WAHM Forums

Ladies,

I have had ladies trying to decide on a home business go between Arbonne and BC. I tried selling Arbonne about a year ago and it was a terrible experience. BUT, I didn't know that much about the product really. The $29 sign up is what attracted me, as it does many other women who don't realize that they then have to spend hundreds in products later.

I know what I say to people about the business -- but then they talk about their "natural" products and that they have no mineral oil and how the swiss labratories have higher standards than the US when formulating products yada, yada, blah, blah.

How do you all approach this subject? I know our products kick Arbonne's you know what but how can you convince someone else??? Especially those that might be in another state but you would like to recruit them anyway.....no way to have them experience the product if they haven't yet.

Help?

Jennifer, as I mentioned in an unrelated previous post, KISS!!! Keep It Simple Sister. The best way to handle this situation, is to simply explain that different products work for different people. Then, ask them if they would try our skincare and educate you on what the differences are that they can tell between the two product lines.

If you try to enter into a discussion of advantages and disadvantages of both, you may lose. But, I've actually done the above and8 out of 10 Arbonne consultants realized that they liked the results of our products hands down to what they experienced with Arbonne and converted!

This strategy works for all the others as well, MK, Bath & Body, etc. Good Luck!

I agree with Kari 100%. Once they try our stuff, you won't have to do any "convincing". And remember..."some will, some won't, move on, who's NEXT??" You can't convert everybody. = )

I have some converted Arbonne consultants on my team. They are just F&F (felt burned after Arbonne) but they find out products work better.

Arbonne is my biggest challenge here in AZ. It's HUGE here in Scottsdale and I approach it by telling them that our products are different than AB. I say BC products are RESULTS driven and AB is strictly botantically based. They eliminate some ingredients that give great results because they are not botanically based.

I also point out the PRICE difference. We are almost half of the AB price. I always offer a mini skincare set to "try" us for free and have had positive results.

Don't be afraid of AB, just make sure you know the differences. Most women are bargain shoppers by nature and are more than happy to pay less for better results. You just have to get them to try it.

Great advice! I had tried Arbonne, Jafra, Avon and Mary Kay products - -even Proactiv and none of them worked on my skin. Truthfully my skin looked it's worst while using Arbonne. And yes, it was terribly expensive! I joined BC more for the business opportunity and spa products than for the skin care -- I thought it might do the same thing to me -- but I was SO suprised when it just happened to be the perfect skin care for me! I'm amazed at how well it has worked for me. I'm so glad too because now I can really tell my own positive experiences with it vs. all the others that I have tried!!!

I had a lady say "I only use all natural products on my skin, that is why I chose Arbonne" well, she wanted a list of ingredients of our products so I sent her a few lists from BeautiNet. I explained about the benefits of the ingredients vs. arbonnes botanicals -- well, I never heard from her again. guess she didn't like the ingredients she saw.

That is the expereince that led me to ask this question. I'm wondering what I could've done better...she does not live close to me so I wasn't able to spa her or anything!

Other positives:

To me, the 2 most important facts about BC relative to Arbonne are:

- WE ARE A PUBLIC COMPANY, thus our finances are completely transparent to the world!!! We answer to stockholders; so we *really* have to (and do have!!!!) a phenomenal product line designed to grow the business. There's something about being a company in direct sales and being private, that doesn't sit well with me.

- We are a member of the Cosmetics Toiletry and Fragrance Association, a voluntary, self-regulating organization of which all major cosmetics companies belong. Arbonne doesn't. Why would a cosmetic co. not want to belong to this?

In addition:

- WE ARE VERY, VERY AFFORDABLE!!!!! Women can use the latest skin tech with our products and still fund their retirement accounts!!!

- Arbonne is territorial--meaning you can only grow your business where you are assigned to as opposed to anywhere in the continental US.

- Our discount rates from 50% to more than 90% (when you consider the Achiever or other email sales), **guarantee** we will make a profit. With profit margins so high, our business expenses will be covered and we still make a profit. And of course, these are sales profits, not profits from building our team.

- Has anybody compared our career path with theirs (i.e the commission structure)? Did you notice ours can be explained to a 5 yr old?

Also, to add to the above. I always mention that everything is done here in the U.S. so nothing is outsourced and jobs stay here in the U.S. I know a lot of people like to hear this since a lot of jobs are being taken away from Americans overseashttp://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley2.gif

Other positives:

- Arbonne is territorial--meaning you can only grow your business where you are assigned to as opposed to anywhere in the continental US.


Just wanted to add that this isn't true. I am with Arbonne.. I have friends with BC. I have consultants all over the US, Australia, Canada.. soon hopefully in UK when we launch there in Nov.
I love that there are companies for everyone. Glad you found your fit and I found mine. I have people under me switch and I have lots that have switched from others to us.
Just wanted to keep the right facts for everyone.
THANKS!!!
Kim

The fact is there are plenty of great products out there. I love the diversity of our products. We have something for everyone. I am not saying others don't I am saying I love what I have to offer. Also I know that thier aren't many companies who treat thier consultants as well as BeautiControl. There aren't many that not only give them 50% off but also have sales of 10-50% off on top of that every month. And commission checks of 4-24% is amazing plus the bonuses, car allowances, trips, jewelry & the recognition! And the Free Mustang you can earn, well who wouldn't want that. I just love that this is a real sisterhood that we want others to succeed. It's wonderful.

Our products speak for themselves and our company treats us like family that's all I need.

bump

I have been doing a lot of researching on this.
I will copy and paste my findings from diffrent sites I have found


<CITE>Sally</CITE> Says:


Ever since I recently went to a Arbonne party and the consultant explained how bad petroleum-based products are I have been obsessed with finding products free of petroleum-based indredients. To my absolute surprise Arbonne products ARE NOT free of petroleum-based ingredients. I was shocked since it was the Arbonne consultant who originally made the claim. But, what I found out through my own research is that many of the Arbonne products contain Parabens (methylparaben, proplyparaben etc). Paraben is an estrogen mimicking substance derived from pertochemicals. Paraben is banned in the EU. Many (much cheaper) products are also now proudly claiming paraben as banned from their products. Incidently several of my products also contain urea (a nice way of saying fermaldahyde). I was extremely disappointed to find that I could go to Whole Foods and find cheaper products with fewer toxic chemicals. Teaches me to take someone else at their word.<B =niftycorners style="MARGIN-TOP: 5px; : none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; MARGIN-LEFT: -10px; MARGIN-RIGHT: -10px"><B =tb8 style="BORDER-LEFT-COLOR: #f8f1f1; BORDER-BOTTOM-COLOR: #f8f1f1; BORDER-TOP-COLOR: #f8f1f1; : transparent; BORDER-RIGHT-COLOR: #f8f1f1">[/B]<B =tb7 style="BORDER-LEFT-COLOR: #f8f1f1; BORDER-BOTTOM-COLOR: #f8f1f1; BORDER-TOP-COLOR: #f8f1f1; : transparent; BORDER-RIGHT-COLOR: #f8f1f1">[/B]<B =tb6 style="BORDER-LEFT-COLOR: #f8f1f1; BORDER-BOTTOM-COLOR: #f8f1f1; BORDER-TOP-COLOR: #f8f1f1; : transparent; BORDER-RIGHT-COLOR: #f8f1f1">[/B]<B =tb5 style="BORDER-LEFT-COLOR: #f8f1f1; BORDER-BOTTOM-COLOR: #f8f1f1; BORDER-TOP-COLOR: #f8f1f1; : transparent; BORDER-RIGHT-COLOR: #f8f1f1">[/B]<B =tb4 style="BORDER-LEFT-COLOR: #f8f1f1; BORDER-BOTTOM-COLOR: #f8f1f1; BORDER-TOP-COLOR: #f8f1f1; : transparent; BORDER-RIGHT-COLOR: #f8f1f1">[/B]<B =tb3 style="BORDER-LEFT-COLOR: #f8f1f1; BORDER-BOTTOM-COLOR: #f8f1f1; BORDER-TOP-COLOR: #f8f1f1; : transparent; BORDER-RIGHT-COLOR: #f8f1f1">[/B]<B =tb2 style="BORDER-LEFT-COLOR: #f8f1f1; BORDER-BOTTOM-COLOR: #f8f1f1; BORDER-TOP-COLOR: #f8f1f1; : transparent; BORDER-RIGHT-COLOR: #f8f1f1">[/B][/B]

<H2>The top 5 myths about mineral oil - Part 1 (http://thebeautybrains.com/2006/11/28/the-top-5-myths-about-mineral-oil-part-1/)</H2>
<DIV =entryContent>


We often see the advice that people should avoid mineral oil (http://www.herballuxuries.com/mineral-oil.htm) at all costs. This idea is http://thebeautybrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/112806-mineral-oil.jpg (http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=25827&amp;catid=27042&amp;trx=PLST-0-SEARCH&amp;trxp1=27042&amp;trxp2=25827&amp;trxp3=1&amp;trxp4=0&amp;btr x=BUY-PLST-0-SEARCH)propogated by numerous “natural” companies. Well, this advice is just bogus. It’s not based on any scientific studies. Mineral oil (http://www.answers.com/mineral+oil&amp;r=67) is a perfectly fine ingredient and has been used in cosmetics for over 100 years.
Here are the top 5 Myths that companies tell people to make them afraid of mineral oil. In part 2 (http://thebeautybrains.com/2006/12/01/myths-about-mineral-oil-part-2/) we look at why “natural” companies would be trying to scare you.
<H3>Mineral Oil Myths</H3>


1. Mineral oil is contaminated with carcinogens. While it’s true that some petroleum derivatives contain carcinogenic materials (like some polycyclic aromatic compounds) the mineral oil that is used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry is highly refined and purified. It’s purity is even regulated by the US FDA and other international regulatory agencies. There is absolutely no evidence that cosmetic grade mineral oil causes cancer. And there has been plenty of testing done to ensure that fact. We could find no published reports in any of the dermatological or medical journals indicating a link between mineral oil and any forms of cancer.


2. Mineral oil dries the skin and causes premature aging. Mineral oil works as a barrier between the skin and the air. It acts as an occlusive agent which prevents water from naturally leaving your body through your skin. It will not dry out your skin or cause premature aging. Quite the contrary. It will provide moisturization.


3. Mineral oil robs the skin of vitamins. Since many vitamins are oil based, people assume that mineral oil will pull them out of your skin. There is no legitimate scientific evidence that this is true. Mineral oil has no effect on the vitamin levels in your skin.


4. Mineral oil prevents absorption of collagen from collagen moisturizers. Collagen in your skin lotions and moisturizers is too big to actually penetrate your skin. Therefore, mineral oil will have no effect on whether the collagen gets absorbed or not.


5. Mineral oil causes acne. In some people, mineral oil can exaserbate acne problems. However, most people will not experience any problems.


So, if it is not for safety concerns, why would companies be telling you to avoid mineral oil? We’ll look at that in part 2 of our series.


The Beauty Brains (http://thebeautybrains.com/) Bottom line. Mineral oil is NOT bad for you or your skin. It is one of the best ingredients available in skin lotions and moisturizers. It is also 100% natural taken directly out of our dear Mother Earth.

if animal testing is a concern than you shouldn’t use Arbonne or any other cosmetic product. The chemicals used to make these products have ALL been tested on animals.


And as far as using products that also have industrial uses, Arbonne uses plenty of chemicals in their products that have industrial uses.


In fact, the Arbonne Intelligence Daily (http://amazon.com/gp/product/B000VGQW46?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=thebeautybrai-20&amp;link_code=em1&amp;camp=212341&amp;creative=384049&amp;creat iveASIN=B000VGQW46&amp;adid=582a09ab-1987-411d-8023-cc8e6f95f9ca), Self-Adjusting Shampoo uses ALS (Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate) which is used just like Sodium Lauryl Sulphate to clean garage floors and engines.


Don’t believe it? Check out their product sell sheet.


http://www.arbonnemarketing.com/PK/dl/pk/nsb_shampoo.pdf (http://www.arbonnemarketing.com/PK/dl/pk/nsb_shampoo.pdf)


Personally, I have no problem with SLS or ALS. They are excellent products for cleaning grease off of surfaces. What difference does it make that the surface is your hair or a garage floor? Water is used to clean garage floors too. Are you going to avoid products with water in them?

I use some Arbonne products, but it is only in their supplement line and their eye cream. Their Intelligence Skin care is not enough and their RE-9 line is too much for my skin. Those are the only two lines they offer for women besides their Acne line Clear Advantage which is not enough formany people with real acne problems.They discontinued the only linethat worked for me years back.But then I discovered BeautiControl. I love the fact that BC has such a variety of products, you can truly customize a skin care regimine for your customers.

I also prefer not to promote a line where "scare tactics" are used for marketing purposes.

Here is a link to a Arbonne site, this is a site that real Arbonne ppl tell the truth about the company and product.


http://arbonneanonymous.typepad.com/arbonnescam/2007/07/a-little-bit-of.html (http://arbonneanonymous.typepad.com/arbonnescam/2007/07/a-little-bit-of.html)

I have searched and searched for the BC truth site, and I'm still looking, I guess we are the best, because MK and Arbonne have the truth site.
The other thing that is so awesome about BC is you pay $125 for for 20 full size products, with Arbonne, yes, it is only $29 to join, but you only get 1 item,
With BC you end up paying only like $6 an item for your starter kit, unlike $29 an item with Arbonne.

Below is the official line from BeautiControl regarding Arbonne. You really have to read between the lines as the message is written to be somewhat "politially correct". I've started explaining that I believe they (and Mary Kay) have "nice" products. At least Mary Kay is a member of the CTFA; Arbonne is not. But I want to use/sell products that are cutting edge and more than just "nice".

Regarding ALS, SLS, etc.We don'thave any products with the strongest (and most controversial) of the three, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate SLS.It can be irritating to sensitive skin. Our products contain Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES)or AmmoniumLauryl Sulfate (ALS).As I understand it, ALS cleanses better, SLES is softer. For example, if you have super dry hair, you would want a shampoo with SLES. If you have oily hair, you want ALS. Thesesudsing ingredients are extremely hard to avoid. Even though I am very into "green/non-toxic" I have researched the issue and decided that for me and my family that it's only critical when it comes to what I use in a bath that my three year oldbathes in for an extended time. (I use Shaklee, or California Baby, or Burt's Bee for him). Just remember, concentration and length of time on the skin does matter. Think about bleach. Put a drop in a gallon of questionable water and you have made the water safer to drink. Put an undiluted drop on a shirt and you have a hole in it soon.

Here's the statement from BeautiControl (Not sure where I found it though)

The beauty of this exciting industry is that there is room for every company to co-exist, offering individualized products to address individual consumer needs. As today’s consumer becomes for exposed to the benefits and necessity of cosmetics, their expectations become more and more varied. As a result, a “one size fits all” product line is a thing of the past. <?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />



BeautiControl's product positioning is to develop very high tech products that compete with today's serious skin repair market. BeautiControl’s product positioning is “Science as Nature Intended”, meaning that we use extensive botanically derived ingredients in our formulations in addition to the latest ingredients that technology allows for the prevention and repair of skin damage.


Arbonne is a company that has good products that appeal to a certain type of consumer. Arbonne has chosen to take a conservative, "botanically based" product positioning that is very safe and conservative.


There are several types of consumers in today's world - There are those that do not want change, there are those that want to cosmetics that are derived from natural or organic sources, and there are those that want the latest that science and technology has to offer in order to achieve more aggressive anti-aging benefits.


I feel that Arbonne has a good product that directly addresses the needs of their target market.


Below are some comparison claims between Arbonne and BeautiControl. Every person has different expectations of their skin care products. It is important to find the product line that best represents what the consumer is looking for in skin care treatments. The success of a product line is based on its ability to address the concerns of the client.
<H1 style="MARGIN: auto 0in">All Natural :</H1>
· Neither BeautiControl or Arbonne make “all natural” or “organic” claims regarding products. While we include many natural ingredients in all of our products, we do not market our products as "all-natural". The claim "all natural" is a misnomer, in fact. According to governmental regulations, "all natural" would imply that 100% of the ingredients are from a natural source.


Botanically based:
· Both BeautiControl and Arbonne use an extensive and similar amount of botanically derived ingredients. “botanical based” is really more of a marketing term that is relative only to the positioning of the product and it’s ability to target a particular consumer.


PH Correct:
· All reputable companies will formulate a product regimen to maintain the correct pH balance of the skin. This is the reason that it is recommended to use a complete regimen of products from the same company to ensure that the products are designed to work together.


Dermatologist, Sensitivity and Allergy Tested (hypoallergenic):
· Both Arbonne and BeautiControl test product for this claim. This is a standard claim to ensure the safety of a product.


No Animal Testing:
· Neither BeautiControl or Arbonne test products on animals.
· BeautiControl does use Emu oil on a limited basis for several of our body care formulations. Emu oil is purchased as a by products of the meat packing industry. No animals are killed or harmed for the sole purpose of their oils.


Mineral Oil, Synthetic fragrances or dyes:
· Arbonne claims not to use mineral oil, synthetic fragrances or dyes in their formulations. BeautiControl does not make this claim. There are instances where we use synthetic fragrance ingredients to cover raw materials in the formulation that might posses a mal odor in the formulation. The term “fragrance” implies that multiple ingredients were used to create the scent of the product. Many of those ingredients are natural, while some might be chemically manufactured.
· BeautiControl uses mineral oil in product designed to target very dry skin conditions, and offers oil-free options for our consumers who are looking for oil-free product option. We use a pharmaceutical grade of mineral oil - the same grade that is used in prescriptions for extreme dry skin conditions. While there are alternate oils, (many of which we use), there are none that have been proven to be more effective for those suffering from extremely dry skin symptoms.
· BeautiControl only uses colorants and ingredients that are approved for cosmetic use. These ingredients are proven to be safe and effective


I hope this information is helpful.


Product Development

Why are we discussing what each company has. We should not worry what Arbonne has or Mary Kay has. They are good companies and we are not here to compair-because our President, Kristi even says that BC can stand alone and we having nothing to compare to others.

Let Arbonne, Mary Kay, Avon and others do what they do and let us as BC consultants do what we do best....share the Spa Escape and the Spa.

Let the Customer decide what they like........

Well said Michele
I have to agree with you. If more time is put into working your business and less into comparing products then we would all be in BARBARA WARD's place. so lets get out there and show why BC is so great and not compare. If asked just say honestly that you love the products becuase of what they have done for your skin and honestly everyone has their own opinion about all of the companies.

WE ALL HAVE POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES REGARDING DIFFERENT COMPANIES.
SHARADA

Thank you Sharada

I tell people that I only know what BC is doing for my skin, I don't know much about the others....and to be honest I don't....you don't need to get in a "arguement over what company is better with potiential clients. That just puts BC in with the rest of them. We are different-we won't to be pulled apart and NOT compare with anyone else-we can stand on our own two feet! I think people will respect us more.....so let the products do the talking......

I honestly think that it is very wrong to compare two similar companies. One company might not be the fit for some but the other might be a fit for the other.

I have used several skin care products from various companies. To tell you the truth BeautiControl's skin care line didnt work for me. My skin wasent feeling great. (But that is not something bad about them. Of course, we have ALL different skin and not everything is going to be a good fit). I actually tried Arbonne's Intelligence Set and it did work for me as well as Sensaria's face line.

See it is just based on each of us &amp; what our skin fells good in. Of course BeautiControl is going to be biased about other companies, but if BC starts being like that it will start getting a negative vibe on the reps. (See what I am saying)

**I do love BC spa products.***

Like I mentioned before ALL the products might not be THE RIGHT FIT for everyone. What works for me might not work for you.

I love all the posts! And while I agree we've got to keep focused on our spas and on our own product line - it is incredibly amazing to point out how uniquely amazing our company's product line is! Especially when it comes to recruiting..... Happy spa-ing to you all!