Hello again all,
I have been describing the culture and deceitful recruitment practices of the company, which can apply to all DS-Max affiliated companies. I wanted to give a brief and more specific overview of how the charity division works and what one should expect as an "employee" there.
I. Charity and 'Merching'
Okay. So you have a charity such as D.A.R.E.
When you work at Child Safety (in the DARE campaign) you will be selling children's products such as plush puppy pillows, quacking ducks, Disney book sets (omnibus), ABC and 123 chalk books, remote control robots, safety board games, flimsy art sets, e.t.c.
You will also be selling some safety products such as DNA kits, ID cards and ID diskettes, and safety videos.
Lastly you will have some parapernalia branded with the D.A.R.E. logo, mainly T-shirts, duffle bags, bracelets and water bottles.
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I came into this company believing that the charity gets 20% of all sales. What they don't tell you is that they only give the charity 20% on certain products, like the T-shirts and duffle bags, and supposedly the kids ids. This translates into roughly 5% or less of the overall proceeds, which is deplorable. You will not learn this unless you are paying very close attention at the opportunity meeting, usually held once or twice every month. By that point you are probably already somewhat lured into the company, which is exactly what they had planned. It is this "tugging on the heart-strings" that makes this company disgusting in my book. This separates them somewhat from offices that do straight sales. The fact that you think you are doing a good thing for society becomes a recruitment asset to them, one that they shamelessly exploit. The reps, often fooled themselves, come off as warm and caring individuals (not that they aren't) and fun! - so you want to be a part of what they are doing. Couple that with their confidence and vigor for their line of work, and you're in for a lethal combination. This is why many dedicated, good-hearted people get attracted to this company, often to find disappointment later on.
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All of these will be sold on tables outside of stores like Walmart, Staples, 7-11, CVS, Petland, Pep-Boys, Kmart, e.t.c. The company will not pay for your gas expenses, which can add up to alot considering that many of their events are far from the office. There is no compensation other than your 35% commission on items that usually range from $5-$20 + tax. Every once in a while the boss will throw some money around to try to keep people from quitting. Whoop-dee-freakin-doo.
They will encourage you to overcharge for some items and then throw in some "free" items after the sale is closed. This is called a 'Backwards Rehash.' For example, the Disney book set is a $20 item, meaning that the rep is responsible for collecting that amount for each piece of merchandise. Often a rep will be encouraged to offer the books for $40 or even more, and then throw in some free items to make up the difference (like two $10 t-shirts).
This is a very shady operation. They have you charge a dollar extra per $10 of merchandise to cover tax (but last I checked the tax rate wasn't 10%). So where does the extra money go? In the rep's pocket perhaps, or another customer might be exempted from paying tax because it is an inconvenience to them. This is all about reading people. Sometimes, a rep will overcharge someone (say $30 for the disney books) and keep the remainder for themselves or to cover tax deficits later in the day. This technique is called 'stroking merch' and basically translates to ripping people off (not that it is a good deal for them to pay 10 dollars for a lousy t-shirt, when DARE gives them for free). Though the owner will not promote this a rep is likely to try this on a slow day, or to make some extra money because he/she is not making enough.
The customers are not told how much goes to the charity unless the rep is confronted about it. Many people, when they hear 20%, are appalled and walk away. Though 20% is really a lie unless you are only selling a t-shirt or something with the D.A.R.E. logo. Most of the products on the table are INNOVAGE products, where no money from the sale goes back to the charity at all. It is terrible how the public is deceived and taken advantage of in this way.
II. Events
What are Events?
Events at Child Safety (or any Quantum company) are not what one who is looking for a job imagines events to be. When I first heard 'events' I was thinking of a charity banquet, or some big function, not setting up a table outside of Walmart and calling people over. This is something alot of people cannot get past. Many will hardly make it out of the parking lot on their days of observation upon learning what exactly they will be observing for the day.
It is low and demeaning, it is sleazy, it is something you might have seen on a street corner in times square. It is exalted and 'justified' by having the charity as a 'shield.' The company makes you wear a suit so that you feel more important and somehow better than your average street salesman, hawking your wares in "GQ-style." The "juiced" atmosphere in the office keeps you going and gets you high on this job.
How events are booked:
Events can be booked by the event coordinator (sometimes the asst. manager) either over-the-phone or in person. They go through the same 5-steps as the distributors do, as this is as much a sale as any other. They offer salutations to the owner of the store, tell their short-story, if in person they present a pamphlet or laminated document describing the charity. By this point they are either told to get lost, offered the event, or need to butter up the manager a little more and close the deal.
**One especially deceptive technique this company uses to get events is the shameful promotion of their "FREE ID AND FINGERPRINTING CAMPAIGN" - they use this to present the event ongoings in a charitable light, and often [store] managers will let events occur, not realizing that actual sales are going to be made. The field kits that reps go out with are equipped with these free id's (the fingerprinting is rarely done, if at all) though the id's are only used in certain situations to close a particular sale. These ID's are not freely offered to the public, as the main goal of the rep is to move merchandise, not to be charitable or give to the community, as that for them is not profitable. Most often, if a person sees something free they will snatch it, graciously say "thank-you," and move on their merry way. So it is not mentioned until the person has already came to the table and is considering buying something (more often than not, it is not mentioned at all).
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The funny part about the 'free ids' is that they are the same as the ids that are for sale (as $10 merchandise) at the table. So, if a rep were to choose whether or not to tell someone about the free id who might buy it, obviously they wouldn't tell them so they would get commission on the sale. This is a despicable and deceitful practice that shames the company, the charity, and the distributor. Also shameful is the fact that often these ids have a dollar value on them which is much higher than their actual sales value. For example, the id card which is the same as the free id has a price of $29.99 printed on the front. The actual cost the rep must cover is only $10, meaning that this can be deceitfully promoted as either a great deal (1/3 of the price!) or backwards-rehashed at full price (you get 2 free t-shirts, a $20 value! juice by you!). Either way is wrong, because each family is supposed to be allowed one free id (if that is even a real "rule," which I'm more apt to believe it is fabricated). I have even seen a rep [rob "slam"] go as far as to pocket a donation and give a free id as compensation.
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"5-Stepping" an Event:
Often times __it happens, and a rep will either lose an event due to a customer complaint, an unexpected arrival of a corporate manager (in places where 'no solicitation' is company policy), or some other mishap. In these cases, the rep cannot just decide to quit and go home (unless he doesn't want to make money or actually quits the job). He will either call the office and hope they have another event to give him, or fend for himself completely.
This practice of searching for an event mid-day is called 5-stepping. Basically because you are going through the same 5 steps to get an event as you are to make a sale. This can be very frustrating and difficult, and the average rep will be tempted to go to events that were held recently but given a chance to "cool off," so as not to drain the territory.
Going from store to store asking if you can set up your table is much harder than calling someone to your table in an attempt to make a sale. It is kind of like going B2B. The law of averages here is usually not very friendly. Often stores will give excuses like they have to check with upper management, and other times the manager is not even present in the store. Yet other times they will let you set up, but only for a very short time before they tell you to leave. If you haven't made significant sales by this point, you could be in trouble.
Sometimes one might have to resort to techniques like pitching people in parking lots or laundromats to make the requisite sales for the day. If selling stuff off of a table doesn't make you feel slimy, try doing that.
+++++++++++++++++++
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
A Piece of "Atmosphere"
Hello again. I figured that I would write a description of what is commonly known in these types of businesses as "ATMOSPHERE", due to the fact that many of you who have not experienced this cannot truly appreciate the culture behind this. It is largely the "fun" part of the business however that "fun" factor is more of a mind-control tactic than anything else. Atmosphere has the power to put the blinders on people, so they do not think about the negative aspects of the business. To those who can get past the unprofessionalism/craziness of it, it can be very powerful. Atmosphere is the 'essence' of the business, and what separates it from other sales positions.
Part I: OVERVIEW
Atmosphere is what I like to refer to as part of "the show." It is where all negativity about the company and the business is "washed away," or at least in theory this is what all owners hope that it does. In atmosphere there are some basic rules that guide:
1) No negativity should be brought into atmosphere - If someone has something negative to stay or has a "bad attitude," they will either be severely chastized or brought into another room by another leader for a "one-on-one" to either squash these negatives or send the 'negative' person packing.
2) You should always be either teaching or learning - You MUST have a notebook and pen in hands at all times, so as not to miss any 'vital' information that can enhance your 'career.' If you are among the elite, you should be teaching new hires and other leaders how to succeed in the marketing system via "IMPACTS" - which are mini-lessons scrawled out on a dry-erase board, or by "PRACTICE-PITCHING" - where one person acts as the sales rep and the other acts as the customer(s). If you are new you should be trying to learn how to do the marketing system by asking questions of the elite "TOP PRODUCERS" - those who sold alot of stuff the day before, or in general is an excellent seller.
Other rules/occurences during atmoshere:
- Music must be playing loud enough so that everyone must speak up to be heard (part of the reason for this is to discourage people from making negative comments as they then risk being heard and drawing negative attention towards themself)
- Music should be loud and energetic (no country music/depressing ballads, usually is rap/hip-hop/dance/etc)
- If you are a trainer/leader and have a new hire, you should be "attached to their hip" (known as the "belt-loop theory")
- Everyone should be in the 'impact room' (which is where atmosphere occurs) at all times unless they have another duty to attend to, not wandering around the office.
- Everyone should be in a "juice" state of mind. (Join Us In Creating Excitement)
- Leaders should rally new hires together and teach them or keep them separated - you don't want 2 new people getting together and "NEGGING" each other out of the 'business.'
- Everyone should be focused on their goals, and should have 'goal sheets' documenting their progress. For example, if someone knows they need work in their introduction, then that is what they should be practicing. Leaders should be on top of their own goals and their team members' goals as well.
- Atmosphere should be 20% fun and 80% learning; The opposite is true of the field (where people sell).
- My favorite: NOBODY IS PAID for coming in to atmosphere, but one is looked down upon if you are late or don't show up to it. This is due to an implied acceptance of the psychology that everyone should be working towards building their business and becoming an owner. If you treat atmosphere lightly, you are treating your career lightly and are heading towards being a "salesperson" for the remainder of your time here (meaning that you will NEVER make it to management level). This is this ideal which keeps this business going. It is very important to understand this if you want to understand the psychology of the business and what keeps peole roped into companies like this. See below how they make the distinction:
*A Salesperson - Someone who is only thinking of their next paycheck, never of their long-term future. They do not care about building a team, or building anything in life for that matter. This person does not have goals in life and if they maintain this mentality are not 'good employees' as far as this business goes. If one is to self-proclaim that they are just here to sell stuff they are more than likely to be chastized by the boss. Even though this person might be making good money, it looks bad to keep people around like this - they will be under constant pressure to build a team and move forward in the business. This type of person is 'demonified' in the business, much in the way that everyone outside of the business is demonified (as lazy, directionless 9-5 shmos).
This is all done so that everyone will want to become.....
*An Entrepreneur! - This person is goal-oriented, and is always looking to build their team/advance in the business. This type of person is excited about the opportunity, asks lots of questions to get themselves ahead, and puts in extra hours at the office to do so. It is the owner's wishes that as many people as possible adopt this mentality (then they really "get" the business and what it is). They are also coming in early so that they can have "one-on-one" conversations with the boss. -which basically translates into "brown-nosing," because as much as they'll have you believe that once you hit certain goals you move up, it is your owner who has the power to make or break you (only he can promote you into another office).
This is done very deliberately and is necessary to the survival of the business because nobody in their right mind wants to become someone who just sells stuff off of a table (so they cannot 'market' themselves to potential employees as such). In this way the business is romanticized/idealized and the ways of the business become gospel.
Part II: SCHEDULE
In a typical day there is morning and some night atmosphere. This may vary between offices. The schedule below outlines a typical day:
6:45-7:00 am - boss opens office - "one-on-ones" (a.k.a. 'critical conversations') may be offered at this time.
7:00 am - Leaders who have delegated responsibilities (such as writing up consignment sheets and building ports) should be here by this time.
7:30 am - All Leaders should be in atmosphere by this time. Whoever is going to do impacts is usually decided now. A top leader might give the other leaders an impact on leadership topics such as 'how to retain a day of o.'
7:45 am - All Distributors should be in atmosphere by this time.
7:45-8:45 am - Morning Atmosphere ~ Consists of
- Impacts (mini-lessons on dry-erase board)
- Practice Pitching & Pitching Games
- New Hire Introductions
- Morning Meeting & Cutoff time announced (the time everyone should be back at the office after a hard day of selling)
- Rapid-fire & High-Roller speech (top producers mentioned, high-fives around the room)
- Teams Announced
- Short "leaders' meetings" (territories distributed, "who's training today" is decided)
- Load-up (tables, banners, field kits, and ports - bins filled with merchandise are consigned to each sales team as they frantically load everthing into their cars) Whose house? WAREHOUSE!! is the common question-response for when this time comes up.
8:45-9:00 am - Days of O. are distributed amongst 'qualified' leaders; everyone else hits the field.
9:00 am - Anywhere between 5-7pm - Teams go out into the field and sell.
Whatever the cutoff time is is when people should be coming back to the office with all cash, slips, and unsold merchandise. If they "DROPPED PORT," or sold all of their merchandise then they can come back earlier and perhaps even go home early, though typically is it good example to take out another port and keep on selling.
5:00-8:00 pm (depends on day) - Settling-up; Ports checked in; Evening Atmosphere - Distributors are usually dismissed for this unless they have to settle up. Leaders have to stay at least until they are settled up.
Generally 'atmosphere' runs as long as there are people in the office.
Breakdown of Morning Atmosphere:
1) Impacts - As said, these are little lessons that only leaders are priveleged to administer. They always revolve around some aspect of the marketing system such as the 5 steps (Intro, Short-Story, Merchandise Contact, Close and Rehash), the 8-10 steps (be positive, be prepared, work your territory correctly, maintain your attitude, e.t.c.), the FUGI factors (Fear of Loss, sense of Urgency, Greed factor, and Indifference), and other things like saving time in the field (not stopping for coffee/breakfast, pitching people before setting up your table, not smoking cigs or taking breaks in the field, e.t.c).
2) Practice Pitching & Pitching Games - meant to develop people's selling skills. A typical game would be like a "hot-potato" where a ball is passed around and whoever has it when the music stops has to pitch the person in the center of the circle (imagining what items they have to sell). Another example is line pitching, where two lines are formed, they pitch each other and whoever closes the best deal within the allotted time restriction (1-3 minutes) will re-enact their pitch for everyone to see. These games can be quite fun, especially since the other distributors and leaders are typically not as hard to sell to as the real public.
3) New Hire Introductions - Briefly the new hires are introduced to the crowd, and the manager usually says a joke like "this person is looking for the nearest exit," or "she's wondering what we sprinkle on our cheer-e-os."
4) Morning Meetings - The owner will speak in front of everyone, and will usually give some kind of motivational speech, anecdote, or fabricated story in order to get a certain point across (like the person with the positive outlook will succeed, e.t.c). Cutoff time will be announced, meaning the latest anyone should be returning to the office to settle-up. It is here where everyone "Brings it in" - joins hands with the owner's hand on the bottom as he proclaims, "There's no such thing as a bad day with a great Attituuuuude!!" and then everyone repeats. Then the top producer of the day will choose a "word of the day," just like Pee Wee's Playhouse!
5) Rapid-Fire/High Roller speech - Everyone is in a circle. Whoever sold over a certain number of pieces (or sometimes someone who has greatly improved in sales but still sold under this number) is called out, then runs around the circle giving everyone a high-five. Pieces means production units, usually based on 1 piece = $10 of merchandise. The par for run-arounds is usually set between 20 and 30 pieces ($200-$300 in sales). The 'High-Roller' is the person(s) who sold the most pieces the day/night before. They are usually announced separately, after everyone else. Common phrases are "we got a guy...." and owner:"we got a high roller" -- everyone:"we got a high roller!" They then run around and high-five, sometimes twice, and may be prompted to give a brief <20sec speech.
6) Team Announcements - Usually a sales rep (distributor or leader) will go out with someone else as a team. The plus side of this can be that, if the 2 people get along, they have company and can bounce personalities off of each other. The minus can be that sales must then be split between 2 people. This depends on both the team combination and the type of territory they are sent to (high-volume vs. low-volume, affluent area vs. poor area). If an owner wants to test someone's resolve/ability to maintain their attitude, they will send them solo. This can also be done as underhanded punishment (or a way to isolate potential "neg balls" or people negative about the business), by sending them solo on a constant basis (if someone has a bad attitude - this usually doesn't make it better; if someone isn't into the business, this contains their 'bad' influence).
7) Daily Leader's meetings - Not to be confused with the longer periodic leaders' meetings, these occur briefly every day as the leaders get together and the new hires are left to themselves. The common phrase is "Leaders in the office, everyone else, GET TO LEADERSHIP!" This is one method of manipulating new hires into wanting to become leaders. It doesn't always work though, to the chagrin of some managers some distributors are content at being just distributors (a.k.a. 'salespeople,' they are typically uninvited to atmosphere, so as not to portray this as a desireable image in the office).
8) Load-up - Pretty self-explanatory, each team is given their merchandise and prompted to load up as fast as possible so that the morning rituals can be finished and everyone can enter the field/train/etc. Not only merchandise gets loaded up, but also tables, banners, and field-kits (translucent plastic bin containing credit card machine and various tools of the trade). Sometimes supplies are limited so some teams might have to fend for themselves (i.e. ask the store they are setting up at to borrow a table, use a t-shirt as a makeshift banner, buy a book of credit card slips e.t.c.).
Evening atmosphere - usually not as structured as morning atmosphere. Distributors are not exposed to much of evening atmosphere. A couple of standard occurences here:
1) "Break Down Your Day" - Whether you are a distributor or a leader, you should be doing this. Basically you go to the dry erase board, and a leader will ask you what you did well today(i.e. talked to everybody, rehashed well, dropped port) and what you need to work on tomorrow (i.e. icebreakers, short story). They will never say "what you did bad today" because that would be construed as negativity.
2) 'Rehash' of new hires - If someone didn't make alot of money today, their leader should get with them before they leave and make sure they are not going to quit. Words of encouragement, like "everybody has a day like this once in a while," or "I did the same way when I first started out.." are usually scripted for this purpose.
Part III: CONCLUSIONS & ANALYSIS
Eric Wolfram Said it best on his site, regarding atmosphere:
"This is a very important part to the business. Never under estimate it. This is where a person learns about the business, gets rejuvenated about the business and where the manager controls the business. It is the media."
The media. That is what atmosphere is. It is where management controls what gets said, what gets heard, and what information is omitted from the eyes and ears of the public. Examples of this type of "information-flow control"
- As mentioned before, the loud music to discourage negative comments.
- When someone quits or is 'fired,' you will never hear anyone talk about them in atmosphere, it is as if they never existed. If you do hear about them, it will always be the simple conclusion "They couldn't handle it," or something of the like.
- Any negative comment will be attributed to a complaintant's "attitude." For example, if one was setup outside of a store that had maybe 15 customers over the entire day and complained that they made 2 dollars yesterday, they would then be publically chastized and told they need to have a 'positive attitude'.
- A territory can never be bad. Or at least it cannot be said to be bad. The fact is, everyone (especially owners & managers) knows that some territories are great, and some just suck (due to poverty in the area, low foot traffic, e.t.c.). But this can never even be insinuated in atmosphere. They use an expression like "It's not the bum setup, it's the bum in the setup." Basically this absolves the owner and/or event coordinator from any responsibility in the fact that you had a bad event in a crappy location and couldn't make much money that day. It places the blame solely on the sales rep. Often times they will say "If you don't like our events, you can always find your own.." Many people will do this if they don't like the event given to them, they will "5-Step" (solicit) a location, usually something like a 7-11 or other convenience store, but this takes a skill and patience of its own, which many do not possess (as this is often illegal/ against store policies). Another technique used is soliciting people in unsupervised public places, such as laundromats and parking lots. This can also be risky though. And much time can be wasted trying to find another 'event.'
- In "Opportunity Meetings," periodic meetings where the owner will describe some of the numbers of the business and compare these to other businesses, it will not be said that you will have to share an apartment with all of the other people who you start your office with, and live in squalid conditions/poverty until you get the office up on its feet.
The quote below basically sums up atmosphere from the point of view of a distributor:
"The non-leader starts out by seeing everyone having a good time before and after work. But then you become a leader and now you are a thought cop -- always making sure everyone is acting like they should. You go from genuinely being curious and asking a question as a non-leader -- to manipulating your guys to ask how to get a head - to constantly regurgitating the same stories to your guys. You believe it and you hope that if you repeat it enough that your guys will too. You go from wanting to get ahead in life -- to coming down hard on any dissension from what should be said in atmosphere. You see, when you start the business, you want a job and you try and fit in. Atmosphere may seem a bit weird -- but, hey, you need to pay rent. If you last and you become sold on the business -- you have to act in certain ways."
You come into this as curious, and if you stay long enough you become a total conformist, adopting and believing the organization's psychology, ideologies, and rituals. This type of business has been tagged with the nickname "corporate cult," because it takes on many characteristics of a typical 'cult.' Many people are unaware that they are being 'processed' through the system in this way. I didn't realize until I was knee-deep into it. It seems absurd that any business will make you believe certain things, I mean all businesses have mission statements, but employees usually have the freedom to adhere to it on any level or completely overlook it. Here, the ideals are not "shoved down your throat" per-se, however they are slowly and cleverly ingrained into your consciousness, by the apparent subtleties of the seemingly 'innocuous' day-to-day happenings in atmosphere.
Part I: OVERVIEW
Atmosphere is what I like to refer to as part of "the show." It is where all negativity about the company and the business is "washed away," or at least in theory this is what all owners hope that it does. In atmosphere there are some basic rules that guide:
1) No negativity should be brought into atmosphere - If someone has something negative to stay or has a "bad attitude," they will either be severely chastized or brought into another room by another leader for a "one-on-one" to either squash these negatives or send the 'negative' person packing.
2) You should always be either teaching or learning - You MUST have a notebook and pen in hands at all times, so as not to miss any 'vital' information that can enhance your 'career.' If you are among the elite, you should be teaching new hires and other leaders how to succeed in the marketing system via "IMPACTS" - which are mini-lessons scrawled out on a dry-erase board, or by "PRACTICE-PITCHING" - where one person acts as the sales rep and the other acts as the customer(s). If you are new you should be trying to learn how to do the marketing system by asking questions of the elite "TOP PRODUCERS" - those who sold alot of stuff the day before, or in general is an excellent seller.
Other rules/occurences during atmoshere:
- Music must be playing loud enough so that everyone must speak up to be heard (part of the reason for this is to discourage people from making negative comments as they then risk being heard and drawing negative attention towards themself)
- Music should be loud and energetic (no country music/depressing ballads, usually is rap/hip-hop/dance/etc)
- If you are a trainer/leader and have a new hire, you should be "attached to their hip" (known as the "belt-loop theory")
- Everyone should be in the 'impact room' (which is where atmosphere occurs) at all times unless they have another duty to attend to, not wandering around the office.
- Everyone should be in a "juice" state of mind. (Join Us In Creating Excitement)
- Leaders should rally new hires together and teach them or keep them separated - you don't want 2 new people getting together and "NEGGING" each other out of the 'business.'
- Everyone should be focused on their goals, and should have 'goal sheets' documenting their progress. For example, if someone knows they need work in their introduction, then that is what they should be practicing. Leaders should be on top of their own goals and their team members' goals as well.
- Atmosphere should be 20% fun and 80% learning; The opposite is true of the field (where people sell).
- My favorite: NOBODY IS PAID for coming in to atmosphere, but one is looked down upon if you are late or don't show up to it. This is due to an implied acceptance of the psychology that everyone should be working towards building their business and becoming an owner. If you treat atmosphere lightly, you are treating your career lightly and are heading towards being a "salesperson" for the remainder of your time here (meaning that you will NEVER make it to management level). This is this ideal which keeps this business going. It is very important to understand this if you want to understand the psychology of the business and what keeps peole roped into companies like this. See below how they make the distinction:
*A Salesperson - Someone who is only thinking of their next paycheck, never of their long-term future. They do not care about building a team, or building anything in life for that matter. This person does not have goals in life and if they maintain this mentality are not 'good employees' as far as this business goes. If one is to self-proclaim that they are just here to sell stuff they are more than likely to be chastized by the boss. Even though this person might be making good money, it looks bad to keep people around like this - they will be under constant pressure to build a team and move forward in the business. This type of person is 'demonified' in the business, much in the way that everyone outside of the business is demonified (as lazy, directionless 9-5 shmos).
This is all done so that everyone will want to become.....
*An Entrepreneur! - This person is goal-oriented, and is always looking to build their team/advance in the business. This type of person is excited about the opportunity, asks lots of questions to get themselves ahead, and puts in extra hours at the office to do so. It is the owner's wishes that as many people as possible adopt this mentality (then they really "get" the business and what it is). They are also coming in early so that they can have "one-on-one" conversations with the boss. -which basically translates into "brown-nosing," because as much as they'll have you believe that once you hit certain goals you move up, it is your owner who has the power to make or break you (only he can promote you into another office).
This is done very deliberately and is necessary to the survival of the business because nobody in their right mind wants to become someone who just sells stuff off of a table (so they cannot 'market' themselves to potential employees as such). In this way the business is romanticized/idealized and the ways of the business become gospel.
Part II: SCHEDULE
In a typical day there is morning and some night atmosphere. This may vary between offices. The schedule below outlines a typical day:
6:45-7:00 am - boss opens office - "one-on-ones" (a.k.a. 'critical conversations') may be offered at this time.
7:00 am - Leaders who have delegated responsibilities (such as writing up consignment sheets and building ports) should be here by this time.
7:30 am - All Leaders should be in atmosphere by this time. Whoever is going to do impacts is usually decided now. A top leader might give the other leaders an impact on leadership topics such as 'how to retain a day of o.'
7:45 am - All Distributors should be in atmosphere by this time.
7:45-8:45 am - Morning Atmosphere ~ Consists of
- Impacts (mini-lessons on dry-erase board)
- Practice Pitching & Pitching Games
- New Hire Introductions
- Morning Meeting & Cutoff time announced (the time everyone should be back at the office after a hard day of selling)
- Rapid-fire & High-Roller speech (top producers mentioned, high-fives around the room)
- Teams Announced
- Short "leaders' meetings" (territories distributed, "who's training today" is decided)
- Load-up (tables, banners, field kits, and ports - bins filled with merchandise are consigned to each sales team as they frantically load everthing into their cars) Whose house? WAREHOUSE!! is the common question-response for when this time comes up.
8:45-9:00 am - Days of O. are distributed amongst 'qualified' leaders; everyone else hits the field.
9:00 am - Anywhere between 5-7pm - Teams go out into the field and sell.
Whatever the cutoff time is is when people should be coming back to the office with all cash, slips, and unsold merchandise. If they "DROPPED PORT," or sold all of their merchandise then they can come back earlier and perhaps even go home early, though typically is it good example to take out another port and keep on selling.
5:00-8:00 pm (depends on day) - Settling-up; Ports checked in; Evening Atmosphere - Distributors are usually dismissed for this unless they have to settle up. Leaders have to stay at least until they are settled up.
Generally 'atmosphere' runs as long as there are people in the office.
Breakdown of Morning Atmosphere:
1) Impacts - As said, these are little lessons that only leaders are priveleged to administer. They always revolve around some aspect of the marketing system such as the 5 steps (Intro, Short-Story, Merchandise Contact, Close and Rehash), the 8-10 steps (be positive, be prepared, work your territory correctly, maintain your attitude, e.t.c.), the FUGI factors (Fear of Loss, sense of Urgency, Greed factor, and Indifference), and other things like saving time in the field (not stopping for coffee/breakfast, pitching people before setting up your table, not smoking cigs or taking breaks in the field, e.t.c).
2) Practice Pitching & Pitching Games - meant to develop people's selling skills. A typical game would be like a "hot-potato" where a ball is passed around and whoever has it when the music stops has to pitch the person in the center of the circle (imagining what items they have to sell). Another example is line pitching, where two lines are formed, they pitch each other and whoever closes the best deal within the allotted time restriction (1-3 minutes) will re-enact their pitch for everyone to see. These games can be quite fun, especially since the other distributors and leaders are typically not as hard to sell to as the real public.
3) New Hire Introductions - Briefly the new hires are introduced to the crowd, and the manager usually says a joke like "this person is looking for the nearest exit," or "she's wondering what we sprinkle on our cheer-e-os."
4) Morning Meetings - The owner will speak in front of everyone, and will usually give some kind of motivational speech, anecdote, or fabricated story in order to get a certain point across (like the person with the positive outlook will succeed, e.t.c). Cutoff time will be announced, meaning the latest anyone should be returning to the office to settle-up. It is here where everyone "Brings it in" - joins hands with the owner's hand on the bottom as he proclaims, "There's no such thing as a bad day with a great Attituuuuude!!" and then everyone repeats. Then the top producer of the day will choose a "word of the day," just like Pee Wee's Playhouse!
5) Rapid-Fire/High Roller speech - Everyone is in a circle. Whoever sold over a certain number of pieces (or sometimes someone who has greatly improved in sales but still sold under this number) is called out, then runs around the circle giving everyone a high-five. Pieces means production units, usually based on 1 piece = $10 of merchandise. The par for run-arounds is usually set between 20 and 30 pieces ($200-$300 in sales). The 'High-Roller' is the person(s) who sold the most pieces the day/night before. They are usually announced separately, after everyone else. Common phrases are "we got a guy...." and owner:"we got a high roller" -- everyone:"we got a high roller!" They then run around and high-five, sometimes twice, and may be prompted to give a brief <20sec speech.
6) Team Announcements - Usually a sales rep (distributor or leader) will go out with someone else as a team. The plus side of this can be that, if the 2 people get along, they have company and can bounce personalities off of each other. The minus can be that sales must then be split between 2 people. This depends on both the team combination and the type of territory they are sent to (high-volume vs. low-volume, affluent area vs. poor area). If an owner wants to test someone's resolve/ability to maintain their attitude, they will send them solo. This can also be done as underhanded punishment (or a way to isolate potential "neg balls" or people negative about the business), by sending them solo on a constant basis (if someone has a bad attitude - this usually doesn't make it better; if someone isn't into the business, this contains their 'bad' influence).
7) Daily Leader's meetings - Not to be confused with the longer periodic leaders' meetings, these occur briefly every day as the leaders get together and the new hires are left to themselves. The common phrase is "Leaders in the office, everyone else, GET TO LEADERSHIP!" This is one method of manipulating new hires into wanting to become leaders. It doesn't always work though, to the chagrin of some managers some distributors are content at being just distributors (a.k.a. 'salespeople,' they are typically uninvited to atmosphere, so as not to portray this as a desireable image in the office).
8) Load-up - Pretty self-explanatory, each team is given their merchandise and prompted to load up as fast as possible so that the morning rituals can be finished and everyone can enter the field/train/etc. Not only merchandise gets loaded up, but also tables, banners, and field-kits (translucent plastic bin containing credit card machine and various tools of the trade). Sometimes supplies are limited so some teams might have to fend for themselves (i.e. ask the store they are setting up at to borrow a table, use a t-shirt as a makeshift banner, buy a book of credit card slips e.t.c.).
Evening atmosphere - usually not as structured as morning atmosphere. Distributors are not exposed to much of evening atmosphere. A couple of standard occurences here:
1) "Break Down Your Day" - Whether you are a distributor or a leader, you should be doing this. Basically you go to the dry erase board, and a leader will ask you what you did well today(i.e. talked to everybody, rehashed well, dropped port) and what you need to work on tomorrow (i.e. icebreakers, short story). They will never say "what you did bad today" because that would be construed as negativity.
2) 'Rehash' of new hires - If someone didn't make alot of money today, their leader should get with them before they leave and make sure they are not going to quit. Words of encouragement, like "everybody has a day like this once in a while," or "I did the same way when I first started out.." are usually scripted for this purpose.
Part III: CONCLUSIONS & ANALYSIS
Eric Wolfram Said it best on his site, regarding atmosphere:
"This is a very important part to the business. Never under estimate it. This is where a person learns about the business, gets rejuvenated about the business and where the manager controls the business. It is the media."
The media. That is what atmosphere is. It is where management controls what gets said, what gets heard, and what information is omitted from the eyes and ears of the public. Examples of this type of "information-flow control"
- As mentioned before, the loud music to discourage negative comments.
- When someone quits or is 'fired,' you will never hear anyone talk about them in atmosphere, it is as if they never existed. If you do hear about them, it will always be the simple conclusion "They couldn't handle it," or something of the like.
- Any negative comment will be attributed to a complaintant's "attitude." For example, if one was setup outside of a store that had maybe 15 customers over the entire day and complained that they made 2 dollars yesterday, they would then be publically chastized and told they need to have a 'positive attitude'.
- A territory can never be bad. Or at least it cannot be said to be bad. The fact is, everyone (especially owners & managers) knows that some territories are great, and some just suck (due to poverty in the area, low foot traffic, e.t.c.). But this can never even be insinuated in atmosphere. They use an expression like "It's not the bum setup, it's the bum in the setup." Basically this absolves the owner and/or event coordinator from any responsibility in the fact that you had a bad event in a crappy location and couldn't make much money that day. It places the blame solely on the sales rep. Often times they will say "If you don't like our events, you can always find your own.." Many people will do this if they don't like the event given to them, they will "5-Step" (solicit) a location, usually something like a 7-11 or other convenience store, but this takes a skill and patience of its own, which many do not possess (as this is often illegal/ against store policies). Another technique used is soliciting people in unsupervised public places, such as laundromats and parking lots. This can also be risky though. And much time can be wasted trying to find another 'event.'
- In "Opportunity Meetings," periodic meetings where the owner will describe some of the numbers of the business and compare these to other businesses, it will not be said that you will have to share an apartment with all of the other people who you start your office with, and live in squalid conditions/poverty until you get the office up on its feet.
The quote below basically sums up atmosphere from the point of view of a distributor:
"The non-leader starts out by seeing everyone having a good time before and after work. But then you become a leader and now you are a thought cop -- always making sure everyone is acting like they should. You go from genuinely being curious and asking a question as a non-leader -- to manipulating your guys to ask how to get a head - to constantly regurgitating the same stories to your guys. You believe it and you hope that if you repeat it enough that your guys will too. You go from wanting to get ahead in life -- to coming down hard on any dissension from what should be said in atmosphere. You see, when you start the business, you want a job and you try and fit in. Atmosphere may seem a bit weird -- but, hey, you need to pay rent. If you last and you become sold on the business -- you have to act in certain ways."
You come into this as curious, and if you stay long enough you become a total conformist, adopting and believing the organization's psychology, ideologies, and rituals. This type of business has been tagged with the nickname "corporate cult," because it takes on many characteristics of a typical 'cult.' Many people are unaware that they are being 'processed' through the system in this way. I didn't realize until I was knee-deep into it. It seems absurd that any business will make you believe certain things, I mean all businesses have mission statements, but employees usually have the freedom to adhere to it on any level or completely overlook it. Here, the ideals are not "shoved down your throat" per-se, however they are slowly and cleverly ingrained into your consciousness, by the apparent subtleties of the seemingly 'innocuous' day-to-day happenings in atmosphere.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
The Scam of a lifetime....
Hello.
I am just going to give you an overview of what this company is about so that you do not make the same mistake as I did. There have been many before who have documented similar experiences so I will be citing them throughout this post.
First, I will tell you what they will be telling you to try to rope you in.
PART ONE: The Ad.....
By this time you probably saw an ad in Monster or Careerbuilder or another of the myriad of job posting sites and found something that looks like this:
KICK-START A CAREER: advertising, marketing, & management!
CHILD SAFETY ENTERPRISES, INC. was founded with a vision of providing unparallel results to clients in the non-profit sector as well as sports and entertainment, while helping its people achieve their career ambitions. These two goals complemented each other fully.
We are currently filling 10 positions within our training program in our DEER PARK office. People will be trained in the following areas while advancing:
* promotional sales
* event marketing
* customer service & personnel
* client management
All positions are entry level and include performance based advancement. In addition to full time, we also offer part time positions and internships.
The two most important qualities that we are looking for in people are the two things that we can't teach you:
Personality
Ambition
Our ideal candidate is an outgoing, positive person with a fresh perspective; someone who is eager to be a leader of people and who chooses to lead by example.
Since we are willing to train from the ground up, these positions are perfect for recent grads (all majors welcome) and those eager to get their foot in the door in a new career. - Ad from Monster.com
-now I have to say that one measure of improvement has been that they added the term "sales" into the advertisement. This word is really the only thing that matters here. Everything else is fluff/lies/semantics.
"event marketing" - is another way of saying 'promotional sales'
"customer service and personnel" - no job like this offered at this company
"client management" - a sly way of saying that in order to make sales you have to 'manage' your 'clients'; again, no such position offered here.
There are no 'internships,' their version of internship is the same as 'part-time employee'
"performance based advancement" - is a sly way of hiding COMMISSION- as this is a 100% pay by commision job.
Okay now that that's all cleared up, Let's see what kind of applicants they are looking for:
People from all backgrounds seeking part time or full-time opportunities in the following areas are encouraged to inquire about our program: sales, customer service, part time, manager, accounting, marketing, clerical, management, computer, engineer, human resources, drivers, security, administrative assistants, purchasing,, medical, administrative, receptionist, retail, maintenance, warehouse, entry level, education, finance, director, telecommunications, real estate, engineering, insurance, data entry, project managers, information technology, part time, printing, technician, legal, automotive, teacher, winter, banking, analyst, nursing, restaurant, controller, network, public relations, environmental, nurse, design, quality, safety, secretary, office, assistant, hotel, accountant, vice president, medical assistant, transportation, supervisor, general, advertising, writer, social services, java, all, graphic, mba, holiday, office manager, communications, sales manager, admin, mortgage, social workers, training, cms, attorney, research, payroll, oracle, executive assistant, paralegal, courier post, drivers, pharmaceutical,, operations, president, web, Rn, law enforcement, autocad, health care, executive, food, production, chef, cad, project management, tax, auto, editor, hospitality, hvac, pharmaceutical sales, it,, collections, Spanish,, unix, art, buyer, facilities, professional, mechanical, bartender, help desk, travel, logistics, call center, truck drivers, inventory, financial analyst, computers, pharmacist, police, teaching, counselor, chemist, plant manager, photography, bookkeeper, medical sales, electrical engineer, health, trader, bilingual, business analyst, recruiter, cfo, accounts payable, sports,, cashier, financial, music, social worker, publishing, project, support, business development, lpn, welder, clerk, technical, .quality assurance, government, distribution, secretarial, sales management, mental health, nanny, child care, registered nurse, cna, Japanese, technical support, administration, property manager, cook, shipping, pharmacy, coordinator, entertainment.
Okay, basically they will take anyone and everyone. They even add ethnicities/races in the search criteria, so someone who is Japanese and looking for a job might come across this ad in a search. And Java??? There is NO computer programming involved in this job. It is laughable if they ask you or seem excited to hear you have computer skills...
if this doesn't answer all of your questions and make up your mind, read on.......
PART TWO: The phone call/email.....
The email:
They purport it as a "management training program," what it really is is a clever version of your run-of-the-mill pyramid scheme. Basically it starts out as a flat-out sales position, 100% commission-based. If you become a 'leader' you can now develop people under you and after a certain number stick around for a certain time you get a modest percentage of their earnings. If you build and maintain an 'all-star' team you might make it to asst. mgr, where 80% of your time you will still be selling and the other 20% you will be learning about how to run the business in the office for a stipend set by the manager/owner - usually equivalent to how valuable you are as a sales asset. And you get increased overrides on your team members, and can still develop more members. If you are really good, you might make it to management and run your own office, but the % of people who make it to this level is a very narrow margin, as the road is riddled with stumbling blocks. This is by no means an easy task to overcome. In a typical management training program, they narrow down applicants based on experience and criteria, then they show you the ropes, you complete your training and become manager. What this job does is thrives on people's dreams that they can manage their own buisiness. They actually make you want to become a manager, even if you don't. They sell everybody the same rap as to how 'anyone' can make it and manage a "million dollar company." This defies logic, in reality there cannot be too many chiefs or [sales] territories will get drained and everyone will be stepping on toes.
PART THREE: The Interview(s)
If they got you by phone or email to come to a first interview, it is because they have been very vague in their explanation of the position and somehow piqued your curiosity. They will do the same thing in the first interview, then they will offer you to come in for a 2nd interview - FOR A FULL UNPAID DAY!!! This guy at scams.com outlined the 2nd interview (a.k.a. Day of observation or Day of O) so I'll just post it here:
I said that I was going to write a walkthrough of a typical day of observation, so here it is from the point of views of both the interviewee and the interviewer.
Typical "Day of O." in detail: Part I
Points of view:
1a) Interviewee
- You come in after your preliminary interview, expecting to observe how the company works for a day. You and whoever else is being "interviewed" that day all sit in chairs in front of a tv. screen. You hear loud screaming and what sounds like chanting from another room while you watch a video about the company (quantum, or whichever other company uses this method). The video has alot of success stories and testimonials about how anyone can make it in this business if they put the time and effort into it. Specific to quantum, they'll add in something about how it raises money for charities in there, in attempt to add a point of legitmacy to the whole thing.
1b) Trainer (leader)
- Without going into the details of the everyday "atmosphere" of the office (morning meetings, rapid-fire, e.t.c) if you are "training" today (normally you only get this so-called privilege if you have sold alot of stuff the day before) you gather around as the owner/asst mgr. doles out which leader gets which applicant. These matches are carefully made by the manager, so as to promote the highest probability of retention. For example, they wouldn't send out a reserved law-school student with "party-joe" because the prospective hire might jump ship, seeing this whole thing as a big joke. He would be sent
out with someone who comes across as professional, so as to give the company a more viable image. Conversely, a vivacious young sorority-girl wouldn't be sent out with the reserved "middle-aged mike," otherwise she might get bored and not be "locked-in" by the "fun" image that "party-joe" would send across to her.
- You then wait your turn until the manager calls you into his office. When he does, he shuts the door and briefs you on your "day of o." He'll tell you only a couple of bullet-points, just so you get a general idea of what techniques you are going to use. More often than not, your manager will tell you what technique(s) you should use to lock 'em in.
An example of this would be, "she comes from a charity background so stress the cause." Or, "he's only looking for a summer job so stress the fun." Or, "he's a sharp guy so hit him with alot of 'facts' about the company and stress the opportunity." You have about 10-15 seconds of this, and then the manager opens the door and calls in the next victim.
2a) Interviewee
- You enter the room and the manager introduces you to the person who you are going out with today. The manager says something like, "this is our top producer" or "this is one of our top leaders, today he/she is taking some time out of his/her busy schedule to show you how the business works."
* I found this really funny, especially since it worked on me. This technique does work, and it sticks in the back of the applicant's head and makes them feel like they are special or different from the other interviewees to have been chosen to be matched with the "top-gun" of the office (which turns out to be complete bs, as you'll see if you stay awhile). It is all psychological, that is what this business is. A big head-game from top to bottom. Class, welcome to Manipulation 101.
2b) Trainer (leader)
- You greet your prospective hire, and out the door you go. You make sure he exits ahead of you. Also, when you get outside you ask him where he's parked and then request that he move his car to a different spot. These measures establish that you as a leader are beginning to take control (you're making the person do what you want them to do, which is what manipulation is all about). You then proceed to get into your car with the applicant and
begin to drive to your "event," which is where you will set up your table and hawk your wares.
3a) Interviewee
- You enter the car and it is then that what you are really going to be doing today starts to be explained. The interviewer tells you a bit about the company, what they do, the fact that you'll be standing outside of some store with some kids toys and branded t-shirts and other stuff with the DARE logo on them. You will not be selling anything today, you are just here to observe, put your "best foot forward," show your "people skills," or something of the like.
* Usually before this moment you have a very vague picture of what the day will be like. You've heard things like "events," fundraising," "spreading awareness," but no one has informed you that you will be slinging crap off of a table in front of Wal-Mart, until this point. This is all planned, as getting someone locked-in is a slow process which requires careful use of manipulation on various levels.
* At this point the person is either going to feel one of 3 ways (non-exclusive list):
1-What the hell is this? Take me to my car please!
2-This is not what I thought it was going to be. I want to leave, but I'll stay just to be nice/give them a chance/because I agreed to the interview. (indifferent/skeptic type)
3-Sure, I'll go along with it. (curious/adventurous type)
3b) Trainer (leader)
- Based on what angle you should be coming from, you try to build a rapport with the person and get them excited about the day. The key is to keep control over the conversation. If you lose control, you best get it back quick or else you can kiss your day of o. goodbye, as they won't be back the next day. Here are some of the things you will be taught to say to different types of people:
For those who want a summer job:
"This is a job where you can have fun and make money"
"This looks good on a resume"
"This is kind of like a paid internship where you'll learn basic sales and marketing and people skills"
"At the end of the summer, you'll get a letter of recognition from DARE"
For the "sharp" people: "Event-based marketing has been proven to be the best way for known companies to get their name into the hands of the public, and for less known companies to gain exposure"
"We work with alot of fortune 500 clients like Disney, pixar, vivitar, nascar, e.t.c." ~this is called 'legitimizing direct sales'
For the skeptical: "So and so used to clean carpets for a living. Now he makes six-figures and drives a brand-new escalade"
"You don't need an education to be successful"
* Manipulation and deception does not equal people skills in my book. There are many more things to go on this list, these are just a few examples.
Typical "Day of O." in detail: Part II
4a) Interviewee
- If you're still here you get to the "event," watch the leader set up his table, and begin to observe him as he tries to sell people items purporting to be helping a charity. You've been told that there is going to be a quiz at the end of the day, and that you will be told the answers, but let's see if you can figure them out on your own first. You are given a small task, if necessary, like greeting people or handing out pamphlets.
* The quiz will include these key things (and doesn't mean anything, but is meant to further establish control)
1-The Law of Averages
* States that out of a hundred people who approach the table, 70% will say no and should be let go, 20% will say yes, and 10% will be "on the fence," where you have to use your personality and manipulation techniques to get them to buy.
2-The 5 Steps: Introduction, Short-story, Merch-Contact(presentation), Close and Rehash.
* Intro - The obvious; "Hello, how are you today?"
* S.S. - What you're doing, Why you're here; "we're helping the kids with the DARE program..."
* M.C. - Get the product in their hands; This is a psychological trick that many merchants use. It creates a sense of ownership. I find this very amusing when people try to do this to me in the malls!
* Close - Close the sale; "how many do you want today?" "what size, XL or L?" "would you like the red or the blue?" "will that be Cash, check or charge?
* Rehash - Remember Everyone Has A Sale Hidden; "Rehash doubles your cash"; Basically once you got 'em, hit 'em up for more money.
3-The 8(or 10) great work habits: in no particular order
* Be Positive, Be prepared, Be on time, Have a great attitude, Work your territory correctly, Maintain your attitude, Always work a full(8hr, but really comes out to about 10-12hrs) day, Take control, Know what you're doing & why you're here
*I will not go in-depth with these, just check the wolfram link I posted a while ago.
4b) Trainer (leader)
- You want to maintain a balance of focus on your applicant and the people going into the store because you want to make money while and at the same time close a deal for perhaps someone who will make you money in the future. This is where the pyramid begins for you, but only if you can build and maintain it. You must keep your day of o. entertained, so that they are not left alone to their thoughts, which might dissuade them from getting involved
with this. You must also challenge them by having them try to figure out the 5-steps, e.t.c. You will entertain any questions they have, but make sure you don't give everything away or you might lose them in an instant. I have said it before, but some of the dodgy/deceptive replies you will be taught to use are:
Q:"so are there benefits here?"
A:"yeah I think we just got a new benefits program that kicks in after 90 days"
Q:"so do you get paid on commission?"
A:"Those questions will be answered at the final interview, should you make it to it"
Q:"So how long does it usually take to become a manager"
A:"Generally it takes about 8-12 weeks, but this may vary depending on the person."
* You use your FUGI factors, which are:
Fear of Loss - If they're really excited about getting the job, make them think that they might not get it.
sense of Urgency - If they are talking about 2 weeks notice, let them know that they should make a decision soon, immediately is preferable, because these "positions" get filled fast.
Greed factor - Let them know how much money can be made by doing this, and that they wouldn't be selling off of a table for a very long time at all.
Indifference - If they show skepticism, be indifferent. Show them that you believe it works and it doesn't matter if they believe it or not, because 'it really works.' If you try too hard to sell the business to them, you will come off as fake.
Above all else, to succeed at retaining the applicant, you must A) make a decent amount of sales that day, and B) keep your attitude peachy the whole day.
5a) Interviewee
- So you made it through the day. On the car ride back, you are asked to recite what is going to be on the test, to make sure you will pass it. The interviewer tells you that he can make his recommendation for you, but ultimately it is the boss's decision on whether or not you get hired.
* This is a crock. If the leader wants you on his team, he'll hire you. Otherwise he'll tell the 'boss' to let you go by giving you an excuse like "the position has been filled already," you usually have to either be a mope or especially dumb for this to happen to you.
For the most part anyone will be hired as long as they have an average level of motivation and social aptitude.
5b) Trainer (leader)
- You've got a pretty good sense of what your day of o. was like. At this point you usually know if they want the job (but not always). You also know whether or not you want them on your team (can they talk correctly? did they seem interested enough?). You have to fear of loss them. You can't let it be known that they're a "shoe-in" for the job. There has to be some control there still. You tell them that the odds are only one or two people will be hired today, you say that you'll give your recommendation to the boss, you wish them luck and seat them back down inside the office to fill out the test (if they don't say that they're going home before that!)
6a) Interviewee
- You hand in the test, you wait to be called in to have your "final interview" with the boss. This is a one-on-one interview, and is usually very brief. The manager asks you how your day went, if you have any questions, and gives you a tale of b.s. like the high recommendation you got, e.t.c. He will then offer you the position. If you accept, then you will come in tomorrow at 8am.
* If payment is discussed, the fact that it is 100% commission will not be said.
6b) Trainer (leader)
- You know your day of o. will be hired but you hope that he will take the job. You've done all you can, it is now up to the manager to make sure that they get locked in. If the applicant accepts, you share in his excitement (and get him more excited). You follow him out to his car, tell him to come in at 8am the next day and to bring a notebook. Later in the evening, usually around 9pm, you will give him a "rehash phone-call," to make sure he is
still excited about the day. If you want you can also invite him for breakfast/coffee before work.
This is a typical day of o. in summary. Like I said in previous posts, they have to put on a show to MAKE you want the job, because nobody wants to do this. If I would have known from the get-go that the job was full commission, that the "program" would take alot longer than 8-12 weeks, and that anybody and their mother can get hired, I would have never even went to
the interview. Like I said it is a slow "reeling in process."They let out their line by using the dummy bait found in their ads (Cross-training, entry-level to management, etc). Then they slowly try to pull you in slowly once you're hooked. If they pull too hard, the line will snap. If they don't pull enough, you will struggle and break free. And many "fish" will get away no matter how hard they try to catch them. To them, recruiting has its own law of averages. It is basic math. If you try the same thing on a hundred people, some of them are likely to stick around. It is my hope that this thread will help to decrease their L.O.A. a hundred-fold.
*The above two posts are from a first-hand account, my own
Now if you're still not satisfied, you can go to one of these websites for more information:
http://wolfram.org/scam/ds_max/index.html - Describes this type of business.
http://groups.msn.com/DSMAXTheAftermath/_whatsnew.msnw - A community group for those affected by this type of company.
http://www.scam.com/showthread.php?t=10843&page=2&pp=40 - The thread discussing this company.
I hope you've read this blog before agreeing to an interview so that you can make an educated decision. Spread the word and link to this blog if it has helped you in any way.
I am just going to give you an overview of what this company is about so that you do not make the same mistake as I did. There have been many before who have documented similar experiences so I will be citing them throughout this post.
First, I will tell you what they will be telling you to try to rope you in.
PART ONE: The Ad.....
By this time you probably saw an ad in Monster or Careerbuilder or another of the myriad of job posting sites and found something that looks like this:
KICK-START A CAREER: advertising, marketing, & management!
CHILD SAFETY ENTERPRISES, INC. was founded with a vision of providing unparallel results to clients in the non-profit sector as well as sports and entertainment, while helping its people achieve their career ambitions. These two goals complemented each other fully.
We are currently filling 10 positions within our training program in our DEER PARK office. People will be trained in the following areas while advancing:
* promotional sales
* event marketing
* customer service & personnel
* client management
All positions are entry level and include performance based advancement. In addition to full time, we also offer part time positions and internships.
The two most important qualities that we are looking for in people are the two things that we can't teach you:
Personality
Ambition
Our ideal candidate is an outgoing, positive person with a fresh perspective; someone who is eager to be a leader of people and who chooses to lead by example.
Since we are willing to train from the ground up, these positions are perfect for recent grads (all majors welcome) and those eager to get their foot in the door in a new career. - Ad from Monster.com
-now I have to say that one measure of improvement has been that they added the term "sales" into the advertisement. This word is really the only thing that matters here. Everything else is fluff/lies/semantics.
"event marketing" - is another way of saying 'promotional sales'
"customer service and personnel" - no job like this offered at this company
"client management" - a sly way of saying that in order to make sales you have to 'manage' your 'clients'; again, no such position offered here.
There are no 'internships,' their version of internship is the same as 'part-time employee'
"performance based advancement" - is a sly way of hiding COMMISSION- as this is a 100% pay by commision job.
Okay now that that's all cleared up, Let's see what kind of applicants they are looking for:
People from all backgrounds seeking part time or full-time opportunities in the following areas are encouraged to inquire about our program: sales, customer service, part time, manager, accounting, marketing, clerical, management, computer, engineer, human resources, drivers, security, administrative assistants, purchasing,, medical, administrative, receptionist, retail, maintenance, warehouse, entry level, education, finance, director, telecommunications, real estate, engineering, insurance, data entry, project managers, information technology, part time, printing, technician, legal, automotive, teacher, winter, banking, analyst, nursing, restaurant, controller, network, public relations, environmental, nurse, design, quality, safety, secretary, office, assistant, hotel, accountant, vice president, medical assistant, transportation, supervisor, general, advertising, writer, social services, java, all, graphic, mba, holiday, office manager, communications, sales manager, admin, mortgage, social workers, training, cms, attorney, research, payroll, oracle, executive assistant, paralegal, courier post, drivers, pharmaceutical,, operations, president, web, Rn, law enforcement, autocad, health care, executive, food, production, chef, cad, project management, tax, auto, editor, hospitality, hvac, pharmaceutical sales, it,, collections, Spanish,, unix, art, buyer, facilities, professional, mechanical, bartender, help desk, travel, logistics, call center, truck drivers, inventory, financial analyst, computers, pharmacist, police, teaching, counselor, chemist, plant manager, photography, bookkeeper, medical sales, electrical engineer, health, trader, bilingual, business analyst, recruiter, cfo, accounts payable, sports,, cashier, financial, music, social worker, publishing, project, support, business development, lpn, welder, clerk, technical, .quality assurance, government, distribution, secretarial, sales management, mental health, nanny, child care, registered nurse, cna, Japanese, technical support, administration, property manager, cook, shipping, pharmacy, coordinator, entertainment.
Okay, basically they will take anyone and everyone. They even add ethnicities/races in the search criteria, so someone who is Japanese and looking for a job might come across this ad in a search. And Java??? There is NO computer programming involved in this job. It is laughable if they ask you or seem excited to hear you have computer skills...
if this doesn't answer all of your questions and make up your mind, read on.......
PART TWO: The phone call/email.....
The email:
Congratulations
After reviewing your resume, we were impressed with your background and
you are a candidate that we have selected for a preliminary interview.
At this stage of the interview process, we would like to have you meet
face to face with someone from our management team to explain more
about our company and the positions currently available. Child Safety
Inc. and Associates, with over 18 years of experience, located in Deer
Park is New York’s Leader in Child Safety Promotions for non-profit
organizations. We represent such clients as Drug Abuse Resistance
Education (D.A.R.E.), United Care USA, and U.S. Marine Corp. Reserve
Toys for Tots Program. The child safety literature, the fingerprinting
program, and our medical ID cards that we offer free to the community
makes us unique in our endeavor to make the world a safer place and
help out organizations in need.
Our 100% promotion from within philosophy offers a diversity of career
opportunities and growth potential. We are looking to fill 5 openings
in our management-training program, 2 customer service positions, and
one receptionist/administrator position. Hands on training will
include safety event- promotions, public relations, customer-service
and management skills. We are looking for hard working individuals who
like to deal with people and are looking for a rewarding career
opportunity.
Contact Vicky at (631) 860-xxxx to set up a preliminary interview!
Thank you,
Vicky
Human Resources Manager
This is an old email, I don't know what updates they made to it, but it is strewn with "white lies." They are not trying to fill 5 openings, or 10, or 20, or 100 for that matter. This is a company that has an extremely high rate of employee turnover, and must be in a constant state of recruitment to keep itself going, as people are quitting every single day. You will never see these ads go away because they 'finally filled enough positions,' these ads are perpetual.They purport it as a "management training program," what it really is is a clever version of your run-of-the-mill pyramid scheme. Basically it starts out as a flat-out sales position, 100% commission-based. If you become a 'leader' you can now develop people under you and after a certain number stick around for a certain time you get a modest percentage of their earnings. If you build and maintain an 'all-star' team you might make it to asst. mgr, where 80% of your time you will still be selling and the other 20% you will be learning about how to run the business in the office for a stipend set by the manager/owner - usually equivalent to how valuable you are as a sales asset. And you get increased overrides on your team members, and can still develop more members. If you are really good, you might make it to management and run your own office, but the % of people who make it to this level is a very narrow margin, as the road is riddled with stumbling blocks. This is by no means an easy task to overcome. In a typical management training program, they narrow down applicants based on experience and criteria, then they show you the ropes, you complete your training and become manager. What this job does is thrives on people's dreams that they can manage their own buisiness. They actually make you want to become a manager, even if you don't. They sell everybody the same rap as to how 'anyone' can make it and manage a "million dollar company." This defies logic, in reality there cannot be too many chiefs or [sales] territories will get drained and everyone will be stepping on toes.
PART THREE: The Interview(s)
If they got you by phone or email to come to a first interview, it is because they have been very vague in their explanation of the position and somehow piqued your curiosity. They will do the same thing in the first interview, then they will offer you to come in for a 2nd interview - FOR A FULL UNPAID DAY!!! This guy at scams.com outlined the 2nd interview (a.k.a. Day of observation or Day of O) so I'll just post it here:
I said that I was going to write a walkthrough of a typical day of observation, so here it is from the point of views of both the interviewee and the interviewer.
Typical "Day of O." in detail: Part I
Points of view:
1a) Interviewee
- You come in after your preliminary interview, expecting to observe how the company works for a day. You and whoever else is being "interviewed" that day all sit in chairs in front of a tv. screen. You hear loud screaming and what sounds like chanting from another room while you watch a video about the company (quantum, or whichever other company uses this method). The video has alot of success stories and testimonials about how anyone can make it in this business if they put the time and effort into it. Specific to quantum, they'll add in something about how it raises money for charities in there, in attempt to add a point of legitmacy to the whole thing.
1b) Trainer (leader)
- Without going into the details of the everyday "atmosphere" of the office (morning meetings, rapid-fire, e.t.c) if you are "training" today (normally you only get this so-called privilege if you have sold alot of stuff the day before) you gather around as the owner/asst mgr. doles out which leader gets which applicant. These matches are carefully made by the manager, so as to promote the highest probability of retention. For example, they wouldn't send out a reserved law-school student with "party-joe" because the prospective hire might jump ship, seeing this whole thing as a big joke. He would be sent
out with someone who comes across as professional, so as to give the company a more viable image. Conversely, a vivacious young sorority-girl wouldn't be sent out with the reserved "middle-aged mike," otherwise she might get bored and not be "locked-in" by the "fun" image that "party-joe" would send across to her.
- You then wait your turn until the manager calls you into his office. When he does, he shuts the door and briefs you on your "day of o." He'll tell you only a couple of bullet-points, just so you get a general idea of what techniques you are going to use. More often than not, your manager will tell you what technique(s) you should use to lock 'em in.
An example of this would be, "she comes from a charity background so stress the cause." Or, "he's only looking for a summer job so stress the fun." Or, "he's a sharp guy so hit him with alot of 'facts' about the company and stress the opportunity." You have about 10-15 seconds of this, and then the manager opens the door and calls in the next victim.
2a) Interviewee
- You enter the room and the manager introduces you to the person who you are going out with today. The manager says something like, "this is our top producer" or "this is one of our top leaders, today he/she is taking some time out of his/her busy schedule to show you how the business works."
* I found this really funny, especially since it worked on me. This technique does work, and it sticks in the back of the applicant's head and makes them feel like they are special or different from the other interviewees to have been chosen to be matched with the "top-gun" of the office (which turns out to be complete bs, as you'll see if you stay awhile). It is all psychological, that is what this business is. A big head-game from top to bottom. Class, welcome to Manipulation 101.
2b) Trainer (leader)
- You greet your prospective hire, and out the door you go. You make sure he exits ahead of you. Also, when you get outside you ask him where he's parked and then request that he move his car to a different spot. These measures establish that you as a leader are beginning to take control (you're making the person do what you want them to do, which is what manipulation is all about). You then proceed to get into your car with the applicant and
begin to drive to your "event," which is where you will set up your table and hawk your wares.
3a) Interviewee
- You enter the car and it is then that what you are really going to be doing today starts to be explained. The interviewer tells you a bit about the company, what they do, the fact that you'll be standing outside of some store with some kids toys and branded t-shirts and other stuff with the DARE logo on them. You will not be selling anything today, you are just here to observe, put your "best foot forward," show your "people skills," or something of the like.
* Usually before this moment you have a very vague picture of what the day will be like. You've heard things like "events," fundraising," "spreading awareness," but no one has informed you that you will be slinging crap off of a table in front of Wal-Mart, until this point. This is all planned, as getting someone locked-in is a slow process which requires careful use of manipulation on various levels.
* At this point the person is either going to feel one of 3 ways (non-exclusive list):
1-What the hell is this? Take me to my car please!
2-This is not what I thought it was going to be. I want to leave, but I'll stay just to be nice/give them a chance/because I agreed to the interview. (indifferent/skeptic type)
3-Sure, I'll go along with it. (curious/adventurous type)
3b) Trainer (leader)
- Based on what angle you should be coming from, you try to build a rapport with the person and get them excited about the day. The key is to keep control over the conversation. If you lose control, you best get it back quick or else you can kiss your day of o. goodbye, as they won't be back the next day. Here are some of the things you will be taught to say to different types of people:
For those who want a summer job:
"This is a job where you can have fun and make money"
"This looks good on a resume"
"This is kind of like a paid internship where you'll learn basic sales and marketing and people skills"
"At the end of the summer, you'll get a letter of recognition from DARE"
For the "sharp" people: "Event-based marketing has been proven to be the best way for known companies to get their name into the hands of the public, and for less known companies to gain exposure"
"We work with alot of fortune 500 clients like Disney, pixar, vivitar, nascar, e.t.c." ~this is called 'legitimizing direct sales'
For the skeptical: "So and so used to clean carpets for a living. Now he makes six-figures and drives a brand-new escalade"
"You don't need an education to be successful
* Manipulation and deception does not equal people skills in my book. There are many more things to go on this list, these are just a few examples.
Typical "Day of O." in detail: Part II
4a) Interviewee
- If you're still here you get to the "event," watch the leader set up his table, and begin to observe him as he tries to sell people items purporting to be helping a charity. You've been told that there is going to be a quiz at the end of the day, and that you will be told the answers, but let's see if you can figure them out on your own first. You are given a small task, if necessary, like greeting people or handing out pamphlets.
* The quiz will include these key things (and doesn't mean anything, but is meant to further establish control)
1-The Law of Averages
* States that out of a hundred people who approach the table, 70% will say no and should be let go, 20% will say yes, and 10% will be "on the fence," where you have to use your personality and manipulation techniques to get them to buy.
2-The 5 Steps: Introduction, Short-story, Merch-Contact(presentation), Close and Rehash.
* Intro - The obvious; "Hello, how are you today?"
* S.S. - What you're doing, Why you're here; "we're helping the kids with the DARE program..."
* M.C. - Get the product in their hands; This is a psychological trick that many merchants use. It creates a sense of ownership. I find this very amusing when people try to do this to me in the malls!
* Close - Close the sale; "how many do you want today?" "what size, XL or L?" "would you like the red or the blue?" "will that be Cash, check or charge?
* Rehash - Remember Everyone Has A Sale Hidden; "Rehash doubles your cash"; Basically once you got 'em, hit 'em up for more money.
3-The 8(or 10) great work habits: in no particular order
* Be Positive, Be prepared, Be on time, Have a great attitude, Work your territory correctly, Maintain your attitude, Always work a full(8hr, but really comes out to about 10-12hrs) day, Take control, Know what you're doing & why you're here
*I will not go in-depth with these, just check the wolfram link I posted a while ago.
4b) Trainer (leader)
- You want to maintain a balance of focus on your applicant and the people going into the store because you want to make money while and at the same time close a deal for perhaps someone who will make you money in the future. This is where the pyramid begins for you, but only if you can build and maintain it. You must keep your day of o. entertained, so that they are not left alone to their thoughts, which might dissuade them from getting involved
with this. You must also challenge them by having them try to figure out the 5-steps, e.t.c. You will entertain any questions they have, but make sure you don't give everything away or you might lose them in an instant. I have said it before, but some of the dodgy/deceptive replies you will be taught to use are:
Q:"so are there benefits here?"
A:"yeah I think we just got a new benefits program that kicks in after 90 days"
Q:"so do you get paid on commission?"
A:"Those questions will be answered at the final interview, should you make it to it"
Q:"So how long does it usually take to become a manager"
A:"Generally it takes about 8-12 weeks, but this may vary depending on the person."
* You use your FUGI factors, which are:
Fear of Loss - If they're really excited about getting the job, make them think that they might not get it.
sense of Urgency - If they are talking about 2 weeks notice, let them know that they should make a decision soon, immediately is preferable, because these "positions" get filled fast.
Greed factor - Let them know how much money can be made by doing this, and that they wouldn't be selling off of a table for a very long time at all.
Indifference - If they show skepticism, be indifferent. Show them that you believe it works and it doesn't matter if they believe it or not, because 'it really works.' If you try too hard to sell the business to them, you will come off as fake.
Above all else, to succeed at retaining the applicant, you must A) make a decent amount of sales that day, and B) keep your attitude peachy the whole day.
5a) Interviewee
- So you made it through the day. On the car ride back, you are asked to recite what is going to be on the test, to make sure you will pass it. The interviewer tells you that he can make his recommendation for you, but ultimately it is the boss's decision on whether or not you get hired.
* This is a crock. If the leader wants you on his team, he'll hire you. Otherwise he'll tell the 'boss' to let you go by giving you an excuse like "the position has been filled already," you usually have to either be a mope or especially dumb for this to happen to you.
For the most part anyone will be hired as long as they have an average level of motivation and social aptitude.
5b) Trainer (leader)
- You've got a pretty good sense of what your day of o. was like. At this point you usually know if they want the job (but not always). You also know whether or not you want them on your team (can they talk correctly? did they seem interested enough?). You have to fear of loss them. You can't let it be known that they're a "shoe-in" for the job. There has to be some control there still. You tell them that the odds are only one or two people will be hired today, you say that you'll give your recommendation to the boss, you wish them luck and seat them back down inside the office to fill out the test (if they don't say that they're going home before that!)
6a) Interviewee
- You hand in the test, you wait to be called in to have your "final interview" with the boss. This is a one-on-one interview, and is usually very brief. The manager asks you how your day went, if you have any questions, and gives you a tale of b.s. like the high recommendation you got, e.t.c. He will then offer you the position. If you accept, then you will come in tomorrow at 8am.
* If payment is discussed, the fact that it is 100% commission will not be said.
6b) Trainer (leader)
- You know your day of o. will be hired but you hope that he will take the job. You've done all you can, it is now up to the manager to make sure that they get locked in. If the applicant accepts, you share in his excitement (and get him more excited). You follow him out to his car, tell him to come in at 8am the next day and to bring a notebook. Later in the evening, usually around 9pm, you will give him a "rehash phone-call," to make sure he is
still excited about the day. If you want you can also invite him for breakfast/coffee before work.
This is a typical day of o. in summary. Like I said in previous posts, they have to put on a show to MAKE you want the job, because nobody wants to do this. If I would have known from the get-go that the job was full commission, that the "program" would take alot longer than 8-12 weeks, and that anybody and their mother can get hired, I would have never even went to
the interview. Like I said it is a slow "reeling in process."They let out their line by using the dummy bait found in their ads (Cross-training, entry-level to management, etc). Then they slowly try to pull you in slowly once you're hooked. If they pull too hard, the line will snap. If they don't pull enough, you will struggle and break free. And many "fish" will get away no matter how hard they try to catch them. To them, recruiting has its own law of averages. It is basic math. If you try the same thing on a hundred people, some of them are likely to stick around. It is my hope that this thread will help to decrease their L.O.A. a hundred-fold.
*The above two posts are from a first-hand account, my own
Now if you're still not satisfied, you can go to one of these websites for more information:
http://wolfram.org/scam/ds_max/index.html - Describes this type of business.
http://groups.msn.com/DSMAXTheAftermath/_whatsnew.msnw - A community group for those affected by this type of company.
http://www.scam.com/showthread.php?t=10843&page=2&pp=40 - The thread discussing this company.
I hope you've read this blog before agreeing to an interview so that you can make an educated decision. Spread the word and link to this blog if it has helped you in any way.
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