Dealing with Unfair Competition in the Direct Sales Industry

[Mommy2amo]

I am still relatively new to PC - will be in for one year in the spring. Anyway, I have one recruit and was really excited about another potential. I had met her at a show in the fall... she did tell me then she had had a PC consultant, someone who is pretty big in my area.... I never am pushy or try to steal customers, I just said - that's great, I'm sure she takes great care of you.

Then over the next few months, she emailed me a few times about returns.... wanted some recipes.... really used me as as her consultant. We had been talking about her selling... she mentioned that the other consultant had said the same thing... but she had all kinds of questions for me and I spent a lot of time asnwering them. I called her on my way home from the B2B meeting to tell her about the great promo and how it was the best promo I've ever seen.... she seemed really excited and said she was going to think about it.

The next day, I get a FB message from her.... telling me that she was so thankful that I told her about the promo.... and she tells me that she decided to sign... with the OTHER consultant.

So yeah, that made me mad.... but then TODAY... it was the kicker. This other girl I had a show scheduled for next week - I had already made up invites and mailed them. She emails me and says that she knows this other girl (which now that I think about it, they were from the same party).... and she knows she's getting started in her biz and she wants her to do the show. So basically, I did all the work, and she's going to swoop in and steal my show!

I feel so burned.... seriously. I have no idea how to handle this. My instinct is to do something I'm sure is less than professional... lol. Advice? So far I have no responded at all.... so I guess I'm thankful they sent me emails so I have time to digest it before responding!

 

[Sheila]

Bless & release. That's really all you can do at this point.

BIG (((hugs)))!

 

[ShelbyMichalek]

Feeling burned is a totally natural feeling. But like Sheila said, Bless & Release.
Try to find a "bright side"

 

[pamperedlinda]

Wow! You have every right to be upset. Talk about being inconsiderate! Wow, just wow! Stew over it for a little while then let it go. It doesn't really matter what you do about it, these people don't seem to have the mauturity level to understand what they did to you was wrong, inconsiderate and selfish. I'd wash my hands of them and move on. Be the bigger person.

 

[Mommy2amo]

I guess what burns me the most is that not only am I not making money, but I'm actually out money for the invites and postage. My husband thinks I should ask for reimbursement for that, at least. I'm not even sure if I want to get into it.

 

[ShellBeach]

You have my sympathies. Sounds like you did directly ask her to sign under you on that phone call, right? I would give her the benefit of the doubt at this point, of not understanding how direct sales work with recruits. I know I sure didn't, when I signed.


Perhaps some more tactful people have better ideas, but I would probably write back something like
"Congratulations on joining PC! Just curious, why did you decide to sign with X instead of me? You are off to a great start with friend's party. Let me know how it goes!"


For all we know the other consultant lives down the block, is related to her, or something. It might be that there was nothing you could have done differently, or it might be something to learn for future recruiting.

 

[pampchefrhondab]

Geesh, that is unbelievable. You actually sound like you're taking it better then I would.

I had a friend of my daughter's who wanted to have a show last fall. I gave her a packet, but she kept putting off her show. The other day my daughter gets an invite from her for a PC show - with another consultant! I wonder if she's using some of my catalogs to get orders!

Some people!

 

[ShellBeach]

I guess what burns me the most is that not only am I not making money, but I'm actually out money for the invites and postage. My husband thinks I should ask for reimbursement for that, at least. I'm not even sure if I want to get into it.

We cross-posted. Yeah, I would not want to get into that. It is what it is. I would rationalize that one away by thinking it could have been cancelled last-minute, anyway.

Well, I hope your next show is one of those great $1000 shows!

 

[Teresa Lynn]

KARMA she will get hers in the end, dont ask for the $$ write it off and find out who is next

 

[Mommy2amo]

I think I was pretty clear but you're right.... I should use this as an opportunity to learn. When I talked to her on the phone, it was specific.... we could get you signed and schedule a kick off show... I told her I would be there to help her through it and use it as a training show.... I used "we" and "us" quite often in the conversation so I could kind of doubt that she misunderstood what I meant.

The other consultant is very well established and she said she's been her consultant for years. That part does not bother me as much - because I appreciate that and I would appreciate the same kind of loyalty. But the girl having her show with me next week specifically mentioned that this new consultant called her and asked to do her show - and she KNEW I was doing it b/c she was on the invite list, both on paper and the Facebook invite she sent out. So I keep trying to find teh way this could be a misunderstanding, but I just don't see it.

Oh well.... what goes around comes around. It just makes me mad that some people act like this - this is what gives direct sales a bad name.

 

[ShellBeach]

But the girl having her show with me next week specifically mentioned that this new consultant called her and asked to do her show - and she KNEW I was doing it b/c she was on the invite list

Oh my word. I'd be livid. I didn't get that from your first post.
If she ever contacted me for help on returns or recipes in the future, I am sad to say I would probably resort to pettiness.

edit - Sheila's right - need to bless & release on this one.

 

[Mommy2amo]

Sorry, forgot to mention that part. I was just in complete shock reading the email. I did just respond to them both and wished them luck. Is it bad I'm praying for a horrible snow storm that day? LOL

At least now I can take my son to his first day of swim practice.... silver lining, right?

 

[ShellBeach]

Oh, it will be so fun seeing him get in the pool! You bet, that is a silver lining!

 

[Sheila]

I agree that she was TOTALLY out of line to call & ask her friends to switch consultants. She basically put her friend on the spot.

If she had signed with you & then ASKED you if she could have the show to help get her new business up & off the ground, it would have been good, but to basically steal the show out from under you is totally unethical. There's your silver lining right there. You don't have to deal with her on your team! She's probably not going to last long in the business anyway.

 

[mommyhugz1978]

((((HUGS)))) WOW that's just WOW...... But like other's have said just bless and release at this point!!!

 

[BethCooks4U]

Wow! You have every right to be upset. Talk about being inconsiderate! Wow, just wow! Stew over it for a little while then let it go. It doesn't really matter what you do about it, these people don't seem to have the mauturity level to understand what they did to you was wrong, inconsiderate and selfish. I'd wash my hands of them and move on. Be the bigger person.

I agree! WOW.

I had a very similar thing happen to me - someone worked with me for quite some time and then signed with someone else. There is a lot about how she runs her PC business that is against the guidelines. She has lost me business because of her practices (I have a lot of customers who work at the same company with her).

...but I have had people come back to me that have bought from her with comments like "I never got a receipt" "I couldn't figure out how she got my total"... I know she combines orders and sells her samples AT her parties (hurting the host IMHO).

For a while it hurt a lot no matter how I tried to put it behind but now I just shake my head. I have better things to worry about and my business is growing because my customers KNOW that I am doing good by them. I have no fears that if they call HO they will get the same answer I gave them (or will be told I went over and above.)

You just have to let it go and keep doing what you know is right.

 

[colegrovet]

I've had the same thing happen.. All you can do is what Sheila said, Bless and release.
I have not talked to the woman that did that to me since she signed with the other person. She signed back in Apr. I don't know if she's still doing the business or not.

 

[pamperedlinda]

Ever heard this song before? Your situation reminded me of it! YouTube - Pray for You - Jaron and The Long Road to Love :: Official Video

If she were to call you again, I'm afraid I'd have to let her know she let me down and hurt me and that I felt used. And I'd end with "I hope nobody ever does to you, what you did to me" That should make her think.

 

[chefheidi2003]

Linda..great song choice for this..I love that song.

If she calls with any other questions tell her that her recruiter is the one to ask about business questions.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Ever heard this song before? Your situation reminded me of it! YouTube - Pray for You - Jaron and The Long Road to Love :: Official Video

If she were to call you again, I'm afraid I'd have to let her know she let me down and hurt me and that I felt used. And I'd end with "I hope nobody ever does to you, what you did to me" That should make her think.

Oh my word....that made me laugh out loud with tears in my eyes from laughing so hard! PERFECT!

 

[BethCooks4U]

Linda..great song choice for this..I love that song.

If she calls with any other questions tell her that her recruiter is the one to ask about business questions.

Absolutely do that. The person who did that to me actually told me that she wanted to attend my meetings (in the same conversation that she said she signed with someone else) and was taken aback when I said she needed to get her training from her upline.

While I didn't feel it fair that she wanted to come to my meetings after signing with someone else I do want to say that I have had many hospitality consultants join in my meetings since I started holding them and that they are always welcome and treated like my own but in this case, she CHOSE to sign with someone ELSE after I had done all the recruiting work, etc. It would have been wierd. PLUS she sent a notice of her new PC business to my email list and team (I had done a party for another DS company she represents) and they all thought she was on my team and started congratulating me... Ohhh.... sorry, I guess I still am not QUITE over it.

 

[CRuff]

So sorry to hear of your bad experience. I have had the same thing happen to me. Bless and release is my advice. Take the high road. The person that signed did not succeed because of the lack of training. Guess What?! The person has been in contact with me again and is thinking about the business. She knows the training and personal attention she will get from me. She is thinking about signing again under me. What goes around, comes around. Keep your head high and that little silver lining with your son will be well worth it!

 

[raebates]

I'm so sorry. That stinks.

 

[NooraK]

Absolutely do that. The person who did that to me actually told me that she wanted to attend my meetings (in the same conversation that she said she signed with someone else) and was taken aback when I said she needed to get her training from her upline.

While I didn't feel it fair that she wanted to come to my meetings after signing with someone else I do want to say that I have had many hospitality consultants join in my meetings since I started holding them and that they are always welcome and treated like my own but in this case, she CHOSE to sign with someone ELSE after I had done all the recruiting work, etc. It would have been wierd. PLUS she sent a notice of her new PC business to my email list and team (I had done a party for another DS company she represents) and they all thought she was on my team and started congratulating me... Ohhh.... sorry, I guess I still am not QUITE over it.

Wow. Either she has some guts, or she's REALLY clueless.

 

[ShellBeach]

I was trying to give Ms. Turncoat the benefit of the doubt with signing under the other consultant. There could be any number of reasons for that, and while it stings, it the way of the business. After all, when new folks sign up here at Chef Success and ask about joining, we always give them advice to talk to a few consultants and choose the one they click with.


It's the show stealing that blows my mind. Originally I thought the host had seen on facebook that her friend just joined PC and host ASKED Turncoat to do her party. There really isn't any way to tell a host no to that, I mean you can't just show up and do the show anyway. Didn't realize Turncoat put her friend on the spot and suggested it to host after NOT signing under Mommy2amo. There is no way to give the benefit of the doubt on THAT.


I have a feeling Ms. Turncoat is going to come back to Mommy2amo for support. There has to be SOME reason she was using her as a consultant when she already HAD a consultant.

Agree with others, I'd tell her my feelings were hurt & I felt betrayed, and she should go to the person she signed with for answers & support from now on.