From nervous newcomer to super saleswoman
SHE is often known as the “Tupperware Lady”, the “Tupp-erware Queen” or occasionally the “Plastic Lady” but Maree Bray does not seem to mind.
“It makes me smile when I get called things like that,” she laughed.
Twenty-two years ago, Maree went to a Tupperware party held by her sister-in-law and that was where it all began for her.
“The lady who was hosting the party told us that she had cleared $1000 selling the product,” Maree said. “So I started thinking, ‘Maybe I could do something like this’. It was good for some extra money.”
This year Maree was listed as number four in personal sales of about 10,000 Tupperware dem-onstrators from across Australia and New Zealand.
She has also been number one in WA for quite a few years.
When she first put the idea of selling Tupperware to her mother, Mum was doubtful Maree would ever go through with it.
“Mum said ‘You’ll never do that’ so, of course, when mum says you can’t do something, I went and did it,” Maree laughed.
Maree set herself to sell, though she found it nerve-racking getting through her first demonstrations.
“I remember doing my first three parties sitting on the floor because I was so nervous.
“But most people are really good and so easy to get along with,” she said.
Her nerves subsided and after only 10 weeks of working as a Tupperware demonstrator, Maree was promoted to manager and given a company car. In her manager’s role, Maree has been to every Australian capital city, except Hobart and Darwin, and has been to Bali and New Zea-land for conferences.
“Tupperware is very family-orientated,” Maree said. “I can take my husband Kevin on my trips for work and one year we were able to take the kids with us. It takes up a lot of my time but I don’t see it as a job. We get a holiday and see places we maybe wouldn’t have seen.”
At certain times of the year, such as what is called Record Breaker Week, life can become a blur for Maree.
“During Record Breaker Week I usually sell about $26,000 worth of Tupperware and go to about 25 (Tupperware) parties.
“I’m not home much at that time and often Kevin is coming home from night shift and I’m getting up to go so we don’t see each other much. It can get hectic,” Maree said.
She travels thousands of kilometres and is currently hosting five or six demonstrations a week. “The demonstrations can be anywhere from Albany to Bindoon to the Wheatbelt.
“People like having me do their parties and sometimes offer me a bed at their place. I get a lot of repeat business,” she said.
But all the travel and hectic times are outweighed by the good times. “I love everything about it. You are your own boss, which is one of the biggest things that made me want to do it.
“I don’t need to ask for holidays when I want to go away,” she laughed. “Plus I meet lots of lovely people. I don’t think of it as a job, because I love it. If it ever becomes a job to me, then I won’t do it anymore.”
As she sells more products, Maree accumulates points which, after so many have been collected, can be used to purchase rewards.
“The rewards are great and they are based on your sales. I’ve had a necklace and lots of other jewellery, a camera and lots of linen. I also collect Lilliput Lane houses, which are little figurines of English cottages. I love them.”
After 22 years of hosting Tupperware demonstrations, Maree remains as much in love with her job as when she first began and has no plans of retiring any time soon.
“For us (family) it has been wonderful and I don’t know if I would ever step down completely,” she said. “The great thing about my job, is that I get to do parties for the elite as well as the mum with two kids who might not have much.
“When Kevin retires, I will give up managing but while I’m still well and can help people then I will continue.”