Avon Hints and Tips (Part 4)

lucyclare

MarsdenCuckoo wrote: »

Each to their own, LC, but agree with aureol (and as already said).
Reverting to Avon meetings, have also been invited to some but to date never bothered (don't really have that much spare time at the mo) - may do at some point but actually prefer to just 'do my own thing'.

MC and Aureol, I take on board your points, but as the betterware rep herself said, she doesnt do well at all, given the territory she has to cover. As we are a very rural area, she covers an area of 40 miles point to point and often has to go back out chasing catalogues (dont we all) and it proves more costly to her with low order volume and values. Then the hastle of delivering bulky items etc.

She did sign for the record and I got home today to find 40 books on my step saying she wasnt too sure how to do Avon. Which is fine, each to their own. (asm was present for T1 and said it was a good one?! covered all bases and points)

Perhaps she just isnt interested after all. But at least I got all my books back. Makes a change to having to chase for them.

lucyclare

pinkpig08 wrote: »

But she said I've already got my limit - 100 houses I think.

I find that strange, when I allocate territory for newbies, my sma gives up to 250 houses. Why would she not give you your own street. Much more likely get good sales as I find people like to have a 'local' representative.

Aesop

Fiver29 wrote: »

. She said one woman had 4 separate newbie reps within a few months of each other, who all said the ASM had told them the area was rep-less.

.

Hi Fiver

email Avon and ask for your DSM's details. This is the District Sales Manager who your ASM Reports into. And when you get the details email them and explain what has occured and if it is possible to map every single rep in the area, exactly what territory they are doing and what is available to you.

In the beginning, my SL who now only sends me an update email every 4 weeks or so showing stats, :mad: got in touch with my DSM as my ASM wasn't responding to my requests for more territory, etc. Funnily enough got an email the next day.

I think pinkpig, and Lozza or Elliebee might be able to correct me if I am wrong, but I am sure this is what my SL told me.

That you have to make a certain amount of sales per your given territory, ie approx 100 houses. If you achieved a certain amount of sales, your ASM would give you more territory. If you didn't, they fob you off with getting your OH, best friend, MIL to sign up and get territory.

I am sure Avon say there is an expectation of a certain amount of sales per 100 houses, which is fine, if you have lots of customers or ones who order every campaign. I don't and I don't - so for me to achieve the suggested sales is not achievable. In fact the only way I was achieving over £200 in sales was by looking for new customers elsewhere, ie baby club,bookies, fish and chip shop, etc.

Johanne has a lot of territory because she works blooming hard and gets a huge number of sales, but this is not by sitting on her bottom, thinking of my rep who expected a list of customers who would buy and she wouldn't have to do any work.

But because Johanne manages such high sales, her ASM is willing to give her more territory.

I was thinking about this the other day, if we just keep recruiting reps left right and centre, soon there will be a rep in every bank, every hairdresser, every baby group, every street, who will be left to buy the products?

I know this is a bit of an exaggeration but it is silly the criteria that the ASMs are paid their bonuses by.

pinkpig08

Hmmm, I think I'll just carry on as I am for now. I've made the HOV for my first 2 campaigns, am collecting my brochures tomorrow so will se what they bring in. It's just that I can do the street I've been given more or less in one trip. I don't do every house as some don't want a brochure, and some don't 'look' like they would want one (the more delapidated, unkempt ones!). Actually it's been the same customers who have ordered both times, except 2 who didn't order this time and 2 new ones who didn't order last time. One has already told me she'll be ordering, and I hope I've sweetened the rest up with the hot chocolate sachet I included with their order!

ETA: My ASM is very pushy. She came round once because the SLs had written my phone number down wring and she kept phoning someone elses house who didn't appreciate it. The ASM was then moaning to me about it as if it was my fault! She keeps saying 'ALL your husband has to do is sign the forms, you'll do all the legwork.' Ah, but it will also be recorded as his income for tax purposes (that she doesn't think I need to be registered for!)

Aesop

Yes it is good you got your books back Lucyclare. Nowt worse than signing someone up and losing your books when they change their mind.

Did you mean ASM?

Fiver29

pinkpig08 wrote: »

Have you not received your total limit of territory then fiver? (sorry if I've missed it!) I know for a fact that no-one does my street, and I'd love to do it but the ASM said the only way would be to sign DH up, which we don't want to do. But she said I've already got my limit - 100 houses I think.

No idea what that is sorry pinkpig When my ASM originally came round she said 'no-one'e been doing this area for months so you can do all round here'. Now 'all round here' for people who live here means 12 streets with about 50 houses per semi detached street, and 40 per terraced street. So I was really chuffed with that. Until I found out the other rep was doing them. Then she allocated me 4 more streets and again another rep phone me to say she'd been doing them for years. So I asked for a 3rd area, which she said, do XXXX Street and all around that area. So I did the first street of that area and found out this latest rep doing it . Which is why I went to talk to her rather than the ASM, because the ASM doesn't seem to be able to do the simplest of things and mark off who's doing what streets.

Fiver29

aureol212 wrote: »

Hi Fiver

email Avon and ask for your DSM's details. This is the District Sales Manager who your ASM Reports into. And when you get the details email them and explain what has occured and if it is possible to map every single rep in the area, exactly what territory they are doing and what is available to you.

Thanks aureol I'll do that It would certainly make things a lot easier to see who is doing what.

MarsdenCuckoo

lucyclare wrote: »

MC and Aureol, I take on board your points, but as the betterware rep herself said, she doesnt do well at all, given the territory she has to cover. As we are a very rural area, she covers an area of 40 miles point to point and often has to go back out chasing catalogues (dont we all) and it proves more costly to her with low order volume and values. Then the hastle of delivering bulky items etc.

She did sign for the record and I got home today to find 40 books on my step saying she wasnt too sure how to do Avon. Which is fine, each to their own. (asm was present for T1 and said it was a good one?! covered all bases and points)

Perhaps she just isnt interested after all. But at least I got all my books back. Makes a change to having to chase for them.

Sounds like she's hoping to earn 'easy money' so can't see she'll succeed with either B or A! For the record, she can't be too bright either if she's 'chasing B books' - they're free and B even provide you with notes to post through if the books are not left out i.e. so you can let them know you've called and what your contact details are so they can phone orders through.

MarsdenCuckoo

lucyclare wrote: »

MC - during the HMIR workshop I attended on becoming Self Employed, they stated that regardless of level of income from SE, you must register and complete SA each year, even if you make a loss, they still want to know.

Hmmm.... strange how I got different information. I've had no income of my own for several years now though (up until I started doing Avon) - maybe that made a difference? Guess everyone should contact HMIR to check the position for themselves.

little_star

MarsdenCuckoo wrote: »

Hmmm.... strange how I got different information. I've had no income of my own for several years now though (up until I started doing Avon) - maybe that made a difference? Guess everyone should contact HMIR to check the position for themselves.

I read on hmir website you have to declare your self as self employed no matter how much you earn, avons my only job so I dont earn enough to pay tax but still have to fill in forms etc. I was a full time student before avon too so never worked before either. You may want to contact them again and ask them xx