devil and now you have to face a new one. Satan doesn’t want you to succeed.

The reality is that a much larger force is trying to tell you that you’re taking the wrong road. These obstacles are thrown in your path to make you stop and reflect on what is truly important in life and to help you make the right choice. In the real world, it’s called Divine Intervention.

On Trend

An overused term in MK to describe Mary Kay products as being “current” with what women want to buy. Unfortunately, the products that are “on trend” are usually 5 years behind the real trend.

Pink Bubble

Term used to describe the Mary Kay environment. Those who are in Mary Kay are said to be in a pink bubble, separate from the “real world” due to the optimism and enthusiasm of the whole Mary Kay culture.

Sharp
Adjective used to describe a nicely-dressed professional-looking woman. Consultants are advised to use this when warm chattering women.

“You are so sharp! Has anyone ever offered you a Mary Kay facial?”

“I’m looking for five sharp women to give me their opinions of our products.”

“You’re a find-a-way, make-a-way kind of person”
This means you don’t let obstacles get in your way… or, you will charge Seminar on your credit card, even if you don’t have the money to cover it.

Short Term Sacrifice for Long Term Gains

A term used to imply that if you will just work really hard for a little while, making your MK business the top priority in your life, you will be financially rewarded in the near future.

Time and sacrifice, however, are relative. A person with no children or other family that requires her presence probably won’t mind spending every spare moment for the next 8 to 10 years building her business. Ah, but the mother of a 3 year old will have missed most of the best years of her child’s life.

Missed the school play? ‘Sorry honey…facials, facials, facials.’

Unable to attend the soccer play offs? ‘Sweetie, you know mommy has to go to Seminar.’

Hubby tells you that sonny rode his bike all by himself yesterday evening. ‘Don’t start on me, Success Meetings are incredibly important to our future.’

Seemingly, all of a sudden, it’s 10 years later. You’re an EESD or NSD, but your child doesn’t know you, you husband doesn’t care, you’ve lost 10 years of joy that you will never get back…..and oops, you discover that the hard work never actually ends.

Show Up to Go Up
If you want to be successful, come to every event and meeting even though you are really taking time away from what’s important…like your faith and you family!

“We’re on fire! “
Your unit is really doing great things.

We truly look at the world through rose colored glasses.
We are all insane and to keep from feeling like outsiders, from the rest of the world, we just like to say that we have a different view on things.

You can’t sell from an empty wagon.
Used to convince new consultants that they need to have inventory on their shelves to be successful.