Scentsy_Direct_Sales

An interview review of the Direct Sales Business.

An interview with Lauren Garret, independent Consultant
for Scentsy Wickless Candles.

1) Why did You sign up with Scentsy?

I was looking for a way to earn a little bit of extra money so I could
get my wants without asking my husband for money. I have not
worked since 2003 as I have been home with my children. I thought
this would be a good way to meet new people. The commissions I
am making are better than some other direct sales companies. I do
not have to put endless amounts of money into my business. I only
have to keep up with the new candle scents (testers are $2 per
month for party sized testers and 75 cents for smaller testers). I
only have to replenish my catalogs and order forms as they run out.
I?m not required to participate in an auto-ship program and there is
no minimum order size that I must meet before I can get products
for my customers. It's a relatively new business with only just over
4,000 consultants nationwide, so there is no worry for
over-saturation of consultants in my area. There are only 15
consultants in my entire state! The products are unique and are
not found at just any candle shop.

You can purchase soy candles in a store, why would I want to sell
something my customers could get anywhere? The answer is, I
wouldn"t!

2) What do you like about the company?

Scentsy pays me by check, so I get paid monthly. It allows me to
save up for things I may need. I don?t feel as if I am not making a
profit since I have to wait until I get my paycheck to see my profit. I
love how the products sell themselves. We have over 80 scents
available in our different products. There will always be at least one
scent my customers fall in love with, but more often than not, my
customers have a complete wish list of products they want to
purchase. There is no worry of not being able to sell the products
because of their unique nature.

Scentsy is constantly adding new promotions, specials, packages,
and scents.
A new catalog comes out twice per year with new warmers and
scents. Scentsy
has a large selection of the products sold. There are 45 warmer
designs to
choose from! I?ve never seen anyone who wasn?t deciding on one
from a choice
of 3 or 4. The warmers are not generic and they have artistic or plain
designs. They?re easily matched with any d�cor.

The company, although it is still in its growing stages, is committed
to the safety and happiness of its consultants and customers and
they will do everything in their power to keep customers happy.
Backorders and sold out items are a common occurrence in almost
any direct sales company and any retail company for that matter,
but there aren?t many who will bend over backwards to make the
customers happy ? Scentsy does. They will offer a replacement or a
different product if necessary. They will ship it out often in the same
day in some cases. Their shipping charges are the most reasonable
I have ever seen. A $3 order nets a 10% shipping charge of 30
CENTS! Many other direct sales companies charge up to 100%
shipping charges on small items. There is no charge for shipping
on business tools, so I truly get the most for my money!

3) What do you find frustrating?

The back office system is not always as up to date as I would like it
to be. Often, orders are listed in ?Entered? status, when in fact they
have been shipped. There have also been issues with backorders
and sold out products that are not completely explained to
consultants in a reasonable amount of time. Communication can be
better, but since the company is just a baby, I expect this to get
better with time. The Holiday season requires a little extra planning
on the consultant?s end because of holiday deadlines, but
this is also something that will get better with time. Order turn
around time is a little slower than I would like to see, but the
company is working on this right now and shipping times are
decreasing.

4) What would a new Independent Consultant Receive in her starter
kit?

The starter kit comes with an abundance of items that will help a
consultant get his/her business started:

80 scent testers ($100 retail)
Catalogs (50) ($30 retail)
Order Forms (100) ($20 retail)
Invitations (100) ($10 retail)
Business Cards (100) ? Plus instruction label ($5 retail)
Hostess Packet: Guest List, Hostess Rewards, Hostess Envelope (5
each)
2007-2008 Yearly Planner ($4 retail)
1 Room Spray
1 Scentsy Bar
1 Car Candle
1 Warmer
(These 4 products are worth $41 retail)

5) How much is the starter kit?

The starter kit costs $99 and also includes 3 free months of the
consultant website which allows your customers to search for you
in the consultant search tool and place orders online. The website is
$10 per month after the 3 month trial, and is not required, but is
recommended. Business tools can be purchased on an as-needed
basis after the items in the kit are used. The kit is valued at over
$200.

6) Why do you like the products?

Product Review:

Warmers - $25 each ? Our warmers are very artistic and sleek. We
have 45 designs to choose from. They are electric warmers and use
a 25-watt globe light bulb to melt our wax.

Scentsy Bars - $5 each; 3 for $14; 6 for $25 ? Made from a
food-grade petroleum wax that is not burned away. Each bar is
made of 6 cubes. You can use anywhere from 1 cube to 6 cubes at a
time and our bars last 50-80 hours or more depending on the
strength of the scent. Jar candles twice the size of our bars do not
last nearly as long and are often more than 3 times the price.
Available in over 80 scents!

Car Candles - $3 each ? Our version of car air fresheners. They
come in over 80 scents and can last up to 4 weeks.

Room Sprays - $8 each ? a very potent room and linen spray.
Available in 40 scents! These room sprays last much longer and are
more potent than store-bought air fresheners.

Scent of the Month ? each month Scentsy introduces a new
fragrance and offers 10% off the month it is introduced. The scent is
available in Bars, Room Sprays, and Car Candles.

Product Specials or Discounts ? Scentsy usually has a kit of
products available at a discounted price every month. These often
include a warmer, bar(s), room spray, or car candle. These specials
vary each month, but are an awesome promotion.

If you have any further questions or want to know more about the Scentsy
Wickless Candles direct sales business opportunity, please contact Lauren Garrett
via email or check out her squidoo lens on this wonderful product.