Diana's AVON Story Accidental Success
I've been married for 15 years to a great guy and have 5 wonderful children. Up until I had my 2nd child I was still a part of the workforce, but the demands of motherhood and the coming of my 3rd child forced me to be a stay-at-home mom. In 2000, just after my 3rd child was up and around, I got started with this AVON thing.
I Just Wanted Something to Do
I was already an AVON customer because I trusted the products when I was easily convinced that I could get my products at a huge discount and have something to do if I became an AVON representative. I don't remember what it cost at the time, but it was less than $10.00.
What Just Happened?
For a while I was my only customer until I brought the book to a family gathering. I took my first real order within a few months and then people started to hear that I sold AVON and asked me for the campaign books. It wasn't uncommon for people to seek me out in desperation because they only used a certain AVON product and they were out.
Eventually, the books started to become a fixture at places I never expected like the health club, relatives workplaces and my husband's office. Every time I came to drop off orders from previous campaigns, I would be given a bunch of scrap pieces of papers with new names and orders scribbled on them. Since I had no boss, I decided when I worked on the orders. This became my routine and over time, more and more orders started pouring in.
One day, I was notified that I made President's Club. I wasn't trying, but because I had sold over $10,000 in one year, I was going to be rewarded with some perks like a banquet dinner, higher commissions and an award. Wow, what just happened?
A Revelation and A Decision
I continued to do the same thing for a while since in my mind; I was really a mom who had an "AVON hobby". My sales continued to rise and I eventually came to the realization that, despite my lack of effort, this thing was continuing to grow. It was my husband who convinced me to consider the possibilities if I focused on specific key areas and made a few subtle changes. We put everything from order entry to invoicing on the computer, started a website and put a marketing and growth plan together. Guess what happened?
The Future
We executed the plan and now my sales are growing even faster. I'm still a mom with an "AVON hobby", but now that hobby is a source of income, satisfaction and empowerment. I now use my experience to help other woman (and some men) have that same success. So what makes me so special? Nothing, really. Everything comes back to that first day when I became an AVON representative. Now my job is to help others.