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

I,_Geek

ajs2013 - don't worry about not getting out there to canvas new streets over the short campaigns. I got some new streets once and started them in C3/C4 and it was a slow start. When sales are slow from your regular customers, it's not going to be great from new streets. Plus you're more likely to be working in bad weather, although we've done okay to avoid snow so far this year! With hindsight I wouldn't choose to start new streets at this time. I'm doing a small re-canvas starting in C5 - no way I was doing it sooner even though it's a street I should have included last autumn. I could have started in C3 really but it's nice to give ourselves a break after the Christmas rush and it's difficult to fit in a bigger round during short campaigns anyway.

nicki_2

My C3 order arrived today and I am so glad I decided to prep the C5 books as soon as they arrived. There's a sticker to add to page 5 where they've not printed an offer header. It took me 2 hours to prepare my 74 books. They're now all ready to go out the last week of January once I've done the newsletter which I'm leaving for now until I know whats happening with my daughter being away for her dads wedding the week I should be making C5 deliveries. I might just put a large note on it saying "delivery will be XXX but this could change due to personal commitments that week". I've prepared them now as my daughter is off school on the monday when I would usually prepare them so we're having a rare girly day in town instead

Today I sent a link to my POB to a friend who has started ordering from me but doesn't live near me. I'm going to see how it goes with her using it, then I might get some postcards with the information printed on it for recanvassing. I'm really not sure about using it as I'm sure sitting there flicking through a paper catalogue is more appealing to most of my customers but we'll see.

Collecting most of my C4 books tomorrow. I'll have a few to collect on Monday as well. I'm hoping I have a few orders since they've not had a book since the beginning of December

pixtotts

nicki wrote: »

Today I sent a link to my POB to a friend who has started ordering from me but doesn't live near me. I'm going to see how it goes with her using it, then I might get some postcards with the information printed on it for recanvassing. I'm really not sure about using it as I'm sure sitting there flicking through a paper catalogue is more appealing to most of my customers but we'll see.

I've yet to have POB work for me, which quite surprised me considering a few of my friends have ipads and what not, thought they might like it. But have to say I definitely prefer proper paper catalogue.
Though a couple of my sisters friends mums are being moved to POB or only getting catalogues at the end of their life. They ask for catalogues every time, even got me to get them some perfume samples after not being able to remember which one it is she likes then never orders, never gets catalogues back to me. It's getting quite frustrating. So they can use pob if they want anything.
x

nicki_2

She'll normally get a catalogue in with her order but because I took a break over Christmas I've sent her the POB link so she can have a look this time or if she goes away etc. I don't like the idea of Avon having my customers details which is why I'm not keen on the POB.

Off out to collect my C4 books in a minute, I think I have 60 to get in. My calling book is written up and I'm just going to have a really hot drink before I go out as its bitterly cold here. Looks like it could be a hat & sunglasses job as the sun is out

nicki_2

The housing association who own the estate I cover as past of my territory are bricking up a gate today! I heard rumours from one of my customers but they've been saying they were going to do it for so long now I didn't think it was going to happen. This means I now have to go 'the long way' round to get to that part of the estate and I'm going to have to rework my book routes as there is no way I can do it the way I have been doing it as I won't be able to carry them all I can see me having to print out a map and trying to work out the best way to do it to cover all the customers I currently have. Recanvassing in September/October is going to be a nightmare trying to carry all the books around.

I've also lost another customer, and only collected in a total of 21 books this time around. They weighed 5kg when I got back! Going to grab my "call again tonight" cards and head out on trip 2. Hopefully there will be more left out so I won't have too many to collect, at least one road is completely collected though so it makes this trip (and tonights) a little easier to cover.

Money_maker

Struggling to get motivated this year. Left C3 too late and just put out to 16 or so of my besties. Had an outstanding item delivered. Problem is, I have just found out that the customer lost her husband in a work accident before Christmas. They were a lovely couple but I really don't look forward to having to knock on her door and bother her about something as unimportant as avon.

Will review recanvassing but may just ask my ASM if I could swop a road or something as I'm fed up with some of my houses. There's only so many time you can recanvass!

lozza1985

O nicki sounds like a right pain - hope you manage to re-organise things so that your territory can still work for you.

MM I wouldn't fancy that either, but perhaps she might like the normality. You could always just pop a book through with a note with your condolesence, and say you understand if she just wants you to send the item back?

I,_Geek

nicki wrote: »

There's a sticker to add to page 5 where they've not printed an offer header. It took me 2 hours to prepare my 74 books.

This is exactly why I didn't bother with those stickers! At first I thought they'd not mentioned the offer anywhere in the brochure so was going to pop the sticker on the front of each book. But it was only missing from that one page so I decided it wasn't worth it. My customers rarely go in for this type of offer (literally about 3 times a year and I've got 150 customers).

When Avon send out amendments like that (Moshi Monster bookmarks are another example) I just ignore them. The amount of work to amend brochures is always going to be a lot more than informing the handful of customers effected after they've ordered.

No Motivation - I wouldn't say I had none - in fact the weather this year has been kind to us here in the north-east and it's nice to go out on cold, but still and dry evenings. But something that gave me an extra spring in my step was to drop some customers and hand back some territory. :cool: I had a group of 22 customers who'd only earned me £3.88 per campaign for the past year (before brochure, brochure bag, ink etc.. expenses). I just couldn't justify that anymore. Handed back 122 houses I'd had for years and not got anywhere with, and they were just impractical to re-canvas.

EDIT: That £3.88 isn't per person per campaign. That's £3.88 in total for calling on 22 houses.

pixtotts

So I've finally decided to get round to canvassing... I think I'm going to do it a post code at a time for this first one as for the majority there is less than 10 in a post code. Start with the smaller ones. Definitely starting with the ones that I can just drop and run, I don't like people the idea of knocking on doors has me feeling sick, but there are a fair few who I actually kind of know them, so I'm going to have to talk to them I guess still don't like the idea of it... lol.

Anyway... the actual bit I wanted to get to...
Do you put canvassing letters in? If so what do you put in it?

I'm trying to write one and I feel it's missing something
x

lozza1985

I just introduce myself, say here is the latest brochure for them to browse.
I also have a list & tick boxes for them to say if they would like future brochures with no obligation to order, if they get avon from another rep, or if they would prefer you not deliver again. And a bit for them to fill in there address
That way - if they say they get avon elsewhere you know that they like it, could be worth dropping a brochure in after a few months in case there rep has finished. But - if people don't tick any boxes - keep delivering a few more times as they might just not have seen the note/not had time to fill it in.