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!

Campaign Sweet 16

Avon Campaign 16 Brochure

It was on Wednesday, July 27, when an Avon rep came to my house and pitched my success as a new representative.  She brought the official literature packets, samples, and…wait for it…the beautiful glossy catalogs in a giant plastic zip-top bag.  She also handed over a black reusable bag with “AVON: the company for women” printed in white that would become part of my new trademark around my small town of Glen Rock, New Jersey.  That too was also filled with the 8.5 by 5.5 glossies.

My meeting with Linda had lasted only about an hour, but it was an important one to me.  I finally felt like I was getting somewhere after all the resumes and cover letters I have been sending to various companies over the summer (and never hearing back, despite my best followup efforts).  Avon was going to be a job that required me to network even more, and selling a brand I liked would give me even more incentive to do so.

She told me about the many benefits of becoming an Avon Representative.  I could work on my business around my own time, sell to friends and family or meet new people, host parties and events, or reserve a table at a fair.  I could become an e-Representative and sell online through my very own website.  I could offer discounts to loyal customers, or offer them the Avon opportunity and earn rewards for recruiting.  The earnings potential was limitless, and I was about to go into business “for myself, but not by myself.”

Avon seemed like the perfect part-time job for me; I could spend a few hours a day working on my business while still being able to look for career opportunities.  I could be my own boss and do things my way and at my own pace.  I could make money and still have the flexibility to do the things I want to do without the hassle of trying to find someone to cover my shift at a retail store or restaurant.  There were many more pros than cons, and I would hate myself for not taking this opportunity while I had the time.

I signed the papers in my dining room and started my new business for only $10.  That’s right; 10 bucks!  What other business lets you start with that kind of capital?  None that I know of!

And so I got started.  I told my friends, social networks, family, and anyone I met since that day that I sell from America’s #1 beauty company.  How did I know that fate wanted me to start at that particular time in the hot summer?  Well, sometimes I believe in the “lucky number” superstition, and mine is 16.  The fact that the 2-week period in which I decided to start was Campaign 16 must have been a sign!  I WILL succeed!  Numbers don’t lie, right?  (And neither does starting out with 40% commission!)

Highlights of Campaign 16

Every Avon campaign is two weeks, and I would like to share with readers some of the successes and failures (if any) of each campaign.  So how did I do for my first campaign?  I’d say I did well.  I was so excited to start that I told everyone I knew about it, and I tracked down a few of my friends’ mothers to see if they wanted anything.  I bought a lot of products for myself because I had the discount and there were a few things I needed anyway, such as mascara and something to tame my frizz.  I spent a few days sitting at my computer to take the online Beauty of Knowledge courses to give me ideas about how to sell.  The information in the courses was invaluable, but the down side about sitting in my pajamas for a few days was that I wasn’t meeting new customers.  Networking leads to bigger sales, so I could have done even better if I just braved the heat wave and talked to people around town.  Since then, I create errands for myself just to talk to people and be seen!