Avon Products INC Avon Cosmetics, Avon perfumes, Avon Sales Reps. Avon Representatives are really on their own with this Multi-Level Marketing Company. New York New York, U.S.A

Avon Products Inc, sales reps are really "on their own" when it comes to selling for this Multi-Level Marketing company now. Things have really changed, from the 1980's the last real "hay day for Avon". Here are some issues that have dented the Avon company and the sales Reps who sell Avon:

1. The Pasadena, Ca distribution center is closing down completely by the year 2015. Avon is closing the doors, firing all of the employees (not worthy of a transfer) and selling (or has already sold) the property the building sat on for millions of dollars. Avon said in a news report, that they will "save" the company over $400-million dollars a year, just in this one move. 

2. This means, there will be (or actually may be happening already) no West Coast Avon distribution center. All of the distribution centers are now located in the mid-west, and east coast area of the U.S.A. This HAS TO slow down delivery to the West Coast Avon Sales Reps. 

3. Thinking about selling Avon? Here are some tips you NEED to know, before you ever sign up. Go to the internet, and find a Avon Sales Rep in your area that appears successful. Buy from her a few times, decide if you like her, (if not, switch to another Avon Rep in your immediate area). Once you find an Avon Rep you like, then sign up UNDER her, as her DOWNLINE, and she as your Leader. Now, you have a personal relationship with your Up-line Leader. Make sure she signs you up, in YOUR HOME, and tell her YOU HAVE  A JOB,  PAY your $10.00 start up fee with A CREDIT CARD, make sure your Avon Rep knows your age, ( the older you are the better), tell her you are buying your home if you can (Avon Products Inc doesn't seem to realy check that fact), If you rent, make sure you say you have lived at your residence for more than 5 years. Make sure you show her your drivers license, your Social Security Card. But, remember, you are signing up with a 'friend" since you have bought from her  a few times, and she feels she knows and likes you. This is important for you to be sucessful. 

4. Skip signing up "on line" OR signign up at one of those "Avon Booths" you see at road shows etc. Here is why:

"on-line"--You are consider a fraudulent person by Avon. Because they can not see you, and regardless on how you fill out your form, they will find a reason to deny you Instant Credit with them. ANd demand all payments be made to Avon first before they send out you orders. The 'Randomly selected" Avon "Leader" you will get, will car very little about you. You were just handed to them, and they have no investiment or relationship with you. You are "just another free number for them" and all they will want to see is "how much Avon junk" you are buying each Campaign. 

"Avon Booth"--You arent' considered a fraudulent person here, because they can see you. "But" if you don't pay with a credit card, and show a driver's license, (S.S. Card), and remember....they are at a booth, NOT at your home to see that you REALLY live at the address you claim. They will also let you sign up, to 'have a home visit" with one of the Avon Reps "at the booth". Remember in order to get the "Instant Credit" with Avon (this amount can be from $200.00 up to $600.00 dollars per campaign) they need to sign YOU UP in YOUR HOME, see YOUR driver's license, S.S.card, if you have a job currently, if you own your home, and how long if you rent, PAY with a Credit Card for the $10.00 sign up fee. OR show them a second store credit card if you do not have a regular bank card. 

You are on your own with Avon. Here are some things you can do to increase sales and balance the playing flield if you are an Avon Rep. 

1. Sign up for Square. This by-passes all of the credit approval hoops at Avon for you to TAKE credit/debit cards FROM your customers. You can buy Square online at www.square.com or in most office supply stores. Square by-passes having to send any credit card transactions to Avon. Instead, they all go immediatly into YOUR Avon account at YOUR BANK. 

2. Spend your start up money on: Magnet Door ads, business cards, Avon books, Free Samples, door/book hangers, Avon bags. Make sure you print your PHONE numberer very LARGE on all of your advertising. Hang your door magnets on the Back and front of of your car while PARKED, and on the Back only while driving. People do not really see, or have the time to write down a phone number they see on the side doors of a car. (if you don't believe me, try to do it on ads you seen on cars as you drive around town). 

3. Skip buying all the products you see for sale in the Campaign booklets when you start up. It is temping to think you can buy, buy, buy, buy, but you are spending the money you need to have others (called customers) buy, buy, buy for you. Get the customrs to pay for YOUR Avon orders, not YOU pay for YOUR own Avon Orders. Plus, Avon may or may not revoke or reduce any "instant credit" you think you may have at anytime. And you could be stuck with a huge Avon bill to pay. 

4. Never return a product back to Avon. This will give you black mark against your good name with Avon. Instead, keep it, use it, resell it if you can, use it as a demo, or write if off as a donation to a charity on your taxes etc. 

5. Keep any empty boxes from products you have bought for yourself. Open them carefully, and then toss them into an empty Avon box, with lid, in a warm dry place. You may get a prodcut, or a return with out a box, and if you have a box already rat-holed, you can sell it as new again etc. 

6. Read Avon books, not written by the Avon Company. Seek outside sources to learn ways to improve your sales. 

7. Sell other Multi-level, catalog, home based business product lines  as well. The most successful Avon Reps, are also: Tupperware Reps, Mary Kay Reps, Amway Reps, Fuller Brush Reps, etc. here is a website for finding another company to sell for mlminsider.com (there are hundreds to choose from now). 

8. Consider selling Avon as a Fundraiser. Avon now does Fundraising, or rather sells products to organizations, groups, clubs that have fundraiser events. Any group listed on line, in the phone book, etc. usually has some kind of fundraising event each year. Avon Products Inc, has a entire separate division devoted to just selling products to Avon Reps who sell to people having Fundraisers. What is great about this is: The Avon Rep gets all of her products at time of order ( a separatte product delivery system), no money up front by either the Group having the Fundraiser event, OR the Avon Rep who is putting in the order. The Avon Rep can also at time of collection from the Group Leader--a persona check for the funds RAISED, OR a persoanl Credit Card (Remember you have Squre now) and all funds are collected UP FRONT, by YOU, YOU are paid, and then Avon is paid by YOU, and the order is sent out to YOU, and now you have hundreds of opportunities to resell to all those people/customers who purchased a product at the fundraiser. You can bag each order, put in YOUR catalogs, flyers, busienss cards, etc. It is like netting hundreds of customers all at once, who you KNOW all buy Avon. 

9. The Hay Days of the 1980's and Avon are gone. Now, Avon acts like all the other corperate companies we see out there. Rich women who have joined Avon, have turned it into a type of Sorority. They can "buy their way" into the "'President's Club" and higher, just by placing huge dollar amounts with each order. They often "join up' in pre-determined groups. One being the original Avon Rep, then days later signing up 10 friends ect. They do this to get the discounts, the tax right offs, and having a social out let to control at the meetings. These are usually the ones wh set up the dog and pony Avon booths you see at the road shows too. A few of them own Avon stores now too. As a lone Avon Rep, you will NEVER be invited to join them. They also have secret meetings, you will NEVER be invited to. (think Skull and Bones, has invaded Avon). 

10. The Avon stores. They hurt the over all sales Rep, but being an instant source of Avon Products for a customer. Why go to a Rep, when you can walk into any Avon store, and buy off the shelf the same thing, and also order anyting out of the catalog. The only way an regular Avon Rep is helped by the store, (if they are lucky enough to have one in their town ) to shop there when Avon has screwed up one of YOUR customer's orders. You can drop by, and purchase that lipstick, or what-ever was missing from your delivery 

Good Luck--New Rep!