Lesson #5: The Follow-Through is the Most Important Factor

“Those who are blessed with the most talent don’t necessarily outperform everyone else,” Ash once said. “It’s the people with follow-through who excel.”

The idea behind Mary Kay Cosmetics might not have been the most original or creative; after all, Ash had worked for numerous direct-sales companies in the past, and cosmetics were surely nothing new. However, what made Mary Kay Cosmetics the success that it became was Ash’s single-handed commitment and enthusiasm for her project.

“A laurel rested upon becomes wilted,” Ash liked to say. Ash was not only dedicated to her company, but she was also committed to change. She understood that, especially in the beauty industry, change was the one factor she could count on as remaining constant. Ash’s business principles would never change, but she was fully aware of the necessity of changing her products and her business along the way in order to meet the changing demands of the market.

“Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm,” she said. Ash also understood that part of being committed to a goal was getting the commitment of others alongside you. In order to do that, she needed to inspire in others the same passion for her products that she had, and that required enthusiasm. “If you act enthusiastic, you become enthusiastic,” said Ash. “A mediocre idea that generates enthusiasm will go further than a great idea that inspires no one.”

In addition to encouraging her sales team to be enthusiastic, Ash tried to ensure that this was also spread to the customers. In order to do so, Ash would limit the product line so that the salesperson could be thoroughly knowledgeable about each item, and would restrict the number of people at a Mary Kay house party to six, in order to maximize the amount of personal attention given to each. Ash also insisted that the emphasis at these sales parties was on teaching about her products rather than trying to sell them. She believed that this would make the experience more enjoyable for both the customers and the sales team.

Through a combination of enthusiasm and commitment, Ash was able to do something that she says is possible for anyone to do – achieve her dreams. “Do you know that within your power lies every step you ever dreamed of stepping, and within your power lies every joy you ever dreamed of seeing?” asked Ash. “Within yourself lies everything you ever dreamed of being. Become everything that God wants you to be. It is within your reach.”

Ash understood that whether she was selling furniture or cosmetics, enthusiasm and commitment were what would seal the deal. After all, if she didn’t have that faith in her own company, who else would? She needed to have those character traits and she needed to make them contagious.

To fellow entrepreneurs, Ash poses this very challenge of commitment: “Dare to grow into your dreams and claim this as your motto: Let it be me.”



Lesson #5: The Follow-Through is the Most Important Factor

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