Is Avon that difficult? Many questions for U 2 Answer

[SAHMof2]

I just seen browsing that Avon has made a document where you can calculate your profit now under the beauty of knowledge.

[lancastd]

1. You can utilize the internet for advertising. Signatures in posts, free classifieds, paid classifieds, etc as long as you indicate that you are an Independent Sales Representative.

2. When you sell online you are not bound to a specific area to sell to, other than your customer must be within the US.

4. If you are looking to sign up you can choose the representative you'd like to sign up with. Although, they either need to be in leadership (recruiting) or insterested in getting started in leadership. Reps who are not in or interested in leadership may refer you to their upline or District Manager. You can even choose to sign up with someone you meet online if they are a Unit Leader or above and can provide you with their reference code for online appointments.

Leadership reps can earn between 0.5% to 12% commission on their downline but there are not automatic. Different criteria must be met in order to receive the commission. It's a bit extensive to list here.

You DO NOT have to recruit to make money, however, the most successful representatives typically are in leadership.

5. Avon does offer representatives a website for their customers to shop from. The website is great. Check mine out if you want. See how it loads and how easy it is to navigate. AVON Representative DAWN LANCASTER serving the Boerne, TX area

Issues with pricing my be due to the fact that a new brochure is issued every two weeks and the website reflect pricing in the current brochure. Something that was on sale last campaign may not be this time. However, each brochure is actually good for 3 full campaigns and customers can order online from the current brochure plus the two previous. So if something was on sale for half price last campaign and that's the price they want they can still get it for that price.

Problems with the website loading my be actually be an issue with the customers computer and should there ever be a server issue Avon would get it resolved as quick as possible.

There are two ways for customers to process an online order. They can have it direct shipped to their house or request personal delivery. If they have products direct shipped then they typically will deal with Avon in regards to cancelling the order or returning products.

If a customer selects Personal Delivery these orders are sent to our order que and we submit them when we place our regular orders. If the customer decides to cancel before we actually submit the order then we simply delete it and never receive the product. If they cancel it after we receive the product then we simply ask Avon for credit and never have to pay for the product.

6. We do submit our orders online and it's a very simple process to use. I've not had any of the issues or heard of other reps having the issues mentioned where it wasn't user error. A mistyped product number maybe...

We have a full year to request credit and return product to Avon. The only reason I can see Avon denying credit is if the product ordered is more than a year old. We're never "stuck" with product.

7. If you want to make your business successful you definitely need to order brochures. However, the cost of the brochures is easily returned typically with one or two customer orders. Brochure costs vary based on the number of brochures you order. The more you order the less they cost per brochure. I do not recommend ordering additional flyers because they do cost more and Avon generally sends plenty to us FREE.

Samples are not required and I typically only order them if a customer requests them, for new products coming out so my current customers can try them, or if it's a product I really like and want to share it with my regular customers.

Business cards are not required but can be ordered FREE from Vista Print as well as many other helpful business tools. We just pay shipping. When I order from Vista Prints I take advantage of all the free items I can, order for the slowest shipping so shipping cost is minimal and still tend to get my order within a week or two.

Cost of delivering. This can be minimized by making all your deliveries to one area at the same time so your not having to make multiple trips. Having customers meet you. Some of my customers actually offer to come to me so I don't have to drive out of my way to deliver to them.

Other fees: Avon charges a $2.50 processing fee. There is also a .75 per customer fee but we only pay half of that and collect a full .75 from the customer. So we're actually making money off the customer processing fee. We are also charged tax but again, we collect that from the customer.

Additional fees we may be subject to:
$7 Late Order Fee - if we submit our order after 12 noon on our ordering day. We have an ordering schedule that we follow. To avoid this I recommend submitting the evening before your order due date if you know you're not going to be able to submit your order ontime in the moring, due to scheduling conflicts.
Multiple Order Fees - This fee varies (typically $7 - $10) and is based on our order total and is charged when submit a separate order after our regular order date. To avoid this, if a customer calls in after your regular order date ask them to either submit online or let them know when you're next scheduled order will be submitted and how long they will be expecting to wait for their order to arrive.
Late Fees - this fee starts off at $5 and is charged to you if you do not pay for your previous order ontime. You must pay for orders from last campaign by your order due date for the current campaign. If you fail to pay before the order due date for the next campaign (2 campaigns late) you will be billed an additional $10 late fee. If you're 3 campaigns late you will be billed an additional $10 and your account will go inactive.

Some fees as Heather mentioned can be reversed if discussed with your DSM but Avon has become really strict about reversing these totals because this is a business and reps need to be following the proper procedures.

Representatives who leave Avon because of "problems" typically don't understand the process and fail to ask questions or they do not "work" at getting customers.

As a leadership rep it is beneficial to know Avon's policies and procedures as well. I've been in leadership almost since I've been signed up. I have had a few reps upset but after working with have been able to explain what happened and if necessary contact Avon or the DSM to get their issue resolved. In the past 3 years I've not spent anywhere near 10 hours (Total) dealing with downline complaints.

Avon does not promise $10 is going to make you rich. Avon specifically says it takes $10 to get started and that we have Unlimited Earning Potential. They also point out that it is up to the individuals own efforts on how much they earn.

Those that leave Avon owning money most likely did not follow proper ordering procedures, did not understand the return process for receiving credit on undelivered product or did not take advantage of it, ordered more for themselves than they were making in profits, or most often than not have poor money management skills and spent money they received from their customers before paying their Avon bill. It's important to keep Avon money separate from personal money and to pay Avon before paying yourself.

8. This was ansswered in question 2. There are no territories. You can sell to anyone, anywhere within the US.

One thing to keep in mind regarding these posts you've been reading is that some of them are from other countries such as the UK where Avon may be run a little differently and may have territories appointed to them. Avon is in more than 140 countries world wide.

There are no quotas when selling Avon. You are expected to pay your bill from your previous order when it is time to submit your next order, whether you have a new order or not.

Our earnings percent is based on our order total. The more you sell your earnings % will increase. However it does not take thousands to earn 35% - 40%. You earn at 40% with your first 4 orders. After that you earn between 20% and 50% based on your order total. You start earning 35% with order totals of $285 or more. 40% at $425. Order totals include customer orders, your personal orders, business tools and demos. Orders of $1550 or more you get 50% earnings. There are some items that have fixed earnings of 20%. These are licensed products such as Disney items.


I think I'm halfway through...

[awillingham0001]

Originally Posted by TStudent

I know I have a lot of questions. I was hoping to get them all out on the table to prevent multiple postings. I do not expect you to answer all of them. I do expect some answers though. You can pick and choose to answer the ones you know about.

I am glad you made comments on the number of questions, but please answer some questions when you post again or for the first time.

Thank you very much.

I think these are about the best answers you are going to find. They've done a very good job at answering accurately.

[lancastd]

9. Customers are responsible for returning their own products if they order it for Direct Ship online. If a customer orders it through a representative the representative handles the return. The representative gets credit for the items and returns only the items Avon requests be returned. Sometimes items are credited but are not required to be sent back.

We are responsible for shipping fees associated with returns. It's best to try and sell a product before returning it to Avon. You can request credit for a returned product and have 28 days to try and sell the item before you must ship it back. It is also beneficial since we do have to pay shipping fees to ship multiple items at one time. Also, we do not have to pay for shipping at the post office, Avon actually bills the shipping costs to our account.

Again, cost of delivery, make sure you schedule deliveries to a specific area at one time to avoid multiple trips. At that time you can deliver brochures to customers in that area. Keep track of mileage, it's a tax write off.

11. Sub-par means - Not measuring up to traditional standards of performance, value, or production.
I agree with what you found. Occassionally there are a few products that are "sub-par" these products however are generally products Avon does not produce but rather contract to sell in their brochures. Good thing is, if it's not up to customer standards then it's 100% returnable. No need to be embarrassed as a representative. Just as a cashier at any retail establishment is not responsible for products sold through the retailer, neither are we.

12. Avon pricing is not misleading. It can get confusing I guess because we can order from 3 different brochures at one time and prices in each brochure may vary. I take the time to find the best deal available. If I come across a special after I place the order or maybe I submitted the order under the wrong campaign, I contact Avon and they do a price adjustment and credit my account. We can get price adjustments for items if they are on sale within 2 campaigns of the current. Either in one of the previous 2 brochures or 2 upcoming brochures. All you have to do is submit the request for the adjustment.

13. There is no fee for accepting credit card payments and the imprinter is NOT required. You must imprint the card onto the credit card slip and this can easily be done by placing the credit card under the slip and using the side of a pen or pencil to rub the imprint.

Right now, the website (eRep site) is free for the first 6 campaigns of enrollment and beyond that as long as you have one customer order submitted through your eRep site each campaign.

One of the top Representatives in the country was out of work, living in a trailer, flat broke and on the verge of having her electricity shut off when she decided to take her Avon business seriously. She is now a millionaire! Look her up. Her name is Lisa Wilber There are several other stories similar to hers.

14. To make $2000 each month with online sales only you'd have to sell between $4500 & $10,000 online. That's $2250 - $5000 every two weeks. The lowest amount is based on 45% earnings (top earnings you can receive from online sales) on Avon products. The high end is based on 20% earnings for licensed products. Once you hit sales of $10,100 the 20% would raise to 25%.

15. You can advertise anywhere online, however, you can not sell on auction sites or have your own website other than the one provided by Avon. As Heather mentioned you have to state you are an Independent Sales Representative.

16. It is not likely that you'll find any Avon Rep who is selling only on the internet through their eRep site. Those who are selling against policy through auction sites are not likely to come forward because they will lose their account and not be able to continue their business.

I'm sure a lot of my answers mirrored Heathers with maybe a little more insite.

An Avon Business is a legit business. You don't pay $10 - $20 for your starter kit and sit back and do nothing and make it rich! You have to work. It's a job. You have to be willing to ask questions, take the online training courses, and learn.
Running any lucrative direct sells business requires good money management skills and will require some money be put into the business. However, if you stay focused and motivated, set your goals and make a plan to reach them - then execute your plan your time and money will pay off.

[awillingham0001]

Also, in reply to the idiotic claim that a pair of flip-flops can cause cancer (I think that is absurd) and the request for ingredients in products. If you go to the avon website, click on any of the products, underneath of the picture is an option to view the ingredients in that product. In response to the chemicals, there's no more in AVON products than you would find in Olay and Garnier. You can also read reviews of the products from customers and other reps giving the pros/cons and good/bad experiences.

[pamelab]

Yes, this is an excellent Avon forum, and all questions are welcome and relative.

The ladies here did an excellent job of answering all these questions, so it's great that all people considering becoming an Avon Representative will have these to look upon and ponder.

You will be hard pressed to find a more affordable business than Avon ($10 - $20) startup, and much of your learning will be by DOING Avon.

The Representative Website is easy to navigate and has great information and training on it, and whoever you sign up under will be able to help you along and answer your questions and give you guidance and ideas for your business.

Your journey begins when you start your business, and you really don't have much more to lose than the price of lunch at McDonalds.

I took a chance of joining Avon without knowing much about what to expect, but it has all been a pleasant surprise, and an exciting business venture. I have learned a great deal over the six years I've been involved, and I continue to learn more all the time.

You can't really have it all laid out for you at the start, you need to work it and learn along the way.

[BeautyPeddler]

I'm not even going to try to answer all those questions because I'm sure that everyone has already covered everything very well.

Welcome to Avon. This is a great place to ask questions and get help and different views from different people.

[khakigirl]

Originally Posted by awillingham0001

Also, in reply to the idiotic claim that a pair of flip-flops can cause cancer (I think that is absurd) and the request for ingredients in products. If you go to the avon website, click on any of the products, underneath of the picture is an option to view the ingredients in that product. In response to the chemicals, there's no more in AVON products than you would find in Olay and Garnier. You can also read reviews of the products from customers and other reps giving the pros/cons and good/bad experiences.

It was probably purchased by someone in California where those labels are required by law and put on everything from shoes and blankets to cookware and electronics. They are put on any product that contains any ingredient that may possibly cause cancer.