To consider becoming a Stella & Dot Stylist?

[DriveMeMad]

Is it totally naff? Will I become a complete pest getting people to do trunk shows? Will people think I've been brainwashed/conned?

It seems like it would work well for us as a bit of extra income whilst I work PT in my "career" job. The upfront costs are ok, there seems to be a relatively easy exit strategy if you don't like it whereby you can recoup any investment, the support from other S&D members seems very positive and useful.

I've always thought direct/pyramid selling is a bit crap but there's something about this that ticks all my boxes. DH is supportive too. I'm on the verge of signing up. Yet I'm really unsure of what friends and family will say/think. My self-confidence is a bit low atm plus I'll need to rope them in to host parties so it does kind of matter what they think........

[PaulDacresConscience]

VBW - £100 isn't going very far though, is it? Let's be right, it sounds like a great incentive until you realise that if you're lucky it'll get you a couple of relatively plain necklaces.

I do think the jewellery is nice. I also think it's overpriced - and if I was in the market to spend £295 on a necklace, then I'd go to Etsy and get something bespoke and handmade.

I'm not comfortable with MLM. Most of them are a front and make their money out of the staff rather than the customers - through 'training days' and requirements to buy stock which is massively overpriced in the first place. The UK is a small market and is saturated with nail wraps, aloe gunk and crappy makeup sellers.

Anything that sounds too good to be true usually is. Google 'Timeless Vie' and have a read of the blog. It's a sceptic's view of MLM - up to you which way you jump but do so with your eyes open.

[Boredenough2bhere]

It's all over priced plated jewelry that you eventually will have to throw away. If you are going to buy cheap jewelry then buy it cheap ;)

[vbw1]

I was not advertising but just offering my help knowing much more about the company and make her aware that there is a special sign up offer at the moment. Anyway I've just realized that her message isdated so nothing to worry about . I've personally never badged a friend o family o colleague for what you call crap. I love this crap and that's the reason why I joined and I sell it with pride and happiness.

[DoYouRememberJustinBobby]

It's tat and over priced tat at that. Badgering friends, family and colleagues to buy your crap out of a sense of loyalty is not a decent business model and nor is it appropriate to call these roles "stylist".

Also vbw1 I wonder if MNHQ would consider your post unpaid advertising?

[LieselVonTwat]

You're right dancelike, I didn't see the part where you said you're an S and D 'stylist'. None of that refutes the point I made though, which is that getting into MLM because you want to avoid the 9 to 5 is only fine if you don't expect friends and family to part with cash to facilitate that, and that far too many MLMers fall into that category. Nor does the fact that plenty of those expecting said support from friends and family have one or more other jobs as well. In fact, whatever reason you're doing MLM, and whatever your other projects are, imposing yourself on loved ones and expecting them to pay up isn't ok. If you don't, congratulations, but OP will be doing very well if she can both make money and avoid that. Particularly as she'd be getting in some years after you did, by the sound of things.

Anyway OP, as you can see here, lots of people really don't like it, and there's no guarantee you'd get anywhere with it anyway. There are some threads about MLM in the money matters subforum you might usefully check out.

[EponasWildDaughter]

OP you are going to get more people with a strongly negative viewpoint posted here, i think. Most people who are ambivalent about a subject wont bother posting.

My own view point? I had a quick look at the S+D website and i liked pretty much all the jewelery, and would be able to afford pretty much none of it right now.

I've been to a few different sales parties over the last few years; jewelery, kitchenware, kath kidson kitch sort of stuff, pottery, etc. They are all good fun until that awkward bit at the end of the evening when the over inflated price list comes out hands reach for purses ... or not ...

A couple of times i've bought the cheapest item available out of a sense of obligation, cringed at myself for doing so, and vowed never to attend another 'party'. I just always feel so horrible saying no to even popping in.

[Shanolyooo]

I'd never go to either as the thought of going to a party to buy something brings me out in a shudder. Not even one to support a good cause. Unless it was literally my best friend doing it and she or a member of her immediate family was unwell.

[DriveMeMad]

Well stylists have the ability to earn commission through the main site by having customers buy through their micro-site.

But I do get your point. After I couldn't attend these parties, I saw two friends that had been and was admiring their new necklaces. They'd said they'd got them from the S&D seller but it didn't register with me that it was a direct selling thing. I happened to be browsing through their website to order some bits as a treat for myself and noticed the whole stylist thing, looked into it a bit more, did some googling/research and posted on here. So I had planned to just buy something like on any other website. But then given two of my best friends had bought stuff at these parties I thought "maybe this would work"... And here we are.

[LadyLonely1]

The thing is why would someone buy it from you when they could just buy it online, or shop around online?

[DriveMeMad]

Thanks for the tip masterpiece

It's interesting to see just how many strong feelings there are about this whole business model, trunk shows in particular.

I've been invited to two events where an S&D stylist. One was a pamper evening, one was a Macmillan girls night in. I couldn't go to either for various reasons but could I ask how people feel about those?

[Masterpiece1]

OP, you should go with Forever Living. That's the popular one at the minute. People are always talking about it on Mumsnet.

[dancelikenooneiswatching]

Liesel if you've RTT you would have seen my first post where I said I am a S&D stylist.

My next post was in response to Scarlets "someone trying to flog me stuff in order to avoid getting a proper job. I can see why pyramid schemes seem more appealing than the 9-5 grind." I find this statement pretty offensive as I have worked for 46 years in "proper jobs".

There are many reasons for people joining Avon, Tupperware, S&D, Forever Living, Pampered Chef, Partylite etc., but of all the people I know who do this type of work, and there are many, none of them do it in order to "avoid getting a proper job" in preference to the 9-5 grind, in fact many of them do it in addition to their 9-5 "proper job" in order to earn a bit extra to provide for and support their families.

[WorraLiberty]

By 'stylist' and 'trunk show'

Do they mean bog standard agent and party?

Either way, I've never gone in for these things but if you think your friends and neighbours will, then go for it.

Make sure you don't spend all the profit on buying their stuff for yourself though

[Forestdreams]

Oh but to answer your recent qu, I feel completely differently about selling at craft fairs, fetes, etc and would simply wish you well with it. I think it's a tough gig at those prices though.

[Forestdreams]

Personally I wouldn't want to do it because I think the whole business model runs on people feeling obliged to buy things. At first it'll be your friends, but even when you do expand the circle, your customers will be largely people you don't know feeling obligated to their friend, the party host. I wouldn't feel comfortable making money out of that.

I'm sure there must be customers who genuinely enjoy the whole thing, but how do you find them as opposed to people who come out of politeness / obligation?

[Bambambini]

Because often they feel pressurised into it by a friend or family. Sometimes it is an excuse to get together for a laugh but at 60 and 80 quid a pop for a necklace - that's an expensive night out.

[Jackie0]

Why do people go to trunk shows when they could just order online?
I've wondered this about Avon as well .

[Scoobydoo8]

due to culture, ie it's not a very British thing to do

I don't even like craft fairs, because I feel so sorry for the sellers that everyone is ignoring, and if I do chat to a seller find it reeeally hard to walk away without buying their stuff.

I don't go to home selling dos unless I know I will prob want to buy something.

[Duckdeamon]

I am wearing S&D (necklace bought in a sale!) today!

[Duckdeamon]

Yes I would feel differently because it feels like much less social pressure to attend or buy at a fair, for example, than than an evening focused on selling one company's products in a friend's home.

[BrendaandEddie]

i like a lot of the S and D stuff but just buy from the site

Love the renegade bracelets

[Bambambini]

A stall at fairs etc is a completely diffent thing. These parties are often about socialising.

Looked at the web page and it is pretty pricey. Looks like the kind of stuff I would pick up but be looking to spend 10-20 a necklace for. I can be a miserable git though.

[Scoobydoo8]

How many of you posters are wearing jewelry? I have boxes of jewelry but never bother wiht it much these days unless going out to dinner maybe. (not counting wedding rings etc)

[DriveMeMad]

I wonder if part of this distaste for direct selling is due to culture, ie it's not a very British thing to do?

FWIW I don't think it's disguised as socialising... It's promoted as an opportunity to buy jewellery. There's no disguise about it.

If it was only sold at gift fairs, pop up shops, fetes etc.... Would you feel differently?