Your own best customer

The decline of many a new Avon representative is due to complaints that they're not making any money. While in training materials, Avon recommends that you become "your own best customer," but I'd advise that you don't take that statement too literally.

In sales, it is important to know your products. With Avon products, the best way to know them is to use them. This, coupled with the discounts you receive, can lead to ordering a lot more for yourself than for your customers. Here are some tips to control your personal Avon spending and actually make some money.

• Run it like a business. Unless you're just selling Avon for fun, this is a business. Although it can be tempting to spend profits on yourself, commit to depositing the profits in a bank account so you can actually see how much money you're making.
• Use samples. If you're ordering samples to share with your customers, use a sample or two yourself to try out the product instead of buying the more expensive full-sized items. 
• Treat yourself only on special occasions. Limit your personal spending to holidays or birthdays. 
• Buy for others instead of yourself. Treating friends and family to items can result in new customers. But don't let friends and family use your discount regularly or it's as bad as spending the profits on yourself--you'll make no money.
• Set your own incentive programs. Require a certain dollar amount in sales per campaign before you allow yourself to buy personal products.
• Don't buy from yourself. This will take self control, and is recommended only if you have a real problem with impulse buying, but if you take a hard stance on buying products from yourself, you won't get into business financial trouble. Instead buy from another Avon representative so you don't become addicted to the discount.