Deceptive Direct Sales Tactics or Just a Misunderstanding?

[chefsteph07]

I don't do this...ever.

Usually though, if you are doing a fair, your sign clearly states...register for a free cooking show...if they were not interested, they would not enter..and also if you called them, explained, etc, and they didn't want to do a party at that time, they'd just say no, but thanks anyway...etc...I don't feel it's really deceptive...Carolyn, YOU didn't sign up for a fake photo shoot to try to be recruited, I think that's different! LOL To which you could have said ummm....NO! :yuck:

 

[jbachen]

I posted on this subject in another thread, and I think that it may be a good tool to help entice the person to book a show. As long as you aren't mis-representing yourself or your business I think its ok to offer these, even though I've never done it before.

I have to share though, I went to another "direct sales" show not too long ago, and at the end of the show, the consultant passed around the dice and there was a "key" to explain what you won if you rolled a certain number... but she didn't show us the "key" until after we rolled! Well two of the spots said "prize", two more said "prize and free show" and the other two said "free show." I roll the dice and of course I have won a PRIZE and a FREE SHOW! Well I thought ok... so maybe the "prize" would be worth it, like an actual gift of some kind... especially since my roll had gotten the consultant a booking also... Well the prize was one of the 4/$1 candles you see at dollar tree and then I was suckered into booking a show that I didn't really want! She didn't give us an option "NOT" to roll the dice and almost everyone was pushed into booking a show. I ended up cx mine a week and a half before the show date, and did not reschedule it, and I told the consultant she could have her candle back. If you have to TRICK people into doing shows, then something is wrong! Ya know?

*Sorry for the major hi-jack, just venting here!*:blushing:

I have heard of the rolling the dice game in other threads on here.... I think Scott does a version of it. (Although he does give people the option to NOT roll the dice if they don't want to.) But still, it sounds just wrong to me. I guess maybe it takes an attitude I don't have (and, in my opinion, the person you witnessed doing the game didn't have it either) to make it work.

 

[Kitchen2u]

Ginny,

Whenever that happens, call HO IMMEDIATELY and talk with a supervisor in Career Solutions. They should put you back at the top of the list.

Funny you should mention that Kate ~ I have! The answer I got was "there's no such policy to putting you back on the top" ~ even checked with our Regioinal Sales Rep...

 

[BethCooks4U]

Funny you should mention that Kate ~ I have! The answer I got was "there's no such policy to putting you back on the top" ~ even checked with our Regioinal Sales Rep...

That's what I have been told too.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I understand wanting to be put back on the top of the lead list but personally I don't think it's fair that some bad leads are recognized as bad and the director gets put back in the system ahead of someone else and other bad leads get the too bad for you response. I would bet that's why we are now hearing they won't do it.

They are right. There is no guarantee that a lead will be good. Some people delight in playing games with people (those no response people or those like the one I had with the email of [email protected] and a name of a b - and PC said "well, that could be a real email and name" - hello!?!) and there are some who are mad at PC and take it out on us by messing with our system or...

I am happy they are requiring more information of the leads again so we at least have a better chance for good leads. For quite a while all the leads I got were bad - all of them. Now it seems to be back to just over half being at least an order.

 

[Kitchen2u]

I am happy they are requiring more information of the leads again so we at least have a better chance for good leads. For quite a while all the leads I got were bad - all of them. Now it seems to be back to just over half being at least an order.

I'm just happy for getting leads! :love: I WISH they would REQUIRE a phone # though...hard to follow-up if they don't answer emails.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I'm just happy for getting leads! :love: I WISH they would REQUIRE a phone # though...hard to follow-up if they don't answer emails.

I submitted that request recently and have noticed that lately I have been getting the numbers but perhaps it's just that those leads really did want me to call!

Email web support and tell them how you feel. They do listen to us. In my email I pointed out that we are taught that an email or mailing is useless if we don't follow up with a CALL so how can they expect us to be effective if they don't require a number for us to be able to do our job.

 

[finley1991]

It doesn't always work though... I got a phone number for the local pancake house and no, she didn't work there. So if it's "required" there is still a way around that.I remember back in college my friends and I would give bogus phone numbers to guys that asked us for our numbers. It's not a new trick.

 

[erinyourpclady]

It doesn't always work though... I got a phone number for the local pancake house and no, she didn't work there. So if it's "required" there is still a way around that.

I remember back in college my friends and I would give bogus phone numbers to guys that asked us for our numbers. It's not a new trick.

Back in the day for me...no fake numbers. When a guy would ask we would say No thanks I am driving or No thnaks I already ate. It seemed to throw them off enough!! LOL!!

 

[pamperedlinda]

Those of you older than 40 - remember when you could call a phone number for the current local time and date? That's the number I used to give out!

 

[jbachen]

Those of you older than 40 - remember when you could call a phone number for the current local time and date? That's the number I used to give out!

Hey Linda, I remember that! (But I am not older than 40.) That is a great idea! I wish I had known it in college! :blushing:

And did any of you ever only have to dial 5 numbers to get to someone else in your own town??

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Hey Linda, I remember that! (But I am not older than 40.) That is a great idea! I wish I had known it in college! :blushing:

And did any of you ever only have to dial 5 numbers to get to someone else in your own town??

Yep! I grew up in a rural area, and I remember always just dialing 5 numbers...and being upset when it changed to 7. And for a time, our phone was on a party line! We actually had to share our phone line with several other households!

 

[pamperedlinda]

I grew up in Miami so I always had to dial 7 numbers. But, my grandparents live in a tiny town and we only had to dial 4 numbers. Now I live in Altanta and we have to dial 10 numbers.....times they are a changin!

 

[chefmeg]

I still remember my phone # from when I was a kid AND my BFF's # from then,too....I think it is because we only had to really remember the last 4 #'s!
I grew up in podunk Alabama and we didn't get a 2nd exchange in our town until about 10 years ago!

 

[Sheila]

Those of you older than 40 - remember when you could call a phone number for the current local time and date? That's the number I used to give out!

Luckily, I had just swallowed my drink of water or it would have been spewed all over the keyboard and monitor. That is FUNNY!

 

[finley1991]

We have to dial 10 numbers in MI too. My BFF was visiting me last fall and went to make a call to one of our friends and she couldn't get through. She looked at me funny and asked me if I had paid my bill because the call wouldn't go through. I told her she needed to dial the area code first and then she said, "But it's a local number..." She couldn't believe that and ironically she lives in CA!!!!!My grandma had a party line when we were kids. I remember the different # of rings for her phone to know if the call was for her... she was 3 quick rings. And in that town it was only 5 numbers to call locally.

 

[krzymomof4]

I used to give out 867-5309

 

[janetupnorth]

I used to give out 867-5309

Yeah, but every once in awhile an intelligent guy would ask and that wouldn't work.

Trying going to an engineering school with practically all men with high IQs (but lacking in social skills). They wouldn't fall for that... :cry:

 

[baychef]

Is this company a DSA member? Is this allowed?

Recently (since Jo Price left for the other company, the name escapes me) I have been getting e-mails from this company...it Bath & Body something.

I keep hitting block and bounce this e-mail, but it makes me wonder. Yes, I know there are tons of ways of companies getting your e-mail address, but this one made it just a bit further through my spam, junk and all other kinds of filters.

 

[chefmeg]

I used to give out 867-5309

:sing: :sing: Jenny, Jenny, who can I turn to???:sing: :sing:

 

[Evelynt]

I do love that we work for the best home based business. We have such great products and the best host benefits that we never have to deceive anyone to have a show. Often times people ask me to do a show for them.
Read the Pampered Chef story by Doris and you will understand that desire for her company was to be different (in a good way) than all other home based businesses including the one we know you are talking about.

 

[raebates]

Doing your best to help someone else out isn't naive. It's being kind and courteous. There are, of course, those people who take advantage of people who are kind and courteous. We have names for them, but I don't use language like that.Chin up, Carolyn. Don't give that, well, twiddlehead (as The Furry Guy refers to them) another thought. She doesn't deserve time in your head.

 

[cathyskitchen]

Those of you older than 40 - remember when you could call a phone number for the current local time and date? That's the number I used to give out!

LOL - this brought back memories! It still works, too (just tried it) - and I only remember it as TI6-1212 with the letters first. DH and I have documents from when we were kids with our phone numbers written with the first 2 numbers as letters, too! I believe that started when they went from 5 numbers in a phone number to 7, to make it easier ("KIngswood 4" would be "KI4"). Thanks for digging up that fond memory. Now, off to find out of the weather number still works...

 

[DebbieJ]

I still remember my phone # from when I was a kid

My mom still has my phone # from when I was a kid, although with a different area code now.

 

[ThePamperedMommy]

I was with M company and when my now director suggested that I do PC (we had lots of time to talk my guest were 1hr late!) I said ooh no I got burned with M company and i would NEVER get myself in to anything like that again. BUT... i was looking for $$ to pay off the insane debt that i occured while with M company while still staying at home with my little one. It was my husband who told me to go for it.. (only cause most of what i wanted was in the new consutant kit) I was like are you serious...i'm we're drowding in M debt!!! anyways i'm here!! and i have to say so far GREAT!! no one has tried to run the other way when i show them a book. and the Online Training is awsome!!!

as for "thier" training.. there is non, it's whatever your director tells you and that portfoilo thing is a HUGE thing that is told to consultants.. they basically tell you tell them anything you can to get them to sit with you!!! Something that I never liked but now need to distance myself from. Like that ooh i'll just pencil you in thing... why bother.. if they don't want to book why waste my time/or money!!!

so please any feel free to send my the RIGHT way to do D.sales!!!!!

 

[smspamperedchef]

What was really bad was we had our January Kickoff and went to a restaurant afterwards. Well, a lot of different people had placed a business card on this one table near the front of the restaurant. About a week later I get this call and at first I thought it was someone wanting biz info. It was someone from another DS biz (don't recall from where) asking me to meet them somewhere for an informational meeting and they wouldn't take very much of my time. I wasn't happy! She wasted my card on trying to benefit herself!!! The nerve!