The referrals set the scene for stage 2: Massive deception. There was one $1000 educational scholarship given out by the company. Maybe it was $10,000 and there were as many as 10. I don't remember, but safe to say they were pipe dream odds and not all that much. So the phone script went, "Hi, Mrs. Smith? I'm a junior at X high school, and your friend Mr. Brown thought maybe you could help me out. See, I'm competing for an educational scholarship, and all I have to do is come make a 10 minute presentation at your house. I promise, you don't have to buy anything, or anything like that. I'd just really appreciate the practice and you'd be helping me out with my scholarship." If they asked what the presentation was about, you were supposed to mislead. At no point did you give away that you were selling knives door-to-door. Then you're set. You bring knives, as a 16 year old girl, first to family's homes, then friends', then friends' of friends, then complete randos who live in trailers and have dogs named Cujo (true story). Amazingly, not everyone was thrilled to find out you were really there to sell them shears that can cut a penny way better than Henckels shears do. And the scholarship thing? You use it one last time at the end. Every five referrals gets you one more entry! Let the harassment continue.

Of course, it's your first real job! So family and friends feel bad. Buy something. And the initial sales are fast and promising. Only, the way commissions are structured, you don't start earning them until you've sold $1000 worth and the next big jump is $5000. And those sales magically evaporate the moment you're seeing people who weren't at your 4th birthday party. You have a hard time even getting referrals. But the presentations you do make? That $10.25 an hour? Well, you're informed very explicitly that sure, technically you can claim it, but if you do, that just signifies poor performance- probably too poo to continue working at Vector.

One of the worst things I ever did. My parents tried to tell me. But of course, that just made me more determined. I was going to make so much money. And in fairness, they bought a homemaker set for like $500, that they couldn't afford. The knives are still on the kitchen counter, and I hate myself a little every time I see them.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2284321&forum_id=2#23413632)

Boss was a Bill Lumbergh type who I think secretly hated himself. He was 41 and graduated from a religious TTT . one time he told us about his undergrad advisor, who he called after 5+ years at Cutco. She told him to call back when he gets a "real job." The whole moral of his story was basically "don't listen to the haters"

Another coworker of mine dropped out of college because he made like $15k in sales and planned to become assistant sales manager at a sattelite office in a shit city.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2284321&forum_id=2#23413687)

at some point recently my brother had a couple friends get roped in and they were trying to get him involved. he starting telling me about this great job his friends had and how much money they were going to me...i was like, lemme stop you right there. this better not be selling knives. i basically told him no. dont do it.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2284321&forum_id=2#23413810)