As Avon representatives, there are many strategies we can use to connect with new potential customers (or team members) and to grow our sales.
One very effective way to connect with many new customers in a short period of time is to participate in vendor events!
VENDOR EVENT BENEFITS:
- Enables you to connect with a lot of people in a short period of time
- Customers come to YOU!
- Customers often arrive prepared to shop, browse, and mingle
- Provides you with a table to stand behind, in an official capacity (confidence builder for shy reps)
- Provides the opportunity to show a large group of people what Avon offers
- Easy to collect contact info from many potential customers/team members
- On-the-spot sales profit potential
- Great way to build connections with new potential customers/team members
- Great way to build connections with other vendors and event organizers
- Great way to promote fundraisers and the Avon opportunity
Vendor events take place in many locations all over the country, often hosted by schools, fire departments, churches, or other local organizations. Sometimes vendor events take place on their own and sometimes they take place within larger community events, fairs, or festivals. You can often find vendor events in your area by staying alert for signs advertising a need for vendors, participating in local community Facebook pages (where vendor events are often advertised), or contacting local churches, schools, etc. to inquire about upcoming events.
To participate in most vendor events, there is often a fee to rent a table space (many places will provide the table for you). Fees may vary depending on how large the event is expected to be, how much advertising will be done, etc. Often, the organizer will also ask for a donation item to be used for raffles.
Here are some tips to ensure that you get the biggest benefit from your investment in participating in a vendor event:
VENDOR EVENT TIP #1 – You don’t need to have a huge stock of inventory to do vendor events. Don’t let lack of inventory stop you. There are huge benefits to simply setting up a beautiful display of Avon products and demos, passing out brochures/sample bundles, connecting with new people, and collecting contact info. If you’d like to have some items available for on-the-spot sales, put together a few nicely packaged product bundles or gift baskets.
VENDOR EVENT TIP #2 – Offer a free raffle basket to collect contact info!! This is probably the most important thing I can recommend. Even if the event is holding raffles (which you’ve donated an item for), host your own FREE raffle at your table! Why?? Contact Info for Follow-up!! Hosting a raffle at your table gives you a reason to invite people over to your table to enter for a chance to win your free raffle giveaway. Provide slips to collect their contact info (name, address, email, cell phone) for the raffle. Include boxes to indicate if they are interested in receiving free brochures or information on buying, selling, or fundraising with Avon. That contact information for all of those potential new customers and/or team members is more valuable than any one-time sale you can make at an event!
VENDOR EVENT TIP #3 – Follow-up with your leads! You’re going to collect a lot of great contact info through that free raffle basket. Send those people a message after the event to thank them for stopping by your table. Share your web store address and offer to answer any questions they have about Avon products. Deliver or mail brochures to the people who requested them. Provide information to people who expressed interest in becoming an Avon representative.
VENDOR EVENT TIP #4 – Be chatty!! As people are filling out their raffle entries, chat with them, ask them if they’ve seen a brochure lately, offer them a brochure and sample bundle. Another great way to draw people over to your table and capture their attention for a couple minutes is by offering a bowl of lipstick samples for them to select a few shades they’d like to try. People LOVE those little lipstick samples and they are wonderful conversation starters. Almost everyone has some memory of Avon in their life. Connect with those memories, then show them all of the amazing new things that Avon offers. Be social, friendly, and chatty. This will help you to develop a connection and establish comfort, which will increase the chances that you’ll hear back from them with an order.
VENDOR EVENT TIP #5 – Take special care when setting up your table. Make your table look beautiful, professional, appealing, and uncluttered. Consider getting an Avon runner or tablecloth (www.avonprintshop.com) for your table. Use boxes, covered with pretty fabric to vary the heights of the items you have on display. Add other accents to create a beautiful display. Feature current products, which customers can find in the brochures. Avoid cluttering your table with a hodge-podge of old, discontinued items (perhaps set up a separate “clearance” bin for those items). RELATED TIP: Dress to impress!! Just as you put care into your table presentation, put care into how you present yourself! Dress neatly and professionally. Consider wearing an Avon outfit and/or Avon accessories.
VENDOR EVENT TIP #6 – Price items fairly, based on current brochure prices. You may wish to offer a small discount or an event special offer (such as a free gift with purchase), but don’t undervalue the products. Avon offers amazing, high-quality items that are already priced reasonably. Offer those items with confidence for the price they are worth.
VENDOR EVENT TIP #7 – Brochures, brochures, brochures!! Come prepared to pass out as many brochures as you can. Offer them with enthusiasm as people pass by or approach your table. (My sons love to participate in events with me and are the BEST at passing out brochures!) I like to create brochure/sample bundles using the clear literature bags, tied with a ribbon. Each bundle contains a brochure, recruiting booklet, fundraising flyer, a business card, and a variety of samples.
VENDOR EVENT TIP #8 – Consider how you will handle payments for on-the-spot purchases. You may wish to get a credit card reader which hooks into your phone, such as a Square reader, for easy credit card transactions.
VENDOR EVENT TIP #9 – Promote both the products AND the opportunity! This can be as easy as responding with, “Have you ever thought about becoming an Avon representative for the personal discount?” when someone comments on how much they love Avon (which someone almost always says)! Throw the question out there! If they respond back with concerns about being too busy, etc., explain how flexible it is, tell them how their are no order quotas, explain how easy it is to get started!
VENDOR EVENT TIP #10 – It’s more fun with friends! Nervous about doing an event on your own? Partner up with another Avon representative in your area. Plan ahead of time how you will share the responsibilities and rewards. Don’t know any other local Avon representatives? Ask a friend to join your team so that you can partner together in growing your businesses!
Look, Feel, Live Beautiful 