Getting Started - Ideas From Youravon.com Community - Growing Your Business

A Big Question - Ways to Get Started! (I confess I thought these were such great ideas that I "borrowed" this thread from youravon.com.)
I signed up just a couple days ago and I'm looking for advice on establishing a customer base. I have done several of the training courses online and have found them helpful. Now I'm simply looking to you, some of the more experienced reps, for advice on my next steps. I haven't placed any orders yet, but I do plan on ordering some brochures. That counts as my order for the current campaign, right?

Re: I'm new! What's my next step? Posted: You can order the brochures, which are business tools, and they will ship without charging you a shipping fee....your first 4 orders you will receive a better percentage on your sales, so try to get as many as you can....40 percent on most items, unless they have the diamond shape beside them, then you receive 20 percent. look to your family and friends to start out with, and ask for referrals, try to reach as many people as possible...you probably will want to order the what's new bags, these hold a brochure just great, and having a hole for hanging on door knobs. you can order them under business tools...just do your best, it takes some time to establish your customer base, and don't order too many samples, etc. until you get established, as this is your profit...take your books, to schools, day cares, church, businesses...and always follow up before your order is to go in...i usually tell my customers the day before my actual due date...make sure all of your info. is on your brochures...you go girl!!

Re: I'm new! What's my next step? Posted Welcome to Avon! If your district has meetings, I would try to attend them to learn more about Avon's products (especially the new ones) so that you can explain them to the customers you find. Also, these boards are really great for information and ideas. Somewhere on here, there is a list of 100 places to leave brochures which could give you some motivation to get out there.

Re: I'm new! What's my next step? Posted: There are Avon Reps leaving brochures in the places mentioned so I suggest you try face to face meeting and get to know your customers and vice versa. I was in a salon a few days ago and several Avon Reps brought in brochures to leave on the table. There must have been at least 50 on those tables but in a couple hours they were all gone! Well, I had to go through a back room to get to the restroom and I took a peek in the trashcan, there were all the Avon catalogs! When I was leaving, I got bold and asked why all the Avon brochures were in the trash, she said she would rather they not leave their brochures in her shop and pointed to a sign posted stating "No Independent Peddlers". So, lookout for those signs. Before I left, I offered her a brochure for her personal use. She called me yesterday and asked if I would go back to her and shop and pickup a few more orders she had from co-workers. Be yourself and don't get discouraged just be friendly and make new friends while giving away your brochures.

Re: I'm new! What's my next step? Posted: :   I am fairly new myself. I am on my 5th campaign. Aside from hitting up all my family members, friends, co-workers and neighbors I have had a lot of success with Facebook. I set up an account just for my Avon and advertise my business that way. I just have my name and Independent Avon Sales Rep. I went and requested every female I could find to be my friend (whether I know them or not) and have had several messages and comments asking for brochure's or how to shop my online store (you can also post your Avon link if you are a e-rep). At first I didn't think it was going to help much as I wasn't getting much attention from it, but the more people I requested to add to my friend list the more responses I got. I actually received a message from a girl this morning who was not on my friends list but had seen my profile from another persons friend list and sent me a message wanting a brochure. The great thing about that was when she told me who's friends list she seen my name on was a girl I don't even know. She was just one I requested without knowing who she was. I am slowly gaining more and more customers. I am picking up at least 1 to 2 new customers a campaign. I have not yet gotten out there and really tried to hand out books to random people or leave them at places yet, but I plan too soon. Good luck and I hope you enjoy selling, I know I do.

Re: I'm new! What's my next step? Posted:   Thank you everyone for the hints and tips. Since I am a stay at home mom, I have signed up to be an e-Rep and tips in that area are very encouraging! I think I "panicked" a little since I signed up right in the middle of a campaign.

Re: I'm new! What's my next step? Posted: If you decide to toss books, I suggest counting houses in the area you want to toss them to first. I started in the C23, so I'm pretty new to this too. I ordered about 150 brochures thinking that would be more than enough. I WAS WRONG! I only got one block tossing books and I ran out. I found that in my area an average there were 28 houses on each street. times that by 4 and it = no more books. I am trying to expand my Avon business, but how can I expand if I can't afford to buy tons and tons of brochures? So do a double count of the area so that you order the right amount, its better to buy extras than to run out. with the extras you can place them in salons, gas stations, anywhere that will let you display them. and ALWAYS carry a few around with you in your bag. I was shopping in Walmart last Saturday, and of all people, a Walmart EMPLOYEE came up to me and asked if I sold Avon, I said yes, He looked so relieved,he needed help shopping for Christmas presents for the ladies in his family(girlfriend,mom,sister,and his girlfriend's mom). but he had no idea what to get them.(men can be clueless when it comes to gift giving to women) I now have his order ready to submit. You never know what kind of person, where or when someone will ask for a brochure. ALWAYS be cheerful and Professional, there will always be one or two people who act nasty to you, but you must not react without thinking and let hurt feelings ruin your professional image. Say: "I am sorry you do not see the value of such a wonderful company that AVON is. If you change your mind, give me a call or email me if you like. I will be waiting to hear from you." Often times these people are just testing your faith in your business or they do not know much about AVON or what they do for the community through The AVON Foundation.

Re: I'm new! What's my next step? Posted: Start taking the Beauty of Knowledge courses!

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Re: I'm new! What's my next step? Posted:   Again, thanks for all the advice! I'm trying to post as much info as possible on my FaceBook right now to attempt to capitalize on the online side of things since I am a homemaker with only one car between the two of us and I am VERY pregnant right now (4 weeks left, give or take). I will continue to take the online training courses and checking out the forums. On a different note, I was VERY pleased to find out that I can use just about everything on the youravon.com site on my iPod Touch! This way I can be anywhere in my home with the kids and still monitor things!

Re: I'm new! What's my next step? Posted: I know a lot of people do book tossing, but I plan to print out a bunch of fliers with my phone number and website address and stick those on people's doors. I also plan to go to some salons and places like that and ask the employees if they would be interested in a book or two, but I'm not just going to leave a stack on the table. (ask permission first). I will leave word with the owners that if anyone would like a book to call me and will leave a flier with them. I read one story where a rep every campaign left books at at salon (a stack) and another Avon rep happened to be in the salon at the time getting her hair done. When the other rep leaving the books left the employee took the books and tossed them in the trash. The rep that was getting her hair done asked why she did that and the employee stated something to the effect that her store is not for solicitation and showed that there was a sign on the door. So, if you are going to toss books in places like that be sure to make sure there are no "no solicitation" signs hanging anywhere. I think the ending of the story though ended up being that the employee took a book from the rep getting her hair done just because she asked if she would like a book and didn't just walk in and ask if she could leave them. I will get some brochure's to leave on people's doors at their homes with a nice letter enclosed.

Re: I'm new! What's my next step? Posted Import your contact email list into your Avon web office. Send out the forwardable email that says your online store is open. Add a signature to all outgoing email so everyone you know, knows that you now sell Avon. Talk to everyone person you pass about Avon. Do the Power of 3"

Re: I'm new! What's my next step? Posted:  I was planning on "tossing books" with family and right here in my apartment complex. I have been doing everything I can think of on FaceBook except chatting with ladies who are online at the same time I am, tho that is likely to be my next step! Thanks for all the wonderful advice ladies! I love the homemade fliers idea as a way to save some money!

Re: I'm new! What's my next step? Posted  The LOOK BEAUTIFUL FOR LESS fliers are 10 for $1.00 and are very easy to carry around. You can get 100 for $10. You can try that to start and give the regular brochures to your customers. Put a sticker on the fliers asking them to contact you for full size brochure. Another thing about the fliers is they are good for more than one campaign. Another plus for the budget conscious.