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

I,_Geek

Another one here who puts brochures in with orders. In fact, when you're first starting with people they'll often ask "Is the next book in there?" So they really don't mind at all and as you say, it saves you time.

I try to get all brochures on a street (ones for people who ordered and ones for people just getting a brochure), all delivered at the same time. But even if this isn't possible (just too many brochures) it still saves you time to put the book in with orders because at least you've saved not going up their garden paths again. It's surprising how much time is added by little gardens or back yards, let alone longer drives. I've only got a couple of streets that are front doors right off the pavement and they're noticeably faster to do.

nicki_2

I was counting ahead on the calender using last years info :rotfl:

I've just put out C13 to my customers, will skip C14 for them as usual and start with C15 on the 2nd Sept when most kids in theory go back to school Since C15 has Christmas stuff in it, it works out well. I usually get C1 delivered to customers just before Christmas, then C2 I order my supplies for the year, C3 I back order any bits I fancy and any bits I forgot to order and then C4 goes out to customers usually the same week I put my C3 order through which usually coincides with the kids going back to school. I think my customers appreciate it as its one less thing to deal with over the holiday season as a lot have children or have visitors or go away to see family. Also means I get to spend sometime with my daughter without Avon interfering too much

ajs2013

Sorry to be a pain again but another question im hoping someone could answer. The First Look brochures we receive each campaign, is it as soon as you are in the campaign for that first look brochure it becomes unusable or is it like the main catalogues where it can be used in a back track manor. ie. c13 first look is it now obsolete and i can throw it out or could i still order from it.
Also what do you all do with your old unusable catalogues? Is it ok to recycle them, i know the paper is shiny but it is paper so assume ok to stick in recycle box anyone know? (know alot of areas are different just looking for general opinion)
Hope i have explained these questions well enough. sorry terrible at trying to word stuff at times

lozza1985

Yes you can back order from the link mags, just not the clearance part of them. If you've already ordered the item previously though, it probably won't let you order it again as we're only meant to buy one of each item unless it states you can buy as many as you want.

If I'm not going to use the old brochures to canvass my territory, then I just take then to a recycling point (we only have collections for tins & glass in our area). Dh onthe other hand just sticks them in the wheelie bin. I'm trying to train him not to as soon as our bin will be full of nappies so he's going to have to learn lol

kinkine

Hi guys, I'm a fairly new Avon rep who has only been doing friends and family. I recently decided to build up my business, and have been given a bit of territory. I have been reading this thread with interest (thanks everyone who has contributed!) but I have one quick question. On one of the links there is a heading marked "Creative Ordering" but there is nothing underneath it. Could someone give me a bit more info on that? Thanks in advance. (I have tried to check and can't see it explained anywhere else).

lozza1985

Bizarre I'm sure it used to say, will have sort that when I get chance.

Ill try and explain it as straight forward as I can but if it doesn't make sense just say!

We can order from the current brochure, but also the previous brochure. Say campaign 13 is your current brochure, and a customer has ordered a foundation at £10. In campaign 12 it might have only been £6. When you enter your order online, you can order that foundation from campaign 12 at the £6. Your customer will be paying you £10. So you make extra money it can really add up some campaigns, i think once i made about an extra £30 from doing this, though usually its only about £5 (but it all helps to cover the cost of your brochures and make it more profitable for you) sometimes it could be that a customer has ordered one item at £4, but in the previous brochure it was in an offer at 4 for £5 - so you can order the extra, it's hardly cost you anything more to get extra products which you could sell on, use as free gifts, or just keep for yourself.

I tend to sit down and check through my orders with both current and previous Brochure next to me and some post it notes, then when I spot any creative ordering opportunities I write it on the post it note and stick it to the order form so I know when I'm entering the orders. When your onthe page on the website where you enter you product codes, you'll see a little drop down box next to each row - click on that and you can select which campaign you are ordering products from. Means it all counts as one order still for your discount.

kinkine

Hi Lozza, thanks for taking the time to explain that to me - I actually do that to a certain extent without knowing what it was called! :rotfl:

I was looking under FAQ's - and hopefully I have attached the link so you can see what I meant - it was blank under creative ordering and Money Maker (whatever that is!).

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=37118486&postcount=3

lozza1985

Money makers occasionally come for sale in the Link mag, where they let us buy a certain product at a discount but in bulk. To be honest I've never found them worth doing though as they're always for products that are quite expensive, so I usually only manage to sell a couple!

Thanks, will update the FAQ when I get chance

kinkine

Thanks for that - I take it the Money Makers are the things they phone you up about trying to get you to purchase. I did it once, and as you said only managed to sell a couple so haven't done it again.

I'm sure I will be in touch again - I find this more helpful than Connects!

lozza1985

Yes they tend to phone up about them, even though like I always tell them it's listed in the reps magazine if I want to order it I'll order it myself not be pushed into it on the phone.

I've never got the hang of connects - too fiddly to navigate and the bits I've read we're full of negative moaning people which is why I stick to here instead