Get Your Negative Out
But here's the truth. If you start poking around about reviews for direct selling and reviews for Avon, you are going to find negativity. There are millions of naysayers out there. Some of their arguments are valid, some are just lies. The honest truth is that you will find negative things said about direct selling, for ALL direct sales companies. There is even an entire website dedicated to hating on Mary Kay. (I refuse to link to it). The bottom line is that there is a lot of information on the internet, there is a lot of inaccurate information on the internet and there is a lot of hate on the internet. I have taken most of that with a grain of salt. I am also a skilled researcher, and I devote my energy to tracking down valid and valuable research about beauty and business before I share that on my website. Business, ALL business, is what you make it. It doesn't matter if you are in a corporate office, selling makeup or making fries. There are business opportunities, but you have to want to do the work. Sales IS hustle.
Make an Investment
Direct selling companies all require an investment. Usually that investment is very small ($100 or less). When you join Avon, the cost to become a representative is $15, and you receive an official Avon starter kit. However, I still say that you should invest a full $100. Why? On what? Here's why: Yes, the starter kit is $15 (you get your own estore website at no cost --- MOST direct selling companies charge their reps for the personalized website), and that includes brochures, what's new, a workbook, samples, and full sized product. That will give you what you need to launch your beauty business. I recommend spending a little more to get business cards for yourself. Town and Country is an Avon Advantage Partner and they frequently have a discount on business cards: 250 free and you pay only $5.95 in shipping and handling. I would also go to a local office supply store and pick out a physical planner and calendar. The better organized you are with time and contacts, the more sales you will have! These typically cost around $20. The remainder of that $100 (around $60 left), you will hold onto. This can be invested in different things, depending on how you want to direct your beauty business. You could: buy samples, full size products to demo, bags to deliver product to your customers, branded signage to have tables at events, a domain name and hosting to run your own branded website*, a dedicated phone for your business, towards a laptop to help you sell online, office supplies to stay organized - whatever will help you run your business best! Yes, Avon's startup fee is $15, but a full $100 is an investment in your business that will contribute to your success!
* Avon does not allow personal websites for the purpose of selling product; your branded website has to be your personal brand and cannot have "Avon" in it.
Focus on Sales
Avon and long time reps will have all sorts of tips and suggestions for you when you start. Buy tons of brochures! Make a huge list of your warm market! Talk to 3 people every day! Use products yourself! Great. If you can start with that much.
I have my own tips for new representatives, and those tips probably conflict with everything you see from Avon and other reps.
Sell you. Look, sales are not about selling product, sales is about selling you. YOU are the product. Seriously. And human nature is to trust the human product before spending money on it. I know that sounds weird, but that's human nature. There have been studies and studies in marketing and advertising about the human element in buying. In order to run a sales business with long term success, ethics and JOY, you need to sell yourself, and NOT your products. My first year selling Avon I focused on - my warm market and products. I didn't earn much. My second year, I am focusing on - you guessed it! - selling ME. Direct selling is network marketing, and network marketing is primarily about building relationships. I don't tell everyone I talk to in person that I sell Avon. I don't even talk about Avon. Crazy, right?! The complete OPPOSITE of what everyone says to do. What I do is develop relationships and work on building trust. The crazy thing is that people are now coming to me. "Hey, I heard you sell Avon. Can I buy from you?"
Grow slow. My tips focus on growing sales at a realistic pace. Creating the network takes time. Like, more than a few weeks. It takes years. During this building time, you may not see a lot of sales every campaign. This is where many reps give up, because they do not see the immediate results. Instant gratification does not a business make. Most "brick and mortar" business take 5 years to see a profit. This may also be true for direct sales businesses. Growth is exponential. I see many successful Avon earners who did not get to their high profit margins for years. If they had given up their first year or so in, they would never have seen the profit they do now! Relish in slow growth, but be realistic about it. Actively work on sales and developing your network. Celebrate pockets of success (right before the holidays and in the spring are typically peak buying times).
Don't buy. Unless you can afford to invest more, do not go over that initial amount you have reserved for supplies and demo products. Spend as little as possible on brochures. Buy only as many brochures as you know you can schedule to distribute. If your warm market is 5 women, only buy 10 brochures and then force yourself to get rid of those other 5 brochures. Do not buy too many brochures if you can't develop that large of a market yet. Don't buy a bunch of supplies, like samples, sales tools or bags. Buy ONE pack of the literature bags. I know they are only .80 but buy them one pack at a time. Only buy sample deals from the What's New if you really love the product and can actively market it to your network. Avoid loading up on samples and bags until you have a use for them. If you do want to start building up samples, start with skincare. Until you begin having campaign orders of $50 or more, do not invest in any of those extras. The bare minimum I suggest your very first order should be, if you do not yet have any customer sales: 10 brochures ($6.49), literature bags ($0.80), and one recurring future brochure, item 030347, ($0.30). IF the only thing you buy during a campaign is brochures, call the order in and Avon will not charge you the OSF (One Simple Fee). You want to be earning based on sales YOU make, not on product you buy.
Learn product. You can't sell what you don't know. You should spend a good chunk of time learning about the products that Avon sells. They are incredible products and many have a long history. These products contribute to having loyal customers, so do your reading and learn about them. Start with the brochure. READ every single page in the brochure, then expand into the online inventory and delve deep. Learn about the product in depth on the estore, and take advantage of product trainings through Avon University.
Challenge yourself. Sales can be achieved, but it does take hustle. Hustle is making sales related connections, with a sense of urgency, but with tact. In order to be successful at making sales, you need to set challenges for yourself. Small goals, at first, will develop into larger goals. "I will give my brochure to 5 people this campaign." "I will ask 2 people to reorder." "I will make $200 in sales this campaign." This is not a competition with other people; this is about finding the right pace for you, and meeting your personal financial goals.
Finding Those Real Earnings
It's time to show you the money! What are the earnings possibilities with direct selling? While there are different earnings charts for every company, the earnings you make depend totally on you. Your earnings are tied directly to the sales volume you make happen. Your compensation is based on your performance.
If you have a $50 order, your earnings are $10. If you have a $300 order, your earnings are $105. If you have a $1000 order, your earnings are $450. Personal sales are completed by you, so you manage your earnings.
Any sales you complete through your estore earns you 20% of that sale, and Avon delivers the order directly to your customer! Once you earn over $25, Avon will send you your earnings. You can receive this profit through direct deposit, or on a prepaid Visa card.
See How It's Done
There is an elite group of women who have worked hard to turn lipstick into life. These women are some of the top earners for Avon, and they are successful because they HUSTLE.
Top earning representatives with Avon truly know how to hustle. Yet, every single woman does it differently. That is the beauty of this beYOUtiful business: this flexibility allows you to earn in the way that is best for you!
A few of these top earners - the "famous Avon ladies":
- Lisa Wilber has been selling Avon since 1981. Her leadership checks for 2015 were over $250,000.
- Emily Seagren started in 2008 and has focused on selling online. Her 2015 team sales were over $550,000.
- Molly Stone Bibb started in 2004.
- Lisa Monoson since 2000. Her team of 400+ sells over 1 million each year.
- Theresa Paul started in 1994. She has 600+ on her team.
- Milagros Garcia joined in 2001. Her checks total over $100,000 a year.
I joined in 2014.
Every single one of these women has been successful with selling Avon because of their hustle. Every single one loves selling Avon. And every single one earns real income by selling Avon products and training others how to sell Avon products.
What I love the most about these women? They are all friends on Facebook, they are accessible to all Avon representatives, and they are willing to help new reps grow their business because they care about successful beauty businesses. This handful of inspirational Avon ladies really make it worth choosing this company for your direct selling business. They are amaze!
