Ideas added 04/03

From Anndrea Ruth
My next step is to take the Beauty Advisor training so that I can become familiar with the makeup and all that it has to offer. I don't currently wear makeup, simply because I don't know what would look good on me. But I'm willing to do it if it will help boost my business! I can't wait to get started with that. I've got so much to do and so little time before the baby arrives!

From Shelby Young
I tried the shower caddy idea.....with a little twist! I could not find a shower caddy with suction cups ANYWHERE!!!!! So I use a plastic basket that I found at the dollar store and I put it on my trunk or hood with a sign that says "FREE TAKE ONE."
Another idea that has worked well for me is to leave books at the local gas station and the post office.

From Kellye Necessary
My family is really big on Avon. I have had a lot of success with the gift certificates. Also I have used the Avon Bucks, and some other cute coupons that I have found in these forums.

From Paula Haswell
Hi I emailed everyone I know.One of them order off the bat. I also have changed my outgoing email to have a signature. It looks like this:
For all your Avon needs.
Makeup, skincare, wellness, gifts for the whole family.
http://www.youravon.com/phaswell
I had to play around emailing myself a couple of times so that it spaced out correctly.

AND THE LIST GOES ON.........

New ideas 04/03/06

From Tammy Leff
I go to local business's and leave brochures there with permission every campaign. I steadly gain new customers by doing this. It took a couple of campaigns per business, but I gain at least 2 new customers per business. Business's such as dinner's, mom and pop stores, I even have a furniture store.

From Andrea Ruth
These are all great ideas. I did order some of the fairly inexpensive items from campaign 7 (they had some lotions for 99 cents) that I thought I could give out as free gifts. I also offered 10% off when placing your first order with me, and am trying to start a jewelry club. When you order five pieces of jewelry and they total $50 or more, you can get a piece of jewelry valued at $10 for free or I can take $10 off a more expensive piece. I've got lots of ideas, but really want to start reaching more clients. I definitely need to try and get to some of the businesses in the area to see if I can leave my stuff with them. I plan on making up fliers and leaving some business cards and see if that helps.

From Meg Ricks
Things that have helped me recently: putting books in a shower caddy suction cupped to the back of my car when I run errands (not while I'm driving unless I forget to take it off :)- and looking for new areas to put out books. I thought that probably no one was canvassing the mobile home park down the road, so I put out some books taped up in what's new bags on the ground near the mailboxes. I've gotten three orders from that so far. I look for any townhome community that doesn't have no solicting signs (mine does and that doesn't seem to stop solicitors!) I put out the free flyers Avon sent me and put stickers on them that say to call or visit my site to get the regular brochure. I'm going to be mailing out some eyelift cards as postcards-they're oversized, so it's 39 cents to mail them :( -to places I can't leave books at. I ordered some postcards from Vista print and I'll probably be sending those out in a couple of weeks. I'm planning on doing "Avon Bucks" to reward my regular customers (1 Avon buck for every $10 they spend). For the end of the PC cycle I've been running different discounts w/ a higher percentage off for bigger orders. Hope this helps :

From Sherri Carter
I am getting ready to have my grand opening and here's what I'm doing.....I am having "an at party special" of $2 off the Anew Eye Lift Cream and 10% off order for first time customers with order of $20 or more or anyone who refers a customer that results in an order of $20 or more. If you have a minimum order limit, it encourages them to buy at least that much. I'm also giving away inexpensive door prizes, but to register you have to have a $20 order. (tweezers, nail polish, eye shadow duo, Clearskin facial scrub, Cracked Heel Cream and Skin so Soft Deodorant). I would love to get people hooked on the Face wash and the Deodorant so they continue buying those products. I also purchased a yard sign and a window sticker for my van and have put books in a small grocery store down the road. So far two of the three have resulted in orders. I also don't leave the house without wearing Avon perfume, jewelry, etc. This also results in order for me.

TO BE CONTINUED..........

New Idea 04/01/06

Here's a GREAT idea from Julie Decker:

I tried this on this new campaign and ended up with 5 new orders!!!!
I am up to 75 customers now and samples were getting expensive, so I never buy them unless someone requests them.
However, I decided to try something new.
I brought cottonb...al...ls, small craft bags scrapbooking paper.
I sprayed my new perfume that I got for myself onto the cotton b...alls with just a small spray then inserted them into the bag. Closed it up, put the paper on top of the bag with:
WOMENS (You can do it with MENS TOO)
the name of the perfume which was rare gold
item number and the page number of where it was at and the price.
I ended up with 5 orders, plus I saved tons of money!!!!
A $2 investment went very far, it gave everyone a true scent of what it smelled like AND I STILL have these items left for round 2.
The next campaign I am going to do my hubbys RPM
I also don't see why you can't do this with new lotion, body wash just dab it on as well. It would be the same concept.
Just a thought! But I just had to share this since it really worked well and doubled my sales!!!!

Added ideas... 03/31/06

From Shelbi Pasquale
I sent out 90 postcards a couple of days ago, have had two calls and one $60 order. Not too bad...

From Jenn Rimer
I joined a group called mom pack (www.mompack.com). They are a great way to network and get your name and business out to other areas.

From Kathy Edge
1. Make flyers with your information and website on them and put them everywhere.
2. Go to the search bar of your browser and put in free classifieds and advertise for free.
3. Put all of your information on as many books you can get out to people.
4. Purchase or make your own business cards and pass them out to everyone.
5. Leave your info in doctor's offices, grocery stores, tanning salons, hair salons, church, post offices, schools, bathrooms of Wal-Mart, mall, shopping centers.
6. Leave a brochure or business card at restaurants when you pay a tip or before you leave the table.
7. Leave a brochure or business card at the bank.
8. Power of 3 - talk to 3 people (more if possible) everyday about AVON buying or selling.
9. Make a sign to put in your car window or purchase magnetic car signs.
10. Tailgating and Canvassing neighborhoods are always good ways to get your name out there.

From Jodi Dalton
1. Order extra catalogs and leave them door to door. I find that leaving 25-30 catalogs usually brings in 2 to 3 new customers.
2. Try to network with a group and/or business. I offer 10% back (charitable contributions) to my daughter's PTO whenever someone from this group orders. Several of the moms take catalogs to work and their coworkers order - and PTO gets 10% of the order (before tax, etc). Therefore the PTO is making some money without having to work too hard, and I'm reaching new clients.
I am trying to take my business to a higher level and will be asking my clients how I can better service them. I feel that if I can form a solid relationship with existing customers - they would feel comfortable sharing the names of their family and friends that would like great service and great AVON products. Good luck.

From Crystal Dant
I place a notice in my books stating Benefits With Crystal Dant-then I list all the benefits they receive as my customer, bday %, ref %, etc.
I received a LOT of hits on my website when I put a numbered sticker in my books stating go to my website to see if your number is a winner. I gave out full size Naturals shower gels that were in the whats new once for $1.00.
I found a grocery store that lets me put out all the brochures I want. I went from giving out 30 brochures to 230. My sales went from $400 to $650 to 2 camps at $1000 and camp 7 $800.

From Emily Goss
I also hand out Business cards (try Vista Print...they do a GREAT job and are much more economical)
I did purchase a Bumper Banner...this has gotten me a few calls as well!
I am not too well about just going up to strangers and talking, but I am getting better at it!! It just takes inner confidence and what you set your mind to!
You can create a wonderful advertising advantage on your own, without the hassle of going into debt with the things you may already have around your home!!---this works well if you have small children and have ample crafting supplies...

From Debra Conness
Perserve everyone! Because if something isn't going right, and believe me, name it, it has happened to me! Doesn't mean you can't grow this business. It is the wonderful people here sharing their ideas that help the rest of us that are clueless! Plus ask your District Managers! Mine has been a rock! They can go out and show you the do's and don't's!

From Emma Alden
So far all my customers are at work and I have started to place flyers around my town. My daughter 15 has also told teachers that her mom is selling and has given her friends the Mark book.

From Sandy Saglam
I had put a brochure in the magazine rack of the check-out isle in our local supermarket, and the next day I got a call and an order of over $200!! From one person alone. (plus , it turned out to be my neighbor!!)


MORE TO COME....................

Welcome!

Come one, come all.. view and share your Avon (or other business) advertising ideas here! The Avon forum is great, but I wanted to offer one place that is totally devoted to giving us less imaginative gals (and guys!) some fresh new ideas to making our businesses grow.

So I'll start off by posting the same email many of you have already received from me. They were just a few of my ideas. Directly below that I'll begin listing those ideas that were emailed back to me - and try to give credit where credit is due! Here goes....!

Here's just a few tips that I've used. I'm pretty new to Avon too, but they seem to be working well!  My husband has another small in-home business and we advertise it the same way.

* I use "myspace.com" to get my website listing out there to as many people as possible. If you've never created a profile on there, do it! When you start networking, you'd be surprised how many people actually view your profile! I've had over 240 views to mine, and everyone of them HAS to have seen that I have an Avon website because it's as large as life on there (www.myspace.com/denise0414 - if you want to check it out). 

* I belong to an online forum that's comprised of a group of women who have PCOS (polycystic ovaryian syndrome). I started talking to them way before selling Avon, because I have this syndrome. Anyway, it's been a great source of advertising via word of mouth. I would suggest if there are any forums that you belong to that you look up their chat rooms/bulletin boards and use them to your advantage. In this particular one, we are able to have "signatures" at then bottom of each post we put up. I have my website address included in my signature and I've gotten several orders from the girls who I chat with.

* And lastly, I'm a firm believer in window decals and yard signs. Avon has these available to you under "Avon Advantage", but their prices are a bit steep and I've heard questionable things about their quality (because they are outsourced to another company). You'll see that I mentioned my husband has another in-home business. He does vinyl decals, window clings, car sign magnets, etc.  He made me an Avon window cling and I put it on the back window of my car and now I have to keep a box of brochures in my trunk just for people who stop me! Unfortunately, we're not allowed to "sell" anything on the Avon bulletin board, so that's why I tell people to email me so I can give them this info. He makes these products much cheaper than Avon Advantage does and many of the girls on the forum have bought from us. If you're interested, you can view the webpage my husband has set up, just for Avon: www.flamingtoast.com/avon   - but keep in mind, he can customize if you have other businesses,... like so many of the other girls do!

Good luck.. hope I helped a little... and please, share your ideas with me as well!!

Thanks again,
Denise

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From Karin Black:
I do alot of drawings for my customers that place a order that totals 20.00 or more in a Campaign gets a raffel ticket. Right now I am raffeling off a easter basket did since C4-C7 I am alos going to buy some Easter eggs the plastic ones and they can pick one when I deliver their order will have different prizes some a discount on next order some free items..This weekend I am doing a movie premier festivel and my husband has let me set up my own booth. Hope to get customer I will be doing a raffel there too. They will have to fill out the info with their email then I will start to email them avon flyers.

From Ashley Broadway
INSERTS, INSERTS, INSERTS! They really work. Imake up my own flyers about some of the new avon products add samples to them and put them in my books.
I've offered money off thier orders if they spend a certian amount along with free gifts.
The most recent thing i'm doing is the avon punch card... 20 punches gets a free gift, but in order to get your free gift you must purchase 3 items(3 items = 1 punch) (20 punches=free gift)

From Charlotte McLain
So far I have posted some flyers in local stores.

From Ashley Brown
*I just joined a gym and every time I go I leave borchures in the locker room. I've onlt done it twice so far but I got 2 new customers
* with some of my orders I have brochures let over and even though they expire instead of throwing them out I leave them various places I go with my name and # and a note that says "contact me for current prices"
* I have an automatic email signature (you'll see it at the end of the message) that is put into every single email that I send out....reminds me I need to change it and add my webaddress.... I was emailing my prof about a homework assignment and she emailed me back asking for me to bring her a brochure next class (i see you have one also)
* this one I haven't done yet but will be working on it this week....If you ever look in H.S yearbooks there are ads that say congrats and things like that and when i graduated a lot of local businesses put a congrats message along with their business card...I know many schools do this and they charge a small fee...1/8-1/4-1/2-or whole page and you can have it say whatever you want.........along with H.S. may some churchs or local paper might do it in monthly newsletters or something
* i also made punch cards for my customers....ya know "buy a cookie get a stamp...10 stamp= free cookie" something to that effect but I do it with $20 of more orders...I'll attach the file let me know if you can see it or not.

From Valerie Anderson
I hang flyers, toss books (at businesses and apartment buildings), joined yahoo groups, and tell everyone I know I sell Avon!
I ordered Jenn's customer building service and recruiting service at www.recruits4u.vstore.ca Hopefully she'll be able to put the time I don't have into my business!
I also put an add in a local paper. I got one recruit from that.



I have more to add later!!! Make sure to check back!!