Of all the people that attend the ‘training’, less than a quarter will consider Vector Marketing anything other than a scam. Of course, they do try to brainwash you with their highly motivating success stories and allusive information, and then they finish by telling you that you will have to pay $150 to buy your kit to start. There are several reviews out there on Vector Marketing, some good and some bad. Many are based on the minimal of experience, so I would like to add my own opinion to the mix, after having worked for Vector marketing for a brief time.
Job Description:
Among the many contests and awards and incentive programs that offer real motivation, the first 10 days are called your ‘fast start’ and there are great prizes offered at different levels of sales. You begin by convincing friends and family to let you ‘practice’ your demonstration of the product. (Regardless of whether you make a sale or not, you do get paid for each demonstration. Amount seems to vary from branch to branch.) If you are an outgoing, ‘people person’ this is a great job for you, and even if you’re not you will easily acquire people skills after doing so many demonstrations. The job is actually a lot of fun.
The product: Cutco cutlery is not cheap. The prices are high, but not much higher than its competitors sold in stores. (Many reviews will tell you otherwise, but I firmly disagree.) You have a script to follow as you show the product in peoples homes, beginning with describing why the product is so great, and of course some lessons in cutlery. You talk about how unsanitary wooden handles are, teach about the structure of knives (tangs, rivets, straight edge and serrated edge, etc.) obviously subtly knocking down other knives so you can build yours up. Then, you show your product, and talk about how everything is better, why it is better, and explaining why it is more expensive. For example, the handles are made from thermo-resin, which is (similar to) the material used in bowling balls. This section of the demo last less than 10 minutes, if done correctly, and then you let the ‘potential customer’ play with the knives.
Tests: You always want to bring different types of food with you (which can be a cost out of your pocket) although as long as you are working enough demos the food is not too expensive, and (supposedly) it can be a tax write-off. You allow the potential customer to use the peeler on carrots (it also works wonders on the tomatoes and kiwi). I may still sound as though I am trying to make a sale, but you can’t help being impressed with the quality of these products. Then, you ask the potential customer to grab all the knives in their kitchen that they use most often for comparison. This can always be especially fun if you happen to be performing a demo for someone who already owns another set of expensive cutlery, such as Henckles or Wustoff. You will still put their knives to shame, as you have them cut a rope with one of their knives, then one of yours. You have a piece of leather that they can most likely cut with a steak knife, with some effort, and then you hand them Cutco’s table knife (butter/steak knife) which will drop through the leather like butter. The most impressive trick is cutting the penny with the super shears. There are many dumb jokes to go along with these tests, and different ways to do it. (I used to cut a penny into a rose.)
(The reason for doing these tests is very simple, just like selling a vacuum cleaner or anything else that someone already owns. To prove that what you offer is better than what they already have.)
References: The most important part of the demonstration is asking for references. This can also be the most frustrating, as most people refuse to solicit anybody. No matter how fun you are, you are still a salesperson. You have the option to offer incentives for a minimum number of references, and to have them contact these references before you leave. If they can help you book 2 more demos, for example, you can give them a free peeler. (Peelers will cost you $2 apiece if you wish to use this technique, and if you are getting paid $17.25 per demo it is highly advisable to shell out the $2 for some guaranteed demos.)
Telemarketing: In most cases, if you are lucky enough to receive references; they are not contacted, and it is up to you to call. There is a script to follow, which really does not make you sound any less sales-person-y. This can be the most discouraging part of your job, because without demos to do you have no income. In fact, this is where I started giving up on working for Vector Marketing. Personally, I knew few qualified (married homeowners aged 25-65) people to begin with, and after 2 months I had no work lined up. I had generated enough sales for a promotion, and I was close to a second promotion, yet all my references were dead ends, not interested, or not qualified.
Summarized Review:
Vector Marketing is worth a shot if you are only looking for part time work or a summer job. You can be quite successful at it if you know the right people to get started. Although the pay is good without making a sale, as a sales person you obviously want to get into the right circles, people that can afford what you are selling. Out of all the people that do work for Cutco, maybe a quarter of them are able to make it into a career.
Vector Marketing offers several techniques that will be useful in other fields, and they provide a motivation that doesn’t apply to just your job, which I found one of the most important things I gained from my experience with them.
After doing your research on Vector Marketing, if you are still willing to invest the $150 on your kit to give it a shot… understand that if you decide it’s not for you, you can sell the kit back for what you spent (although there’s a chance they will find a reason to deny you, most ‘sales companies’ tend to do this), or you can sell it for double what you spent, or set your own price at demos. (Ex. If someone is interested in a product that you have in your kit, you can offer yours at a lower price.)
I still have my kit, and I wouldn’t get rid of it for anything, although I have had several offers even when I needed the money. I actually hope to someday be able to afford a full set of Cutco (and those words are the most common rejection you will hear at demos).
