Working Women
Research Project
The complete plug-and-play consultant system. No recruiting experience required.
The System at a Glance
Make Your List
Start with existing clients and follow-up system.
Send the Exact Ask
Use the invitation word for word.
Book the Call
Send your 20-minute Calendly link.
Print the Screener
Use the standardized research questions.
Ask to Record
Get clear permission before recording.
Run the Call
Ask. Listen. Do not pitch.
Save the Conversation
Keep the recording or transcript.
Analyze It
Use ChatGPT or send it to Sara.
Get the Roadmap
Fit score, timing, exact next text and first lane.
Follow the Recommendation
Use her actual words, not a generic script.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Literally make a list of every woman in your client base. Then add the women already sitting in your follow-up system: brides, skin analysis clients, color clients, recent clients, past clients and women you are already serving.
These should be women who already know you, love you and trust you. This is not a cold-message focus group.
Do not pre-qualify them. Do not decide “She would never do Mary Kay.” You are asking for feedback. Let her decide whether she wants to help.
Your first goal is 15–20 conversations.
- Name and relationship to you
- Invitation sent
- Booked
- Call completed
- Recording or transcript saved
- Analysis completed
- Follow-up date
- Question 13 answer: YES / MAYBE / NO
This is the ask that has worked. Use it word for word. Do not add side-income language. Do not add a Mary Kay disclaimer. Do not add an incentive.
Hey! Random question. I’m doing a little research project around women, work, money, flexibility and what women actually want at different stages of life.
You came to mind because I genuinely think you’d give me good, honest feedback and won’t hold anything back.
Would you be willing to hop on a quick 20-minute phone call with me? It’s just 12 straightforward questions and I really want honest answers, even if they’re blunt. Can I shoot over the link to find 20 mins?
Amazing! Thank you. Here’s the link. Just grab any 20-minute time that works for you. I seriously want the blunt answers, so don’t overthink anything.
[PASTE YOUR CALENDLY LINK]
I’m trying to understand how women actually think about work, money, flexibility and business today instead of assuming I know. I’m asking everyone the same questions because I want to see what patterns come up. There are no right answers. I genuinely want the blunt reactions too.
No worries at all! I appreciate you answering me.
Create one simple 20-minute booking link so you do not spend time texting back and forth about availability.
- Event name: Working Women Research Appointment
- Length: 20 minutes
- Location: Phone call
- Availability: Only times you can genuinely protect for the conversation
A quick 20-minute research conversation about women, work, money, flexibility and what women actually want at different stages of life. There are no right answers and nothing to prepare.
You’re booked! Nothing to prepare. I want your first, honest reaction, so don’t overthink the questions. Blunt is completely welcome.
Print one screener for every woman booked. Put her name or participant number at the top and complete the demographic section.
Ask the standardized questions in the exact order written. The core questions do not change. You may ask natural probes such as “Tell me more,” “What makes you say that?” or “What about that bothers you?” Do not debate her answer or explain why Mary Kay is different.
Download and print the screener from the Screener tab above.
Recording helps preserve her exact words. Always get clear permission before recording.
Before we start, I’m recording these research conversations so I can accurately review the answers later and not rely on my chicken scratch notes. Is that okay with you?
If she says yes, record. If she says no, do not record. Take notes on the printed screener.
Thank you for doing this. I really am researching this. I’m not going to turn around at the end and ask you to join something. I’ve been in business for more than 20 years, and I think there’s a disconnect between how women my age talk about flexible work and side income and how women actually hear it today.
I want the truth. You are not going to offend me. The things that make you immediately say “absolutely not” are probably more helpful to me than the things you like.
Then use the printed screener. Your job is to ask and listen.
- If she says “Side hustle sounds like a second job,” do not correct her. Say “Tell me more about that.”
- If she says “Community sounds like marketing,” do not defend your unit. Ask the follow-up question.
- If she says something that sounds like Mary Kay could solve her exact problem, write it down and keep going. Do not turn the research call into a pitch.
Okay, last research question, and I want you to answer this very literally. Based on everything we’ve talked about today, are you personally open to having a separate conversation at some point about whether one of these options could fit your life? Not committing. Not joining. Just actually looking at it for yourself.
Would you say yes, maybe, or honestly no?
Mark YES / MAYBE / NO. Then ask:
What made you choose that answer?
This was incredibly helpful. I’m talking to a group of women because I want to see what patterns come up instead of assuming I know what people want. Once I’m done, would you want to hear what I found?
Immediately after the call, make sure the recording saved. Complete the post-call coding on the screener while the conversation is fresh.
Upload the audio recording if your ChatGPT app supports it, or paste/upload the transcript. Use the participant number instead of a full name when practical. Then paste the exact prompt below.
I conducted a Working Women Research conversation using a standardized research screener. I am providing the transcript or recording.
Analyze this woman based ONLY on what she actually said. Do not use generic direct sales or recruiting advice. Do not invent motivations that are not supported by the conversation.
Tell me:
1. Her primary motivation around work or additional income.
2. Her biggest perceived risk.
3. Her strongest emotional or practical objection.
4. The exact words or phrases she used that I should remember.
5. Whether she appears CLOSED, CURIOUS, OPEN or HIGHLY OPEN to a separate conversation about the Mary Kay business.
6. Give her an Opportunity Fit Score from 1–10 and explain the score.
7. Tell me whether I should follow up within 24–48 hours, within 3–5 days, after I report the research findings, or not at all.
8. Write the exact text message I should send her next in natural conversational language. It should sound like a real person, not a corporate recruiter or a generic ChatGPT script.
9. Tell me what NOT to say to this specific woman based on her answers.
10. If she agrees to a separate business conversation, tell me which Mary Kay lane I should explain FIRST: Personal Product Benefits, Extra Money Here and There, or Scalable Business Building.
11. Tell me the 2–3 specific parts of the Mary Kay business I should connect to her own words if she chooses to have a separate conversation.
12. Tell me whether there is any reason I should leave the business conversation alone and simply continue serving her as a client.
Important: The research conversation was NOT a recruiting appointment. Do not recommend deceptive follow-up, bait-and-switch tactics, fake urgency, pressure, or language that violates the promise made during the research call. The goal is an appropriate, personalized next step based on her own words.
If you do not want to analyze it yourself, send Sara the recording or transcript, the participant number and the completed screener.
Research call complete. Participant ___ marked YES / MAYBE / NO. Can you analyze this for fit score, timing and exact follow-up language?
Send the actual recording or transcript whenever possible. Her words are the data.
Closed
Little personal relevance or a clear no.
Serve her well. Leave the business conversation alone.
Curious
Something caught her attention, but hesitation is stronger.
Follow the recommended timing. Keep it light and specific.
Open
She sees personal relevance and is willing to look.
Invite a separate conversation using her own stated reasons.
Highly Open
Strong relevance, self-identified openness and multiple fit signals.
Follow up promptly and schedule the separate conversation.
You just spent 20 minutes learning how she thinks. Do not throw that away and send a generic recruiting message. Use the recommended timing. Use the personalized text.
Perfect. And just so we’re clear, this is separate from the research call. I can show you the part that actually connects to what you told me, give you the good, bad and ugly, and you can decide if it fits or doesn’t. Either answer is completely fine. When works?
Start with the lane the analysis recommends. Do not dump all of Mary Kay on her.
What Not to Do
- Do not cold message strangers for this project.
- Do not invite only women you already decided are recruiting prospects.
- Do not rewrite the ask script into traditional Mary Kay language.
- Do not add an incentive or coffee gift card.
- Do not promise research and then pitch during the call.
- Do not defend Mary Kay when she says something negative.
- Do not tell her why her perception is wrong.
- Do not use the openness question as a close.
- Do not send every participant the same follow-up text.
- Do not ignore a no because the fit score is high.
- Do not decide silence means she needs more follow-up.
Final Checklist
- I made my client and follow-up list.
- I sent the exact ask script.
- I sent my 20-minute Calendly link after she said yes.
- I printed the standardized screener.
- I asked permission before recording.
- I asked the questions in the exact order.
- I marked YES / MAYBE / NO and asked why.
- I ended the research call without pitching.
- I saved the recording or transcript.
- I used the exact ChatGPT analysis prompt or sent the conversation to Sara.
- I reviewed the fit score, timing, exact next text, what not to say and first lane.
- I followed the recommended next step.
Participant Information
Opening
Thank you for doing this. I really am researching this. I’m not going to turn around at the end and ask you to join something. I’ve been in business for more than 20 years, and I think there’s a disconnect between how women my age talk about flexible work and side income and how women actually hear it today.
I want the truth. You are not going to offend me. The things that make you immediately say “absolutely not” are probably more helpful to me than the things you like.
Research Questions
Close
This was incredibly helpful. I’m talking to a group of women because I want to see what patterns come up instead of assuming I know what people want. Once I’m done, would you want to hear what I found?
Post-Call Coding
- Her exact reason for Question 13 answer:
- Exact phrases I do not want to forget:
- Primary money / work motivation I heard:
- Biggest perceived risk or concern:
- Words or concepts that turned her off:
- Words or concepts that made her curious:
- Three-Lane first reaction: Personal Product Benefits / Extra Money Here and There / Scalable Business Building