This is a recap of a team webinar I did. I know it’s a little long, but I hope you find something here which you find helpful for your business.
Your Prospecting Pipeline
To best grow your business, you need to cast a wide net to find people to talk to about your business. This is how you generate leads and comes from doing a little bit of everything. As you find people, you bring them into your funnel.
Of course, they don’t know that and your funnel is really in your mind. As you can see, the funnel is large at the top, but very small at the bottom. That’s because you’ll find lots of people to talk to, but only a few of them will be interested in your business or products.
So the secret is to create a funnel and pull as many people as you can into it. This can be as easy as going about your day giving out brochures. As a person takes your brochure, they just stepped into your imaginary funnel. You’ll want to have other things already set into place to keep them moving through the funnel and hopefully come out the other end. For instance, you’ve given them a brochure. But you always want to have a recruiting flyer inside the brochure and a label on the front of it asking them if they’d like to make extra money or whatever you’re promoting at that time.
So they’ve taken the brochure from you and hopefully you’ve gotten their name and phone number – and PLEASE be sure to get their name and number. How are you going to follow up without that critical piece of information? Put a post-it note on the front of the brochure. After you’ve asked them if they’d like a brochure, just tell them, “jot down your name & number and I’ll give you a quick call before I place my next order.”
It’s all in your posture. If you appear confident, most of the time they won’t even question it – they’ll give you their name and number. And all I’m asking as that you ASK. Just take the easy ones. If they say no, or ask if that’s your number on the back, then feel free to tell them, “yes, feel free to give me a call if there’s anything I can get for you.”
Not to worry – You’ll find plenty of people who will give you their information.
OK, so you’ve given them a brochure, and gotten their name and phone number. The recruiting flyer and label will then do their work. If the person is looking for a way to make extra income, hopefully they’ll read the flyer and call you… and that will move them a little further down your funnel. Then of course, you’re going to call them in a few days to see if there was anything you can get for them, or if they have any questions about any of the products. This is another way to move them a little further down your funnel.
You’ll build rapport on the phone with them and as you’re talking, you can ask them if they’d ever thought about being a Representative and making extra money. If not, that’s OK. You’ll then ask them if they’d like to receive brochures on a regular basis, and get their address to deliver them to.
If they’re interested in Selling Avon, try to set an appointment with them, or send them online to your Avon Online Store and Click on Boss Life to get more information. That’s another tool that Avon gives you to help get people interested in your opportunity.
Then use some sort of Contact Manager or Calendar to ensure that you until either they sign up or they’re no longer interested.
Of course, if they want to be a customer, you’ll give them a quick call each campaign to see if there’s anything they need before you place your order. So you’re still connecting with them regularly, and each time you’re moving them a little further down that funnel.
The key to get more people coming out the bottom of the funnel is to get more to step into it in the first place. There’s many ways to do that, and that’s really what I wanted to talk with you about today.
Richard and I use many methods to get people into our funnel. We advertise from time to time in the local newspaper as well as the PennySaver and even online ads.
Richard and I distribute 1200 brochures every campaign – every one of them with a recruiting flyer and label on the front. Some brochures go out in the mail to our current customers. We rent racks in grocery stores and Blockbuster to put our brochures in. We also put brochures on the counter at Donut Shops and Nail & Hair Salons, wherever we can get permission. We distribute some door to door. I go out to grocery stores and shopping centers and pass them out to people who walk by.
When they take a brochure I ask them then if they’d like to receive brochures on a regular basis, and I have them fill out the Drawing Slip that you can find here. We cast a wide net to bring as many into our funnel as possible. That is how we are growing a HUGE business!
So let’s look at some ways to bring people into your funnel.
Grand Opening and Home Parties
One of the best ways to get started in your Avon Business is to have a Grand Opening!
Make your guest list and mail invitations, and then I want to strongly encourage you to call people. Don’t just rely on FaceBook, or eVite, or even mailing invitations. Because it’s that follow-up phone call that will get people there and once they are at your party, they are in your funnel.
Now, during your party you will be working on moving them through your funnel, where hopefully they will come out the bottom either as a potential Avon Representative on your team, a Hostess for your next party, or a customer.
Make the party fun! Create a Theme which will make your party unlike any other party they’ve ever attended. Consider having a Mystery Host party where you’ll do a drawing to see who will take home the hostess rewards. This will help entice more people to come.
At the party, be sure to do your Booking Commercial and your Opportunity Bag. Don’t miss these parts as they’re an important step to moving your guests through your prospecting funnel. Your goal at your Grand Opening party should be to book 2-3 more parties and find 1-2 people who would like to find out more about joining your Avon team, and of course to generate new customers and sales.
Be sure to schedule one-on-one’s and VIP events with anyone who can’t come to your party. just because someone can’t attend your party, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t willing to still get together with you and learn a little bit about your business, and learn a little bit about your product line.
Shopping and/or as you Go About your Day
Get a tote bag and fill it with Avon Brochures and Business Cards. Be sure to include your labels on the front and recruiting flyers inside. Then go Shopping. Go into the stores, and shop. But as you’re in the store, pay attention to those people who are around you. Wherever possible, strike up a conversation with people in the store. This may seem a little scary at first, and that’s OK. This is how you’re going to fine-tune your skills and build the strength that will help you grow your business.
OK, I know this can be really scary if you haven’t done it before. If you’re really scared to talk to someone about Avon, just practice by saying Hi to people. Get them involved in a conversation with you. You don’t have to bring up Avon right now – just practice talking with people and as you get more comfortable talking with people, you can start introducing Avon into the conversation. Or you can even start at first by smiling at people, as long as you keep working towards getting the courage to actually talk to them. Also, your Avon District Manager is a master at this. He/She has been well trained by Avon on how to prospect, and will be more than happy to go out with you. Every new recruit you get also helps them too.
But, here’s the bottom line: How important are your dreams to you? The fear of talking to people will go away eventually OR your dreams will go away if you don’t talk to people. Are you willing to let go of your fear so you can live the life of your dreams? It’s really that simple. Anyone can do it. The big money goes to those that can face their fears and do what’s uncomfortable until it’s no longer uncomfortable! Don’t give up on your dreams because you have fear. Work through it!
The truth is, that’s a little hard for me too. I’m more comfortable with a more direct approach. I prefer to stand outside a store and just ask everyone who comes out if they’d like a brochure. I guess it’s easier for me because I don’t feel like I’m pretending to be something I’m not and I’m not a shopper. I really don’t like to shop. While standing outside the store, I find some people are happy to see me and some are downright rude, and anywhere in between. But I don’t let that bother me – I try to spend 1 hour per day doing this and – trust me – that one hour per day can really make a huge difference in my business. Out of that one hour, I usually average about 10 potential customers and 1-2 potential recruits. But be consistent – even if it’s only 1 hour per day or 2-3 times per week. And incorporate this into the other methods you choose to work your business. There are many ways and this can just be one of the ways you use.
Internet Prospecting
The Internet and Social Media Marketing Online has certainly changed the way we do business and communicate. Combining High Tech with High Touch can enhance your business building efforts both locally and across the country. You will not be able to recruit online until you are a Unit Leader, but you can definitely promote your website to get sales, and as soon as you achieve Unit Leader you will be free to recruit anywhere in the country.
While social media doesn’t replace the core cycle of activities for our business – selling products, booking parties, sponsoring and training new team partners – it can greatly enhance this cycle by building your network locally and nationally.
Nor does it replace the need to make contact with your prospects that come to you via online methods. You will still need to reach out and make a phone call to solidifying the relationship. High tech needs to be combined with high touch to be successful.
You’ll be able to grow your network of friends and build strong relationships with potential new customers, hostesses, and team partners. But I want to caution you that this should only be one way in which you work your business. Especially if you’re new, you really need to spend the time in a face-to-face environment learning how to talk with people and how to promote your business in an effective manner.
But you can definitely start this and start building your presence online. Get yourself signed up for a couple of Social Networks – I suggest Facebook and MySpace as good places to start. If you’re an Avon eRepresentative – which means you have your own Avon provided website – you can setup your Avon storefront on your Facebook page. Just log into youravon.com, and then click on the Web Office tab. In about the middle of the page towards the bottom, you’ll see links to Add Facebook Badge and to Add Facebook Storefront. Just follow the instructions and you’ll be in business.
Spend some time on Facebook and MySpace making friends and building relationships. As you make new friends, do not “throw up” on them by immediately trying to sell them on your business. In the online world, you need to be even more careful about that – it’s friends first! Then as you build a relationship, it will become natural to talk about what you do.
Events & Shows
There are all types of events going on all the time – especially now during the summer months. Almost every City has some sort of event – such as the Strawberry Festival, Citrus Days, Pioneer Days, whatever – get yourself a booth in those events. Or even, how about your County Fair? Of course, that’s usually a huge event and you’ll need to recruit help to man the booth. These can sometimes be 10-12 days long.
Richard and I do every event we can. We have also leased what they call Promo Units in the local mall. They are not actually kiosks, but more like a “lemonade stand”. But lots of people come through the mall on the weekends, and you are legally there and able to talk with everyone that walks by.
Another type of event that works out really well is job fairs. Attendees at these types of events are looking for an opportunity and you have the perfect one to offer them.
Setup a small product display. It doesn’t need to be a lot, but do what you can to make your booth look appealing and inviting so people will stop and look at what you’ve got.
The secret to getting people to stop and talk with you is the little lipstick samples in a basket. Richard calls these his magic bullets. People who wouldn’t even consider talking to you will now stop and talk to you as they look through the basket to find their right color. This gives you 60-90 seconds to start talking with them to see if you can find a need. Richard even offers the lipsticks to the men who pass by. He tells them it’s a two-way street – She needs to wear the lipstick and he needs to wear it off. That usually lightens it up for the guy, and you know… he knows girls too for who this opportunity might be a blessing in their life.
Breast Cancer Tables
Richard and I both believe that other than maybe home parties, there is no better opportunity for you to grow your business than a Breast Cancer Table!
When Richard and I first started, we got permission from K-Mart to setup a table every Sunday – and every Sunday without fail we spent 3-4 hours at our table in front of K-Mart. Trust me, we weathered the rain and the wind and the beating sun, and even sometimes the cold – although we are in CA so I get that it’s nothing like those of you in colder climates endure.
When we first started, we were both working in 60-70 hour jobs, and I had to commute 1 to 1-1/2 hours each way to work, and we didn’t have the time to go out prospecting every day. But every Sunday we were there like clockwork. And every Sunday we would get anywhere from 10-20 new customers and 2-5 potential recruits. See, we couldn’t prospect every day – although we did both spend our lunch time making follow-up calls and doing what we could, and we did appointments in the evenings when we could fit them in, and I spent my commute time listening to CDs and tapes that would help me learn more about my business. But we knew that if we wanted to be successful in our business, we needed to be consistent. And this being at K-Mart every Sunday allowed us to be consistent. It made a huge difference to our business.
With the Breast Cancer tables, you are more likely going to be able to get the Store Manager to allow you to setup because it is a public service. Linda on our team even got a restaurant that not only allowed her to set up a table; he donated a percentage of all his sales during the time she was out there to her Breast Cancer Fundraising efforts. And everyone either has had cancer or knows someone who has had cancer. This is a very important topic and this is not only a way for you to grow your business, it’s also a way you can help others with important information to help them to know what to do if they ever have to deal with cancer in their life or their family.
So be sure to have plenty of Breast Cancer information to give out. You can purchase the Breast Cancer pamphlets from Avon for a very low cost. Decorate your table in pink and make it look inviting and fun. One time, our Division Manager went to Lane Bryant and purchased the largest pink bra she could find and hung it like a hammock on her table and asked people to put their spare change in her bra to “support” Avon’s goal to eradicate breast cancer. It was a cute way to bring home the need and get people to laugh and donate to the cause. You really don’t need a product display for these types of tables.
Again, have a basket of products to raffle off which will give you a way to collect names and phone numbers. And you can use a basket of lipstick samples here if you’d like to build excitement and get more people to talk with you. But they’re not really necessary here. You can just offer them a Breast Cancer pamphlet to give out information.
And although the Breast Cancer information is the primary reason you’re there and should be your main focus, don’t hesitate to give out business cards and brochures as well. You’ll still get lots of customers and potential recruits.
The Breast Cancer pamphlets are very inexpensive from Avon. Or check with your District Manager to see what they have. Or you can call the Cancer Society to get some pamphlets or information, or you can print the breast cancer info from Avon’s website. Or worst case scenario, open a brochure to the breast cancer page and lead with that.
So go out there and talk to every store and restaurant you can find. You have a huge opportunity with Avon’s unique Breast Cancer commitment to be able to help lots of people and grow a huge business. This will be easier for you to do if you keep in mind that you’re doing this as a public service and you want to help people. It’s not about you at all!
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