The strength of our brand translates into immediate returns and a shorter learning curve for Representatives—more earnings for less effort.
Unlimited Earning Potential: To join the Avon direct sales team is to gain credibility and earnings potential almost instantly. The Avon brand name provides new Representatives with access to a broad, and growing, customer base that is already familiar with Avon products. The strength of our brand translates into immediate returns and a shorter learning curve for many new Representatives. Research shows that, as of 2007, approximately four in ten American women have purchased Avon products in the past year.1
Preferred Business Partners: The mutual trust between our company and our Representatives helps us to retain the best people in the direct-selling industry. We deliver product shipments directly to our Representatives’ front doors so that they can concentrate on making sales and managing their other priorities. We honor the trust of our customers and associates with a 100 percent money-back guarantee, a policy we have maintained since the company was founded 123 years ago. If a customer returns a product, we credit the Representative’s account so that he or she can return the customer’s payment as soon as possible.
Leveraging Technology: More and more Representatives around the world are choosing to operate their businesses online, including approximately 150,000 Representatives in the United States. As part of our Representative Value Proposition (RVP), we offer Representatives new web-enablement tools and other cutting-edge online training opportunities to help them expand their businesses online. These features make Avon more accessible and allow customers to buy Avon products from the Representatives they trust the most, regardless of their location.
World-class Training: The Avon universal training program provides consistent training for all Representatives around the world. The program enables Representatives to develop skills and pursue personal goals and encourages them to build their own businesses. In addition, our Leadership Representatives can build their businesses by prospecting, appointing, training and developing (PATD) other Representatives in their community. The PATD program involves a series of thorough training modules that, when combined with the support of upline Representatives and our District Sales Managers, provide Leadership Representatives with the best opportunity to succeed in the marketplace.
Local Support: We have management associates on the ground in nearly every zip code around the United States and around the world. Called District and Division Managers in the United States, and Zone Managers elsewhere in the world, they encourage and support our Representatives in any way they can. In addition, they protect the Avon brand by ensuring that Representatives conduct themselves with the utmost integrity, do not damage other Representatives or the company in general, and comply with all company policies.
Representative Savings Plan: Although Representatives are independent contractors, not employees of Avon Products, Inc., a few years ago we made the decision to provide Representatives with the opportunity to participate in a retirement savings plan, which is the first of its kind in the direct sales industry. Participation in the Plan is completely voluntary and is available to U.S. Representatives who are in good standing with Avon and meet certain other criteria. In developing and managing the Savings Plan, Avon entered into an arrangement with FN Benefits Service Corp., a subsidiary of First Niagara Financial Group. The Savings Plan is designed to provide a convenient method for Representatives to save for retirement and is intended to meet the Internal Revenue Code requirements as a tax-qualified, profit-sharing plan within the meaning of Sections 401(a) and 501(a).
1 Avon Global Consumer Tracking Study 2008