Press-Citizen.com:
Let the smelling do the selling.
That has been Bob Wise’s sales mantra and the secret to his success during his short career in direct sales. Wise, along with his fiancé Carol Bildstein, run Carol and Bob’s Wickless Warmer’s out of his North Liberty home. The company is an affiliate of the Scentsy brand, which sells scented waxes and warmers.
Wise said the products practically sell themselves.
“Our philosophy is go in, set up and let people enjoy the product,” he said.
Wickless Warmer’s officially launched Sept. 23, 2009. Previously, Wise spent 22 years working with the Brainerd, Minn., Fire Department. During that time, Wise said he encountered numerous structure fires started by unattended candles, a fact he noted when going into wax warmer business.
“It uses a light bulb instead of a flame,” he said.
Wise said he learned about the business through his neighbor and after vetting the idea with his daughter, got the green light. For $99, he got everything he needed to go into business including his own website, presentation materials, wax, warmers, order forms and training.
Business took off from there. Within a week, Wise had made back his $99 investment. After two weeks, he did $500 in sales. After 70 days, he did $5,000 in sales. Now, Wise and his fiancée employ more than 20 people in nine different states.
“Our goal is to have teammates in all 50 states and in Canada,” he said.
Logo from Scentsy