Where’s the Recording?!

Hmmmm...

A common question we see on various SMU Channels, SMU Support Tickets, and even some select WhatsApp group is; “Where’s the recording of X meeting? I can’t find it on SMU!” 

Well, we’re here to help answer that question. At least to the best of our abilities. You see, each recording might not make it to SMU for various reasons. It can range from the hosts’ internet connection is a bit slow, and they’re having issues uploading it, to maybe it was a 3-hour meeting and had to be processed before it can fit onto SMU. (Remember, while SMU doesn’t have a storage limit, we have file size limits of 950MB. A 3-hour ZOOM call can easily be over 3,000MB) Now, while those are genuine reasons why recordings might be missing on SMU, at least for a short while, we wanted to highlight a growing issue with meetings not available to SMU. 

Not Compliant

Yep. It’s real. And it’s becoming a real problem. 

Now, we know you’ve heard it before, and you’re most likely going to hear it again. Still, when speaking during Saladmaster events or on behalf of Saladmaster (like on a Virtual/In-Person cooking show), you must remain compliant throughout the entire event. Before we go any further, we’ve heard all of the excuses…

What’s wrong with fudging the truth just a bit of it helps make some sales? 

I have commitments to make, and I’ve seen other larger Dealerships/Leaders do it!

What’s the big deal? Who’s going to find out?

I knew someone who had terrible health conditions that got better, so we can say that on a show.

My Dealer/Leader makes a lot in Sales; it’s not false to say to new recruits that they can drive a Lambo one day. 

Yes, we have heard these excuses from Associates up the leadership chain of Saladmaster. Are they acceptable, even from a Dealer/Sales Leader? Nope. It’s not. Unsabstaincated claims are a growing concern that can quickly send you down an avoidable path that could harm more than just your Dealership. Agencies like the FTC, CFPB, FDA, and even FCC in the United States alone take protecting consumers from false or misrepresentative claims seriously, and they won’t stop at Saladmaster corporate. It sounds kinda scary, but as we mentioned before, this is all avoidable. 

What can I do?

A lot. Take a look at your presentation and presentation by others. When you’re discussing features, benefits, or even your Saladmaster journey, are you being entirely truthful? Do you have details to back up your claims that everyone can clearly understand? When discussing your path to become a top-performing Consultant, Distributor, Dealer, Sales Leader, etc. are you making sure to include how much time and work you’ve put into your success? Are you highlighting the realistic aspects as well, that you can only play hard by working hard? You’ve done well, so when you’re showcasing the steps you’ve taken to get there, don’t shy away from the true commitment it took to reach your levels of success. 

What about health claims? I see so many others do it.

While it’s easy to use a 3rd party story to close a sale, is it worth the risk of misleading your host if you do not know the proper rules for sharing a 3rd part story? When making any claim, think of it in a way that someone is making a presentation to your loved one. They might suffer from some health trouble, and during the presentation, they might offer some hope that investing in their product will be the cure they’ve been looking for. (While not disclosing other steps that need to be taken to see positive results or that not every customer sees the same results.) How would you feel? Would you be upset if your loved one invested without knowing all of the details only to feel mislead weeks or months down the road when nothing changed in their life? 

Listen, there are so many positive aspects about the opportunity and cookware that we could be here all day, but all of these conversations can still remain compliant. Be the bastion of truth and excellence within your Dealership. Show others that you can be successful while staying genuine and do it with integrity. If you worked your butt off, there is no shame in sharing the stories of sweat and disappointment. That didn’t stop you from finding success, so why gloss over it? 

So, how in the world does this relate to where you can find the recordings? 

To put it simply, the SMU Team focuses on Saladmaster being a brand known for many things, but very importantly, we want it to be recognized for our Trust & Integrity. To help, we’ve worked with various partners to create guidelines for speakers, and we’ve taken a stance on not uploading recordings of meetings that do not remain compliant. Yes, that really sucks. The speaker could have been very motivating and exciting to watch, but we cannot support it if it’s not compliant. 

Think of it this way. If you were to mirror a speaker or host that made claims that you ended up getting in trouble with the FTC over, do you have the ability to survive a long court battle? The person you’re mirroring might, but we can’t say the same for everyone who watches these recordings. We’re not trying to be cruel. We’re trying to help. 

Do you have a list of recordings not available on SMU? 

For 2021? Yep!

• I.C.E. (February 8th)
• I.C.E. (February 10th)
• Business Talk Show (February 11th) 
• I.C.E. (February 17th)
• I.C.E. (February 19th)
• I.C.E. (March 1st)
• I.C.E. (March 3rd)

Please, please please. Do yourself, your team, and us a favor. Remain complaint. 

Happy Learning,

SMU Team