From Anonymour, Utah — 06/05/2010
My short experience with Vector Marketing was perhaps one of the most unusual experiences of my life. I attended two days of training, then after internet research and an uneasy feeling I decided to quit. My objective is for this review to help people considering going to the interview, and helped hired people who are unsure of the job.
It all started with a letter in the mail. I was an unemployed college student. They promised a $15/hr pay plus commission, flexible scheduling for students, and absolutely no experience required. Sounded too good to be true, but I was unemployed so I called the receptionist and set up an interview the next day. Her first offer was for me to come the day I called her at 5:30 p.m (unusual time for an interview). I researched the company online and apparently they sold knives.
I was discouraged to see it was a group interview. We sat in a room in uncomfortable desks, filled out forms, and listened to their pop music. The manager met with each of us for two minutes then had us sit close together while she did an hour presentation describing the job and the "perks." It seemed more like a sales pitch than a job interview, and the whole interview was about two and a half hours. Our job was to sell knives in homes, and our references started with people we knew. The pay was actually $15 per appointment not per hour. This was misleading; they are not the same thing. The commission is not added, so it is base pay or commission not "plus commission" as the letter stated. She asked us each questions. After this she met with us each individually for three minutes so we would know if were hired. It still sounded like a good job, and I was stoked after being hired when she spoke to me last. I feel kind of silly now.
After hired I had to attend three days of a training seminar. I heard a rumor that they hire everyone and that the people are just scheduled for different training days so that we do not all see each other. If this is true then we were all lied to because they said we were a "specially selected" group of people, about "20% of the applicants." The seminars were a pain in the rear, and I use that term loosely. We had to sit in a room listening to a district manager pep talk us in uncomfortable chairs, and this lasted roughly eight hours with no breaks. We could bring food, but none of us ate when we sat so close together. He explained how the knives "sell themselves" and that is why college students can sell them. He told us that if we followed the manual, or script as I call it, we could make a lot of money. It sounded like brainwashing to me.
He told us a bunch of "success" stories. People earning two grand in 10 days or 30 grand in a month. Our district manager was a well dressed, good looking guy in his 30's who said he now makes six figures after starting in our position 10 years ago. Selling knives? Yeah right. I find that hard to believe. I do not know how many of these success stories are true, and maybe some people can earn lots of money, but those people are probably the exception rather than the norm. They try to convince you that if you are not that successful you are just "lazy." Give me a break. College students are highly ambitious that is why they are college students; everyone knows that.
Back to the pay. It is not as glamorous as it seems. I am sure that for a while people are lucky to get 20 appointments a week with their references and schedules. Plus with all the gas guzzling from driving because you will get references that live kind of far away, and all the phone calls, and unpaid weekly meetings that are highly encouraged you end up working for more than what you make. Accumulate some of these expenses and your glamorous $15/appointment turns into about $8/hour. High commission is possible, but that is for the small percentage that excel at it, and trust me there are many hard workers who could still not excel.
They mention during the interview and training that you have to purchase a $150 dollar kit to take to demos. It's a security deposit so supposedly you can get it back. Unpaid training sessions could just be so people won't show up just to get paid, and they do not want people stealing knives. There are dishonest people out there, but I still do not trust the company. I would also like to mention that paying for the demo is still a pain. Hello! We're college students. Many of us are poor and unemployed. How are we supposed to get money for that?
The way they wanted us to get appointments was by selling to people we know. I did not feel right about this. It is a tough economy and knives are expensive. I had to keep calling my boss back and telling him how many appointments I was getting. At night he told me to call them and wake them up. Yeah I am not doing that, and in my state it is illegal to call after a certain hour as far as I know. If exploiting your family is not a problem for you then go for it. I decided the job was not for me after I did some research, and I did not show up for my last day of training.
I would also like to point out their specific demographic. (rich people) who are married with children. They will most likely buy the knives as they are expensive.You have to report after every sale. It seems great that they care because I do agree with the philosophy of helping each other succeed but come on! I do not need to be babysat.
There could be potential to make money, so I do not necessarily think this company is a scam, but they are misleading. It is almost like a get rich quick scheme. I would not be surprised if this review got a comment or a reply from a "vector representative." The managers seemed very nice and respectful, which was a big plus, but it is not for me. I would not recommend this job unless you are very desperate. Just remember this piece of information...
If something sounds too good to be true then it probably is.
