Late this afternoon, I wrapped up warm and trundled out into the wet dusk to pick up my Avon catalogues. Having given my customers over a week and a half over the festive period to peruse the books, and with it being a clearance campaign full of savings and special offers, I was hopeful.
I did not receive a single order.
I have decided to take that as a sign, and in the morning, I am going to cease to be an Avon Representative.
It's been 2 and a half years, and while I do enjoy getting and using the products, I am not so keen on the whole being a saleswoman part. It doesn't make me much money, and any pennies I do make are soon put back into the company's pocket in the form of buying products for myself. I was debating whether to re-canvas my area, spend more time trying to get new customers, but seeing as my normally faithful and consistent clientele have failed me so early into the new year, I think I might as well just give up.
I'll just go back to Maybelline, Simple and whatever else is on offer in Sainsburies for all my cosmetic needs. You know, where they have matching shampoo and conditioner *cough*AvonNaturals*cough* and where you can buy something and actually have it when you need it instead of months after *cough*AvonsBadDeliveryTimes*cough. Also so my mum doesn't have to get up at 6 on delivery days.
Showing posts with label avon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label avon. Show all posts
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
Monday, 11 April 2011
Ding Dong
You know, I have been selling Avon now for 9 months. That's crazy.
My advice to anyone else out there thinking of becoming an Avon Representative? Don't.
The amount of time and effort it takes to get the books out, collect them all back in does not come close to equating the amount you earn from it.
For example, I have just placed this campaigns order. Out of the 20 or so books I handed out, I have received 12 orders. One of those orders is me. Another is my mother. Yet another is my father. And this was an unusually good turn out. And yet, I think I made a total of about £22 in profit. Yeah, Its nothing to complain about; its still money after all, but the amount of work that goes in to other campaigns where I don't make as much, if anything, can be extremely frustrating.
Every other campaign I hand out a total of probably 70 books, covering 50 or so 'new' houses as well as my already established area. Out of these 50 new houses, I have only had two extra orders the past 3 campaigns I have covered the area.
Even after you've dropped the books off and picked them up, there is still work to do. You have to chase up the stray books that the customers have neglected to put out for you to collect, go through the orders to make sure that the forms have been filled out correctly and honestly, deal with any returns, place the order itself, wake up at stupid o'clock to receive the order, package it all up, drop off the orders, go back out and drop off the orders to the people who weren't in the first time, repeat until all orders are distributed, and then start it all over again.
One day, I'll have to work out the total amount of time I have spent doing Avon related business and how much I have earned. I bet it won't be worth it.
However, even though I complain, I still wont give it up. I do like receiving the products, and the clearance section definitely comes in handy. More than that, though, I feel I have an obligation now to my established customers. I have a couple that only order occasionally, a few that order regularly, and two or three that order every single campaign. If I were to stop being their Avon Representative, I cant help but feel that I would be letting them down.
Damn my sense of decency.
<3 x
My advice to anyone else out there thinking of becoming an Avon Representative? Don't.
The amount of time and effort it takes to get the books out, collect them all back in does not come close to equating the amount you earn from it.
For example, I have just placed this campaigns order. Out of the 20 or so books I handed out, I have received 12 orders. One of those orders is me. Another is my mother. Yet another is my father. And this was an unusually good turn out. And yet, I think I made a total of about £22 in profit. Yeah, Its nothing to complain about; its still money after all, but the amount of work that goes in to other campaigns where I don't make as much, if anything, can be extremely frustrating.
Every other campaign I hand out a total of probably 70 books, covering 50 or so 'new' houses as well as my already established area. Out of these 50 new houses, I have only had two extra orders the past 3 campaigns I have covered the area.
Even after you've dropped the books off and picked them up, there is still work to do. You have to chase up the stray books that the customers have neglected to put out for you to collect, go through the orders to make sure that the forms have been filled out correctly and honestly, deal with any returns, place the order itself, wake up at stupid o'clock to receive the order, package it all up, drop off the orders, go back out and drop off the orders to the people who weren't in the first time, repeat until all orders are distributed, and then start it all over again.
One day, I'll have to work out the total amount of time I have spent doing Avon related business and how much I have earned. I bet it won't be worth it.
However, even though I complain, I still wont give it up. I do like receiving the products, and the clearance section definitely comes in handy. More than that, though, I feel I have an obligation now to my established customers. I have a couple that only order occasionally, a few that order regularly, and two or three that order every single campaign. If I were to stop being their Avon Representative, I cant help but feel that I would be letting them down.
Damn my sense of decency.
<3 x
Monday, 24 January 2011
Hello, My Name is Heather and I'm Addicted to Blogs
I have been spending a lot of time on the CB blog as of late, redesigning and whatnot, so thought I should give this one a bit of love. Obviously nothing at all to do with the fact that I have to go and pick up my Avon books and its looking a bit grim out there. Nothing at all. Ahem. So, have you been feeling all lonely and neglected, dear blog? Missing your regular dosage of emotional vomit or textual diarrhoea?
No, I thought not.
So, whats been going on in my world, my imagination hears you cry? Not a lot, really. I'm really going to have to start doing new and interesting things, I think.
Things at home have been pretty stressed and shitty since Christmas, but its slowly starting to get better now, so fingers crossed. Its mostly been down to redecorating the bathroom and my fathers lacking work ethic, which has had a negative impact on my mother, putting her in a foul mood, which has impacted on the rest of the house. It been a bit of a vicious circle really, but last night, the bath finally got sealed and the shower re-fittted, so now we just have the sink taps to go in, and to buy and put up a new cabinet, and its pretty much all done and shiny!
I applied for what seems like an awesome job at Warwick Castle as the Costume, Uniform and Staging Coordinator, which will be ideal for me if I get it. I always knew that getting a job in Costume was going to be tough, and a permanent one almost impossible, but something like this, that's full time and permanent, mixes history with costume AND gets me into numerous attractions for free is a rare opportunity that I really don't want to miss out on. I'll keep you posted, but you can read the job description here if you so desire in the mean time. Perfect, huh??
I have also taken on four new roads to Avon. I applied for it weeks ago, but they have only just got back to me. I'm going to start canvasing them this week, so hopefully I'll get a few more sales and make a consistent amount of profit rather than loads one campaign and none the next. My mother reckons I should give it up, that its too much time, effort and money to be worth it, but at the end of the day, I like getting the books and ordering the products. I'm not so good with the motivation in going out and doing my drop offs, pick ups or deliveries, but once I get out there, I'm fine. I think I'm going to make up an offer too, something like spend over £20 and get a free gift, just to try and boost my sales. Oooh, I also set up an Avon blog (YES I HAVE A BLOGGING PROBLEM) in which I intend to review Avon products. The main reason behind this is there have been a few products that I have really adored and wanted to share with people, and a few products that I have been really disappointed with, and I decided what better way to share my opinions on the products I have to sell than through the Avon Community itself. I haven't posted anything yet, and I don't know whether I ever will, but just to let you know, and I'll keep you posted.
I might redesign this blog. I really liked doing the CB one, and it looks so cute now! I don't know what to do though, a theme isn't so easy to choose for this blog than in is for one about baking!
I had better go pick up all my Avon orders now .... I'm going to predict 3 orders ....
<3 x
Films: 31
No, I thought not.
So, whats been going on in my world, my imagination hears you cry? Not a lot, really. I'm really going to have to start doing new and interesting things, I think.
Things at home have been pretty stressed and shitty since Christmas, but its slowly starting to get better now, so fingers crossed. Its mostly been down to redecorating the bathroom and my fathers lacking work ethic, which has had a negative impact on my mother, putting her in a foul mood, which has impacted on the rest of the house. It been a bit of a vicious circle really, but last night, the bath finally got sealed and the shower re-fittted, so now we just have the sink taps to go in, and to buy and put up a new cabinet, and its pretty much all done and shiny!
I applied for what seems like an awesome job at Warwick Castle as the Costume, Uniform and Staging Coordinator, which will be ideal for me if I get it. I always knew that getting a job in Costume was going to be tough, and a permanent one almost impossible, but something like this, that's full time and permanent, mixes history with costume AND gets me into numerous attractions for free is a rare opportunity that I really don't want to miss out on. I'll keep you posted, but you can read the job description here if you so desire in the mean time. Perfect, huh??
I have also taken on four new roads to Avon. I applied for it weeks ago, but they have only just got back to me. I'm going to start canvasing them this week, so hopefully I'll get a few more sales and make a consistent amount of profit rather than loads one campaign and none the next. My mother reckons I should give it up, that its too much time, effort and money to be worth it, but at the end of the day, I like getting the books and ordering the products. I'm not so good with the motivation in going out and doing my drop offs, pick ups or deliveries, but once I get out there, I'm fine. I think I'm going to make up an offer too, something like spend over £20 and get a free gift, just to try and boost my sales. Oooh, I also set up an Avon blog (YES I HAVE A BLOGGING PROBLEM) in which I intend to review Avon products. The main reason behind this is there have been a few products that I have really adored and wanted to share with people, and a few products that I have been really disappointed with, and I decided what better way to share my opinions on the products I have to sell than through the Avon Community itself. I haven't posted anything yet, and I don't know whether I ever will, but just to let you know, and I'll keep you posted.
I might redesign this blog. I really liked doing the CB one, and it looks so cute now! I don't know what to do though, a theme isn't so easy to choose for this blog than in is for one about baking!
I had better go pick up all my Avon orders now .... I'm going to predict 3 orders ....
<3 x
Films: 31
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