As a student, I sold my beachwear creations on consignment in several stores in Montreal. At university, I day-dreamed of a collection of room separators. As a young mother, I considered launching the production of a series of cool diaper bags I designed for myself. Finally, I quit my day job to start the small company Word-of-Mouth Production in order to publish my own books.
In my own experience, it seemed that the main appeal of entrepreneurship was the freedom (and pleasure) of marketing one's own creations. I was wrong...
As Daniel Pink, one of my favourite marketing authors, explains in his inspiring book Drive: Nowadays, the three main reasons driving people into action are autonomy, mastery and purpose.
No need to invent a product to get all these benefits, would argue Jeanne-Marie Robillard, who became an independent consultant for Arbonne in her spare times. No need for a business background neither. And you don't have to go at it alone!
“As women, are always selling something. We tell our friends about the products we bought, the movies we saw, the books we read. We're selling to our kids the concept of homework, of going to bed at a specific time. I thought to myself, why not make some profit out of this!"
Jeanne-Marie didn't have ideas for a new product or service. But she knew she wanted to have more control over her future (even if she currently has a successful career within a big firm). When she had the opportunity to attend an Arbonne presentation hosted in a friend's home, she was hooked.
If you're not selling your own products, the most important thing is to find a company offering a line of products in which you believe unconditionally, with great marketing support and flexibility. She found it all with Arbonne, thrilled by the fact that she could give as much or as little time as she wanted to this new venture.
Arbonne isn't the only company using this kind of direct marketing concept (greatly facilitated by the Internet). We all remember the Avon lady of our childhood, and Tupperware's home demonstrations. (Let's not get into Amway, who has helped give a bad name to direct marketing. And if your job hunting teenager announces that he's got a job interview with Vector Marketing, take a minute to google them to see what pops up! I was about to go and buy casual business attire for my 19 year-old's interview when I had the good idea to do a little research.)
Lately, it seems that more and more commercial scenes are moving into the private homes. (I recently heard about Rent frock Repeat, an original company organizing fancy dress fitting parties for girlfriends in the intimacy of their home.) Maybe it has to do with the fact that, thanks to Internet, our life is a bit more isolated and we feel the need to create new way to socialize?
I had been to a private session of jewelry selling before, where I felt obliged to buy something from a collection that did not appeal to me. (I'm stupid like that...)
When Jeanne-Marie invited me to an afternoon spa session she was organizing in her pretty house in Little Portugal, I wasn't too keen to go. I had not factored in the talent for this generous host to melt the ice at any social event with her genuine warmth.
Jeanne-Marie adored the Arbonne personal care products and knew many girlfriends who would like them as well.
She had considered representing Pampered Chef, a company whose line of kitchenware she really enjoyed, but considering her girlfriends' and her own consumer behavior, she remembered that when it comes to a skin care regime (or a hairdresser who understands you, or a pair of jeans that fit your body type) once we find one we like, it's a life commitment.
She figured it made more commercial sense to spend her free time selling beauty & wellness products with potential for repeat sales than a cooking pan with a life time warranty!
Jeanne-Marie quickly became the leader of a small team of her friends who also wanted to become independent consultants, and, being the party girl that she is, she felt an inclination for private girlfriends spa sessions where she'd invite her team and their potential customers.
Thanks to this concept, when I visited, I entered a party where everyone knew at least one person. Wine helping (supplied by our host), the ambiance quickly took a very relaxed turn and our spa session in Jeanne-Marie's lovely bathroom had all the telltale signs of a fun girlfriends' party.
Arbonne's products are of great quality and man! do they smell good. Jeanne-Marie won't make a fortune out of me but I'll definitely join the ranks of regular customers reordering every year.
The potential for residual and passive revenue was a great motivator for Jeanne-Marie Robillard. When one has a fixed salary, the only way to increase her revenue is with a bonus or a job promotion. (Read the following article to learn more about residual and passive/leveraged revenue.)
“I see it as a sort of pension plan. The time I currently devote to the building of a loyal clientele and a bigger team is generating profits in sales but mostly, it's generating residual revenue (my customers will reorder with very little prompting on my part) as well as passive revenue. Each time my team is selling, I get a commission without incurring additional work. I feel like I have more control over my financial life."
The best advice I could give to women interested in this business model is to meet with someone already involved with the company, who they feel they can trust. If your gut feeling is sending red flags, simply move on to another reference person.
If Arbonne interests you, I recommend you contact Jeanne-Marie (426-786-7697 ou jmrobillard@gmail.com) to find out when she hosts her next girlfriends' spa session at home. Bring a friend with you and have some fun while exploring the idea at your own pace.
