How does Avon work?

A lot of the time in my job I hear people say, “I couldn’t do Avon, I can’t sell”. Well the good news is that to be an Avon rep you don’t have to sell.

What Do Avon Representatives Do?

Avon representatives post brochures door-to-door. They have a business model that allows them to be successful without having to spend a lot of money on advertising. The brochures are subsidised by the company.

Avon representatives are independent contractors who go door-to-door in exchange for commissions. The company provides training and support to its representatives and also offers a variety of perks, including free samples, discounts, and travel opportunities.

To become an Avon representative, you must first complete a training program. This includes learning how to use sales tools and product knowledge. Avon products sell themselves. All an Avon rep does is facilitate the Avon customer to buy. How? By showing them the brochure or by showcasing the products on social media. Now, of course, you may be thinking I make it sound simple, but really it is. When I first joined Avon in 2002, I didn’t know any of my neighbours and my family was small. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find the customers to make my business a success. 17 years later I can tell you that my business is extremely successful, and I’ve been amongst the Top 100 reps in the country for the past 8 years. Later I introduced my husband to the business and showed him what I do. He is also now one of the top Avon representatives in the UK.

So how have I done it? Simple. I’ve made it my business to get the Avon products in front of as many people, as efficiently as I could, in the time I had available to me. How? In several ways. The first and foremost thing I did was invest in my business. I bought brochures. I didn’t buy 20 brochures, I bought 100 brochures. Why? Well the number one reason was that I could get round a lot more houses with 100 brochures than I could with 20, and the secondary reason is that 100 brochures works out a lot cheaper per brochure than buying just 20. I’ve never forgotten that the Avon brochure is an Avon Representative's shop window. The most efficient way to canvass for new customers is simply to post a book through every letter box, with an Avon canvassing note inside saying when to leave the book out. Ensure all your books are put together in the same way so that when you get them back you can tell instantly if the book has been looked at. The first time you go back for them, do not knock on the door if the book has not been left out, simply post a "sorry I missed you" card saying you're coming back and to leave it out again. This gives the householder chance to look at the book if they meant to but haven't had time. If you knock on the door all they'll do is run around looking for the book and hand it straight back to you. When you return the 2nd time if it still isn't outside, that is the time to knock on the door. If the householder gives you the book back with an order then you obviously can then count that householder as a regular customer, if they don't give you the book or give it back without an order ask the question "would you like a regular book?". If they say no you can cross them off your list, if they say yes, then you can leave them on the list but do not transfer them to your regular customer list just yet. Some people say yes, simply to be nice. Whatever response you get keep a record of it. So for example, if they've looked at the book but not ordered then they like Avon but may not have found anything they want this time. If a householder clearly hasn't looked at the book, then keep a note. If they go 3 campaigns without looking at the books you leave, cross them off. They're not interested. If you don't get the book back, post a note saying, "if you wanted to order please text, phone, email etc. If not please dispose of your brochure in the recycling". If you don't get the book back twice with no contact. Cross them off. They're not only not interested, but they're also rude, ignorant and don't mind wasting your time or money. Eventually, you will end up with a list of people who like Avon but have not yet ordered, and a second list of regular customers. Brochures are the foundation stone of the Avon business but they are not the only way to get products in front of people. You can take the physical products and show them to people. You can wear the perfumes yourself or offer to allow your customer to try them. Nowadays we all have access to our own Avon store. The brochure is available both on the website and in a digital version that can be sent via Whatsapp or Facebook Messenger, in a matter of seconds to hundreds of contacts. Offers and products can be posted into prospective customers' newsfeeds on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest with links back to your Avon store where people can buy from you. Without doubt, the internet is revolutionising the way Avon is promoted but the internet will never replace the good, old-fashioned way of canvassing door to door. So, which is best? Promoting Avon online or offline? You can’t scratch and sniff a computer screen. You can, however, reorder your favourite perfume quickly and easily online. So best is a combination of the two. Some people prefer to see a physical paper brochure and scratch and sniff the impregnated pages before buying. Others want to be able to order their products and have them delivered to their door in a matter of days. In order to capture both types of customer, you have to offer both types of service. So how do you earn with Avon?

Again, this is easy. You show people the products. People order what they want. You submit the orders to Avon. Avon send the products to you along with an invoice for the cost of the products less a discount of either 15%, 20%, 25%, 30% or 32% (depending on the size of the order). The products are delivered to you free of charge. You split the orders into each individual person’s order and deliver it to them. The customers pay you for the products at the brochure price, and then you pay Avon the discounted price, once you’ve collected all the money in. What’s left over is yours to keep. It works slightly differently if you have Avon deliver your orders directly to the customer. Then the customer pays Avon directly. Avon dispatches the products directly to the customer and then they pay you your discount to your Avon account. If you do a combination of self-delivery, and direct delivery then the discount is knocked off the balance that you owe Avon, but if you only receive orders online and Avon dispatch all your orders then your account will go into credit and Avon will pay you directly to your bank account. How do you become an Avon rep and start earning? That’s easier still. Just click here and fill in the application form online. Julian will be in touch and we will take it from there.