Avon

[kaitsilva]

About a month ago, I started selling Avon as a way to make a little extra! It's actually been a fun experience so far, as there are more people interested in it than I expected!    Still, I'm worried about the post-holiday slowdown. 

Has anyone here sold Avon in the past? Do you have any good tips for keeping your business fresh?

I already have an online store set up so that friends and family outside my local area can order from me, which has helped a little. But I don't live in a neighborhood where I can just toss out extra brochures to try to entice people to order-- I wouldn't pin anyone around here as reliable for payment or the like. So I'm trying to think of some other good ways to keep things going! Let me know if you have any tips!

[acurtsinger2]

there are die hard avon fans, who will buy whether its a holiday or not.  i love avon nail polish, it is the best, but there is no reliable rep around me, i always lose contact, so i think you'll do good no matter what time of year it is

[kqa]

I've sold it several times.  The best thing you can do is go to businesses.  If they don't already have a rep, they will DEFINITELY buy from you.  Avon is tried and true and they have great brochures that are enticing. 

[LenoraMinogue]

One of my friends used to sell Avon. There were definitely times where business slumped, like when the holidays were over. She managed to get some regulars though and still earned cash throughout the year.

[vmcutshall]

Avon is the only makeup that I will wear besides Mary kay.

[kaitsilva]

Thanks for giving me some hope! I'll try to leave some stuff around the small businesses that I tend go to somewhat regularly and see where that gets me!

Acurtsinger2, if you don't have a rep, you can go on the Avon website and search for reps in your local area. When you check out, there should be an option to receive delivery from the rep and that way you won't have to pay shipping    I probably should try to sell myself here but chances are you'd have to pay shipping that way and I'm just not the person to try and convince someone to do that hahaha

[jpastran]

About a month ago, I started selling Avon as a way to make a little extra! It's actually been a fun experience so far, as there are more people interested in it than I expected!    Still, I'm worried about the post-holiday slowdown. 

Has anyone here sold Avon in the past? Do you have any good tips for keeping your business fresh?

I already have an online store set up so that friends and family outside my local area can order from me, which has helped a little. But I don't live in a neighborhood where I can just toss out extra brochures to try to entice people to order-- I wouldn't pin anyone around here as reliable for payment or the like. So I'm trying to think of some other good ways to keep things going! Let me know if you have any tips!

there are die hard avon fans, who will buy whether its a holiday or not.  i love avon nail polish, it is the best, but there is no reliable rep around me, i always lose contact, so i think you'll do good no matter what time of year it is

As stated by this person, I love AVON products but I also do not have a reliable AVON rep around my area which sucks!! 

[sherryinutah]

If I was selling Avon I would probably create listings on eBay and I would figure out a way to offer free shipping.

One way to keep things fresh is to promote certain products at certain times.  Promote mens and womens fragrances around before Valentines Day, Mothers Day and Fathers Day.

Also, you can promote the Avon Skin So Soft product during mosquito season because it's a great repellent.  Good luck with your business!

 

[kaitsilva]

There are free shipping options for people who order online, which is nice! For example, Avon is offering free standard shipping throughout the holidays with the code KRINGLE! I would give my site info to anyone who said they don't have a good Avon rep but that would be breaking forum rules  I think anyone can message me if they're interested and I can put the link in there, though.

As for the people I deliver to in person, I've been trying to do some little incentives like chapsticks, lotion, bubble bath, etc. with their orders.

Sherry, I didn't realize Skin So Soft works as a repellent, so thanks for the tip! 

[greetcake]

One thing I would say to you from years of experience is:  Think really hard about your delivering system because gas is really high and you really don't make that much of a substantial profit on a persons order.  What I was finding and what really caused me to rethink Avon is that most of the money I was making, I was putting into my gas tank and delivering product all over town on everyones different schedules.  That is not good business management.  You need to have either a central location for a scheduled pickup, for example, say you will be at Wal-mart parking lot from 9-11 am on Saturday morning and customers can come pick there stuff up.  If these times and locations are not convenient for a few customers, then work with them.  However, if a majority of your customers can do that, imagine all the gas and frustration of working on their schedules you can save.  Some will also come to your home or to a nearby location for their stuff which is great.  Set your self up for success.  I have a gift baskets business and one of the things I do especially around the holidays is find a candy, for example, it's Christmas season, so I buy big candy canes and use twisty ties to secure my hole-punched business card to.  Then you can hand them out wherever you go.  You Avon website should be on your card so this will be good because a lot of people prefer to shop online this days because it is more convenient and its hard to trust people in your houses or even to meet people at locations.  People are not as innocent as they use to be so you have to protect yourself.  I learned this when selling insurance and having to go into people's homes that I did not know and they did not know me.  We have got to think like the other people in order to increase loyalty and customer retention.  So, if you give me a candy cane and a business card, I don't care what you are selling, curiousity is going to make me visit your website whether I buy or not.  Avon usually offers free shipping throughout certain times of the year and people can always google for a free ship or discounted code.  There is usually one available.  Those catalogs can also get expensive so I do not suggest you buy too many of those unless you have family or friends that work in an office or a hospital that are willing to take a few of them to work with them to help you out.  Tossing is good, but more books end up in the trash than those used.  Also, you will have to toss the same house more than likely for a few months to prove that you are dedicated and not going to go away.  Avon reps often get good customers then disappear and that frustrates the customers so trusting the next Avon rep to stay loyal is not going to be that acceptable to many.  I hope this helps a little.  Good luck to you and always ask others to join the business (put this on each and every book and business card)  that's where the money comes in.

[vmcutshall]

I prefer Avon or Mary Kay makeup because it is better quality.