The Avon lady is one of the most recognizable icons of beauty and business. Armed with a smile and the iconic brochure, she is the friendly neighborhood source of cosmetics, underwear, and more essential personal effects.
But in the age of social distancing, safety precautions currently in place limit seeing customers in person. And that’s fine—because the Avon lady is now online. Her smile is still there, albeit on social media. And her customers now scroll through her posts, rather than flip through her brochure.
“Avon representatives are now present online, even before social distancing was a thing,” says Nanette Roxas, Sales & Commercial Excellence Director for Avon Philippines. “Selling online is much easier for Avon reps, who—like most women nowadays—are multitaskers. Since they control their own schedule, it’s easy to fit into their day whether they’re a mom, a student, or a corporate professional who does it on the side.”
Every Avon representative receives continuous training to keep up with trends in beauty, fashion, as well as skills in sales and marketing. This year, the brand is investing in skills through the Digital Divas program, which goes into the principles behind online clout and explores how it can be translated to sales online.
It’s a timely program, especially given how social distancing has resulted into an online selling boom in the Philippines.
The Digital Divas program features celebrities and digital content creators such as Beauty and Lifestyle vlogger Say Tioco, who discusses how to build a fanbase online; Designer and Fashion blogger Camille Co, who shares how to create quality and engaging content as well as actor Paulo Avelino, who will cap the learning series with how Avon representatives can overcome challenges and exceed people’s expectations. Plenty more are included in the free three-week online program by Avon, available only to registered representatives.
Digital Divas is the latest in Avon’s many programs for reps in the online space.
“Apart from the avenues for training and skills development, Avon also supplements the learning of its representatives with online tools they can master to successfully run their business online,” says Kevin Dayleg, Head of E-Commerce and Digital for Avon Philippines. “We have the Avon On app which acts as a one stop shop where representatives can access the digital IM brochure, place orders, and get notified with the latest trends, news, and newest products. The app also allows them to reach a wider audience with beauty posts on social media. We also launched the Avon Grow App where Sales Leaders can grow their team remotely and automate their business performance monitoring.”
“Given the nature of Avon, the reps that are drawn to the business are usually those who are at ease with having flexible working hours and those who have an interest in entrepreneurship and being their own boss.” says Roxas. “They may be independent, but that doesn’t mean they’re left to fend for themselves. We back every rep with programs and tools they can rely on for training, sales, and marketing support.”
To know more about Digital Divas, or to sign up and enjoy free access, visit shopavon.ph/AvonPHDigitalDivasFAQs. To sign up as an Avon representative, go to www.avon.ph/avon-ph/becomearep.
