John Fleming Avon

110 Years of Direct Selling Success

Avon markets to women in 135 countries through 2.6 million independent sales representatives, including nearly half a million in the United States. Avon was founded in 1886 by David H. McConnell who recruited a sales force of women to sell his products door-to-door. At the same time, McConnell provided women with an earning opportunity and a financial independence that had not been offered to them before.

Today, Avon continues to be proactive in finding ways to attract customers of diverse cultural backgrounds. For example, John Fleming, Regional Vice President for Avon West, oversees a sales organization comprised of 20 Division Sales Managers, 450 District Sales Managers and nearly 130,000 independent sales representatives. Avon's commitment to providing an earnings opportu-nity through a diverse workforce is the cornerstone of his field organization. Of the 20 Division Sales Managers, 18 are women, 17 percent are minorities. With-in his District Sales Manager force, 95 percent are women and of them, 30 percent are minorities.

"Each Division Sales Manager is responsible for the management of approximately 20 District Sales Managers who each are responsible for the support and guidance of 300 Avon representatives on average. Each District Sales Manager represents an average of one million in net revenues each year thus, these managers are managing very significant businesses. When you multiply the average District Sales Managers business by 20, it is obvious the Division Sales Manager position is a very significant one.

"Avon sales management is compensated via typical base compensation and added corporate benefits including bonuses on sales increases that enable managers to strive for and achieve 'extraordinary' rewards," added Fleming.

"Avon is committed to diver-sity," Fleming says. "The marketplace is becoming more and more diverse each year, thus the diversity we see in the marketplace must be reflected in our representative ranks and in our management ranks." He adds, "we are committed to achieving proper representation among all minority segments in the population."

John Fleming started his professional career as an architect. Having worked for such outstanding architectural firms as Mies Van der Rohe and Associates and Stanley Tigerman and Associates, Fleming embarked upon a part time direct selling venture as a means to add income to the family. Direct selling as a channel of distribution fascinated him to the extent he became interested in all aspects of the business rapidly ascending through the ranks of distributor, manager, national sales director vice president and president of his own company before joining Avon as Director of Representative Recruitment approximately eight years ago. Prior to his present position as Vice President of Avon's leading region in terms of growth over the past two years, Fleming served as Avon's Vice President of Sales Contemporization and Vice President of Training and Development.

"I am very proud to be a part of Avon and I truly believe in our values, and our principals. I have seen lives change in a most wonderful way as a result of what this company stands for and what it believes in. We are much more than a beauty company. Of course we sell beauty products, but our vision statement speaks to so much more, and Avon's vision statement really defines what we are all about," Fleming says.

"People identify with a company that speaks so loudly about what it stands for...and this is why I truly believe our company is so appealing to women and minorities in particular. I look at Avon as being more than a company, perhaps one of the finest forces of good in the world," says Fleming.

Fleming also states, "as a minority, I also realize that my accomplishments may very well be a motivating factor to someone else thus, my responsibility transcends my actual job responsibility. I constantly remind myself of the importance of identifying those within our organization who can move us. Most people need mentors and support, and women and minorities have not always experienced the enabling support which can help one navigate upward movement on the corporate ladder."

Several years ago, the former C.E.O. James Preston stated, "our company must awaken to the fact that a diverse work force is not a burden, but a company's greatest potential strength."

"This mandate initiated by our C.E.O. several years ago, in my opinion, has not only strengthened Avon but has prepared us for understanding what it will take to succeed in the future," says Fleming.

Minorities, immigrants and women now hold more than half the jobs in the U.S. As amazing as this statistic is, it has taken a long time for corporations to realize the power and strength in supporting and developing women and minorities, immigrants and women now hold more than half the jobs in the U.S. As amazing as this statistic is, it has taken a long time for corporations to realize the power and strength in supporting and developing women and minorities into the management ranks, and I am proud to be a part of a company that has been a front runner in this area. 

"As we look to the future we see tremendous opportunity. Managing diversity in this country is the imperative for business as we now approach the next millennium. There is no question about the increasing diversity in our country. Our challenge is to understand it in its truest sense and then learn to serve in both products and service, the diverse customers that will make up the marketplace. In order to do this, we must continue to adapt to an ever changing and more competitive environment. We will never be a company that is satisfied, we are committed to be the leader," he says, speaking on behalf of all Avon management. "Our founding principals will remain our guide and they keep us focused effectively," added Fleming. #MEJ

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