Patricia Haakonson delivers her pitch to eight sharp-witted, mature women armed with facecloths and wine glasses and seated around a dining room table.
I’m going to show you a natural, safe alternative to Botox that works,” she says.
Wide-eyed silence is followed by laughter all around.
“It does,” she pleads.
One woman pipes in: “Well, if you’re going to say Preparation H — been there, done that.”
The table of women cracks up all over again.
Haakonson, 59, sells beauty and health products for Arbonne, a fast-growing company that operates by network marketing and direct sales, similar to Tupperware and Mary Kay.
In the nearly three years Haakonson has sold Arbonne products, she has acquired a team of 20 saleswomen, been named a regional vice-president, and received a diamond-studded watch and a white Mercedes-Benz convertible.
“It’s based on sales volume,” she says.
Haakonson’s success might have come from old-school salesmanship but her story is part of growing trend in home-based businesses and network marketing, especially as recession layoffs and early retirements rise.
Logo from Arbonne
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