Betterware - Hints & Tips

Orenthal

Welcome to my thread for Betterware Hints & Tips

Betterware is a catalogue based business selling items ranging from cleaning supplies, household items, laundry items, storage, kitchen essentials and gadgets, gardening, bathroom & personal care and gifts.

A Distributor orders for the customers and earns 20% commision on all items sold.

Joining

To join Betterware it's completly free! There is no signup cost, no admin fees and no stationary cost either! All of your books, leaflets and paperwork are free.

You can join through an existing distributor who can refer you and earn themselves a small bonus for doing so, or you can apply via the website (http://www.betterware.co.uk) and clicking on the 'Join the Team' link.

You will have your own territory which only you can canvass (Dropping off books and picking them up a few days later to customers homes) and you must stick to your own areas.

Once you have applied, your local Co-Ordinator will get in contact with you and find a suitable area for you to canvass and show you how things are done!

Is it worth it?
Betterware can be worth it but of course like any business it depends on what you put into it. It is unlikely you will become rich from Betterware but it can be a very steady earner with very low overheads.

You will earn 20% of ALL sales plus a bonus after your first 6 months ranging from £125 to £250 if you qualify. There are also free gifts and other bonuses you can recieve in your first month as a distributor. After the 6 month bonus, you will then recieve a larger bonus every 12 months if you qualify.

How often do I have to work?

The hours you work are completly upto you with Betterware, it's very flexible. The average is around 10-12 hours a week, but obviously depending on how far away your areas are and how long it takes you to canvass them means it will range depending on you.

How does it work then?
Quoting Betterware's website:

Here’s what a Distributor does:

• You’ll be delivering the Betterware catalogue in your very own area, usually very close to home
• After 24 – 48 hours you return to pick them up again, along with any customer orders
• You pass the orders to your Co-ordinator (he or she’s your team leader)
• After a week or so your Co-ordinator delivers the goods to you and then you deliver them to your customers and collect their money
• Then comes the best bit – you get paid!

This is a normal week for a Distributor, putting your books out which you have to make up (Add an order form, any special offer leaflets and then into a plastic bag to keep them together and safe from weather) then go back in 2-3 days to pick them up again along with your customers orders.

You will then deliver the goods to your customers within 10-14 days and collect the money. The following week your co-ordinator will deliver your next lot of goods and thats when you sort out the previous weeks money, and get paid!

Betterware also offers a 28 day 'no quibble' money back guarantee on all items aslong as the customer keeps the packaging. If your goods are damaged or faulty they also offer to replace or refund them for upto 12 months.

Important Notes
You must be registered as Self-Employed to work for Betterware as you may need to pay NI/Tax depending on your earnings.

Orenthal

Hints & Tips

-Your Co-Ordinator
It's a really good idea to keep in touch with your co-ordinator at least once a week to keep a good idea of how things are going and if you need any help, they're there to help you! If you have any problems, talk to them! They will be responsible for collecting the other 80% of the money you collect from your customers to take to Betterware, leaving you with your 20% commision pay. Make sure you check their figures for any mistakes or anything that might not seem right, ask them about it and don't hesitate to question things. I'm not saying they will purposely make mistakes but accidents happen.

-Your Books
Make sure your books always look neat and presentable as they're your main tool of getting any sales. If your books look messy it's unlikely you'll get an order! Make sure they're in a nice, clean, dry plastic bag, the catalogue is face up so the customer can clearly see what it is and make SURE you have included an order form! You should also include a small note saying what day you will be returning for the book and make sure it is visible if you want to get the book back!

The books and all of your stationary are free so don't hesitate to ask for more to replenish any that are damaged. I would also recommend investing in a small ink stamper which includes your name and phone number on (both home and mobile) and this should be stamped onto the bottom right of ALL of your order forms. If a customer needs to get in contact with you it's going to be something important so you need to be able to reachable. These normally cost less than £5 and often your co-ordinator will buy one for you if you ask them nicely enough!

The books come out every 6 weeks and are usually very different to the previous one with lots of different special offers, deals and freebies so ensure you don't put the same catalogue out to the same customer twice! If they have already seen the same catalogue it's really unlikely they'll buy something again.

-Reorder Slips
Reorder Slips are another great tool which should be used by ALL distributors. They're small, fluorescent sticky notes which you stick to any catalogue that has a customer order inside. They tell the customer what day and what timeyou will be back to deliver their goods. This increases the chances they will be in when you come to deliver and won't have to waste time going back and forth trying to deliver when no one is home. You can also leave your number on the re-order slip incase they will not be in and you can re-arrange delivery. The best thing about them is that they're FREE from your co-ordinator so use them!

-Customer Base
Try to keep some kind of record on your customers so you know which houses are frequent buyers and which are just purely not interested in Betterware. If they turn out to be frequent buyers, make sure they get a book every 6 weeks and make sure you pick it up again! An unreliable distributor won't make good sales as the customer can't rely on you.

As for houses that are not interested in Betterware, you should keep a 'Leave No Book' record also. This can be done in a small diary or notebook and should include the street and house name/number of people that have requested not to have a book. DO NOT Distribute books to people that have said they don't want them as not only will you be annoying them you'll be wasting your own time while your at it, not a clever move.

When picking your books up, make sure you check ALL of the order form for an order, as quite frequently I have had customers write orders in the bottom area of the form (their own record of goods ordered) and even one wrote it on the back! Check them thoroughly so you don't miss anything. If the order form is definetly missing from your catalogue, sometimes it is a good idea to knock and ask if they did want to order anything just incase.

-Reliability and Attention to Detail
Being a reliable distributor is one of the most important traits to have when doing this job as you MUST be reliable. Whether its getting the books in/out on the days you said you would, calling back a customer interested in purchasing something/returning an item or delivering their goods when you said you would. If you don't go back and pick up your books your very unlikely to get an order from that house again as the books can end up a soggy mess if left outside in the rain, which the customer will have to then dispose of. It's your job to go and collect them so make sure you do.

When packing your orders make sure you check the order form and ensure everything they have ordered is there. If it's not, why not? It's your job to find out why. If their items have been out of stock, make sure they know and let them know you'll be back next week with it when your co-ordinator brings you a replacement. Check that the money is right too, whether it be the customers maths skills on the order form or when they actually pay for their goods, as if it ends up short you will have to foot the bill.

-Advertise
Let as many people know that you work for Betterware as they're all more potential customers. Whether it be family , work collegues or friends they all have a chance of ordering. You'd also be surprised how many customers recommend you to their friends and family once you have built up a solid customer base and this only increases your earnings further!

-Want to Join?
If you would like to join the Betterware team as a distributor then either send me a PM here and I can refer you or visit the Betterware website.

I will be adding more information to this when I get some more time, if you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to ask and I'll do my best to answer them!

moneymabel

Thanks Orenthal that's brilliant- thanks for starting this thread.

moneymabel

Can customers pay by cheque or is it all cash transactions?
Bit confused about the re-order slips, it says stick on the catalogue if a customer orders but if they order won't you have already picked up the catalogue? Apologies if I'm being very stupid ( as normal)

Orenthal

moneymabel wrote: »

Can customers pay by cheque or is it all cash transactions?
Bit confused about the re-order slips, it says stick on the catalogue if a customer orders but if they order won't you have already picked up the catalogue? Apologies if I'm being very stupid ( as normal)

Customers can pay by Cash or Cheque, either is fine

The re-order slips are stuck onto the customers catalogue with a new order form left inside and then posted back through their letterbox when picking up orders. This lets them browse the catalogue some more if they wish and a possible chance of a re-order when you come to deliver their goods. It also acts as a reference to when you are going to deliver as the details will be on the re-order form. Hope that helps

moneymabel

Ah I see- thankyou!

Orenthal

Has anyone else worked for Betterware? What are your experiences? Good points & bad?

lemontart

I do it now and have done so in the past, the main point that has served me well is be honest with customer, be reliable and be ready to chat as many will want to chat with you when you deliver especially the older customers who may not see many folk, and you get to know some very special people.

It is hard work and you do need to be prepared to go out in all weathers but it is straight forward job for a decent company

A word of good will so to say especially at this time of year - look out for people on your rounds - make sure you push the books through the door properly, if you meet someone when you knock and are concerned for them do some thing, I went round with a step ladder and changed a bulb for one lady who could barely walk and the light had gone in her hall -I could not bare the thought of her falling due to no light when I could do something about it .

And smile and say please and thankyou - good manners are free and naturally good for your business.

nexuss

So is this a betterware spamming recruitment thread as you ask people to PM you ?

Orenthal

nexuss wrote: »

So is this a betterware spamming recruitment thread as you ask people to PM you ?

Not at all, It was mentioned in another thread regarding Betterware and I just created this one to help any other distributors or infact new ones. The option is there to PM me if you want to speak to someone that already does the job, or you can easily join via their website.

moneymabel

I asked Orenthal to start this thread as I was interested in joining Betterware but wanted more info. He hasn't tried to 'sign me up' for his personal gain but has given me some great info via pm. I wondered why there wasn't a thread like the 'Avon hints and tips thread' but for Betterware and suggested he started one. No ulterior motives!!