Avon – The $5.7 Billion Personal Care and Cosmetics MLM

We have all heard of door-to-door salespersons. It’s a pretty safe bet that at least one time in your life you’ve heard someone make reference to “the avon lady.” But how much do you actually know about the company?

Of all the direct sales companies, Avon is one of the few MLMs that are worth billions.

What Avon Sells

If you have ever checked out their website or browsed through an Avon catalog you know they have a large selection of products. Aside from the makeup staples, like mascara, nail polish, powders and lipstick, Avon also sells a wide range of skin care products for women of all ages.

The company does such a booming business that they sell a tube of lipstick every 15 seconds of the day.

You may not know it, but the original purpose of Avon was simply to sell women’s perfume. In keeping with tradition, they still do. Name the perfume and chances are good that Avon has it.

Personal care products are a huge part of what the company has to offer. You can choose from a selection of toothpastes and deodorants as well as styling gel and shampoo. Footwear, jewelry and clothing are also included in Avon’s collections.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbLKSmtyrF4

History of the Company

A mere 21 years after the conclusion of the Civil War, Avon was born. Its founding in 1886 came about as a traveling salesman accidentally stumbled on the idea. David McConnell made his living selling books by pitching perfume to female customers.

He would hand out free samples to entice them to purchase the books he was selling. Since the majority of his customers were housewives, he quickly became known for providing them with desirable perfumes.

It quickly reached the point where women were more interested in the perfume than they were in the books. Using this information, McConnell took to his home office to design his own original perfume scent.

Once he had created a unique perfume he found a handful of women to peddle the product for him. This was the beginning of Avon, one of the longest success stories in the business industry.

However, the company was originally known as the California Perfume Company. When McConnell started it, he recruited a saleswoman named Mrs. Albee. At the time, it was difficult for women to obtain employment.

As a mother of two children, Mrs. Albee was in need of some extra income. McConnell was able to provide her with it. At the age of 50, Mrs. Albee was beginning a second career as a saleswoman.

The company would go on to expand beyond perfume by first branching out into soap, bath and other household products. From the beginning of the company’s history, an incentive program was offered to the saleswomen.

Even now, the company offers incentives to keep its salespeople motivated. Guiding them to this day are many of the principles that the company has always adhered to. They were set by McConnell in the company’s infancy and have held up.

In 1928 the California Perfume Company was becoming known as Avon. The inspiration for the company’s new name came from the fact that McConnell enjoyed William Shakespeare’s plays.

Some of the products in the brochure at that time were labeled with the Avon brand name. However, it wasn’t until 1939 that the brand officially adopted the Avon name. At that time, the company already had its seal of approval.

As a matter of fact, “Good Housekeeping” Magazine awarded the company with 11 seals. This is more than most companies had at that time. In response to the Great Depression of the 1930’s prices were added to the brochures for the first time.

To support the US Military during WWII, the company opened a factory. It produced gas masks, pharmaceuticals and kits for the paratroopers. This led to Avon saleswomen raising funds for military members by encouraging the purchase of War bands.

Compensation Plan – How Avon Representatives Get Paid

As of 2018, Avon has long been a force to be reckoned with. So many people have signed up as salespeople for the company due to its proven track record of success. In response to this, the KickStart Program was created.

Before this program, salespeople had to earn at least $500 to get a 40% commission rather than a 20% commission. Now, Avon salespeople never have to wait that long.

This policy was enacted in order to reassure salespeople that by the end of their first 90 days with Avon they will have earned roughly $1,000.

Those that make enough sales are likely to end up with a 50% commission on each one. When salespeople earn enough revenue to be included in the “President’s Club,” they will have reached the 50% commission level.

All salespeople start at the bottom level of Avon representatives, known as the Promoter. Subsequent levels are ambassador, then leader, then executive leader. Each level contains its own sub levels of bronze, silver, gold and platinum.

Working through the levels and sub levels is what helps salespeople earn more money. Salespeople can also earn more money by claiming leader bonuses and receiving bonus incentives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJDWJE5GgcA

The pay structure at Avon is fairly straightforward. If you are a company salesperson you can run your own marketing campaigns. In the “old days,” an Avon rep would have to purchase product inventory at wholesale and how to sell enough product to make a profit each month…

Now of course, everything is done online. Customers can shop via your Avon website – Avon handles payment, packaging, delivery, and you can earn sales commissions…

Any money that customers have paid for Avon products minus the wholesale cost of the products equals your commission. How much you get paid for each order depends on how it was made. When you sell online you generally get a 20% profit.

For President’s Club members, that 20% profit rises to 25%. No matter what your profit is, you will see it in your online account. You receive a payment from the company when your account has at least $25 in it.

Twice monthly, Avon pays you via direct deposit on any profits you made since the previous deposit date. Within two business days your money will go from your Avon account to your personal bank account.

Avon allows you to work on your own or form a team of salespeople under you. This is how you get bonus money and incentive deposits. Becoming an Ambassador with the company gets you a percentage of the overall sales your team members make.

While you can have this money direct deposited to your bank account, you can instead choose to use a prepaid Visa issued by Avon to receive your payments.

Conclusion

It is difficult to go wrong when you decide to become a salesperson for Avon. With its long history of success, you have the opportunity to get your own piece of the profits.

You will receive support from the company and your upline… and will in turn be supporting other salespeople if you choose to form a team. Whether you sell online or face-to-face, your Avon experience can be a side gig.

For most people, this is part of the incentive to become an Avon representative. You have the power to make a difference in the lives of the women in your community. Its ongoing success speaks volumes about what Avon can do for you.

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