We are living through some very unusual times. In the past couple of weeks, our whole world seems to have changed as a result of the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19, within the United States.
It’s hard to process exactly how much our worlds have changed in such a short time.
Just a couple weeks ago, I got up, sent the boys to school, went down to the gym for a 90-minute trek on the treadmill, followed by a casual stop at the grocery store, which was well-stocked (aside from hand sanitizer) and being calmly shopped by a typical number of patrons. I delivered an Avon order, then went home to quietly work until the boys came from school.
Flash forward and everything has changed. My kids are now homeschooled and I am their homeschool teacher. (They now call me Mrs. DeLine.) We are exercising as a family through daily walks and bike rides and avoiding the grocery store – due to our new social-distancing routines, but also because it’s been pretty much cleared out of everything.
While good things have come from these new routines (family exercise, reading Harry Potter together, daily family movie nights…), it’s been an adjustment for sure.
Is this our new normal??
If there’s one thing I’ve noticed during these past few weeks though, it’s the tremendous human spirit of RESILIENCE.
After a momentary panic, as states of emergency were announced, business and schools shut down, and people rushed the stores and cleared off the shelves, you could sense a sort of silence, where all of America sat on their toilet paper mountains and asked themselves, “Now what??”
And over the past few days, the answers to that question have become clear …:
We are figuring out how to get through this together.
And though I also long for things to return to “normal”, I awoke this morning feeling reassured and confident that we can make this new normal work. There will certainly be challenges and sacrifices along the way, but humans are resilient. I am resilient. YOU are resilient. And we’re going to figure this out together!
How does this relate to AVON??
Many businesses have been heavily impacted by all of the recent changes. Restaurants have been forced to close their dining rooms and other businesses have been forced to close completely. Business owners have been left trying to figure out how to get through the next few weeks or months, questioning what the longer-term future holds for their business.
But a remarkable thing has happened as a result. Very quickly, in a matter of just a handful of days, businesses are finding new ways to REINVENT themselves during these strange times – to find new ways to work their business in response to the current challenges and opportunities!! They are finding a way to THRIVE UNDER THESE NEW CONDITIONS.
Our Avon businesses are no different. If you previously built your business through face-to-face prospecting for customers or team members, vendor events, and/or personal deliveries, you may be wondering how to proceed under our current “socially-distanced” conditions.
My challenge for you is to find new ways for your business to thrive! Reinvent your Avon business. Forget about what you CAN’T do under the current conditions, and focus on new things you CAN do!
Treat these strange times as an OPPORTUNITY to stretch your wings and soar!! Don’t retreat from the challenges – DIVE IN!
Here are a few ideas to consider:
1. Offer No-Contact Delivery: As you and your customers take steps to avoid contact with others, offer your local customers the option of no-contact delivery. Ask them to leave their payment on their door (if they haven’t already paid you for their orders) OR collect payments through PayPal, Venmo, or credit card. When you deliver, leave their order by their door (or in a location of their choosing) and send them a text to let them know their items have arrived.
2. Promote Your Online Store: During these times, customers are turning to online shopping more than ever before. You may find that customers who were previously hesitant to shop online are now making it their preferred method of shopping. Contact everyone you know to let them know about the option to shop your online store, with direct delivery to their homes. Be sure to tell them about free shipping on orders of $60+! Check out the tips HERE and HERE on how to sell Avon online.
3. Use Social Media Regularly: Use the time you used to spend driving around delivering brochures and orders to become a master of using social media to grow your business! As many people across the United States are now isolated in their homes, social media is hopping with activity. It’s a great place to engage with current and new potential customers. Use our social media tool, Avon Social, to promote products on your Facebook business page and personal page. Don’t have a Facebook business page or a Google business profile? Set one up! Don’t use Instagram for your business? Take some time to learn it. There are many, many excellent resources on how to use all of these tools.
Check out my How-To-Avon page for a variety of how-to guides and video tutorials on selling Avon online, using Avon Social (video tutorial), sharing your digital brochure (video tutorial), hosting online Avon parties, and more!
Also, be sure to check out the incredible tips and tutorials on the Social Selling By Avon Social Facebook page. Click on “Units” from the main menu of that page to access many helpful video tutorials, which will help you with promoting your business through social media.
4. Find New Ways to Connect with Customers: Just like other businesses have turned to video-conferencing and live videos to connect with their customers, you can do the same for your Avon business! Stuck at home? Take a couple minutes to clean yourself up and change out of those pyjamas you’ve been wearing for three days, then do a Facebook live video to share a few of your favourite products with customers or do a video showing your Avon skincare or makeup routines, filled with tips and helpful product info!
5. Get the Kids Involved: Got a bunch of antsy kids at home like I do?? Get them involved in promoting your business! Take a walk together to hang brochures on doors or deliver orders to customers’ doors. Doing a video? Let the kids share their favourite Avon products too! It’s a fun way to get them involved in the process of growing a successful family business!
6. Focus on What Customers Need: As many of our customers figure out how to function under the current conditions of social-distancing, you may find that the items they’re looking for have shifted a bit. They may be less interested in the more fun purchases like jewellery, fashion, and cosmetics and more interested in basic necessities, like hand soap, hand cream, shampoo, body wash, deodorant, and toothpaste.
Just a couple weeks ago, I got up, sent the boys to school, went down to the gym for a 90-minute trek on the treadmill, followed by a casual stop at the grocery store, which was well-stocked (aside from hand sanitizer) and being calmly shopped by a typical number of patrons. I delivered an Avon order, then went home to quietly work until the boys came from school.
Flash forward and everything has changed. My kids are now homeschooled and I am their homeschool teacher. (They now call me Mrs. DeLine.) We are exercising as a family through daily walks and bike rides and avoiding the grocery store – due to our new social-distancing routines, but also because it’s been pretty much cleared out of everything.
While good things have come from these new routines (family exercise, reading Harry Potter together, daily family movie nights…), it’s been an adjustment for sure.
Is this our new normal??
If there’s one thing I’ve noticed during these past few weeks though, it’s the tremendous human spirit of RESILIENCE.
After a momentary panic, as states of emergency were announced, business and schools shut down, and people rushed the stores and cleared off the shelves, you could sense a sort of silence, where all of America sat on their toilet paper mountains and asked themselves, “Now what??”
And over the past few days, the answers to that question have become clear …:
- Restaurants, forced to close their dining rooms, are now offering curbside pick-up.
- Businesses (who never delivered) are now offering delivery.
- Gyms are offering online workouts and personal training sessions.
- Teachers are offering instruction and communication online and over the phone.
- Parents have adjusted their routines to provide homeschool instruction and engaging experiences for their children at home.
- College students, sent home from college, are offering babysitting services (much needed by many families whose kids are suddenly home from school)
- Movie companies are releasing new films for on-demand rental.
- Churches are live-streaming mass Stores have adjusted their schedules to provide time to clean and restock, as well as dedicated hours for the elderly to shop for the items they need.
- Music teachers are offering lessons through video conferencing.
- Neighbours are finding ways to connect without contact, through shamrock hunts.
- Christmas lights are being rehung to raise spirits and Hallmark is running a Christmas movie marathon.
- Famous artists, chefs and Broadway stars are offering free lessons online.
- Museums and zoos are live-streaming tours and opera houses are live-streaming performances.
We are figuring out how to get through this together.
And though I also long for things to return to “normal”, I awoke this morning feeling reassured and confident that we can make this new normal work. There will certainly be challenges and sacrifices along the way, but humans are resilient. I am resilient. YOU are resilient. And we’re going to figure this out together!
How does this relate to AVON??
Many businesses have been heavily impacted by all of the recent changes. Restaurants have been forced to close their dining rooms and other businesses have been forced to close completely. Business owners have been left trying to figure out how to get through the next few weeks or months, questioning what the longer-term future holds for their business.
But a remarkable thing has happened as a result. Very quickly, in a matter of just a handful of days, businesses are finding new ways to REINVENT themselves during these strange times – to find new ways to work their business in response to the current challenges and opportunities!! They are finding a way to THRIVE UNDER THESE NEW CONDITIONS.
Our Avon businesses are no different. If you previously built your business through face-to-face prospecting for customers or team members, vendor events, and/or personal deliveries, you may be wondering how to proceed under our current “socially-distanced” conditions.
My challenge for you is to find new ways for your business to thrive! Reinvent your Avon business. Forget about what you CAN’T do under the current conditions, and focus on new things you CAN do!
Treat these strange times as an OPPORTUNITY to stretch your wings and soar!! Don’t retreat from the challenges – DIVE IN!
Here are a few ideas to consider:
1. Offer No-Contact Delivery: As you and your customers take steps to avoid contact with others, offer your local customers the option of no-contact delivery. Ask them to leave their payment on their door (if they haven’t already paid you for their orders) OR collect payments through PayPal, Venmo, or credit card. When you deliver, leave their order by their door (or in a location of their choosing) and send them a text to let them know their items have arrived.
2. Promote Your Online Store: During these times, customers are turning to online shopping more than ever before. You may find that customers who were previously hesitant to shop online are now making it their preferred method of shopping. Contact everyone you know to let them know about the option to shop your online store, with direct delivery to their homes. Be sure to tell them about free shipping on orders of $60+! Check out the tips HERE and HERE on how to sell Avon online.
3. Use Social Media Regularly: Use the time you used to spend driving around delivering brochures and orders to become a master of using social media to grow your business! As many people across the United States are now isolated in their homes, social media is hopping with activity. It’s a great place to engage with current and new potential customers. Use our social media tool, Avon Social, to promote products on your Facebook business page and personal page. Don’t have a Facebook business page or a Google business profile? Set one up! Don’t use Instagram for your business? Take some time to learn it. There are many, many excellent resources on how to use all of these tools.
Check out my How-To-Avon page for a variety of how-to guides and video tutorials on selling Avon online, using Avon Social (video tutorial), sharing your digital brochure (video tutorial), hosting online Avon parties, and more!
Also, be sure to check out the incredible tips and tutorials on the Social Selling By Avon Social Facebook page. Click on “Units” from the main menu of that page to access many helpful video tutorials, which will help you with promoting your business through social media.
4. Find New Ways to Connect with Customers: Just like other businesses have turned to video-conferencing and live videos to connect with their customers, you can do the same for your Avon business! Stuck at home? Take a couple minutes to clean yourself up and change out of those pyjamas you’ve been wearing for three days, then do a Facebook live video to share a few of your favourite products with customers or do a video showing your Avon skincare or makeup routines, filled with tips and helpful product info!
5. Get the Kids Involved: Got a bunch of antsy kids at home like I do?? Get them involved in promoting your business! Take a walk together to hang brochures on doors or deliver orders to customers’ doors. Doing a video? Let the kids share their favourite Avon products too! It’s a fun way to get them involved in the process of growing a successful family business!
6. Focus on What Customers Need: As many of our customers figure out how to function under the current conditions of social-distancing, you may find that the items they’re looking for have shifted a bit. They may be less interested in the more fun purchases like jewellery, fashion, and cosmetics and more interested in basic necessities, like hand soap, hand cream, shampoo, body wash, deodorant, and toothpaste.
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| Time to Stretch Your AVON Wings! |
They may desire some things for relaxation in their homes, such as our bubble bath, candles, or aromatherapy essential oil blends. Missing their hair appointments, they may love our CHI ammonia-free, sulfate-free, gluten-free permanent hair colouring kits! Or they may be interested in shelf-stable items for nutrition, such as our Plant Power Protein, Espira Greens, or Hydration drink mixes. As you promote your business, focus on all of those incredible items that you can offer to your customers, with no-contact delivery direct to their doors when they shop your online store.
Got more ideas on new ways to grow your business during these unusual times?? Share them in the comments!
Welcome To Avon Zimbabwe: Avon Zimbabwe is a distributor of Avon Beauty Products in Zimbabwe. Our aim is to provide beauty products to women from all walks of life in Zimbabwe at an affordable price. We believe that all women are born beautiful and our aim is to bring out that beauty. Contact Us through the Chat with WhatsApp widget below.
