Should an esthetician sell/use Rodan and Fields? Your opinions would be much appreciated!!
As an esthetician I have been approached many times by consultants trying to recruit me to sell Rodan and Fields. My response to them has always been "I am an esthetician. I only use professional products." I cannot sell products to people if I have not had them under the mag light and analyized their skin. The consultants are told they are selling professional products. They do not understand the hard stance I am taking. I am very polite however i am firm. To me, it is a matter of integrity. I don't believe a product line can be sold by people who are not a dermotologist or an esthetician. I understand the line was created by dermatolgists but these clients are not sitting in their chair getting a dermotogist recommendation. They are getting a home consultants recommendation based on what the client tells them. How many times have you have someone tell you what their skin type is only to get them in your chair and find out something totally opposite? I believe they have the right to sell their multi-level marketing products just like mary kay and avon however mary kay and avon doesn't try to get me to sell their skin care line. My question to my peers is this. Am i thinking of this the right way? I'm come to find out that there are many estheticians who do sell this. Am I wrong? They use it in their room and they retail it. While that may be fine because they are looking at the clients skin, to me it sends a message that if she's using it, it must be good so lets all go buy it and we don't even have to waste our money on an esthetician doing our facial. Plus, I"m not sure what the commission is but it's probably not 100% markup which is what the retail we sell typically is. I would just like to hear your thoughts on the issue. I was approached again last week. I gave her my speech but told her I would research things and get back to her. I have been wrong before and I will admit it if I"ve made a mistake about this. Your opinions, please!!!!
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Gina Williamson on
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I concur that you shouldn't be recruiting in the facial room... but you never know what kind of relationship you may develop with a client that you KNOW could benefit from your business opportunity... but you do separate the two. It's a fine line, and you have to be savvy enough to walk it.
As for retail- I have no problem retailing any product I truly believe in, if it benefits my clients and helps my bottom line. We are in the business of sales, whether we like it or not.
You absolutely want professional products used in the facial- that's what they are paying for! I think you can mix it up, however. For example, there really isn't a "professional" cleanser unless it has clinical strength ingredients, and they generally shouldn't be using that every day usually anyway, so you can suggest a gentler cleanser from your direct sales/MLM line if you choose, and add to it any professional products that will maximize their results. (just playing a bit of devil's advocate here- this is an interesting discussion!) (if Derms can recommend Cetaphil, we can certainly recommend something outside the box- at least they won't be buying Cetaphil!!! and they went to MEDICAL school for 4+ years!!!)
Retail is retail is retail- it's what products do you feel are superior enough to recommend?
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Permalink Reply by Nondy Llewellyn on
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If I am retailing a product, I want to get at least a 100% mark-up. Buy a toner for $8 and sell it for at least $16 (more for private label). Using a company that has a 30% retail profit is fine if that is what one wants to sell, but we have access to great products that are more $$ for time spent if selling products is one's focus.
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Permalink Reply by Jami amidon on
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good point, this is company specific. my discount is 47% plus a 14% total team volume override (for the moment)
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Of course we are all completely free to conduct our own businesses as we like. That is a great thing. I will tell you that in the ten years I have been working in esthetics, the great majority of professionally licensed estheticians will shun MLM on principle without regard to products. And that is great too!
However one chooses to conduct their own skin business is entirely up to them. Just as I related (in the Mary Kay thread) my recent hair experience, the same holds true if I were getting a facial, and saw Mary Kay next to the esthetician. I would be polite, but no way is THAT facial happening!
Most estheticians I have spoken to want to perform professional skin treatments, and sell great homecare. They do NOT want to "build a team", "recruit", "prospect", etc. If you do, you are certainly free to do that.
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Permalink Reply by Maribeth Freeman on
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Regina: I am 20 years into the esthetics field. I am a non active member of Rodan and Fields.. mainly for their acne line! It is phenonmenal!! I use many other lines for anti age, and other skin issues.
Feel free to call me anytime! I will be glad to help or discuss this with you!
256 997 1700
Good Luck, and sticking to your guns is always good! Hope I can enlighten you some:)
Maribeth Freeman
Wild Olive CosMedics, Skin Spa
Fort Payne, AL
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We already have access to great acne products...
I don't know too many estheticians who would be blown away by a 2.5% Benzoyl peroxide, or a general-purpose glycolic toner, or a sulfur face wash. For truly phenomenal results with acne, we have the Face Reality, and other complete lines that allow for the predictible buffering the skin goes through with acne.
Proactive and other one-size-fits-all acne lines cannot possibly offer the variety of actives we have access to with our pro lines. This line will work...for a while (Just like Proactive), but does not have the horsepower that a professional needs to treat acne effectively.
The problem with most of us is that we are TOO enlightened, which can sometimes be a bummer.
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Rodan and Fields is a dermatologist line, created specifically for acne, and is much more advanced than ProActiv.. I choose to keep my "knowledge" below the dermatologists scope of practice, and feel that after 25 years in the business, that our "knowledge" is why we have problems with the medical professionals! All I can say is that Unblemish works beautifully, and I have word of mouth clients for miles around who testify to the results I give with all skin care concerns.. however, I am not a Dr., however do have Dr's who work for me. I believe we are more than anything, caring professionals, who have a love for skin and wellness. I do not get caught up in who knows the most:)
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The "enlightened" statement in my post was in reference you made with regard to hoping you could "enlighten" us some.
You are building a network of distributors (or consultants), which is I assume how you can say you have "Dr's who work for me." They signed up as reps/distributors or consultants under you, and you derive income form their activity when products are sold. They don't work for you in that you don't actually PAY a physician to work for you. Correct me if I have that wrong.
I have no doubt reps in these companies have good intentions and care for people. However, let's be honest. You are here to recruit. And to recruit means more money in your pocket. Again I have no philosophical issue with anything EXCEPT the willingness to be completely upfront, and honest with folks.
With regard to the R&F acne line, it still does not have the ability to adapt to different kinds of acne, different grades of acne, and there is no way to adjust treatment within the line to accommodate the changes acne goes through during the traditional 12-16-week treatment cycle.
If one wants to build a network of folks to sell R&F, great! If one does not want to build a network, there is no reason I can see that would appeal to an esthetician on any level to work with this line.
--N--
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Well stated. And no, I do not per se pay physician's to work for me.. I just take a portion of what they make for my time, space, etc.. as they work in my Spa.. not with R&F:) I have seen good results with the R&F, tho I do use Obagi and some european lines also. I have found that I need to meet all incomes, and R&F is a great way to help a young teen have great skin and not spend countless dollars that their families cannot afford. I just do what works for me. I actually am too busy to work R&F as a side business. I do not recruit, just sell the kit as it comes, and have happy clients:) Thanks for all of the input!
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Thanks Maribeth for your reply.
I can see that compared to Obagi, R&F is less expensive, but still (assuming you are selling at retail and not your cost) the prices for what you clients GET is not a great value, IMO.
You can sell a better product, and make much more retail profit with Face Reality to use as an example. Why would I pay $41 for a (R&F) $4.2 ounce bottle of face wash if I could get a better product for about 1/2 that? And $28 for ONE ounce of sunscreen?! You kidding me?! Even Vivant sells their 6 ounce of Mandelic 3-in-1 Face Wash for only $28 (retail. Wholesale is $14)! And Vivant is considered "the Gold Standard" in professional acne care...
Again I support whatever one wishes to do in their own personal businesses (magnanamous of me, eh? LOL!), but from any way I look at this, there is no way I would use this line at these prices... But I celebrate with you if this is working for you...
--N--
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Permalink Reply by Laura Cooksey on
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Hi Maribeth - what are the active ingredients in the R+F dermatologist acne line? Just curious.
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Permalink Reply by Gina Smith on
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You can go to their website and look at the active ingredient list. I was looking at the anti-aging line and was not impressed. Also if anyone can sell this product then the basic true is the level of active ingredients is very low compared to professional products. The person trying sell me on this line was bragging about how R&F is helping a client of hers with eczema. I tried to explain to her that as an esthetician I can not treat a person with active eczema, this is a medical condition that needs to be treated by a doctor. Her telling people that she has "cured" this persons eczema is crazy. The other issue I have is this is an auto-fill system so the client is purchasing product every month and the beginning "kit" (which you can't mix and match according to a clients needs) is around 160.00. Why does anyone need to purchase skin care every month? So your going to get people to try it but in the long run due to the expense they are not going to stick with it because this is not a cost effective product. You can purchase everything you need from my line cleanser, day serum, eye cream, night creme and exfoliant for under 200.00 (depending on which line) and these products will last you for a minimum of 6 months. That is approximately 34.00 a month for a complete skin care line that is professional and gives fantastic results. How can R&F say they are an affordable skin care line?
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