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

Rebecca_A_3

Emma to help with getting your books back I wrote a little note (and photocopied enough for all my books) introducing myself as their new rep (left phone number and email) and saying when I'd be back to collect the book and asking them to leave it outside even if they didn't wish to order. I put this at the front of the bag containing the book so people who don't read the book may still leave it for me to collect. I also highlighted the part on the order form that asks to leave it outside and when I'd be collecting.

I'm no expert as only delivered to just over 50 houses so far but been very impressed with how many have been left outside (about 75%) and after knocking on the houses where they've not been left less than 10% of my books have gone missing. Even more impressed that people have answered the door and addressed me by name after reading the note!

I'm going to carry on handwriting a little note each campaign (I think hand written notes are more likely to get read as a bit more personal) and hope my books keep coming back!

Good luck if you give it a go, I think it's definately worth a try

Mrs_Jules

I have about 25-30 regular customers and would like to give each of them a little gift for Christmas. Can I please ask, what do other Reps find are the best gifts to buy? I love the look of the pomanders on page 15 of brochure 1 but to have enough for my customers would cost too much. Am looking for something small and relatively cheap!
Thanks in advance

Brown.Owl_2

Last year I bought some little organza bags from ebay - well cheap from hong kong, and then bought a tin of celebrations and put 3 in each bag and gave a christmas card for each of mine. They loved them as they weren't expecting anything - just a token was fine i found as they were touched by the gesture, it didn't matter what it was.

lozza1985

Beachview wrote: »

Just a few thoughts on how I've been getting on so far.

A few weeks ago someone put a note in one of my books telling me not to leave another book. How do they expect me to know which house they're in, they didn't leave their house number.

I got another one today from a house on the street I live on, telling me they don't want the book again - so I have managed to narrow it down to 2 houses, though I haven't figured out which one of them it was. All they had to do was put their name on the note.

I have a couple of orders to send back, so I'll have to look round the avon site to figure out how to do the returns. Not looking forward to that, seems a lot of hassle.

I took a delivery to a house and the woman came to the door and said she didn't order anything. Even though her full address was on the order form, signed an everything.

Another thing, I don't like the way Avon just throw the stuff into the boxes with no foam balls or anything to stop things getting broken. I got a handwash and the lid was cracked. And they don't protect bottles in any way in case of leaks. I order shampoo for my dog from an online company and they tape over the lids, another company wraps the shampoo bottles in cling film. Avon just put that sort of thing in the box loose.

yes some people can be very erm, "random" unfortunately, but thankfully most are sane While it might seem hard to believe, for the most part products turn up fine, it's just bad luck that you've had a damaged one this though. Though as has been said, if we don't tell Avon, they won't improve anything.

When you're canvassing your territory for the first few times, it's worth having a quick glance at the books as you collect them, as otherwise as you've found people put a note saying they don't want a book - but they've assumed that you'll see it as you collect them in so they don't put an address.

If you get stuck on doing your returns then post - one of the most important things to do though is to put a barcode on the outside of the parcel that you're sending the products back in, so that Avon can track who the returns have come from

lozza1985

Mrs_Jules wrote: »

I have about 25-30 regular customers and would like to give each of them a little gift for Christmas. Can I please ask, what do other Reps find are the best gifts to buy? I love the look of the pomanders on page 15 of brochure 1 but to have enough for my customers would cost too much. Am looking for something small and relatively cheap!
Thanks in advance

The idea suggested above is great - there are tins of chocs on offer at asda for £4 (or at least they were that price the other week, which is the cheapest I've seen).

If you wanted to get Avon products, then I'd suggest a hand cream, or a room & linen spray, or even a shower gel.

lozza1985

brednall wrote: »

GOod afternoon to all.

I was an avon rep when I was working and have decided to give it another go now I am a 'stay at home' mum. My SL came to see me on Friday and assigned me 7 roads within my area. She flagged 2 as 'red areas' that should bring me more orders. My hubby and I dropped 30 books on this road on Saturday and my kiddies and I went to collect this morning and only 15 were left out!! THe other 10 we left on another road and not 1 left out. Not the best start. THe ones I have collected in I have re-distributed today on another street to be collected on Thursday as any orders(!) I might get have to be in on Friday.

I think it may not have been the best time to start this just before Christmas but I will perservere. Obviously I don't want to end up out of pocket by having to pay for lots of books and not get any orders though.

THanks for all your hints and tips but any motivation and inspiration would be gratefully received.

Emma

As has been suggested above - a note with your brochures is a great thing to do, one thing I suggest to my new reps is to highlight on the order form (as suggest above as well lol), the day you're collecting, and the fact that they should leave the book outside. Deliver the books in a re-sealable bag, with the order form on the outside of the brochure, so that they can easily see when it needs to be collected - a lot of people won't hunt very hard to find out, even if they are wanting to place an order, especially as at this time of the year they might be rushing. Make sure it's clear roughly when delivery is going to be, so that people know if it will come in time for Christmas

Good luck, keep at it hun, the more no's you get, the closer you are to getting a yes

Beachview_2

Are there any wax strips in C18? Someone has written wax strips on their order form but no page number/item code. I've searched the book but can't find any. Any ideas?

Rebecca_A_3

Not to say that they're definately not in there but I've had a good look through C18 and haven't noticed any wax strips

Brown.Owl_2

Maybe that's why the customer didn't put down a code cos they wanted them but couldn't find them... are there any in c17 you could back order? (haven't got a book to hand)

Beachview_2

Thats a good idea, I didn't think of that. I must look in the old book. I dropped the C18 book off with them this evening with a note to explain.