Working for Benefit Cosmetics?

Re: Working for Benefit Cosmetics?

I've worked for Benefit for nine months. It was good in some ways, but not in others, as they are very pushy sellers and expect you to actually spend a lot of time going and getting the customers, sometimes ones that really do just want to walk by.

I didn't enjoy the pressure they put on me. I work for Mac now and find that compared, Mac is a lot less pushy and customers actually prefer that. It's a different kind of pressure. And a different way of dealing with people.

You would be expected t0 approach customers. Theyre motto is 'always have bums on seats' so if you haven't got a customer you go up to one that is walking by (not necessarily past your counter) and say "come sit down let me show you something" or whatever you need to to get them to sit down. It's very tiring. You need to be a confident person. They also have a particular way they 'show' products. You can't just apply what you fancy or what a customer fancies on them. YOu have a guide to how you have to sell which I found very limiting and frustrating.

It's not so much make up artistry, you wont use a lot of brushes. They like to make it very easy for customers so you wont often get to do a lot of dramatic looks.

But it is a good stepping stone to get your foot in the door.

After mac I could never go back. Benefit was fun at the time, but it's not a career. It's a good foot in the door to some other brands and one of the hardest cosmetic brands to work for due to it's pushy nature.

PS:

Interview. You spend about three hours traffic stopping (approaching the customers) with about four or five other benefit interviewee's. You will be trained up on four or five products and spend the time going out getting people to sit down and showing them these products. You will also have a one on one interview which will ask general questions. They like to know that you are going to be self motivated.

Re: Working for Benefit Cosmetics?

HI!

I am a Counter Manager for Benefit. I don't know how different the line is in London, though I know it is very very popular there, but everything the above poster said is true. I love working there, as I really like the cosmetics, and the fun, be yourself atmosphere, but it is a lot of pressure to meet sales goals, and at least here, the brand is kind of unknown in my area so it is not only trying to get people to sit down, but trying to get people into a brand they don't know.

I used to work for MAC, and while they are totally different, there are pros and cons to both. At MAC, you don't really have to "traffic stop" as the store is always packed, but it is crazy and much faster paced. At Benefit, you really need to go find your customers, and sometimes I really do feel like I am bothering people. I like it for now, because I need a job and I like the people I work with but it wont be forever. I would much rather work at a more recognized brand.

Re: Working for Benefit Cosmetics?

I am curious...does the traffic stop technique work? And if you have certain guidelines to follow when showing products-how does that work when everyone's' face is different? I am just curious how their techniques work in the real world.

PS-MAC likes bums in the seats too-lol.

Re: Working for Benefit Cosmetics?

OOhh I have a trial interview (3-4 hours at the counter) and now I'm a little nervous. I work very hard, I normally work in fragrances so I am used to approaching people, but I don't like being pushy because I prefer to have the customers like me enough to come back and purchase because they don't think I'm trying to force sales onto them. In the past that method has always worked for me and I rarely miss sales targets..do you think that will work against me at the trial?

Re: Working for Benefit Cosmetics?

anyone? Please!

Re: Working for Benefit Cosmetics?

From my fuzzy memory when my store used to have a Benefit, I recall the girls saying how they had to go out and recruit/pull customers from other departments. I know one girl went to handbags and had like 3 ladies come with her when she had her interview. She basically did a makeover on them using the products, explaining what they do and kind of went from there. I wish I could be more help but it's been almost a year since my store had Benefit (I work for a Macy's but that counter never did well enough so it was pulled), I wish you the best of luck!

Re: Working for Benefit Cosmetics?

I've just started working for Benefit and I'm really enjoying it. Traffic stopping is a big part of it, and we are expected to go and find customers if there aren't any at the counter. You get a lot of rejections, but it's surprising the sales you can get from people who wouldn't have otherwise bothered. Even if people don't actually buy something after you've shown them some products, you've made them aware of the brand.

For those of you wanting to know what to expect from the interview process, first you have to pass a phone interview. It's not too hard, and it's the usual questions like 'how would you get a customer interested in Benefit products?'. When you pass that you'll be invited for a group interview session. You'll be taken off and taught about how to traffic stop, and introduced to four products. You have to remember the introduction line, key ingredients or elements that will help sell it, and how to apply it. Then you'll be sent out on the shop floor. It's a little scary at first, but once you get used to it it's not so bad. Then, if you get through that, you'll have a one on one interview, which is your bog standard interview. No unexpected questions there. I got offered the job there and then.

Good luck to anybody who's going for a job with Benefit, and if anybody wants to know anything else just drop me a line! I'm really happy, and Benefit have given me the chance to get into the industry that other brands couldn't (due to my lack of experience).

Re: Working for Benefit Cosmetics?

Thank you SmokeSignal16 and Growing Wings!
That's really helpful, I'm gonna try my best and just see how I go, I hope I get it, it would be nice to have a permanent job!

Re: Working for Benefit Cosmetics?

Update: I got the job and I'm starting in just over a week, training tomorrow!

Re: Working for Benefit Cosmetics?

yay congrats on gettin the position!! i had m¥ first day at benefit this week it is so much fun!!

Re: Working for Benefit Cosmetics?

Congrats! I'm starting the week after next when I come back from my trip.

I have a interview next tuesday, very nervous about the traffic stopping, the worst people can do is say no I guess?

I have a demo tomorrow too girls! I will let you know how it goes when I come home tomorrow but after reading up on Benefit I'm not 100% if it's quite for me! I also passed a telephone interview with Estee Luuder today too!

Good luck! Does anyone have any tips on how to aproach customers?

So how did the demos go ladies?!

 

I got my job!

congradulations! Mine is tommorow and I have a lush trial shift straight after lol. What did they make you do?

So I turn up today, 10 minutes early, told to wait for regional manager. 3 other girls come, we wait an hour, no sign of her, get told to go for coffee and they will call us so we wait another hour. Went back to the store and was told they can't reach the regional manager and that they are sorry but we have to go. So annoyed, wasted my time and money they haven't even phone with a apology

Hi

 

This topic help me a lot in developing my project. I will contribute more when I finished it.

Hey!,

I just passed my phone interview for Benefit today and have an audition next week!

Is there anything you can adivse? and also, how hard is the traffic stopping? Also, does only one person out of the group get given the one on one interview at the end or no?

thanks :)

I currently work for benefit in Manchester, and let me tell you, if your counter has a brow bar then you should do what you can to get on there. Before i was a brow expert i hated my job of traffic stopping all day and making no sales and getting shouted at. Since working on brows you build up your own clients, have appointments to attend to all day and are always busy (sometimes i run over with time) and so the day goes so much faster! You only have to traffic stop if you dont have a brow appointment which is unlikely because you get alot of walk ups.

My advice is to walk around the store not even traffic stopping and keep walking past your counter. everytime you walk round look out for any walkups and when there is one do your best to sit them down or link sell atleast. if someone comes knowing what they want and thats it, i grab it for them and say 'do you need a new mascara while your here? have you ever even heard of our mascara by the way?' and if they say no i act surprised and show them our 'theyre real' mascara and how its now the 'worlds number 1 top selling mascara' they always end up buying!

not only is working on brows better for less traffic stopping but your pay also goes up by £1 and you get £1 for every brow you do :) your target is only to sell a product to 50% of your customers that you have! so much better. On the makeup side, your targets are £390 a day and £1000 at christmas time! a day!

im more than happy to answer any questions even though this is an old thread :)