Scentsy releases two catalogs per year – one in February and one in August. The month prior to a new catalog is known as transition month.
End of Season Sale
Historically in January and July of each year, most current Scentsy products are 10% off to make room for the upcoming new season. There are a few exceptions such as our licensed products like NFL and Disney. Also, our charity products are not discounted. There may be a few others, but for simplicity, remember most are 10% off in those months.
Enhanced Starter Kit
Also, historically new consultants who join Scentsy during one of the transition months will get the current season catalogs and scent testers in their starter kit and as a bonus they will also get the new upcoming season catalogs and scent testers. This is something to think about for consultants who are considering joining in June or December, because if they wait a few more weeks they can get the extra contents.
However, that said, the best time to join is when you are ready to get started. That new excitement is gold and you don’t want that to wane while you’re waiting for the enhanced starter kit. Consider this: It’s 5 June and you want to join Scentsy. If you wait a little more than three weeks you can get the upcoming new testers and books. But you’ll have three weeks to potentially doubt yourself or to lose the excitement. Or you can join on 5 June, get the current season starter kit and start selling right away, earn a commission for June sales to purchase upcoming catalogs and scent testers and already have new customers who want to re-book or reorder in July or August.
Whereas, if it’s 18 June, then you may want to reconsider since 1 July isn’t that far away. You could still lay the ground work for the launch of your new business 1 July and let your contacts know to watch for your Grand Opening. Weigh all your options when you are nearing a transition month.
If you have someone who wants to join your team and asks when is the best time they should join, your response should be something like:
“The best time to join is when you’re ready to jump in. Here are a few factors to consider …”
It’s their business, their life, their situation, their wallet, so give them all the facts and let them consider when it is the best time to join.
New Business Supplies
Also during transition month, all current consultants, except those joining during January or July, will need* to purchase new business supplies for the upcoming season. Business supplies are things like catalogs, showcase brochures, product sheets and scent testers. They are 10% off during transition months.
*I say need, but actually these purchases are all optional. The point is if you don’t order them, you won’t have them. I would definitely recommend getting some paper products to market your business. If you’re working vendor events or doing mailings, you may opt for the product sheets for most people and then have a small stash of catalogs for those who specifically ask for a catalog. That’ll save you some money in both postage and your supply order.
As for scent testers, you have a number of options. A “transition set” contains just the new or returning scents for the upcoming season. If you have a full set of testers for the current season, you would pull out those scents that are being discontinued or retired for the new season, keep all those that are remaining, and then add the transition set. Then you’ll have a complete, full set for the upcoming season.
Testers are available for purchase in party or mini size. Party size is the size that is included in your starter kit. Minis are smaller, approximately the size a Carmex lip balm pot. I’ve heard some consultants get the new scents in the mini size so it’s obvious to customers which ones are in the new season. For other consultants, the mismatched sizes would drive them nuts.
You can also purchase an entirely new set of testers that contains ALL the scents in the upcoming season. This is a good idea if you plan to have multiple basket/pouch parties out at once. Or lastly, another option is not to get any testers. It really depends on how you are mainly working your business.
If you are working it mainly with vendor events or online, then you may not have a need for testers. You can use your cash and carry inventory for customers to sniff and purchase. However, if you’re doing home parties or mobile parties you really should have testers.
How do you know which scents are gone for good and which ones may return next season? You won’t know for sure, which is why you want to encourage your guests to stock up as they may not return the following season. There have been some popular scents that return each year. For example, it’s likely you’ll see some pumpkin and cinnamon scents return in the fall and some floral scents, such as gardenia, return in the spring. It really depends on how overall sales of those scents were the previous year, as well as continued availability of the fragrance oils.
Last Chance, First Glance
If you’re an organized consultant and have a host who will be good for getting shoppers to the party, it’s a good idea to have a Last Chance, First Glance party. If you don’t have a host for such event, you could host your own.
This is an event scheduled near the end of the transition month, typically last week of January or July. Guests will be able to order from the current catalog at 10% off AND they’ll be able to place orders out of the new catalog. But they need to be separate parties on paper. You can’t combine the orders into one big party order.
The Last Chance parties absolutely have to be closed out by 31 January or 31 July and must meet the minimum party order to qualify for host rewards (currently 200 PRV). I would strongly, strongly encourage you NOT to wait until the very last day of the month to put orders in. If you’ve experienced a transition before you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, trust that it can be frustrating trying to get orders in before some discontinuing products sell out, and you always risk system slowdown with the masses who didn’t heed this advice.
You also won’t be able to enter any First Glance orders for the new catalog until the official start of the new season. You only have five (5) days to submit orders to Scentsy once you collect the order and money. Therefore, you have to time your Last Chance, First Glance party so you’re within this standard. The First Glance party also must be at least 200 PRV to qualify for host rewards.
As you see, you’re looking at a minimum total of 400 PRV to submit within a few days of each other, which equates to even more rewards for the host.
Stay Informed
Keep an eye on your email and the news tab of your workstation for specific transition information such as dates and prices. If you have any questions about this, ask your sponsor or your director. Embrace change, and remember to focus all you’ll be gaining, not on what you are losing.
See you at the top!
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About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a Superstar Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. She enjoys helping men and women start and maintain a home-based business in the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Germany, Ireland, UK, France, Austria and Spain. To download a FREE Start Up Guide which provides more details about how to start a home business as well as to learn about our compensation plan go to www.thrivingcandlebusiness.com/how-to-start-a-candle-business/
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