Are Goodie Bags For Events A Good Idea?

Many of us "do" events, maybe a church or school fair, a town festival, but there are some, in malls and very high traffic venues, that - although they sound great to do - are just outside of your spending range.  Many of these larger events offer a cheaper option. Instead of having a booth and being physically present, they do "goodie bags" and offer spots in them for maybe $50 for 200 bags.  You are then allowed to provide materials that they will put in the bags and hand out to attendees at the event. Is this a good idea?

I have done this in the past, and I think they are a great way to canvass for new business but I say - "be WELL PREPARED!"

For those worried about losing their investment, it is never a loss. It is a tax-deductible business expense.

I say "be well prepared", what do I mean?

For starters, you will need to order as many extra brochures as you plan to hand out.  I would then also print out mini-flyers with your e-rep site on, a discount code if we have a valid one at that time, the message that free shipping is on all orders over $40, plus info about joining AVON under you. If you have a Facebook/Google business page or group, make sure that is on there too! Or a blog address if you have oone.

You can usually get 4 mini-flyers to a sheet and then cut them to separate. Staple these somewhere in your brochure but not over anything important!

Now, you'll have heard other reps talk about "stuffing" books, and this is a good time to do that! 

Order some samples, 2 or 3 at least for each brochure, and staple those on the pages of the relevant products. 

Again, 4 to a page, make up mini-flyers of a survey - name, address, telephone, email, then 3 questions, would you like to receive brochures regularly? Would you like information about joining AVON to get a discount on your own purchases? Are there any products you would like to receive samples of?

Make sure your email and phone number is on it and mention that people can text/email the info to you and that one lucky person will receive a free gift from you (use random.org to draw from the names).

Use coloured sticky note type tabs through the brochure to make your own offers for PERSONAL customers - it's so hard to try to do this using only your e-rep site.  Maybe on eye make up, buy 3 get 1 free (cheapest product is free), or similar with Footworks, Senses, etc.

Doing this makes for a brochure that has EVERYTHING in it that you'd want to be talking about if you were actually present at the event.

You can also pop in a notelet saying something like "Hi, I'm Susie and I'd love to be your AVON lady. If you have any questions whatsoever, just call or text me at ***-***-**** and I'll be happy to help".

Good luck!  And here's to profitable "goodie bags"!

#AVONtraining #AVONbusinessbuilding #AVONRep

AVON Parties

Many AVON reps have found that parties provide an easy access to new customers, and to higher sales. 

Lisa Monoson did the above video of an info book which used to be on youravon.com in the AVON University as a pdf, but which I have been unable to find.  I DID, however, find a slideshare of the documents, so that is here :
https://www.slideshare.net/brouleau/avon-home-party-plan

You could choose to print out individual slides or use the original as an idea template to make your own lists, invites etc

A Step By Step Approach

Step 1 Prepare

Decide on the date and time you want your Avon Home Party to take place.

Choose the products you would like to display and order them in advance.

Identify a theme or key focus. Examples are Gifts; Skincare; Color; or you can do what we call "handcials" or foot pampering "spas".

Make sure you actually showcase or demonstrate your key focus products. Products you are not demonstrating are left on the display for your guests to see.

Make a list of who you will be inviting.

Send out invitations 1 or 2 weeks in advance of your party

Step 2 Materials

Make a list of the materials you need to support you.  For example: a  display table, order pads, pencils, tissues, mirrors, cotton balls, brochures, recruiting flyers, etc.

It is always a good idea to provide refreshments: these can be as simple as cookies and juice to as "fun" as wine and savoury snacks.

Create a sign in sheet

Step 3 The Avon Home Party

On the day of the event be prepared ahead of time, relax and have fun.

Set up your key product focus display. This is where you will display the items in your kit.
(I poster, 2 assortments of eye shadow samples, 2 assortments of lipstick samples and 1 each of the foundation samples. Adding full size products enhance the display)

Consider any complementary products you wish to display.

Set up your refreshment area.

Have your customer order pads and sign up sheet readily available. 
Step 4 Follow up

Decide now on your course of follow-up after the party. Use the sign up sheet to capture the name, number and address of each guest. This will allow you to follow-up with a thank you card and offer continued or new service. This is a great way to gain new customers and grow your business.

Offer your Hostess a special deal. For example, your Hostess could receive:

30% of what is sold at the party in FREE merchandise of their choice.

You still profit greatly from this and increase your sales.

For example…$500 Total party sales x 30% = $150 in Free Merchandise (Customer Price)

If your earnings level is 40% or greater, then this offer costs you just $60.

Your net earnings on the $500 Party is at least $140—nice profit for a few hours work!

When someone has a party for you, you want to encourage them to get one of their guests to book a party that day. Perhaps anyone who books a party not only gets 30% of their purchase in FREE merchandise, or they can purchase five items at a 40% discount. You decide. Keep in mind if she selects a fixed earnings product you can only give her 20% off. If the hostess has someone book a party let her choose an additionally five products at the 40% discount, making a total of ten!

Everybody loves games! Not only do they break the ice, but they make a party more fun and less of what seems like a sell, sell, sell situation.

What games to play?  Here are some ideas from successful reps:

Always a great start - BINGO!  Use this visual for your online parties, and make up and print out your own, for in-home parties.

Guest Drawing - 

Make sure that each guest fills out a card with their name, address and phone number so that you can follow up with them after the party. Draw a winner from the cards.

Secret Messages - 

Have just enough envelopes to give one to each guest. Put a slip of paper in each one, saying any of the following
10% off today's AVON purchase
FREE GIFT (have a supply of handcreams/lip balms for this)
Thank you for coming today!
20% off today's AVON purchase
Earn 30% of the total AVON purchases when you collect at least 5 orders from family and friends 

Each guest selects an envelope and tells you what it is

The Name Game - 

You'll need a timer for this and will set it for 3 minutes.
Give each guest a pen or pencil and paper. Ask them to write down the names and telephone numbers of as many women that they know, who are not at the party.

The winner is the one with the most names and phone numbers on their list.

Catalog Shopper -

Give each guest a current brochure. Give clues as to a product and have the guests locate them in the brochure. The person with the most correct, wins.

AVON Product Trivia -

This tests the guests knowledge of AVON and our products.
Ask questions such as:
What is AVON's mosquito repellent called? (Bug Guard)
Who was the first AVON lady? (Mrs Albee)
What is AVON's top selling product (lipstick)
What was the original name of AVON? (The California Perfume Company)
What year did AVON start? (1886)
What is AVON's Bath Oil called? (Skin So Soft)

Again, the person with the most correct, wins.


Parties are fun and profitable, and the first step to a good party is finding a hostess.

In your guest "welcome package" add a flyer for each guest, about becoming a hostess, themself.

Here is an example:

Dear Friend:

Open your house to your family and friends this year with an Avon Home Party. An Avon Home Party is a great way to introduce Avon products to people you know. Your friends will see items that are marketed by the world's #1 Beauty Company, and all backed by our 100% Guarantee.

Our products for the entire family line including fragrances, jewelry, color cosmetics, breakthrough technologies in skin and hair care, and holiday gift-giving!

Many people enjoy the convenience of shopping at home, especially during this busy time of year. Hosting an Avon Home Party in your home enables you to receive personal attention from a friendly, knowledgeable, Avon Representative.

Not only will you have the opportunity to see and touch Avon products in your home, as hostess you can earn your choice of Avon products, or special discounts.

What you can earn when you host an Avon Home Party 

Sales Total:	Merchandise	Total
$100	$30	$40
$200	$60	$65
$300	$90	$100
$400	$120	$130
$500	$150	$150
$600	$180	$200

What a great way for you to do your holiday shopping. Choose your Home Party date today. Too busy to schedule an Home Party, show brochures to your family and friends and receive the similar benefits. For more information contact:

Your Name Here
Independent Avon Sales Representative
Your Phone Here 

All of the above ideas have been gleaned from other reps. There is a lot of information from others, online. Just make sure and check that all the info you read is current, and that it pertains to the USA.  You may see some places that refer to a special kit for home parties. AVON USA does not currently have one, but you can make up your own and get a roll around case to take it with you.

I hope this info helps those of you who are thinking of incorporating home parties into your business.

#AVONtraining #AVONbusinessbuilding #AVONRep #AVONParties

Using AVON Baskets To Grow Your Business

Some of AVON's successful reps have built their businesses around gift baskets, and are more than willing to share their expertise with other reps. One of my favourite basketeers is Milagros Garcia.

Here is her video about making Father's Day baskets. You can subscribe to her channel and go through all the basket making videos she has made, as she does them for all holidays and seasons.

Baskets do not need to be elaborate, to sell. You can buy containers, baskets, mugs and such, to make up your offerings, from local dollar stores.

Here is her video about making basic baskets

Another idea that she has is making gift assortments on plates:

You can see why I love Milagros! She has so many great videos out there to help you master the craft of making and selling gift baskets of your AVON products.

Have fun making your baskets!

#AVONtraining #AVONbusinessbuilding #AVONRep #AVONBaskets

AVON New Representative Training 2

New Representative Training 2

From the beginning, the key to growing your business is to add more customers, and to help more people to achieve their own successes by joining your team. So, you made your first list, you've worked through it, sold some product, talked to a few people about joining you ... now what???

With me, it became a second list. Honestly, when I began, back in 2006, this second list was what really grew my business. It just seemed so easy to do. It isn't easy for me any more, now that walking is difficult, but for everyone who can ... this is an easy way to gain sales.

So, make a second list.  This time of fast food and other restaurants that you frequent. Back then, I didn't. I started going through drive-thrus to build my business! I'd buy just a drink or, in Summer, an ice cream cone. I'd have a labelled brochure in a literature bag with samples in, which I would hand to the cashier (and another, the same, to the person who gave me my food) and would let them know that they'd get a 10% discount off a first order, and I could deliver the day after payday, at their convenience. 

It usually turned out to be in a slow afternoon period. I'd walk in with my bags to be delivered and sit at a table or booth near the door. I'd array the bags on the table, catch the eyes of my customers who were working, and sit and wait. As they took a break, they'd come and grab their order from me.

It was their reactions to their purchases that helped me more though, squeals of delight and opening packages and boxes, the others would sneak out to have a look at what their co-worker had bought that they were so excited about.

In the 30-45 minutes that I sat in each fast food restaurant, not only did I deliver the orders that I had come to do, but I collected orders from people who liked what they saw a co-worker had, and wanted some of their own!

And despite it being during a slow afternoon period, there were usually some restaurant customers in there still, and many of those would ask if they could get a brochure from me too! I often walked out with $100 or more in orders, from one delivery spot.

In Mauldin, alone, I had Taco Bell, Burger King and Wendy's in a triangle with each other, across the road on Main Street. Then Long John Silver's farther down. Those employees helped me build my business.

So, make a second list, and work it how it will be best for you. With AVON requiring pre-payment more often now, you may want to set up Paypal, or get a Square card, so that when people call you with orders, you have a way that they can pay you immediately.

Have fun!  Happy AVONing!

******

PLACING YOUR FIRST ORDERS

Caroline, my team member and tech-whizz-extraordinaire, created the following 2 videos to help team members with the ordering process ... firstly, writing up customer orders with the order pad, and then (the second one) placing those orders online and submitting them to AVON on your correct order placement day.

So, here's the one on using the order pad to write up customer orders:

And here's the one on putting the orders online, and submitting to AVON:

Caroline is really good at making these videos and explains everything in a very easy-to-understand way.

******

AVON New representative Training

The key to starting your new business is to learn everything that you can about it, set goals, make plans and then work towards achieving them. Sounds easy, doesn't it? No???

Too much, too soon! Scary, to think you have to know everything just so that you can get started with your business. You don't! 

AVON is a learn-as-you-go-along business. We will help you every step of the way, whether I am your immediate team leader or your AVON-grandmother, or great-grandmother even, I'm here to support you in whatever ways I can. Added to which there is training online, in short, easy-to-follow webinars in the AVON University, local rallies, online and/or local meetings, AVON web-tv on youtube and a team group on Facebook.

From the beginning, we will guide you in approaching learning the basics of your business and starting to work it, as you learn. My goal, and my team leaders' goals, are to help you be successful. We will invest time and support into you, if you'll invest yourself!

If you've not yet joined AVON, I can help you by walking you through the sign up process, and then detailing exactly how to set up your online store (what we call e-rep or our e-store) so that your customers can shop from you, even if they are on the other side of the country!

Once started, I'll want to begin to get to know you, and what you want AVON to do for you, in your life. The more I know, the more I can send you ideas that specifically go towards helping you achieve what you want. We are all different, our reasons for doing AVON, our hopes and dreams, are not one size fits all. Your "why" will be your driving force, and will carry you through the hurdles that life, and business, throw at you.

Then, we can figure out the activities that best suit you, and your idea of how you want to run your business, and get you started on doing some of them.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Obviously, my first suggestion will be to have you do the New Representative Training in the AVON University, as these give you a good basic grounding in several aspects of your new business. They are approximately 15-20 minutes long, interactive webinars, and cover topics such as how to place an order, building your customer list and managing your money, to name just a few. I always suggest these as I want you to know the basics of how to run your business. As you work through them, you can always text or call me, or message me on FB, if you don't understand something, or have questions about what you've seen/heard.

If you are SERIOUS about wanting a successful business, then my advice is not to sell yourself short by skipping these webinars. We have found that the new representatives who do them have a better understanding of how their business works and what they need to do to excel in it.

STEP 2

Step 2 is basically prepping again. Yes, as you unpacked your kit, you gave some brochures to family members, or a couple of friends ... but that's just the beginning. They will not sustain a business. So, you'll need CUSTOMERS! The question going around in your head will be ..."where am I going to find people who want to buy from me?"

I suggest new representatives start by making a list, simply of all the people they come into contact with in a 2 week period. Why 2 weeks? Because that's the usual length of time that an AVON campaign runs. It changes a little between Thanksgiving and the end of the year, but - the rest of the time - a representative's ordering day is the same day, every 2 weeks.

As you make your list, take time to draw a tiny heart next to those people you know love AVON, a $$ sign next to those you know who need extra money, and a W next to those who work an outside job.These symbols may not mean much, as you read this, but they can really help you grow your business!

STEP 3

Step 3 is all about that list! How to use it to help you build your customer base, your sales and your team.

Why?

Because more customers mean more sales, and more sales mean MORE MONEY! Why grow your team? Because as you do, you get rewarded with bonuses ... bonuses = MORE MONEY! What do you want money for? Whether it's paying off credit cards, making a car payment, paying the utilities, buying groceries or something "more" like saving for a vacation, a wedding or prom expenses for a teenager, the world revolves around money, everything costs it, so we all need to make it. 

AVON just makes the making it more fun, and easier to work around your family and commitments.

So, the list.

Most people put family members first. Unfortunately, it is a sad fact of most direct sales businesses that - many times - family are the least supportive in a new venture. Do not be disheartened if that's how it is with yours, they are just reacting normally. You can still ask for their help and support, some may buy from you, or take brochures into a workplace to drop off for you. That's awesome, if they will!

Next will be your friends, and generally these are a little more believing of your new business than family. They'll want you to do well, because they are your friends, it's their job to make you feel good about yourself.

Thus, looking at the friends on your list. We'll look first at the ones with the hearts. They are your friends that you know already love AVON. Make sure you let them know you are now selling it!

What do they like about AVON? Is it the make up? Do they love getting together to paint their nails? Maybe they like the jewelry designs that AVON has, that suit all tastes, classic, bold, precious stones, gold and sterling silver? Or is it the fashions, footwear and accessories like purses and totes?

Put that next to their heart. As you get into your business, you'll want to learn who likes what products ... then when you see special deals on those items, you can point them out to that particular person!

THAT is what will set you apart from other representatives - customer service. To your customers, you ARE AVON. You want to give them the best experience, you want them happy and satisfied. You want them to be loyal to you because THEY KNOW you are loyal to them. You'll find them the special deals, you'll look out for them and take care of their needs.

What's next? The names with the $$ sign next to them, those people that you know who need extra money. 

Maybe they might want to join you, as a team member? 

What do you already know of their needs? Maybe they need an extra $200 a month, enough to make their car payment and pay the insurance premium on it. With 2 campaigns in a month, that's $100 they need in each one. With the ability to earn 40% commission on orders in their first 4 campaigns, they'd only need $250 in sales of our core products to do that! With an average customer spending around $20, that would mean having about 10-12 customers in each of those campaigns (and many customers spend a lot more than $20).

The fun side of it is, that then you have a partner to hang out with and do "AVON" things with!  And, when they submit and pay for their first $150 order, on time, you get a  $50 BONUS! What's not to like about that, right?

This is what we AVON ladies (and now AVON guys too) LOVE! We have fun making our money!

The final part of scrutinizing your first list is to look at the people that you put the Ws next to ... the people who work an outside job. 

Where do they work? Would they be willing to take brochures in and leave in the break room for you? 

Or maybe collect orders and money from their co-workers and give to you, and then take those people's orders back to them, once you received them? This latter group of people, are what we call "helpers".

When you have helpers, it helps you achieve greater sales (and thus higher commission rates) and we usually reward them. Some people give  % of the order total, say 10% or 15%, in free AVON. Others will give their helper a discount on their own order, maybe 25%, or more. It is up to each representative to decide their own rewards for their helpers, but there are resources to help, and various representatives have made up charts of sliding rewards, to assist newer reps to decide which will work best for them.

#AVONtraining #AVONbusinessbuilding #AVONRep