I know you’ve been on the edge of your seats since last week’s exciting blog entry. Yeah right – who am I kidding? I did say that I would mention what’s happening in the work field now I’ve hung up my modelling garments for the moment and settled back down to ‘normalcy’ back in my home town.

Anyway, I was waiting for today to come and go because it would decide a few things. Firstly I handed in my notice after about three weeks of being in my current job because there was no challenge there. I felt really bored and although one can make their own opportunities I still felt like my talents – as a sales woman/make-up artist/people person were being wasted. Props go to the area manager for totally understanding and being a sweetheart when accepting my resignation. She wrote me a lovely email too.

So today I went for an interview with a well established cosmetics company who will remain nameless – but those in the industry will know who I mean when I say the word, ‘audition’. This company has fantastic products and very individual but their interview process is the biggest hoopla of falseness I’ve ever witnessed (or been a part of).

First of all let me explain that in the world of beauty; competition for customers is fierce. You have to have drive, ambition and most of all know how to close a sale. In all honesty my make-up artistry skills and skin care knowledge is a small part of the job – it’s about building rapport and holding attention. I’ve done the job on and off for nearly ten years and I’ve always been good at it but today I saw a whole new side of the industry I really prefer not to be a part of. I feel it has a detrimental effect on the brand and the people working for the brand.

So I arrive super early and meet another applicant at the designated store where the ‘auditions’ are being held. The store is tiny and it’s Tuesday – meaning, it’s slower than a snail that’s just popped thirty Diazepam.

Baring in mind this company insists their employees go out and get customers just walking around (known as ‘traffic stopping’) it’s not hard to see the odds were stacked when another six people arrived. There seemed to be more of us than there were customers.

Seriously, I don’t mind going out and talking to people about products, but I have my way. My way is natural and not a forced script, which even the instructor seemed nervous and uncomfortable to say when showing us.

Who physically grabs complete strangers and hauls them off to have lotions and potions applied? Well this company seem to think their brand is not strong enough so they need to do that. I think they need to have a little more faith in their excellent brand!

The irony is I sell hundreds of pounds worth of products for this brand since it’s next to my counter at work – and when the part-timer is off then me and colleagues get her customers. Trust me this company doesn’t need to ‘grab people’. The fantastic products speak for themselves.

As I watched in horror as the instructor showed us the ‘traffic stopping’ procedure I felt the pit of my gut screw up. I also felt like I was turning into a brain washed drone as I repeated the ‘one liners’ for the products they wanted us to display to the customer.

But I made a promise I’d at least go through with the role play and go out and customer traffic stop before I made my final decision.

Off I trotted only to discover the lack of traffic (people) to stop in the store. Add to the fact that some women were being asked over four or five times the same thing by other candidates.
I felt sick. I never ever want to be someone’s bitch and that’s the way I felt. I can work alone or support someone as a team but I can never be someone’s bitch. I realised this was going to be a thankless task. Did I really want this job? Did I want it enough to act like a drone for four hours and in effect work for free – since any products I did end up selling I would not see the commission for.

I liked the products, but the company’s way for introducing people to their brand sucks. You try cosmetics traffic stopping on a regular basis in a small town then you will have people make a b-line to avoid you eventually. It may work off and on but not as a regular thing. I don’t know what planet these companies live on but evidently they have never really analysed how traffic stopping effects the brands image long term. Myself – I think if I was a regular to a store and I had ‘hard sell’ pushed in my face I would stop going in that store. It would annoy me so very much.

I have been known to drop a lot of money in one consultation as a customer and it’s never been through hard sell. That is the quickest way I’ll keep my purse closed to a sales assistant.

They claim their aim is not to sell but show – but that’s a load of crapola. If you’re showing five people the same four products they will be truly peeved if you don’t sell something to one of them.

I should have seen the iceberg ahead when the trainer (during the demo of the products we had to show to customers) said, ‘Now girls, does it matter if we put these products on top of make-up the lady is already wearing? No, of course not. Here at (insert the company name) we’re all about layering.’

I think my eye balls fell out as I watched her apply foundation on top of the unprepped skin of a colleague.

Telling a make-up artist she should apply foundation on unprepped skin is like telling a wine connoisseur that the supermarket’s own value white made two months ago really does taste the same as a 1947 Chateau de Myrat

It ain’t happening sister. Not now, not never. I ran through all the motions though and even did the same as a test on another applicant (who I actually know from way back and is a lovely petal of a person).

I should have said something there and then but I wanted to give myself a little more time. It didn’t last long. After going out and trying to woo ladies who’d previously been set upon by other applicants I simply went up to the two instructors and said, ‘Thank you for the opportunity but this isn’t for me.’ The rather outgoing one of the two trainers replied, ‘Well thanks so much for your time – traffic stopping isn’t for everyone.’ I replied as quick as a knife, ‘Oh I’ve no problem with traffic stopping but this is completely the wrong place and there are too many of us. There are more candidates than people and I feel it’s very over powering for the customer.’ They both stared at me. I smiled thinking, ’stare on ladies – I’ve been in this business longer than both of you put together. I know my stuff when it comes to customers. They aren’t stupid. They deserve better than this.’

In a bigger store with lots more people it would not have been so bad – but the lack of opportunities coupled with the make-up on make-up thing was enough for me to think this was not going to be my calling.

Goodbye pleasantries were exchanged and off I tootled. I did mention to my friend there that I just wasn’t feeling it. I think she was a little shocked because I’m really outgoing – but this to me was not showing flare. Even as an actress in the past I’ve rehearsed lines but if you’re not feeling the part then how can you deliver the lines with any sincerity?

Back at the train station I sat and read the metro and flicked through my blackberry. Soon another two candidates appeared equally disgruntled with the whole thing. They had apparently mentioned that they felt there were not enough customers to approach. Off they were sent – home. I got the feeling this company did not like getting feedback.

With all that said I hope my friend was successful. She has never worked in make-up and skin care so I’m guessing she wouldn’t feel the jolt of unfairness and ridiculousness that I did. I’m just too old school when it comes to beauty sales – rapport, build confidence, listen to the needs of the customer … I could go on. That’s how I roll.

I got back to my home town and wandered into work to tell the department manager about the audition…. to be continued.

Vx