~Avon Hints & Tips (Part 8) ~ Please read first post :)

fuddle · 15 March 2012 at 2:43PM

What do you mean 'back order' I, Geek?

I wish I worked, had a large family and loads of friends and then Avon would feel more achievable. The street behind me I'm canvassing next is larger than mine. I'm hoping for two customers out of that one and I'm seriously thinking about whether to give them the option of 'tick if you don't want to receive future copies' because of males in the household intercepting etc.

I'm wondering maybe those who never bother with Avon, or don't order as there never is anyone reliable might pick up the brochure one day if it's there.

In many ways I know so many in my street don't want the brochure so not to bother but that means I can't ever bother now, having given them the option.

It's a difficult one. I guess I'll pick up what to do for the better the more house drops I do.

I,_Geek · 15 March 2012 at 4:51PM

Backorder - this means if you're in campaign 6 at the moment, you can still give out brochure 5 to people. If a customer is always on a brochure behind the current campaign I say they're "on backorder". This won't be a problem at Christmas because campaign 1, the last campaign to deliver before Christmas, is New Year-themed and it's brochure 18 that's the most Christmas-focused.

When I started Avon I didn't have a workplace and neither did my husband (he's self-employed), and my family's all spread out, so the vast majority of my orders come from territory and a few local businesses I've approached. I'm in a village, too, although it's not 'backwards'

and doesn't feel like the sort of place where living in a small community can become a bad thing! I've got some rubbish streets where there are no customers, and none are quite as good as Avon says they should be.

If you're worried a street might have been messed around by a previous rep you could knock on doors to introduce yourself. I prefer posting books, but I can see how customers who've had a bad experience with Avon would want to meet the rep first. Or you could put a note in with the book - facing outwards so you can see it straight away - saying if people want to meet you they can hold onto the book and you'll knock on the door.

fuddle · 15 March 2012 at 6:14PM

Ah brilliant. Thank you for explaining what backorder means. When I'm a couple of campaigns down the line I can work out what is what with my customers and work out who to give the newest books to.

I know I have been messed around in my street... the same street I canvassed today. I remember being so happy to have been dropped an Avon book, put an order in and it was never collected. If others have had this before then no wonder I guess. I just worry that my territory will have had this experience too.

Ergh, uphil struggle before I even start. Right that has made my mind up. No more tick boxes asking do they want a brochure, just brochures through every door, every campaign so I can build up trust and people think I am dependable.

I've 20 free campaign 7 books for the next campaign. I'm wondering would it be worth 'investing' in some more when I put campaign 6 order in. I envisage losing a fair few for a little while. Does that sound like a plan?

Sorry for hijacking this thread lately. I must come across as a right dizzy Dora!

Squidge123 · 15 March 2012 at 9:47PM

I had my first order today for £13.05. I'm being given some books back tomorrow and then collecting Saturday the books that I've put out tonight.

~evanesco~ · 16 March 2012 at 12:42AM

Fuddle, it will all work out. I have 195 houses (I started with 199 but got some extra territory). This is my 3rd campaign, I'm currently on C7. I've only just managed to get to the point where I can get round all my territory in one campaign so no-one is on back order. I've been ordering 60 books, just under £10, and I'm picking up more customers each campaign as the see that I am reliable. I'm pretty persistent with getting my books back and have a good routine at the minute. When my delivery comes I sort it all out and prep my next lot of books, so for example all my C8 books are sat in a box, stamped, with sales book and order forms ready to go out. When I submit C7, a week on Tuesday, that day I'll have delivered C8 books to all territory who didn't order from C7, but I save 1 book for each customer to go out with their order. I go out Tue, Thu & Sat for my books. I leave a note twice if they are not in and the book isn't out. On the third time I leave a note reminding them that I pay for the books and need to reuse them and to contact me or leave it outside. After 2 times of not getting the book back, they get dropped from my delivery list until 6 campaigns time, when I'll drop a back order book in with a note. I usually regain 75% of my books throughout a campaign. It's no extra burden as I'm out and about all over my territory dropping orders off on different days and picking books up for people who wanted them longer. I'm also collecting a fair few who don't want books, so they'll go onto a re-canvass list 3/4 times a year. This way in 2-3 campaigns I'll have a good idea of who orders, who doesn't look at the book at all, who doesn't give books back, and I'll be able to drop my books down to 40. Hope this is helpful.

Dick_here · 16 March 2012 at 6:35PM

I,_Geek wrote: »

Backorder - this means if you're in campaign 6 at the moment, you can still give out brochure 5 to people.

Just to point out though that you'd then need to place a campaign 6 order with the c5 items included. You couldn't place a c5 order at that point, even if all the items being ordered were only in the c5 brochure.

I,_Geek · 16 March 2012 at 7:10PM

!!!!!!_here wrote: »

Just to point out though that you'd then need to place a campaign 6 order with the c5 items included. You couldn't place a c5 order at that point, even if all the items being ordered were only in the c5 brochure.

During C6 you could place a C5 additional order containing items entirely from brochure 5 - although I can't really see why you would unless you're a high-selling rep and need extra deliveries (and get your discount carried over and free P&P).

You'd just order all your brochure 5 products (ordered by customers on backorder) and all your brochure 6 products as part of your C6 regular order.

Squidge123 · 17 March 2012 at 11:19AM

I have 3 orders back so far. One being adjusted which gives me more money.

I got three books back that I'd posted through doors. One left a nice note saying thank you but I already have an Avon Lady and two left them on adjoining garden walls so I don't know which house actually left them out

Squidge123 · 18 March 2012 at 2:22PM

I'm loving the widgets on the AVON site to share on the Facebook pages

lozza1985 · 18 March 2012 at 3:56PM

I really like the picture adverts they have on there too, they look really smart

~Avon Hints & Tips (Part 8) ~ Please read first post :)

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