Revitalizing the Sales Force
As Avon tried to innovate and upgrade its products, customers started having difficulty finding products that they considered staples. Some of these items were discontinued and some were just hard to locate in a steadily growing catalog. Consumers and representatives alike were complaining that products were changing too often and that Avon was no longer the company that they had loved. Keeping up with the ever-changing and expanding product line affected the product knowledge, customer service and, ultimately, the confidence of representatives. In a model where customers depend on the expertise and recommendation of the seller, Avon's website was an inadequate substitute for a knowledgeable representative. With women's growing presence in corporate America and Avon's weakening corporate strategy and leadership, the opportunity and incentive that the company once offered entrepreneurial women was fading. The number of active Avon representatives in North America fell 8 percent in 2011, leaving an estimated 420,000 representatives in the United States.