Avon Hints and Tips (Part 2)

jo1981_2

so angry with my AM:
he came round and signed me up 2 weeks ago, then I had to chase him for my account number which he took ages to get back to me with by which point I had missed the deadline for the orders. It was his fault the account number took ages - he forgot to fill in details on my application form so they sent it back to him to fill in properly. Now waiting for my next lot of brochures from him. I have emailed him and text him asking when he will deliver them but no bloomin answer and its already a week in to the new campaign. Talk about lazy!!! Is there anyone I can complain to at head office?!

Larumbelle

Jem, no other area manager can allocate territory. But it is naughty if your ASM isn't getting back to you, have you emailed? I know they have to reply to emails within one working day. Maybe a call to head office if she doesn't call you back one last time...

Well done on your sales, though, thy're great! :T

I have had someone digging about on my territory twice now. I got an extra three roads off my ASM, and the other girl is on her final warning. Remember, your agreement states that you will not go after other people's territory, so it is a serious breach if they do. I have heard of people sacked by Avon for doing it, including established reps who have been with the company for years.

Larumbelle

Jo, yes you can and should complain to head office. It might not make you popular with him but he simply isn't doing his job. If he is messing you around he is doing it to others too - but Avon will only sort him out if they know about it!

jo1981_2

mwhaha I did just now, I wrote an email as I couldn't find the telephone number on the website and I'm at work without all the info in front of me, hopefully I'll hear back at some point....

I feel bad doing it but needs must!!

SomersetPrincess

HI everyone. I have been reading this thread for a few weeks now and I finally decided to join Avon! Saw my ASM yesterday and got signed up. She left me 20 of brochure 16 so I have dropped 19 of them today along the first of my streets. I have 149 houses to get through so keen to get going hehe. I have reserved one of the brochures and a campaign 15 brochure I was sent for a Macmillan Cancer Support coffee morning I am hosting on Friday.

Really hoping I get some orders back from my first round drop. I did a little personalised slip thingie to pop into the bags. I knocked on every door I got to but didnt necessarily drop a brochure in each door, if I thought that the people living there wouldnt be interested. A number of people were home and said that they werent interested, but we remain hopeful!

Well done to all of you who have orders!

Pippa08

I was supposed to be doing my first Avon Party on Fri eve at home and was really looking forward to it but one by one everyone who was invited has cancelled! I only have 2 definate people coming now - so i am going to have to cancel. what a bummer!

Pippa08

silvercharming wrote: »

You're right, Pippa, my ASM is fab. As soon as she came to sign me up we clicked, which is obviously a good sign, and I think most ASMs give you more help if people are ambitious or show interested in helping themselves - I think they are more inclined to help you if you show that you're willing to do hard work without them prodding you, if you see what I mean. But arranging to take a day out to come to Corby with me was above and beyond the call of duty. And not only is she coming to help with the pub party, she's also making all her family come along so we know that someone's going to actually turn up! She's a star, bless her. Part of why I'm working so hard is I want to repay some of her faith in me, and help her to get her sign-up stats up a bit.

Good luck with the sign-ups - I did two today and my ASM came along to one of them, she actually had never been to one with me before (bit naughty of her ) because I was very confident and because I couldn't wait around for her to finish her holiday! :rotfl: So it was my eighth one that she came to instead, I found it way more nervewracking with her there but she said I did well.

If anyone is looking to recruit, the students are returning, should be a few to be had if you have a university nearby. That's where I'm off to tomorrow afternoon!

I wish I had your confidence! You are doing so well - your team has grown so quickly! All tips gratefully recieved!! How are your personal sales going??

Penky

silvercharming wrote: »

Jem, no other area manager can allocate territory. But it is naughty if your ASM isn't getting back to you, have you emailed? I know they have to reply to emails within one working day. Maybe a call to head office if she doesn't call you back one last time...

Well done on your sales, though, thy're great! :T

I have had someone digging about on my territory twice now. I got an extra three roads off my ASM, and the other girl is on her final warning. Remember, your agreement states that you will not go after other people's territory, so it is a serious breach if they do. I have heard of people sacked by Avon for doing it, including established reps who have been with the company for years.

I will try emailing but I didnt know there would be an email address. I will have a look through my stuff and hopefully I will come across it.

Thanks!

Larumbelle

Thank you for your kind comments Pippa I am working really hard and it's nice for someone to say that!

My personal sales are not fantastic, although I've only done 2 campaigns - £160 the first one (only had six days to get books out and back) and £400 for C14. C15 isn't going great so far, I've only got about £100 of orders, but it is not my main focus right now if I'm honest, although I have just been given three new streets to counter all the problems I'm having with territory invasion.

I'm spending more time prospecting and arranging sign-ups/second meetings right now. I kind of know that I'm doing pretty well but I have only got 10 in my team, if people hadn't messed me around or dropped out before they even started I could have had double. So I could have done better. But... it happens. It helps to know exactly what you want, then work back from that. When I was tagged, I wanted to earn the equivalent of my last full-time wage from Avon. Then when I read up on sales leadership, I decided that actually what I want is to be senior exec within a year, and to get my recognition for that at Live Your Dream next year. So I broke that down into smaller chunks so I'll know if I'm on the right path or not. Fast Start is pretty handy because it breaks it down for you to some extent, but you also need to think in terms of how to make it happen. For example, if you want your first downliner by SLLOA 6 you really need to tag someone at SLLOA 3, preferably 2 in case 1 doesn't make it. And then I set myself targets like 3 sign-ups this week, and even daft ones like 2 postcards up in shops today, or 20 brochures collected and redistributed today, 2 calls to team members to see how they're getting on and give them some encouragement... that kind of thing. Luckily, I'm hyperactive at the moment. I know that my wave of enthusiasm could disappear, so I'm trying to keep it going and make the most of it before it goes!

I'm not sure what advice I can give you about confidence really, but I do remind myself of a few things if I start to lose some confidence. And yes, they sound twee and american, but actually it works for me!:
1) If I do mess up, the new person doesn't know any different. As far as they're concerned, I've told them what I'm supposed to. And really, what can't be but right anyway. So I forget to tell someone something? Oh well, I'll call/text/email them to tell them!
2) I'm not trying to 'sell' the opportunity, or ask them a favour. I'm offering them the opportunity to earn some extra money and/or start their own business! If they don't want it, someone else will.
3) Rejection/postponement/generally being messed about really isn't a personal thing. How can it be? They don't know me! All 'no' means is that I can move on to someone who might say 'yes'.
4) It might feel like standing in front of Tescos or knocking on doors is a dumb way to find people and nobody's ever going to say yes there. But I was recruited from outside Tesco and my soon-to-be first downline I found when I knocked on her door. So it can work
5) I always tell my prospective sign-ups, look, I've only been here 5 weeks and and I'm already training you. That's how easy the job is.
6) I read all of those testemonials that are all over the training guide and the website. I asked myself what was so special about those people. Not being funny, but they're nothing special. They just worked really hard. If they can do it, I can do it, and my new recruit can do it. As long as you really want it, you can do it. There wouldn't be a fast start bonus for achieving senior exec by SLLOA 18 if it was impossible, but there wouldn't be one if it was easy to achieve, either.
7) Do talk to people about what you do, if they ask. I recruited one person from the queue at the bus stop, and one when she asked me the time as I was delivering. If they ask you if you do Avon, it's not really a yes or no answer. Why would they care whether a stranger does Avon or not? What they're interested in is the products, or what the job entails, or whether they could do it.
8) Don't get bogged down by what you 'should' be doing, or what the tiny details are. Just do it! You'll find what works for you soon enough. I came so close to getting bogged down by reading what everyone else thought I should do. Reading all that's fine, but remember that trying it your own way is just as constructive
9) Make the most of it if people offer you help. If your ASM offers to prospect with you or meet to see how things are going, if an old hand offers you tips... take them up on it! People love to feel helpful and valued, and they'll carry on offering you help!
10)...but don't rely on them. It's YOUR business, so you have to get yourself confident enough to canvass and prospect on your own, try a new idea to see if it works on it's own... if it doens't work, who cares? Usually all it's cost is a little time. Try something else!

Anyway, that was a ramble, and probably makes me sound like an Avon psychopath!!! But basically, if other people can do it, so can I and so can you. It's just down to how much you want it and how hard you'll work for it. And you do want it, and you're working for it, so you're halfway there even if you don't always feel like it.

Mikiki_2

Wow Silver, that was an almighty long post :P

How are you doing so well with your leads? I have arranged meetings with loads but they cancelled at the last moment, I have my FIRST sign up tonight at 7 and she hasent cancelled yet, so WOOP! My ASM has been on holiday for agggges and didnt want me going to sign ups alone a first GAH!