Growing Your Avon Business While Social Distancing
This crazy pandemic looks like it’s going to be here for a while.
States are looking at ways to loosen stay at home orders and open up the economy, but it still looks to be weeks, if not months before we are open.
Covid-19 is affecting every business globally, and direct sales companies are no exception.
I believe that, with Avon, we’re in a good place though.
Many direct sales businesses are completely shut down. Avon was able to get our warehouse reopened within 2 days.
Many direct sales companies will not survive this pandemic. No direct sales company can withstand having their warehouse closed and $0 sales for any length of time.
LG Home & Health, the company that owns Avon now, is committed to our success for the next quarter century, not just the next quarter.
They will do whatever it takes to help us be successful, and they have the money to weather this storm.
Now, I know it’s not going to be all unicorns and rainbows either.
I do anticipate things to get a bit worse before they get better.
We will probably have problems with out of stocks and backorders since many of Avon’s suppliers may also be closed.
But I consider myself very lucky to be working with such a great company that will do everything in their power to help us.
And things will get better when we get through this crises.
But, Wait and See is not a business plan!
Don’t put your Avon business on hold
The only thing that’s holding us back right now in building our Avon business is we’re not able to go out in public and in large groups.
Yes, that for sure puts a crimp in our business, but there are so many other things we can be doing to help ensure that this does not put us out of business.
If you don’t slow down, your business will continue for now, and will speed up when everything is open again.
If you slow down now, you will have a pretty big lag of getting back going once the whole country is open again.
It’s all about momentum. If you keep things moving, it will be easy to ramp them up again when this is over.
And you’ll be in the right place at the right time when the economy is back up and running.
So, on that note, I have some quick tips for working your business in spite of social distancing:
Hygiene
While we can’t go out and congregate in groups, we are still able to provide our customers with the same service we’ve always provided.
Instead of making deliveries and going inside to have coffee with our customers, these days it will be more about collecting payment electronically and dropping their order off at their door. There’s no need for personal contact.
Or customers can safely order from our Avon provided Online Store as well. Products will be shipped directly to them, and you will be paid your commission 2 days later.
Build Your Avon Business Online
By taking advantage of the Avon Virtual Brochure, you can cut your brochure costs by sharing your Digital Brochure link.
You can save yourself time and money because your customers’ orders will be shipped by Avon directly to their door instead of you having to sort, deliver and collect the money.
The most recent current Avon Catalog is always located on your Avon Online Store which is 100% free for you to use to build your Avon business.
You can find it by going to your Online Store – Avon.com/?rep=YOURID – and clicking on Digital Brochure.
If you haven’t set up your Online Store yet, go ahead and set it up in your web office on AvonNow.com – Click on My Store at the top of the page, and then Edit Store.
Find New Ways to Connect With Customers
Go live on Facebook. People need to see you and what you’re doing.
Start working on your Facebook Business page if you haven’t done that already.
You want to add Zoom to your arsenal. Zoom is fast becoming the default video conferencing app across the world. You can get it for Free here. The free version is plenty to help you get started.
Send a greeting card to let your customer know they are on your mind and that you appreciate them.
I look for pictures that people post on Facebook and put them on the front of a card and send it to them. My customers, prospects, even friends, love these.
You can just keep some note cards handy and write them personally if you choose. Or you can use a service like SendOutCards to make it easy and to be able to add those pictures.
Until this pandemic has run its course, opportunities for vendor events and perhaps even in-home parties will be limited. This means you’ll need to promote your direct sales business online.
The way to do that without being pushy or spammy is ‘attraction marketing’.
Go through the Avon Social Training to learn more about how to share the real you on social media.
Give little gifts to your customers to let them know you are thinking of them.
I have been giving them hand creams and homemade face masks that I have been making. They are not difficult to make if you have a sewing machine. If you’re looking for a Facemask pattern, you can find one here.
Avon is working very hard to bring back the Avon Senses hand sanitizer gels. They are saying they should be available approximately C-12, 2020. These would also be a great gift for your customers.
Be Sure to Offer the Avon Opportunity
As the crisis lengthens, more and more people will suffer financially.
Hours will be cut, and jobs lost – at least temporarily.
Avon offers people impacted by the crisis a way to make some additional income during this difficult time.
And right now, you can offer that for FREE! Avon is offering free sign-ups through C-12, 2020, so be sure to take advantage of that.
I want to stress here that it’s super important to be sensitive and compassionate.
It would not be wise to come across as though you want to capitalize on their hardship. Make clear that you are offering an option to help them.
It’s also important not to over-promise on your business opportunity.
Don’t make big income claims – they will have to put in some work into their new business.
But help them get started by providing them some brochures and tips to get started right away. I send a welcome kit to every new team member.
It’s just what I do anyway, but a welcome kit is especially helpful during these times because it shows that you’re not just out to capitalize on their hardships. Instead, you are helping them.
Just take them to your Online Store – YourAvon.com/YOURID and then click on Become a Representative.
Note, if you are brand new yourself, you will need to wait 24 hours before the computer will be ready for you to sign up a new Representative.
Once your website is set up properly, you’re good to go. Just send your prospect to your website – avon.com/?rep=YOURID.
Having them click on “Become a Rep” from your own Avon Online Store is the very best way to get someone signed up and on your team.
If you have them on the phone, it’s even better for you to say, “If you’re ready, I can get you signed up right now.”
Then while they’re on the phone with you, YOU go to Your Avon Website and you click on Become a Rep and you get them signed up – just like a Customer Service Representative.
If you do it for them, you know it will be done now. You never know what’s going to happen between them telling you they are going to go sign up and when they actually do.
If you have any problems, there is a chat function on the website where you can chat with Avon Customer Service. Or you can call Avon at 866-513-2866.
You can even 3-way your new potential representative into the Avon phone number, and a Customer Service Representative will help you get them signed up.
When in Isolation
If you are forced to self-isolate or your area is in lockdown, make the most of the time.
You can grow your business online – I’ve done it from a hospital room when I’ve spent time there with my mother before she passed, so you can certainly do it from home.
Continue to get brochures out to every customer, and follow-up with every customer every campaign. Here’s a post on how to automate many of these tasks so you can do them while staying at home.
Having some time at home is also a great opportunity to increase your business knowledge and do some self-development.
Go through the training on Avon U. This is a great opportunity to find the time if you haven’t already done it. Learn as much as you can.
Go back through the Avon USA Representatives Facebook Page and watch their Live Videos. You’ll learn tons about the new products and how to promote them.
Be sure to watch any replays of any Go to Webinar trainings that Avon has offered. You can find links on AvonNow under News / Business Calendar and on Avon U under Resources.
That thing you’ve been putting off?! The website? Email marketing? Your blog? Instagram? Batching your social posts? Now is the time to get to work!
Now that you have the time, maybe you’d like to start building your blog. You can find information about how to do this on OnlineBeautyBiz.com – click here for details.
This too shall pass
Remind yourself that it’s going to be okay. Do your best online during the crisis, but don’t forget it’s not the end of your business if your sales are not what they before this happened.
You can re-launch when the pandemic is over.
After I had been in business for quite a few years, I moved from California to Utah and had to start over. Sure, I kept some of my customers who were willing to order from my website. But I had to re-launch and start over when I got to Salt Lake City.
You can re-start your Avon business and build it up again once this crisis is over.
And the good thing is it won’t be starting from scratch. You will already have many of your customers that you’ve stayed in touch with throughout this time. They will be back as soon as they’re making money again.
Now is not the time to panic!
We’re fortunate with Avon that we can be flexible in how we conduct our business.
Using technology, we can be connected to our team members, our customers, and our prospects – even when we’re confined to our homes.
Most importantly, take care of yourself and your family.
And please stay safe.
You’ve got this! I believe in you!
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Thank you. Great tips. I appreciate your help. I had a contest winner today. We met with them for a safe walk in the area and helped them find products for men plus health and wellness irems. I talked him through my online store which they used. I had offered to order for him. He was excited to see how easy it was to do online.
I gave her a fragrance sample too which she loved.
Thank you. Great tips. I appreciate your help. I had a contest winner today. We met with them for a safe walk in the area and helped them find products for men plus health and wellness irems. I talked him through my online store which they used. I had offered to order for him. He was excited to see how easy it was to do online.
I gave her a fragrance sample too which she loved.
Have a good week.
Awesome! Great job! ❤️