Day 105 - In the life of an Avon Representative

Wow, 100 days has passed as an Avon Rep and Life is Good!

At the beginning it was sold to me that -"Avon is the company for women by women" and that "your life will change for the better if you want it to".

I can honestly say BOTH statements have proven to be true!

I was getting a bit fed up with job hunting and not getting out much. Since starting with Avon I am out and about all the time (well often). My self esteem has returned, confidence to talk to people and feel worthy again... I am busier and happier than I have been for a while.

In my Avon journey I have met some really nice people, made some new friends and I even decided to make a go of Sales Leadership too - which is almost like creating a new "proper" job for myself - if I work at it, and take the training given, I won't need to go back to job hunting - that will actually be a full time salary!

I started with Avon, hoping to earn a bit if extra money - but it has actually given me do much more than that in other areas of my life... Emotional well being is on the up... Financial security will follow!

Great journey with Avon so far - customer list is still growing every month a this Campaigns sales were over £700!

Day 99 - A few days off

Yep, a few days off of being an AVON Representative.  I like to take that time between making my order and the goods arriving to step back and do other stuff. When I am not "being a Rep" though, I usually have my best ideas of how to "be a better Rep!" lol!

This week I've been ploughing into being an AVON Sales Leader (recruiting some new members etc), doing a bit of Ebay and, most importantly, it is my beautiful daughter's 11th birthday tomorrow - so I have had plenty of stuff to do.

Tomorrow, my Princess will be celebrating her 11th and I will be celebrating 100 days as an AVON Rep!  The huge chocolate cake will be strictly off limits for me, as I am still trying to squeeze into my favourite Armani jeans (amongst other things that have come down from the loft and fitted perfectly last summer!).

Day 98 - Check your books carefully

It's the end of Campaign 8 for my area 484 today - therefore also the end of back-ordering from Campaign 7.

This coincides with my paper and cardboard recycling collection tomorrow, so I thought I would throw out the Campaign 7 brochures tonight.... I took them out if the brochure bags and slipped out the order forms (bags and order forms that looked like they could be re-used can be saved), and the brochures would be ready to put with the 15" pizza box from the weekend and other such recycling...

And lo and behold, folded neatly between the pages were two orders that I had missed, totaling £12 - both from new customers!! Thank goodness I had rechecked!

Day 97 - £100 text orders whilst ironing!

This morning I sat in bed and sent a quick text to my regular customers who hadn't yet ordered for this campaign:

"Hi - AVON Calling! Just a little reminder to take your brochure out in the sunshine and text me your order later today if possible (or let me know if you want to order and I can hang in until tomorrow absolute latest) Thank you! Yvonne x"

Then I forgot all about it until tonight... Whilst I was ironing I received a couple of text orders which totalled just over £100 for the two of them.

I am sure I would not have got these orders without reminding my busy ladies to have a look at the brochure....

Every little helps! Another reminder that what you put in will be what you get out!

Day 92 - How to do AVON Returns

So what do you do when a customer orders a load of stuff then messes you around with their payment? Or if they don't like what they have bought and want to return it...

Answer is simple - don't panic and don't be out of pocket.

This is going to happen from time to time - hopefully not too often. Give the customer some chance to pay, and if they don't come up with the money, politely let them know that you have to pay AVON, so you will have to return the goods.

If they don't like the items, remember AVON has a 90 day money back guarantee (even if it has been used) so you must happily take the items back, perhaps even suggest a better one for the next order!?

Here is what to do with the products and how to send them back hassle free...

Day 91 - The New Look AVON Brochure Widget

Check out my new AVON eBrochure!:

Hi Everyone!

Here's a sneak peak at some of the latest products available in my Avon eBrochure.
Linked VIA the FAB new AVON Brochure Widget

Be sure to click

Day 91 - Extra Deliveries of Missing Items

Today I've combined delivering the extra missing items (or leaving calling cards for the customers to call me) with picking up the odd stranded random brochures that people have left out early or late - picked up 2 extra orders and quite a few brochures (enough to canvas another whole street).

Day 90 - Using AVON Nail enamel

One of the good selling tips as an AVON Representative is to use the products yourself - I love my AVON Nails... Today I've done coloured tips....
Base coat of TEAL Speed Dry
Use Sellotape to cover your nails and leave just the tips
Paint towards the end of the nail with your chosen colours
I used: Speed Dry Suddenly Sunny, Colourtrend Bikini and Colourtrend Mint Ice
Wait until they're dry - carefully peel back the Sellotape and fix with a clear top coat

Day 89 - Reliability & Persistance

The two top factors to being a good AVON Rep are be RELIABLE, go back for the brochures when you say you will, go back again, don't leave them hanging around - it looks really bad if you don't bother to go back for your brochures. The Customers like it if you are regular and reliable. When they call me, I respond. When they text me, I respond. I simply do what I say I will, when I say I will.

And persistance to get my brochures back, this gets me around to more houses each time than before. If the brochure isn't out when I have said I will return, I leave them a lovely note (see earlier posts for the AVON Calling example). If it still isn't left out, I will sometimes knock and ask for it back. I get back around 80%+ of my brochures using this method. After a few times of leaving the note, I find that customers get more into the habit of leaving out the book on the right day anyway.

So that's my best tips: Reliability and Persistance.

Day 87 - AVON for everyone

Yes, even the kitten LOVES doing AVON - coming on my round and helping to sort out the customer's orders, sitting on the books - though her absolute favourite is playing in and sleeping in the boxes - see the picture...

Day 87 - More Missing Products arrive

YES - you heard correctly it's coming in dribs and drabs - another box of missing bits and STILL awaiting a few more! lol

Day 86 - Missing Products arrive

Received at least half of the products that were missing from the main Campaign 7 order. - actually quite lucky that I answered the door as it was early and I was just about managing to incorporate that doorbell noise into my dream when I suddenly jumped with a start and thought - Aaah no, that REALLY is the doorbell! lol - so some of the bits arrived, I called AVON who said they are coming in two boxes - but I got them to list what would be arriving in the second box and they had still managed to miss out ALL the nail decoration tools (8 in total) and two mascaras - Lesson from this is: Always ALWAYS check and DOUBLE CHECK the orders and what AVON say they will send, chase them and re-chase them if necessary!

Day 85 - What code do I use to redirect my POB?

I have had a few people ask me how they can redirect their POB.

First you are going to need a bit of webspace. Look online for a free domain, a free forwarding domain or buy a website very cheaply if you want your own personal domain space.

There are two main ways - one is on the hosting provider search for "Forward my Domain" - and there will be somewhere that you can enter that long POB address to do just that.

What I think is a LOT nicer is to have a small page that introduces you first, then sends you the brochure. The pages are written in HTML - you can google all the important stuff about this or just find a page that has been made for you.

Then, you want to add this line of code in the head of the page:

The number "5" determins how many seconds it will stay for and the URL is the long long link that AVON have given us for our online brochures.

I hope this helps some people who have asked.

Mine is up at: www.essex-reps.com/yvonne where you can see what I mean about having a page that stays for 5 seconds...

Day 84 - My Personal Online AVON Brochure

POB = AVON's Personal Online Brochure

I had already put mine up at: www.essex-reps.com/pob

Then I thought - it doesn't sound very personal - especially to my customers who perhaps don't realise what a POB is... So I have it there and also have it at:
www.essex-reps.com/yvonne

I think the second one sounds a bit more personal, though until I decide, I think I will keep both!!

If YOU decide to join Essex Reps as an AVON Representative - you will be given a free URL with your own name on the end - another great reason to join AVON with Essex-Reps.

Day 82 - www.essex-reps.com/POB

My online brochure is up in a nice short concise URL at: www.essex-reps.com/pob.

All ready for the new brochure 10, where we will be able to write the URL on the back of the brochure - this will fit nicely into that tiny box!!

Day 81 - Campaign 7 Customer Deliveries Begin...

8:10am - Delivery Driver Knocks with Boxes and Brochures

9:00am - Leisurely sorting out Customer Orders with coffee and daughter helping with her Easter Eggs and Kids TV...

Day 79 - Customer Loyalty Cards

A fab day of art and craft with my daughter during half term has resulted in a highly motivated project making Brilliant Customer Loyalty Cards for my AVON.

It was actually my ten year old who said she would love to make them, she took me to the local craft shop where we spent a couple of pounds on a nice stamp, silver ink and some beautiful bright pink card.

She designed the front and back covers on her laptop, I worked out ten squares for inside, used her carefully written wording and there we have the finished results.... Our very own AVON Loyalty Cards.

Day 78 - A week off!! Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!! Had a fab week off and still got my huge 40 customer order in on time!

My area order should be delivered on Friday this week, so I will probably start getting my prepared Campaign 8 brochures out and the old Campaign 7 brochures out to a back order street too....

All set and ready to get back into it :)