Avon Hints and Tips (Part 3)

Aesop

good luck with your party, let us know how you get on.

pannetteb

Hi guys, I need some help, I need some info on how to register as self employed and how to work out my costs and expensises as a rep. I've been a rep for about 5-6 months and know I need to do something.....

Aesop

pannetteb wrote: »

Hi guys, I need some help, I need some info on how to register as self employed and how to work out my costs and expensises as a rep. I've been a rep for about 5-6 months and know I need to do something.....

Hi Pannetteb

NOTE: You MUST declare your earnings as you are classed as being self employed whether actually employed, self employed or on benefits already. You can be fined for not doing so and AVON does advise you to sign up as self employed.

Newly self-employed tax helpline: 0845 915 4515

If you call them, they are really helpful.

Expenses - books, bags, stationery, anything you buy to do your Avon job.

You can also attend a free course offered by the Inland Revenue on how to complete your self assessment form and it tells you what you can and cannot claim for.

pannetteb

Thanks Aureol212

I'll ring in the morning... you sound like an expert.... at normal sales rep level, do you know if I can have a web site?? Either through Avon or make my own to sell products?

MarsdenCuckoo

johanne wrote: »

Anyone took up the spotlight perfume moneymaker??.. i promised myself i wouldnt...... but have bought 8 bottles!:o:rotfl:

Already sold one to my little bro to give to this girl he fancies on valentines day :rotfl: Also went to visit a new customer avon referred me to wearing it too and she instantly bought a bottle! And think im gonna buy one myself as nearly finished my demo bottle! So just 5 to flog now.... hoping i can do it as really need the sales figures! Unfortunetly no one commented on it last 2 nights when been doing my c5 deliveries wearing it

It's the first MoneyMaker offer I've done - mainly because I like the fragrance (would be better as an EdP rather EdT but maybe that will come along as some point) and it comes free with the lippy I wear most of the time! Took the bottle out to 'spray people' a couple of days ago - got one order - am out delivering tomorrow so for the first time am going to take the bottle with me and offer everyone on my front campaign a spray. (Not a lot of point offering my back campaign as yet.)

Time will tell.

MarsdenCuckoo

laura16 wrote: »

Hi everyone If searched the thread but theres just sooooo much. Does anyone do avon parties and if you do can you give me some advice where to start. Do i need loads of products or just a few and loads of samples.

I'm thinking of doing a raffel (£1 a ticket) and who ever wins gets the money to spend on avon at the party

A few games with avon bits as prizes - no idea what though

What do you give the host - a set amount to spend, a gift, a percentage of the takings on the night?

any help would be great thanks x

Haven't done it as yet but have been asked to do one at a local licensed club next month. A bit different as they don't want any games, etc. and they'll be doing their own raffle on the night. So, as far as I know, it's just a matter of taking loads of stuff and giving the club 10% of the takiings on the night. Hadn't realised how long it would take to price everything up though..... I'm going to have to pay for certain stuff up front (mainly because I had a clearance catalogue, which seemed to have some good offers) but anticipate ordering LOADS in the next campaign and sending back whatever I can't sell. It's all to do with timing!

lozza1985

aureol212 wrote: »

Well the Rep that I thought was going to leave has decided to quit today while I was waiting for the pest control man.

I wouldn't mind but she knew I was going to prep a load of books to bring to her to distribute today. I spent an hour yesterday prepping them, putting free samples in, an offer spend £10 and get a free gift, and putting her details on the order form.

If she had texted last night as she obviously knew then she wasn't going to carry on, I could have spent that hour prepping my own books or expired books to look for another rep.

I am just a bit annoyed because I spent a lot of time and money trying to help her, and she didn't make much effort at all.

Oh well. Next rep I will say it is hard work, if you expect customers to fall in your lap, don't do avon.

The phrase "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink" always springs to mind with some reps.....you can provide reps with extra books & bags at your own cost (which some reps will really appreciate, and gets them off to a great start), but some people still won't try at all, theres no point wasting your time on them. It sounds harsh, but as you have found, some people just don't appreciate your help at all, and don't care that you have spent out money/spent your time trying to help them.

My mil is a good example lol, she always comments on how much we sell, how much money we collect in & how many delivery notes we have to deliver, sounding really jealous.....and yet when we suggest she recanvasses, she won't. At all. Reckons if they don't order the first time then they aren't interested. Have told her & told her that we're still getting new customers over a year later, so its worth trying - use your previous campaigns brochures towards the end, then if you don't get them back it doesn't matter as you'd only be throwing them away anyway. But still no. And even though she's my mil I'm certainly not packaging books & delivering/collecting them for her unless something major happens (like last year when her brother died we covered for her) - if she wants to sell more she'll have to put the effort in herself!

Aesop

Thanks Lozza, I really appreciate your feedback and help xx. I really appreciate this forum as it allows me to vent when bad times are happening, my DH won't listen. If I did this yesterday he would have told me to give up Avon as I am not making any money. But if I could find another part time job that guaranteed a salary, I wouldn't give up Avon but would spend less time concentrating on it.

I am sitting here boiling this morning, and I shouldn't be. It happened and over and done with. She gave me back ALL the last campaign books she didn't want to pay for, the bags she ordered, everything except the item I had given her for her prize draw. My DS was tired when we got there and he was really playing up and I made it really clear I was there to get stuff and go, didn't even take my coat off. But then she started telling me her reasons for not continuing, even though my DS made it very clear he wanted to leave (LOL, so did I), and started crying and falling asleep.

So I had a very heavy bag to carry back on the tube, and walk home, and DS! EEh well. Better of without this particular Rep methinks.

I have to arrange to see one of her customers to arrange a refund or replacement of bag as this ex rep wants nothing to do with it, even though she received the money from this customer! She's given me her order form but no contact number! :wall::wall:

I have told the ex rep when I come to see this customer, she must return the free gift I gave her.

I could kick myself but have learnt my lesson, don't go out of my way to help Reps. Give them what they need, support them, but don't give them things to help their business that cost me money. Haha, my SL has it right, sign them up, be helpful for a few campaigns, then never see them again.

winsones

I’ve had major trouble on c4 and c5!... sorry it’s a long rant!!

My area manager gave me two large streets which are next to each other and I get quite good sales from them. I was late putting out my c4 books but did in time. When I was collecting them a few of my regular customers told me that another rep had given them her book and two of them had placed orders with her because they thought I had left. I pointed out I was late because of weather and sickness and I would tell them if and when I was going to quit. A couple of them re-placed the orders with me and said they would cancel hers and tell her they already have a rep doing this street.

When I got home and going through my books I discovered one I had collected was hers with her details on. I rang my area manager to tell her another rep was dropping books on my street. She said that she had signed up a new rep who lives on my street (and would add that months ago they said that they didn’t want a book any more!) and had given her another street a few streets away and told her that her street was already taken (by me). When my area manager went round to help the rep input her first online order she said that she noticed all her orders were from my street and she queried it with the rep. Rep said that they were all friends and family – half of them were . However, I discovered that she had dropped to the whole street. I said to my area manager that the other rep could keep those that have never ordered from me but the half that are regulars she could not. Manager was happy with this and would have a word about the poaching. End of, didn’t think anything more.

Anyway I put my c5’s out early and put an incentive on the front… la de da!

Went to collect them up last night only to be told by another of my regulars that she had received book from the another rep with a scribbled note on the front saying to the effect of ‘I know another rep is doing this round but if you would prefer to receive a book from me instead please tick here’. She had dropped to the whole street! Fuming but composing myself I took said book to her house and pointed out that she can’t canvass on streets that are already given to other reps and that she had her own street. I said I know that she has some friends on the street which is fine, I have their numbers and I agreed to not drop to those few. She snatched her book off me and shouted along the lines ‘I have told her… (the area manager) I can’t do that road, I’m seven months pregnant! You are not doing this road, I’m taking it – watch me!’ and she walked off.

Blood boiling I then rang the area manager (in the peeing rain) and explained the whole situation and what the other rep had done and said to me. She said that she had just spoken to said rep and told her not to do this street as it was already taken and area manager said to me not to worry carry on as normal it would be sorted. I pointed out that it wasn’t being sorted as this was the second campaign in a row she had done it. I am doing the street and am getting good figures because I have built up a relationship with the customers and this was going to start affecting my sales.

I am seriously thinking should I just give up this street to this pregnant 17/18 year old and just deal with the drop in sales or doing something – trouble is I don’t know what!?

Any advice would be great, as I am near to tears and tempted to quit!

Aesop

pannetteb wrote: »

Thanks Aureol212

I'll ring in the morning... you sound like an expert.... at normal sales rep level, do you know if I can have a web site?? Either through Avon or make my own to sell products?

Hi, I'm no expert, have just learnt from others posting on this forum. :T

Yes, as a rep you can have your own website, but do check your avon account for what you are not allowed to post on your website, ie the Avon brand name, you cannot copy it in a certain format.