Alright, so the whole purpose of this post is to give you a REAL and honest review on what it’s like to be a Rodan & Fields consultant, based on my first 60 days. Friends have been curious, and want to know more, but obviously don’t want a fake sales pitch. So here’s the truth.
I’ll start out by divulging why I became a consultant to begin with. It is really simple. I loved the products, my mom loved the products…so I wanted to know what it would take for us both to benefit from a consultant’s discount. That’s it. Dream big, right? Ha!
These were my concerns:
- I didn’t want to do “parties.” I HATE speaking in front of a group, even if it is just in front of my friends/family. That was one of the highlights of graduating college – never having to do a presentation again. So if skincare parties were required, forget it…I’ll just keep being a customer.
- Thankfully, you never have to carry inventory and you never have to throw a party. If that’s your thing – do it! I’m sure it is an awesome way to recruit customers and new consultants. You could host a “makeovers and mimosas” brunch, or a wine/cheese party. There are a ton of ideas out there. Just don’t ever expect me to invite you to one.
- I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t be losing money (duh)!
- I did the math, and if I figured that if I have at least 4 regular customers (2 ordering every other month), I would “break even” every month, and get my skincare for free. Mom of course would still benefit from the consultant discount, and if I was successful enough, maybe she’d get some free stuff too.
I made a deal with my husband. He would let me invest a little in starting up this new venture, and if in 60 days I regretted the decision, I would throw in the towel. The company even gives you a YEAR to sell back the products to them, if you find yourself buying a big inventory kit and you can’t sell/use the products (they refund you at 90%). Seemed like I had very little to lose in taking this chance!
The most common questions I get:
- How much effort does it take?
- How much does it cost to get started?
- Do you have to sell a certain amount every month?
- How much money do you REALLY make?
How much effort does it take?
I will tell you, in the very beginning it does seem overwhelming. Especially if you are like me and don’t have a career in sales. I was very excited and wanted to learn about all the products, so I could make “on-the fly” recommendations if I needed to. The best part is, the company gives you EVERYTHING you need to get up to speed quickly, and the network of consultants above you will really set you up for success (makes sense, right? They directly benefit from you being successful!). They hook you up with cliff notes on the products, and tips on how to start off running. At this point, I’m really only “working on it” when I want to. Facebook post here and there, sending out samples when someone is interested in trying it out, etc. A few hours a week maybe.
How much does it cost to get started?
Totally depends on what you want to invest. Business kits range from $45-$995. If you want to start as cheaply as possible, you can totally start for $45. That’s all they require, which gives you a “business portfolio.” That’s cheap, right?! The downside is, you don’t get any products, which sucks. You don’t need to have inventory (everything is sold online via your website), but it’s helpful to try as many products as you can – so you can tell people how great the tools are, what the eye cream is like, etc. The bigger the business kit, the more products you get (and the bigger the discount). The $995 kit is valued at like $1900. The major benefit in buying a bigger business kit…is that this is the ONLY chance you will have at getting 55% off all those products. Normally, consultants get around 25% off. When you first sign up, this is your big chance to save. I recommend getting the biggest one you can comfortably afford.
Do you have to sell a certain amount every month?
- No, you don’t have to sell a set dollar amount every month. In fact you don’t have to sell anything at all. You will be categorized as “inactive” but there’s not a penalty or anything. There’s no minimum to start earning a profit, that happens with your first sale.
- If you want to receive commission on top of your profit, there is a set amount you need to sell to qualify for this. To get 10% commission, you need to sell over $100 that month. To get 15% commission, you need to sell over $600 that month. Once you start getting a few customers, you’ll hit that easily and consistently. The company even has ways for you to hit that $100 minimum (pay your $20 website cost and $80 in product – for you, for samples, for gifts, whatever).
How much money do you REALLY make?
The policies and procedures state that we aren’t supposed to divulge actual dollar amounts. Makes sense because it will vary depending on how long you have been doing it, how hard you are working at it, etc.
What I will tell you is that in 2 short months (and pretty minimal effort), I now have 10 regular customers. I’ve flown
past my original goal of 4 customers, and yep – I’m no longer paying for my skincare! The amount you make every month gets loaded on a pre-paid VISA card, and after using it to get my own products, I use the rest as extra spending money, to buy things I’d normally feel a little guilty about buying for myself. Sometimes I even take my husband out to dinner.
- Your profit will always be the difference between what the customer pays, and your wholesale price. This is between 20-30%
- On top of your profit, if you are commissionable (selling that minimum of $100 or $600), you get another 10-15% from the company. You also make 2.5-5% commission on everything that consultants underneath you sell.
The most common reasons people are hesitant…
I don’t know that many people, where do you get your customers?
- Family and friends are a great place to start, I usually just talk about it like I would a great new restaurant that I tried last week. Facebook also sort of hands you a microphone, letting you reach out and share the products with a huge audience.
- It’s also not always about how many people YOU know, but it’s who they know. This is totally built on referrals. Just like when you ask your BFF what kind of mascara she uses because you are over the one you are using. Same thing.
- EVERYONE has skin, and EVERYONE is aging. I know that seems obvious, but that leaves you with a LOT of people you interact with everyday. You would be surprised.
I don’t want to be that annoying person on Facebook
- Then don’t be. Seriously. Facebook has helped drive a lot of my friends to try out Rodan and Fields (and ultimately become regular customers), but you don’t have to be annoying about it. Social media allows you to get your message out to a LOT of people, and that’s powerful. I also am not interested in “convincing” anyone to buy new skincare products. I just LOVE it, it works, and I think people should consider trying it if they aren’t happy with what they have.
I don’t have time right now, my life is SO busy.
- That’s the beauty of being your own boss. Work on it whenever you have time! The company AND the consultants above you want you to succeed, and make it easy by giving you all the tools to do it, so you don’t have to spend a ton of time being creative or coming up with the perfect messages. I will say the one thing that has helped me is being consistent. Just keep following up with potential customers once you have reached out to them. It could be a simple email or text that takes 2 minutes. Easy.
Look, I have a GREAT career. Yes, I will benefit financially by having consultants sign up underneath me, and sell product. However, I don’t believe in convincing you to become a consultant. That’s not smart. I want you to have a full, honest picture as to what it’s like, and the benefits that it could bring you and your family. That way, YOU can decide if you want to give it a shot.
Click here to scope out the business side a little more.
Click here to check out the products.
More questions? Email me at sarakthiel@gmail.com
Health & Hypnotics 