Susan Crisp had always done some part-time direct-selling, but in June 2009, she'd sworn off it.
Still, when her daughter took her to a meeting for LMS fragrance company, sellers of d'essence fragrances, Crisp was impressed, and she joined up. And then she walked away, deciding to stick to her pledge to leave that world behind her.
But to support her daughter, she attended another d'essence party, where she met Linda Rogers-Brown of Durham, who pointed out the things she missed at that last meeting. Crisp was convinced. She's been selling the fragrance line part-time since August 2009.
"I'm in it for the long haul," says Crisp, who lives in Hillsborough. "But there's the immediate gratification too. I've made some good money."
For Rogers-Brown, working for d'essence is more than just a way of taking control of her income. As a senior director for the LMS fragrance company, she thinks of it as a chance to help people and change their lives.
It's a popular route. According to the Direct Selling Association, in 2008, the South had 35.1 percent of direct sales, the highest of any region; The South Atlantic, which includes North Carolina had 18.6 percent. Women overwhelmingly are the direct sellers (86.4 percent versus 13.6 percent for men) and personal care products make up 21.5 percent of sales by product.
LMS Fragrances is a fairly new company, started in 2004 by Susan and Robert Suh. The Suhs created their business on a model they think has a higher standard of ethics than the competitors, and they provide their employees with benefits and opportunities.
"We believe in fostering the entrepreneurial spirit," said Susan Suh, president and owner of LMS Fragrances. "We want to work with the consultants, not against them. The company means nothing if I don't have people like Linda."
Despite LMS Fragrances having its roots in California, Suh said its strongest presence is in the Southeast. The company has about 3,200 consultants nationwide, 800 of which are on Rogers-Brown's team. Rogers-Brown has been with the company for three years.
The company has grown quickly because of the ability to sell designer fragrances for a fraction of the cost. D'essence uses the same oils that the designer companies use, and they can do this because companies cannot patent a smell. The quality of the product comes from a high percentage of perfume oils in the fragrances, similar to what the most expensive designers have in their top products.
"These are not knock-offs. We do the exact same thing, if not better," Suh said. "Very few companies can do the quality we do. We are the real thing."
Not everyone is as enthusiastic about the d'essence model.
Tania Sanchez, author of "Perfumes: the A-Z Guide" says the perfume community is active in trying to patent scents, but it has been slow because the industry is soaked in copying. "Many scents we know and love are a copy with a twist. That's what makes it better," she says.
But it's extremely difficult to copy a scent exactly, she says, though you can get an approximation. "If it smells close enough and you're OK with the moral idea of using something that's knocked off, I guess it's all right," she said.
Crisp says d'essence aren't knockoffs. "That's why we say 'essence of' [on the packaging]. There's more perfume and less filler."
Rogers-Brown said no experience is needed to become a consultant, and it's a learning experience for a lot of people. When a consultant joins the company, the only requirement is that they purchase a starter kit - $379 for the larger one and $169 for the smaller one. Other than that, the company has no monthly sales requirements and doesn't require consultants to keep inventory in their houses. Consultants keep a portion of their profits and have the opportunity to move up the pay scale and earn trips.
Because of the benefits and immediate income, Rogers-Brown said the business is great for people to do either part-time for extra money or full-time. And she will do whatever she can to help them feel financially sound.
"We need to get our hearts back in the game," she said. "That's what this business is about."
