First things first. I happen to really love some of these products. Take this, my starter kit from Young Living Essential Oils.
I freaking LOVE IT. It has all these oils. And it comes with a nifty little diffuser.
Here it is, chugging away in my living room, spewing a lovely aroma of Purification into my home. I use the oils daily now. Lavender behind the ears and Thieves on the soles of the feet at bedtime, Peppermint for headaches and nausea, and lemon for focus. The oils are now part of the natural rhythm of my life. My husband and kids like them too.
(Just don't do what I did, and open your kit after drinking all day at a Christmas party, and apply all the oils at once, whilly-nilly. That shit will make you sick, YOU COULD EVEN PUKE. Oils are not to be trifled with!)
I regress.
I really like the oils. I ordered them from a friend who mentioned on Facebook that she was becoming a rep. I ordered the oils, and they came. It was a drama-free experience.
I also have some Doterra oils too. See? I'm not a brand loyalist, I'm more like an oil slut. I have these great blends from Boneys, and I also (gasp) ordered some oil from Amazon, to the dismay of oil reps everywhere, because the discounted oil on Amazon could be ALTERED.
I really love some Arbonne products too, like this body scrub.
It smells like heaven, and it makes your skin so smooth and soft its crazy. My friend swears by the Sleep Well Spray, and sprays her kids with it when they wake up too early, but it doesn't seem to work on my kids. (So sad.)
I've never tried Nerium or Rodan + Fields, although I'm sure they have some great products too. Thousands of women can't be wrong, can they?
Here is my beef. My friend who sold me the Young Living Oils was super cool, classy, and not weird or creepy. She never called me, pressured me to buy, or sent me annoying messages on Facebook. Her Facebook feed isn't full of a bunch of oil shit, and she doesn't bug me to host an oil party. (Although at some point I might.)
Then, there are others. People who I haven't talked to in YEARS who send me weird Facebook messages like, "Christine! I love the latest pictures of your girls, they are getting so big! (Insert another few sentences of assorted bullshit.) So I wanted to share some exciting news with you and let you know about an amazing business opportunity. Are you interested in making some extra cash from home? How can we connect to discuss?" ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME??? You are supposed to me my FRIEND, why are you trying to sell me on your Mid-Level Marketing scheme? (I'm not sure what the messages were for, but I suspect Nerium or Rodan + Fields.)
No, I don't want to connect with you and your bullshit. I'd rather get a bikini wax.
Then there are people who send me random group emails on their amazing products or company retreats. I don't open them. Sorry, I don't have time for that.
Then there are people who use Facebook ONLY to post sales pitches or product info.
And then, there are people like a girl I encountered last night. She mentioned in a Facebook group that I'm a part of that she uses some essential oils for her kid who has ADHD. I commented, "Wow, that's cool! I have an ADHD kiddo too, what oils do you use?" In less than five minutes, I had a friend request from the girl, and also a PM on Facebook, asking me if I'd used oils before, which brand, did I have a rep, and we could host a class together, and if I joined Doterra I'd get 25% off. Good grief. I'm sure she's a nice, well-meaning person, but...really?
Now, I'm not against all these companies, or completely against this way of selling. I think it's great these businesses are enabling stay-at-home moms to do something cool and earn some extra cash. I'm a child of the 80s, after all, and saw more than a few neighborhood moms proudly driving the pink Mary Kay Cadillac.
But ladies, please: Keep it Classy. Be authentic. Don't send canned Facebook messages (we see right through them) or invite us to an evening of "Wine and Fun!" when you really want to push product on us (we see through this too.) We are your friends, and we shouldn't be your business conquests. Don't "friend" me on Facebook because you want to broaden your social media reach. And definitely don't call me or PM me with your sales pitch!
Be informative. Be resourceful. Be transparent. Be respectful. Be cool. Don't be an asshole about it.
And then...well, who knows. I might even buy some of your shit.
