How to Succeed in (Your Avon) Business Without Really Trying

Hello, blog-of-mine-I’ve-ignored-for-four-months!  I hope you’ll take me back!  Pretty please?

The last time I published a post was just before Christmas, and I’m ashamed that I haven’t kept it up.  To be honest, I haven’t been this busy since final exams in college (which, by the way, will soon be a year ago).

The great news is I started my career in New York in January!  Since then, all my efforts from the moment I have my Grande Nonfat No Whip Mocha in the morning to when I come home on a late train after the sun goes down, have gone toward my media job.  I love my media career, and so I work hard during the day and dedicate a few nighttime hours and most weekends to running my Avon business.  I’ve been so busy selling the products themselves that writing and reflecting on those sales feels like an exhausting task.

All that hard work paid off though; I’ve reached President’s Club!

Here’s where you ask, “What’s President’s Club?”

Avon’s President’s Recognition Program (PRP) awards the top sellers in the company for achieving a set standard of goals.  The first level, known as President’s Club, is attained after selling $10,100 worth of Avon products within one sales cycle.  Because I started in Campaign 16 2011 (July), I only had 17 two-week campaigns to reach that amount (instead of the full 26).

Only a small percentage of representatives make the PRP in their Avon career, so I’m honored to be receiving such an award.

Anyway, I recently saw the revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying on Broadway with a few of my closest college friends, and it’s amazing how the advice in the script of the show can be implemented in my everyday Avon business!  (If you haven’t seen it yet, you should!  It was a great show.)  I won’t get into plot details, but I spotted three main ideas that I use to sell Avon.

How to Succeed in Your Avon Business Without Really Trying

Step 1:  Find out your customer’s interests.

I’m one of the first employees at work every day.  Because of my commute from New Jersey, I have to wake up much earlier than my city coworkers in order to get to work on time.  I get into the office at around 8:30 and chat with my favorite receptionist, Pat.  One day I was wearing the blue mark Lighten Up earrings, and she complemented me on my style.  I told her that I was an Avon/mark representative on the side and she was ECSTATIC.  It turns out this self-proclaimed “Avon junkie” was looking for a new rep because her previous one was rarely around.  I found out that she was a big fan of Avon’s jewelry line, and now Pat orders the new jewelry pieces that come out nearly every campaign.

Step 2:  Slip in your business in everyday conversation.

You’d be surprised how easy it is to switch from a listener of a conversation to the leader.  When you absolutely love a product, it’s only natural to share it among friends (unless you’re in some sort of beauty pageant against your BFF, but that’s a completely different story).  In media planning, sales reps from other companies take you out to eat or treat you to mani/pedicures on a Friday afternoon.  When those reps talk about how their nail polish chips two days after a manicure, that’s when you step in and give them your Avon testimonial.

I truthfully tell them that when I use Avon’s Nailwear Pro, my polish stays on for two weeks without touch ups.  The frequent response, “do you type on the computer at all?!?”  Why yes, I am on the computer all day.  I also use my nails as tools, and I play guitar once in awhile.  The stories I tell about my nail polish amazes them.  The best part is that I don’t have to lie about Avon; the product sells itself if I just listen for the right moment to talk about my hobby.

Avon Nailwear Pro in "Illusion"

Step 3:  Product placement is key.

The more in tune you are with your brand, the better you’ll be able to sell.  I’ve become a walking, talking human Avon cosmetic experiment, and I’m proud of it!  I get compliments on my mark outfits, ladies ask where I get my jewelry, and others want to know how to get great skin like mine.  Sometimes I think that my love for Avon is a little bit obnoxious, but then I remember that if i didn’t model the products I sold, potential customers might not have faith in ordering.

I not only wear everything there is to wear from Avon, but I love to find press clippings relevant to cosmetics or mentions of the products in some of the biggest media publications out there.  My neighbor, who purchases Anew Rejuvenate from me, saw an article in a magazine about Anew Genics and immediately wanted the night treatment cream.  I had given her samples of it before, but sometimes people have a trust in the media.  The timing was perfect.

So, that’s how I succeeded.  That is, when based off a Broadway show.

If you would like to succeed in business, please email RedheadedAvonRep AT yahoo DOT com.

The 12 Days of Avon

We all know and love the “12 Days of Christmas” song, but honestly, who wants a partridge in a pear tree from their true love?  If it’s the thought that counts, then you thought wrong!  Here are 12 things I’d want for Christmas from Avon if I wasn’t a representative:

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

1 Total Glamour Holiday Collection

Total Glamour Holiday Collection

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

2 Anew Genics (with free scarf!)

Anew Genics with free scarf

On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

3 Naturals Candles: Vanilla, Cherry Blossom, Pomegranate & Mango

Naturals Pomegranate & Mango Candle

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

4 Full-size Rejuvenate skincare products

Full-size Anew Rejuvenate Kit

On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

5 Sterling Silver Initial Rings

Sterling Silver Initial Rings with Genuine Diamond Accent

On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

6 Step Into Sexy Collections

Step Into Sexy Collection: EDP full-size spray, rollette, luminous body moisturizer, sequin wristlet bag

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

7 Skin So Soft products

Skin So Soft Signature Silk Body Moisturizing Serum with Skin Illuminators

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

8 Avon Wonder Sets: Passion Blossom Tea, Moon Orchid, White Amber

Wonder Moon Orchid Mini Gift Set

On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

9 Nailwear Pro Enamels

Nailwear Pro Enamel Limited Edition Holiday Shades

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

10 Scentini Mixers Trio Gift Set

Scentini Holiday Mixers Trio Gift Set

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

11 Expert Mega Palettes

Expert Mega Palette

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

12 Naturals and Skin So Soft Shower Gels

Naturals and Skin So Soft Shower Gels

Deck the Halls with Avon!

It’s never too late to decorate!  Get some of Avon’s exclusive holiday decorations before Santa lands on your rooftop this year!  Here are the featured products of Christmas 2011 (and click on the links to watch the videos):

Hip Hop Randy: He dances, sways, and moves his shoulders in a ghetto-fabulous rendition of “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.”  Get rapped up in his performance!

Hip Hop Randy

Light Up Pals: These adorable little decorations are a great housewarming gift or something to put on your window sills!  There’s a Santa, snowman, or penguin to choose from!  I happen to have all three because they are just so cute!

Light Up Pals

Tick Tock Till Christmas Clock:  What time is it?  You tell me!  Every hour, Santa pops out of the clock and a different Christmas song is played!  The elves and tree rotate and light up, causing many young children at my last vendor fair to go “oooo ahhhh.”

Tick Tock Till Christmas Clock

Winter Wonderland Centerpiece:  I LOVE THIS CENTERPIECE!  It’s small and compact enough to put on a table or windowsill, yet colorful and animated enough to be your featured holiday decoration (besides your tree of course)!  It has two settings so that you could play “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” or let it light up without sounds!  The LED and fiber optic lights change from red to yellow to blue, and Santa’s tree rotates, skaters skate, and the train travels through the tunnel!  Right now it’s on clearance while supplies last, so get it so you don’t regret it!  Trust me, I wish I bought one for all my friends (and maybe I will).

Winter Wonderland Centerpiece

Interactive Talking Santa:  Ask Santa a question, and he’ll tell you all of his secrets!  This plush voice-recognition doll encourages kids to read by answering preselected holiday questions.  His mouth moves and body sways like the real guy up in the North Pole!  Ho ho ho!

Interactive Talking Santa

Tyler the Snowman Greeter:  This adorable motion-activated greeter welcomes guests with four different sayings!  He is a little bit more than two feet tall and is the perfect “doorbell” for your office!  My dad bought Tyler to let him know when someone walks through the door at work to talk to him!  He is easy to store with removable parts.

Tyler the Snowman Greeter

Adorable Pup Stocking:  After one demonstration, this puppy was sold!  Think of our favorite elephant from Disney’s Dumbo; he flaps his ears and flies away!  Though the pup won’t fly, his cute ears flap while singing “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”  Perfect for dog lovers, a gift to your child for their first apartment, or if you just love cute things!

Adorable Pup Stocking

Frosty Pals Light Up Fountain:  Fountains are so tranquil, so why not get a Christmas-themed one when your summer decorations seem out of place?  The LED lights inside the fountain change from green to blue to purple to red and make the water glow!

Frosty Pals Light Up Fountain

Fiber Optic Angel Tree Topper:   The photos of this angel don’t give it justice.  This tree topper is absolutely beautiful, which is why I have two on my fireplace mantle (I have to stick with our traditional family Santa tree topper heirloom for the tree).  If you don’t already have an angel, I highly recommend this one.  The angel wears an ivory dress with golden glitter accents, and her LED lights slowly change from green to blue to red.  It’s mesmerizing!

Fiber Optic Angel Tree Topper

Reindeer with Chirping Birds Duet:   Isn’t he cuter than Rudolf?  Together, the reindeer and cardinals move and sing “Deck the Halls” in perfect harmony.  ‘Tis the season to be jolly!

Reindeer with Chirping Birds Duet

Classic Claus Snowglobe:  We all know a snowglobe-lover, and this is a perfect addition to their collection!  This 2011 snowglobe plays the Christmas classic “Santa Clause is Coming to Town.”  So be a nice gift-giver and shake things up a bit!

Classic Claus Snowglobe

Door Jinglers:  Let’s hear those sleigh bells jingling with these cute snowpeople door jinglers!  Janet, Jimmy, and J.R. are perfect companions to your doorknobs.

Door Jinglers

Santa Tree Lights Remote Control:  No more difficulty in plugging in your holiday lights!  Use this relay switch and remote control, disguised as a gift box and Santa, to turn lights on and off.

Santa Tree Lights Remote Control

Santa Decorative Corner Accent:  Don’t leave your doors bare!  It’s all in the little details.  This hand-painted wooden corner accent holds on any door frame or corner.  The tumbling Santas are a comical touch to your door!

Santa Decorative Corner Accent

For Santa…Cookie Plate and Milk Jug Set:  Don’t forget to leave milk and cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve!  Buy this set so that he knows the treats are for him!  It’s the perfect size for Santa if he’s on a diet this year.

For Santa...Cookie Plate and Milk Jug Set

Christmas Tree Cookie Forms:  This is my most popular holiday product sold!  I bake cookies all the time, and this is the best way to accomplish both decorating and eating at the same time!  If you’re watching 3-D movies all the time, you might as well eat 3-D cookies!

Cookie Christmas Tree

Nativity–Wise Men, Nativity–Shepherd Boy with Flock, Nativity–Holy Family:   These hand-painted ceramic sets are perfect for the Christmas collector in your family.

Nativity--Holy Family

Holiday Festive Garland:  This fabric garland could hang over a fireplace (when it’s not being used!0, a doorway, or around a display!

Holiday Festive Garland

Countdown to Christmas House:  This decorative house plays 8 different songs.  Open a new window each day to illuminate a Christmas scene.  It’s an interactive way to count down to Christmas!

Countdown to Christmas House

Long Winters Nap Countdown:  Here’s a digital countdown clock for you to keep track of the 25 days of Christmas!

Long Winters Nap Countdown

Glistening Crystal Tree with Ornaments:  This is a small, elegant blown glass crystal tree with removable gift boxes.  It’s perfect for your china closet (or somewhere the kids won’t knock it down)!

Glistening Crystal Tree with Ornaments

Holiday Decorative Hanger:   This 4-foot-tall hanger can decorate an empty wall or a door.  It’s accented with plush characters, faux evergreen, and LED lights.  It’s a beautiful piece to see in person, and I recommend it for your home!

Holiday Decorative Hanger

Fiber Optic Snowman:  Fiber optic lights are just so cool during the holidays, and a twinkling snowman is even cooler!  Add this guy to the rest of your holiday decorations from Avon!

Fiber Optic Snowman

Did you like all the cool decorations I’ve shown you?  Now it’s time to order!  Just shop my online store and look for the promo code at the top of the page for free shipping!  Happy holidays!

Orna-Mental!

The holiday season is in full swing for Avon reps like me!  Official holiday-themed products became featured a few weeks ago in Campaign 22, and part of me is superstitious in thinking that because the cover of the catalog is wintry, the weather should follow suit.

Anyway, one exciting thing about the freezing cold fluffy stuff on the ground is that I have an excuse to sing Christmas songs 24/7. And when I think of these songs, my mind wanders to visions of putting up the fake evergreen in my living room and strategically hanging my favorite decorations on its flexible wire branches.  The lights are all up, and now it’s time to go a little bit orna-mental with the cute Avon decorations available this year!  *Note: Ornaments that don’t have a hyperlink are no longer available for purchase online.  Please email me to order: RedheadedAvonRep@yahoo.com.*

Here are 12 Avon ornaments to go mental for:

Cupcakes:  Mmm…baking! I absolutely LOVE baking!  These cupcake ornaments are the perfect addition to a foodie’s gift.  Get your friend a tiered cupcake stand and place a cupcake ornament on a few random levels for a sweet surprise upon opening!  Just remind them that the ornaments aren’t edible, but you’d be glad to eat the next batch that gets displayed!

Sweet Treats Cupcake ornaments

Avon’s 125th Anniversary Shopping Bag:  Every ornament tells a story, whether it’s the cork from your wedding champagne or a silly tchotchke from your last vacation, and it’s small and compact enough to display a big memory once a year.  I bought myself this ornament to tell the story of how I became an Avon rep during the company’s 125th anniversary.  I will be writing my start date on the bottom of it as a small time capsule.

Avon 125th Anniversary Shopping Bag ornament

Ballerina:  This is no Black Swan, but a cute twirling ballerina for the little dancer in your life.  The loose glitter on her skirt is also a nice addition to your tree if you don’t mind the sparkles!

Ballerina ornament

Playful Pals Cat:  This one reminds me of cat from Disney’s Aristocats.  Your cat lady neighbor or the cat lover relative will love this cute one.  It’s a heavier ornament, so be sure to put it on a strong branch!

Playful Pals Cat

Playful Pals Dog:  Do you have a diva for a dog?  Then this is the ornament for you!  This poodle relaxes in a nice hot bubble bath!  (If you need bubble bath for your kids, try Bubble Delight in Sugar Plum Cream!)

Playful Pals Dog

Feather Dress:  For your fashionista!  These fabulous dresses won’t take up room in your closet!  The set of two comes in red and white.

Feather Dress ornaments

Dazzling Heels:  Ladies love shoes; that’s why they love Cinderella and The Wizard of Oz!  Those stories would be so dull without the quest to see if the shoe fits or clicking the ruby slippers!  (P.S. Avon has REAL shoes, and if you love the sparkly red color of Dorothy’s kicks I sell a great shade of nail polish called “Ruby Slipper”!)

Dazzling Heels ornaments

Knit Sweaters:  Do you have a knitter or someone who crochets in your family?  This is a great set of four for the crafty lady!  I’m giving these ornaments to my mother this year (don’t tell her!) because I crochet and she has four kids.  Perfect!

Knit Sweater ornaments

Pewter Snowman:  Avon comes out with a new pewter collectible ornament each year, and 2011 is represented by a snowman.  It comes with a red velveteen storage pouch to keep it in great condition year after year.

2011 Pewter Snowman ornament

Cosmetics:  This set of three lightweight glass ornaments include a nail polish, perfume bottle, and a lipstick!  Get this set for the beauty babe!  (And tell her to order from my website, www.youravon.com/cynthiadagenais)

Cosmetic ornaments

Baby’s First Keepsake:  A baby’s first Christmas is a magical time!  Be sure to get your little boy or girl this nice ceramic shoe ornament to hang on the front of the tree!  (As the only girl in the family with three brothers, I always put my pink ornaments in front.)

Baby's First Keepsake ornament

Festive Glitter:  These are last year’s featured ornaments available while supplies last for the budget buyer!  These cute peppermint candies can be used to adorn your gift boxes!  Check out other Avon products on clearance in the outlet section of my site!

Festive Glitter ornaments

Recycle Marketing

Some campaigns require more Avon catalogs than others, especially when you’re expecting a giant fundraiser order to come in at any point in a month’s time.  A rep has to be prepared with all her sales tools, even if it might cost a little extra!

I just completed a fundraiser for my high school Alma mater, and because of the delays in completing the fundraiser, I had at least 200 extra catalogs sitting in boxes feeling unloved and unwanted.  Though many of the products remain the same in the catalogs, the prices and promotions change every two weeks.  I couldn’t just keep handing out old ones, so what was I supposed to do with the extras?

I like to call it “Recycle Marketing.”  Throwing away the old catalogs would be a sin, not only because I paid for them but also because I could use them as a new business opportunity.  Sure, I might not be able to actively sell my products as well using the expired catalogs.  What I can do, however, is use a passive method of Recycle Marketing.

Please recycle your catalogs!

How to Recycle Your Avon Catalogs

1.  Type up a note.  You need to be upfront with your customers that they are receiving an expired catalog.  Customers don’t like surprises, unless it benefits them in some way, so if you are handing out copies that say that Naturals shower gels are $1.69 each and they call you up to order and the product is actually going for 2 for $9.99, you might lose a sale because you were being sneaky.  Also, if you are involved in Sales Leadership like I am, this is a great opportunity to let people know to contact you so you can get credit for a new recruit.  If you are attending any events in the near future, be sure to mention it so that customers can get a chance to meet you in person.  Here is what my note said this past weekend:

Happy December!

Enclosed is a previous Avon catalog featuring some of the coolest holiday gift sets and decorations!  Check out my online store for current catalog pricing: www.youravon.com/cynthiadagenais

I will be at the River Dell High School PTO Vendor Sale this Saturday, December 3, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with many of the products featured in the catalog on display.  Stop by and say hello!

See something you like but can’t make it to the event?  Contact me to order!  Also give me a call if you’re interested in earning free products from me or would like to become an Avon Representative.  Have a great day!

Cynthia Dagenais

Avon Representative

RedheadedAvonRep@yahoo.com

www.youravon.com/cynthiadagenais

2.  Package your literature.  Staple the notes onto the Avon, mark, and Tiny Tillia catalogs and put them in the “What’s New” bags, which are basically clear plastic Avon bags that can be hung on a doorknob.  If you have samples to spare, include them as well.  Fragrances and hair products don’t sell well without a trial!  Gather all your bags into a comfortable tote bag to carry around the neighborhood.  Trust me, these plastic bags can be slippery!

3.  Avon calling!  Walk door-to-door with a smile on your face!  If there are homeowners working outside, say hello and introduce yourself.  Otherwise, simply walk up to each door and gently place the bags on the doorknob.  It’s illegal to tamper with the U.S. mail, so DON’T leave them in their mailbox.  If you’re lucky like me, I ended up following the mail carrier on one route and the garbage men on another.  One garbage man recognized the mark tote I was carrying and asked to take a catalog for his girlfriend.

Last Thursday and Friday (with a little help from my mom on the latter day) I placed more than 200 C-22 and C-23 catalogs at houses around where I attended elementary school to promote the vendor fair.  I still have at least 100 C-24 and C-25 catalogs to go, so the next nice day we have I’ll be walking around a different neighborhood in my town.  At some point, I hope to use Recycle Marketing on every house in my town.  Now, to wait and see if I get new customers from this passive form of marketing and promotion!

Check out my online store!

Fundraising to Raise Funds

There are many strategies to attract new Avon customers, but I learned about one that could boost my sales and give back to the community.  Did you know that Avon has a fundraising program?  I didn’t until I became a representative!  It turns out that Avon’s fundraising program is easy to organize, profitable for both the representative and the organization, and offers quality products at an affordable price.

Check out the two flyers I used below:

Avon Color Fundraising Flyer

Avon Best of Fundraising Flyer

I asked my high school art teacher if Glen Rock needed any help with fundraising.  I brought in all the full size products that would be featured on the flyer, pitched why my fundraiser would be beneficial to the GRHS Class of 2013, and they accepted!  This was back in October, and as soon as I emailed the PDF file over to the school they got started.

Avon Color Fundraising Flyer

The Rep’s Benefits of an Avon Fundraiser

1.  The Avon rep can potentially make a lot of money with little amount of work involved.  Once the organization has the flyers, all you have to do is fill out the tax exemption forms and wait for your orders to come in.  It’s up to the organization to sell the products!  By registering the fundraiser with Avon, the rep automatically earns 50% commission for the placement in a given campaign.  Of the 50%, the rep decides how much of a cut the organization earns.  Because I was just starting out, I made 20% of total sales and GRHS made 30%.  I hoped the school would make at least $1,500 in sales, which would give me $300 and GRHS $450.  That’s a nice chunk of change!

2.  A rep can gain new customers for the future.  Let’s say the school sold the $1,500 from above.  They could achieve that amount by having 10 students selling to 10 customers with the average sales of $15 per customer.  So here’s the equation: 10 x 10 x 15 =1500.  Not only are you selling to the students, but they are selling to the people they know, so from this example I would gain 100 new customers.  If these customers love Avon, then I’d be in luck and be able to make a lot of money in the future when they order from me again!

3.  Fundraising helps boost sales volume and to reach President’s Club.  Avon’s President’s Recognition Program awards top sellers with many benefits once they reach total sales of $10,100 within a year.  These benefits include guaranteed 40% commission every campaign, free products, ability to order more demo products at a lower cost, etc.  Many women aspire to reach President’s Club every year, and with a fundraiser or two, the goal is easily attainable.  Every campaign invoice shows the rep’s total sales and how much more is needed to reach $10,100.

The Organization’s Benefits of an Avon Fundraiser

1.  The fundraising flyer makes it easy to run the fundraiser.  I remember being a Brownie Scout and going around the neighborhood to sell Girl Scout cookies.  It was a simple form to fill out, and Avon’s fundraising flyers remind me of my youth.  Just add up the quantities and the total amount of money collected, and you’ve got yourself a fundraiser.

2.  The products are well-known.  Avon turned 125 this year, and it still has a fantastic reputation.  The popular products featured on the flyers include Skin So Soft Original Bath Oil, Bubble Delight, Naturals sets, Nailwear Pro, Foot Works, Glimmersticks, and fragrances.  They are of high quality, and comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

3.  The products are cost-effective and affordable.  If you do a t-shirt sale, you might charge the $20 per shirt and the school would only make about $2 each (10%).  With Avon, if we use the GRHS example, if someone buys a Foot Works set for $10 the school gets $3 each (30%).  If I was offering the school a 40% cut, then they would get $4 each.  Also, all the products are full size so you get more for your money while supporting the school.

So how did I do on my first run?  Thanks to the snowstorm on Halloween (homecoming weekend), Thanksgiving, and the teacher’s convention in November, it was tough for the teachers to get the kids to sell.  About $200 was sold, so the school made $60 and I made $40.  Yes, it’s a little frustrating.  I hoped for more sales, but I’m $40 richer during the holiday season, I have new customers, I learned how to file for a tax exemption, and I learned how to start a fundraiser.  The selling part was out of my hands, but next time I want to be more involved to really boost my sales.

10 Reasons I’m Thankful for Avon

There are many things I am thankful for: family, friends, food, shelter, etc.  However, instead of being thankful for these staples in life just one day a year, I am happy to have these things 365 days out of every year.

Which is why this year I’m thankful for Avon.  Here are 10 reasons why:

In a tough economy, I have a job.

Instead of blaming Wall Street for the reasons why I’m not employed, I took an opportunity that would help me become an entrepreneur under a well-respected Fortune 500 company name.  I’m thankful for the networking experience, income, and conversation-starter on my resume that has helped me land an internship in a book publishing company that I hope to work for in the near future.

My skin has never been clearer.

I didn’t have acne as an adolescent, but my pores rebelled against me during my stressful college years!  I was using prescribed topical acne products that my dermatologist gave me, and they still couldn’t get rid of those volcanoes.  My skin was always peeling, dry, raw, and the blemishes were painful!  This past summer, I decided to try the Anew Rejuvenate skincare regimen.  I figured I had nothing to lose, because I’ve tried everything on the shelves of my local pharmacy and had yet to see results.  After just one week, my pores looked smaller, my skin felt baby-smooth again, and the potential pimples remained dormant.  I also tested out Anew Genics, which has also yielded amazing results!

I get my favorite products at a discount.

I’m a bargain-hunter, and most of the time refuse to buy anything full price.  With Avon, there are always great deals!  I get a 40% discount on most products that are already on sale in the catalog.  For example, if I need a new Advance Techniques Lotus Shield treatment, it might be on sale for $9.99 in the catalog and I only have to pay $5.99.  Pretty sweet!

I meet new people all the time.

Whether I’m talking to the cashier that’s ringing up my grocery purchase, or attending Avon sales meetings, I’ve met a bunch of great people within the past 4 months.  It’s a great way to network and make new friends along the way.  I’m thankful for meeting inspirational people every day.

I’ve learned how to market myself as a brand.

I studied advertising in college, and now I get to take my marketing ideas and put them to good use for my business!  I’m your friendly neighborhood Redheaded Avon Rep, and that’s how I’m branded.  I gain new customers through interacting on Twitter, Facebook, and any time the media mentions something about Avon, beauty, or the sales business.  And of course, I write on this blog as well!  I’m thankful to finally use my skills to reach an audience!

I’m part of a company that gives back.

Ever heard of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer? Speak Out Against Domestic Violence? Avon Voices? Did you know that Avon has helped the families of 9/11 victims recover from the horrible tragedy in 2001?  Avon does so much to give back and more!  It’s great to sell nail polish and other products that help support these projects!

I learned how to fund raise.

With Avon, I can provide an easy-to-use fundraising outlet that benefits both the organization I’m helping out and myself.  I learned how much work goes into these fundraisers!  I’m thankful for the lesson!

I get paid to talk about cool stuff!

Do you ever recommend hair products to your friends?  Before Avon, I did all the time!  Now, I can make a sale from these testimonies.

My family supports me.

One of my aunts hosted a party, my mom helps me take inventory, and other relatives and friends see how happy I am to reach my goals!

My holiday shopping is complete.

I always have a gift on hand, whether it’s for a party host or birthday, there’s something for everyone from Avon.  I’m thankful to avoid Black Friday like the plague and sit down, relax, and let the shoppers head over to my site to complete their shopping lists.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Do as the Lotus Leaf Does

What did my red hair say to the rain? “Make like a tree and LEAVE!”

The punchline may be corny and overused (and also a line from Back to the Future Part II), but it’s exactly what my hair would say if it had the ability to speak.

When Hurricane Irene hit Jersey this past August, I did a little experiment.  I wasn’t leaving the house, so I knew that if there was any time to let myself have a bad hair day as torrential as the downpour outside, Irene Weekend would be it.

Background

My hair is curly.  Think curly fries, only not so edible (except to that one horse that tried to eat my hair at the zoo when I was a baby).  My mom used to twist a few tendrils around her fingers and the curls would bounce and stay that way through hours of playtime in preschool.  Gone are the days when the cute Shirley Temple curls I loathed so much moved back and forth on my head like a Slinky.  Old ladies who went to the beauty parlor for perms were always entranced by my Slinky-esque hair.

My biggest problem with it was the frizz.  I dreaded rain just like the Wicked Witch of the West, not to mention the humidity!  I’ve lost count as to how many frizz products I’ve tried throughout the years, and many did not work.  Not Frizz-Ease; not Garnier.  Biosilk worked to a point, but if you apply too much your dry frizzy strands experience the texture of swimming in the ocean during an oil spill.  Some products either didn’t do enough or overcompensated.  My quest for good hair products was one of the many reasons why I was never brand-loyal to anything before Avon.

Advance Techniques Lotus Shield

 

The Experiment

I took a shower the morning that the rain was to be expected.  I towel-dried my hair, and then I squeezed a dime-sized amount of Avon Advance Techniques Lotus Shield onto my hands, rubbing them together.  My hair was already parted down the center of my scalp, and I applied the serum on the right half of my head.  I combed the untreated side, then the treated side and didn’t touch my hair after that.  I let it air dry.

A few hours later, when I kept myself occupied enough to let my locks loose without touching it, I looked in the mirror.  The treated side was shinier, curls were bouncier and caught more light, and it was so smooth to the touch.  The untreated side had lots of stray frizzies toward the top of my head, and the baby hairs along my hairline stuck out like Einstein’s ‘do.  When I ran my fingers through the untreated side, they got caught on more curls than the treated side.  Split ends were more visible when untreated, and hair was smooth from root to tip on the Lotus Shield side.  It passed the frizz test.

Would it pass the humidity test?  My promotional material from Avon claimed that one application could keep hair “smooth and well-behaved for 3 days” and that it could defy up to 97% of humidity.  Hmm…let’s try this!

Avon named their anti-frizz treatment “Lotus Shield” because when rain falls on a lotus leaf, it’s special coating has properties that repel water.  Avon wanted to create a a serum that would do the same thing to hair, because humidity occurs when there is a lot of water evaporated in the air.  Like a flower thirsty for a summer rainfall, I let myself go outside for a few minutes.

I stood under heaven’s buckets of tears for about a minute to get my hair wet enough to ruin a hairstyle, but dry enough that it doesn’t give a shower effect.  When I got back inside, I got comfortable and let my strands tough it out.  The treated side had little damage; only a strand here or there was out of place.  The untreated side, however, was a nightmare!  It looked like Christina Aguilera’s hair in the “Lady Marmalade” music video.  Yes, that bad.  Lotus Shield passed the rain test.  It definitely repelled water like a lotus leaf!

The final test (or cruel and unusual punishment) for my hair was to see how it reacted to “normal styling.”  I almost never blow dry my hair, because of the aforementioned Xtina hairdo, but I know many ladies who love to damage their straw strands.  My “normal styling” sometimes included straightening, because it was a way to hide a bad hair day.  I wanted to see how greasy the product would look when the wild waves were tamed.  I found that the treated side took much less time to straighten and still remained silky soft, and not greasy at all!  The untreated side’s split ends were yanked off as I pulled the hot tool down, and I had to run the same section through the straightener at least two more times to get it just right.  The untreated side looked dull and more strawberry blonde than the treated side, where the dark and light shades accentuated my natural highlights and lowlights.  Yup, it worked in normal conditions.

I’ve been using it ever since, and though it’s a small bottle I have yet to run out of it!  How much did it cost?  Regular price is $12, but I bought it on sale for $9.99!

Know what else is cool? Other ladies agree!  Advance Techniques Lotus Shield has won both the Latina Beauty Award and Cosmopolitan Beauty Award.  You trust your magazines, so now you can trust me too!

Get it at http://www.youravon.com/cynthiadagenais

Fergalicious

Campaign 18 catalog

In Campaign 18, I had to promote Fergie’s new fragrance called “Outspoken Intense” and I was a little hesitant about getting a few demo bottles to sell to my customers.  I’m not the biggest fan of her, especially after the last Super Bowl halftime show, and her appearance in the photo spread for the catalog makes her look like some scary witch.  From a guy’s point of view, she looks “sweaty and gross” and wonders why she would be the spokesperson for a fragrance when she “doesn’t look like she smells good.”

I agree, if I was going to buy a fragrance because of a celebrity brand, she is not one I buy from based on the name.  In the fragrance business, the celebrity endorser may be the one to attract attention to a new scent, but the scent is what sells itself.

To promote Outspoken Intense by Fergie, I do an informal blind study.  Every day I spritz on a different perfume to see if certain ones are noticed or complemented.  Sometimes I tell my friends to smell my wrists to get their opinion, and I generally get good reviews (the “bad” ones are merely just a difference in fragrance tastes).

I asked the male friend that disliked Fergie as a performer to take a whiff of the fragrance I just put on minutes before.  I asked him if it was a fragrance he would get a future girlfriend, and he told me it was really nice and asked which one it was.  Now it’s time to picture the shock on his face when I told him the “sweaty and gross” endorser was Fergie.  He thought I was lying to him, but he judged the catalog by its cover.

The question is, did this fragrance fit its marketing?  I can see why Avon chose Fergie to do a second fragrance.  The original Outspoken by Fergie is Avon’s best-selling fragrance launch ever.  In fact, on May 25, Fergie won the 2011 FiFi Award for New Celebrity Fragrance of the Year.  Avon must have done something right for the blend of iced berry laced with tuberose and black leather to receive this prestigious award from the Fragrance Foundation.

Here is what Laurent Le Guernec, Senior Perfumer, said about Outspoken Intense: “In the original fragrance, there was a rebellious and a highly contrasted blend.  I wanted to expand on this signature idea in Fergie Intense.  I began exploring an even more exaggerated feminine approach, with bright colorful fruits and daring floral absolutes.  I was inspired by the magnetic beauty and vibrant sensuality of Fergie herself…the different facets of her powerful femininity was my inspiration.”

Features of Outspoken Intense by Fergie:

Alluring Top Notes: Succulent blackberry, shining star fruit and luscious kumquat

Bold Mid Notes: Vibrant purple passionflower, lush gardenia and velvety orange flower petals

Intense Base Notes: Sensual musks wrapped in white amber and blonde cedar

When and where should you wear this?  You’re heading out to a club with your girls and want to stand out from the rest of the bar-hoppers.  You’re a performer and need a fragrance that lasts through the last song on your set list.  Or, perhaps, you want to spice up your night a little bit.

When I’m choosing my Eau de Parfum du jour, I sometimes hesitate about wearing Outspoken Intense.  But when I spritz it on, I remember just how good it smells!  If you want something dramatic and intense, this is the fragrance for you!

Stock-up 17

I was going to publish a Halloween makeup post this year, but thanks to a random snow storm on one of my favorite holidays, I had no power.  Without power, I was eating dinner by candlelight and reading Water for Elephants in front of the fireplace to keep warm and toasty.  The 24 hours away from all things electronic was nice, but the timing was not what I had planned!  It seemed silly to post a “how-to” story for Halloween when anyone following my advice would have to wait another year to use it.

So here I am, catching up on old campaigns!

Campaign 17 catalog

Campaign 17 started in the beginning of August, when the majority of my town was on vacation.  Though the summer savings that the catalog was offering at this time were fantastic, there weren’t many customers around to take advantage of the great deals.  I lived in a ghost town.  So what did I do?  Stock up, of course!

It was during this campaign that I decided to try out the clothing, skin care regimen, bug repellent…you name it!  And it was a good thing that I did, because I had my first party at my friend’s house and my expertise in the products helped me build more sales.  I was able to recommend specific fragrances and give testimonials about the ever-popular mark. peony apple body butter.  Guests valued my opinions on the extensive mascara selection, and knowing the products helped me up-sell and cross-sell leading to more cha-ching!  It was a small party of about 10 guests, so I was able to give each lady one-on-one attention to her beauty needs as well as enjoy the (strong) Sangria and snacks.  Getting paid to talk about products you already recommend is pretty great!

Anyway, back to stocking up!

Skin care: I started the Anew Rejuvenate skin care regimen by using their 2-week trial kit, which at the time was only $19.99 (reg. $34).  The mini cleanser lasted a full two-and-a-half months, the mini day cream lasted nearly three months, I’m almost finished with the night cream, and I still have plenty of the 24 hour eye moisturizer left!  The trial kit was a great way to see how my sensitive (and acne-prone) skin reacted to a new regimen.  Want to know a secret? I used to use a prescription to clear my blemishes and it barely worked, but somehow Anew Rejuvenate has made my face feel fresher, firmer, and look clearer like never before.  I’ve moved my prescription topical medications under the sink, where they are probably collecting dust.

Hair care: My red locks were getting tangled, knotty, and the split ends resembled some kind of tumbleweed you would find in the middle of the dessert.  I basically wanted to shave my head because I was so frustrated with it, but I didn’t because I tried a new hair treatment in the Advance Techniques Damage Repair line called 3D Rescue.  The ad copy claimed that one application could “repair 3 years of hair damage in 3 days.” I had a few samples and tried it out.  After just one application, I decided that I didn’t need a haircut yet and that I could once again donate to Locks of Love in the future.

Makeup: I was running out of an old Wet N Wild eyeshadow compact and wanted to find something similar to the daytime neutral colors I usually wear.  The Anew Youth-Awakening Eyeshadow and Primer Kit was on sale, and I gave it a go.  I use “Sunset Pink” every day (how fitting for me, because I LOVE sunsets!), and looks great with my Smooth Minerals Mascara.  I also got myself a mark. customizable palette that I use for my nights out.

I could go on with more products I’ve been using since C-17, but then I wouldn’t have product reviews to write about in the future.  You’ll just have to stay tuned!

Highlights of Campaign 17

I acquired new customers from my first Avon party!  Success!  And many of the products I started using back in the summer are still being used today!

On the downside…

The townspeople were all down the shore somewhere for two weeks before the high school sports seasons started.  It was so quiet that I could hear ants crawling on the concrete pavement.  There was no one to stop and say hello to!  Networking with strangers would just have to wait!