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Albee House, former home of Mrs. Persis Foster Eames Albee. Avon calls her the Mother of Avon as she was the first ‘Depot Manager’ for The California Perfume Company, later renamed Avon. The Albee House located at 9 Elm Street in Historic Winchester, NH was once the home of Mrs. P.F.E. Albee. Mrs. Albee was the first “Depot Manager” for the California Perfume Company, Hired by Mr. David H. McConnell in 1886. After McConnell’s death in 1937, David McConnell Jr. became president of the California Perfume Company. David Jr. renamed the CPC to AVON Products Inc. in 1939, making Mrs. Albee the first “Avon Lady.” She and her husband, Ellery Albee, a practicing attorney and New Hampshire state senator (1869 to 1871), ran a variety store together across the street from their home. The residence and store, in addition to having the town’s first public phone, provided not only a retail center, but also a meeting place for many of the town residents. Once Mrs. Albee was hired by Mr. Daniel H. McConnell Sr. the founder of the California Perfume Company as the organizations first General Agent, she quickly became his most successful sales person. Mr. McConnell was progressive in that he viewed women as an integral part of the business at a time when options were very limited. It was in this historic location that the first sample cases of perfume were displayed. Mrs. Albee initiated a variety of techniques including direct selling, the recruitment and training of sales agents, and other methods which helped to transform the small company into AVON, creating opportunities for countless women. Her influence continues to be apparent to this day. Excerpted from: Avon: Building the World’s Premier Company for Women Laura Klepacki, Andrea Jung It was therefore no surprise that McConnell tapped one of his best booksellers, Mrs. Persis Foster Eames Albee of Winchester, New Hampshire (P. F. E. Albee) as the first official salesperson for his newly minted California Perfume Company. Her title was “general agent.” Born in 1836, the mother of two-Ellery and Ellen-she was 50 years old when she started her new job. Through the California Perfume Company, McConnell provided earning opportunities to women at a time when other employment options were few. Even while peddling his books and only contemplating the creation of a new business, he had always imagined women would be part of the plan. Albee and her husband, Ellery Albee, an attorney who served as New Hampshire state senator from the Ninth District from 1869 to 1871, operated a variety store together from their home in Winchester. Because the store also possessed the town’s public phone, many people had an additional reason to stop by: Not wanting to miss an opportunity to gain attention for the California Perfume Company’s wares, Mrs. Albee prepared an attractive display of the samples in her store. The Albees’ home, a two-story colonial structure located near the center of town on the banks of a narrow river, was close to the railroad station. “It was white … all landscaped … it was a beautiful house,” remembered a childhood neighbor. For many families, making ends meet can be challenging. The Albees were no different. Town records show times when property bills weren’t met and warnings were issued to the family that ownership of their home on Depot Street (now 9 Elm Street, Winchester New Hampshire) was in jeopardy. Harry J. Bickford of Winchester New Hampshire has now owned the Albee House since the mid nineteen seventies. The Bickfords have been in the process of restoring this beautiful Alexander Colonial ever since in the hope of honoring Mrs. Albee with a Bed and Breakfast, Inne or Coffee shop.

Avon, the company for women, is a leading global beauty company, with $10 billion in annual revenue. As the world’s largest direct seller, Avon markets to women in more than 100 countries through 5.4 million independent Avon Sales Representatives. Avon’s product line includes beauty products, fashion jewelry and apparel, and features such well-recognized brand names as Avon Color, Anew, Skin-So-Soft, Advance Techniques, Avon Naturals, and Mark. Learn more about Avon and its products at www.avoncompany.com 

Avon the company for women & a few good men

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Back to school recruiting tips with Avon cosmetics

I have been an Avon sales leader with Avon UK for 8 years.

In this short video i share some HOT tips for recruiting in the Back to school transition!

Take the tips and go build your Avon sales leadership business in the 4th quarter

BBC News

Women’s opportunities

Women selling cosmetics to women directly in their home has been a winning formula that has resulted in the present day Avon having a presence in more than 100 countries with a total revenue of $8.1bn (£4.2bn) and more than 5.1 million reps worldwide.

This unique way of selling cosmetics came about by chance.

In 1886 a book salesman David Hall McConnell was giving out free perfume to housewives to encourage them to buy more books.

However, his customers were more interested in the perfume than the books so Mr McConnell decided to forget about the books and concentrate on making and selling his own perfume.

His eureka moment came when he decided to use women to sell to women at a time when they did not even have the right to vote.

Avon Man

To sort it out, Avon is committed to doubling its global advertising budget and Andrea Slater, Avon’s president in the UK and Republic of Ireland says the UK “is certainly going to get their fair share of that”.

Ms Slater also now feels that Avon is at a stage when it has to “step it up a level and really focus on the brand building pieces”.

While one in three women in the UK are regular customers, Andrea is keen to ensure they “spread the word to the two in three that perhaps don’t know Avon that well”.