[C o z y]

Most people? How do you know that "Most" people would find them a "nuisance"? Because they all think the same as you do they? If that's the case, why do I get such a good response?

Why are you so intent on putting the guy off knocking doors? What's wrong with him trying, instead of sitting on here putting a negative tone on subjects like this?

How does that help?

Im sorry if my opinion insults you cozy! Would you rather i agree just to keep the peace?

If you don't agree, I'll be devastated mate.

[Johnny B]

I think it much better to just leave a card with some info on your services and allow a potential customer to look over it at their leisure. Sometimes a person will say yes in order to be polite or just get rid of you! Cold callers are a scurge in my opinion and most people I know find them a nuisance.

Yup, leave a card, and some will end up being lunched by the dog! 

Seriously, what is wrong with door knocking? I got started this way and nobody hurt me, swore at me or set their dog onto me. And I am from England living in Ireland!

I am a fairly laid back kind of guy, polite, friendly and not pushy. I am only there to ask if my service may be of interest to the householder. It's either a quick 'no thanks', or 'yes, how much...'. How can that cause you to consider causing injury to someone who is simply trying to earn a living?

I get canvassers knocking my door every week. I take the time to have a chat with them, whether or not I take up their offer (usually I don't).

Good manners cost nothing. Pity some people still can't afford them.

John

[gary999]

these canvassers must love you taking time out to have a friendly
chat with no intention in buying their product

[Nathanael Jones]

I used to live on an estate that for some reason seemed to be a favourite with canvassers - at least 3 times a week I'd get someone trying to sell me Sky TV, a new electricity deal, sponsor an animal charity package or mobile phone plan (never had a window cleaner call - they must have seen the van!).

 I kept my cool & was polite for a long time, but after a couple of years of my meals being interrupted & small children woken I really started getting annoyed with it so I put up one of those "No Cold Calling" signs - - and got even more annoyed when all the canvassers ignored it.

Canvassers annoy me like nothing else,.. my evenings are for me and my family,.. I know if I want to buy a product or service and I will research the best option myself - I don't need you to tell me about it!!

I personally always stuck to websites, flyers, direct mail, vehicle signage etc etc which in the long term is just as effective & doesn't annoy people!

[Mick Kent]

Junk mail/leaflets annoy people too!
I get about 3 different leaflets a day from cleaners to takeaways etc. it realy does need to stand out to get a good response in certain areas where lots of junk is delivered!

[C o z y]

Jeez, thought this was put to bed ages ago. I find it annoying when people keep a topic going when it's died 20 posts ago 

[Tom-01]

I built my business from canvassing non-stop and doing my own telesales. Of course the odd person gets annoyed getting their door knocked, but people like that are generally annoyed about anything and everything in life anyway (J.D is a case in point)  . I don't like getting cold calls on my phone from people selling me stuff but I do a fair bit of cold calling myself, I know some people will be annoyed on the other end of the phone or on their doorstep.

However, with canvassing residential and cold calling on the phone its all down to percentages. A very very small percentage will be annoyed, and you wouldn't want to work for people like that anyway. A big percentage will say no. But the ones who say yes and chat will be great customers.

My advice is to go out in the evenings and weekends as much as you can and keep knocking no matter what anyone says. Grow a thick skin and learn to deal with rejection. And in the daytime cold call commercial. I've done it, it works.

I've never done leafleting, but haven't ruled it out. Funnily enough I have picked up quite a good few customers from companies who have just leafleted, then I've knocked and its reminded them that they got a leaflet and they use us instead of the guys who dropped the leaflet!!

[J.D]

Could not agree more Nat. 

Tom ! Don't ring my doorbell nor  ignore my No Cold Callers Sign! 

[C o z y]

I built my business from canvassing non-stop and doing my own telesales. Of course the odd person gets annoyed getting their door knocked, but people like that are generally annoyed about anything and everything in life anyway (J.D is a case in point)  . I don't like getting cold calls on my phone from people selling me stuff but I do a fair bit of cold calling myself, I know some people will be annoyed on the other end of the phone or on their doorstep.

However, with canvassing residential and cold calling on the phone its all down to percentages. A very very small percentage will be annoyed, and you wouldn't want to work for people like that anyway. A big percentage will say no. But the ones who say yes and chat will be great customers.

My advice is to go out in the evenings and weekends as much as you can and keep knocking no matter what anyone says. Grow a thick skin and learn to deal with rejection. And in the daytime cold call commercial. I've done it, it works.

I've never done leafleting, but haven't ruled it out. Funnily enough I have picked up quite a good few customers from companies who have just leafleted, then I've knocked and its reminded them that they got a leaflet and they use us instead of the guys who dropped the leaflet!!

I drop and knock within a couple of days. Great results too. However, I dropped leaflets a few years ago and took about a week to follow up. At that time, some guy did take advantage and picked up a couple of days in front of me. I only made that mistake once Tom. 

Must admit, I've never knocked without leafleting first.

[Ian101]

when first starting out I would go knocking during the day if it was raining too heavily to clean ... I thought a good use of time as opposed to sitting at home ... luckily I hadn't read any posts like these so didn't know any better.

1 door I knocked stands out in my mind ... it led to several referrals which snowballed into a few more and onto a small resident managed apartment block worth £120 every 2 months ... all from knocking 1 small £12 bungalow on a very wet day ... 

YES ITS WORTH IT !! even if it leads to 1 small bungalow @ £12 monthly x 4.5 years = £648 ... better than staying home wasting time on here moaning about the weather.

some people let life happen to them others make it happen ... which are you ?

[J.D]

Oh your such a driven individual Ian, give yourself a pat on the back! 

[gary999]

when first starting out I would go knocking during the day if it was raining too heavily to clean ... I thought a good use of time as opposed to sitting at home ... luckily I hadn't read any posts like these so didn't know any better.

1 door I knocked stands out in my mind ... it led to several referrals which snowballed into a few more and onto a small resident managed apartment block worth £120 every 2 months ... all from knocking 1 small £12 bungalow on a very wet day ... 

YES ITS WORTH IT !! even if it leads to 1 small bungalow @ £12 monthly x 4.5 years = £648 ... better than staying home wasting time on here moaning about the weather.

some people let life happen to them others make it happen ... which are you ?

Some people let life happen to them others make it happen.

Bloody hell where did you get that meaningless drivel from a gym wall or
maybe a old cigarette packet or worse facebook

If im not working I will be sticking a few leaflets out updating on the net
quoting or best of all putting my feet up and enjoying life.

If you are happy canvassing then canvass if not then don't...seems
simple to me

[Mick Kent]

All the negative posts on this thread!!.
He simply asked if its worth knocking in the day to compact his round up.
Anyone saying no  shouldnt be a window cleaner end of. Its what this game is about growing a decent compact amount of customers with minimal driving and maximum return! Those scared to knock or who are tunnel visioned simply put people off canvassing giving them a complex about too much rejection and rude responses at the door.
Anyway gaining customers is good however for compacting you cant beat a good old fashioned knock.

[gary999]

All the negative posts on this thread!!.
He simply asked if its worth knocking in the day to compact his round up.
Anyone saying no  shouldnt be a window cleaner end of. Its what this game is about growing a decent compact amount of customers with minimal driving and maximum return! Those scared to knock or who are tunnel visioned simply put people off canvassing giving them a complex about too much rejection and rude responses at the door.
Anyway gaining customers is good however for compacting you cant beat a good old fashioned knock.

Michael, Michael, Michael I enjoy most of your posts,but shouldn't be a window
cleaner because they don't door knock
Nearly as bad as the shouldn't be a window cleaner if you dont do insides.
I personally dont like door to door salesmen, so I refuse to become one of them

But I wouldn't tell anyone not canvass,a person should use every option
they are happy with.

My round is extremely compact most of my work is no further than 5 min
drive from my home,never canvassed once

[Ian101]

Oh your such a driven individual Ian, give yourself a pat on the back! 

my massive ego already has 

[Ian101]

when first starting out I would go knocking during the day if it was raining too heavily to clean ... I thought a good use of time as opposed to sitting at home ... luckily I hadn't read any posts like these so didn't know any better.

1 door I knocked stands out in my mind ... it led to several referrals which snowballed into a few more and onto a small resident managed apartment block worth £120 every 2 months ... all from knocking 1 small £12 bungalow on a very wet day ... 

YES ITS WORTH IT !! even if it leads to 1 small bungalow @ £12 monthly x 4.5 years = £648 ... better than staying home wasting time on here moaning about the weather.

some people let life happen to them others make it happen ... which are you ?

Some people let life happen to them others make it happen.

Bloody hell where did you get that meaningless drivel from a gym wall or
maybe a old cigarette packet or worse facebook

ok rumbled it was on a fAg packet 

[Mick Kent]

No, you shouldnt be a window cleaner if your not prepared to put in the work to make it worthwhile i meant otherwise you will be all over the place earning minimal compared to a round where you have built it using a few brain cells, anyone with savvy can leaflet/canvass a round. Paul has leafleted everywhere local which he has built his round on verey well but his next step is to compact it so can do more than 1 or 2 jobs from 1 spot which was his question on this thread wheather its good to knock day times!, thats where i cant work out why some are window cleaners by saying not to knock and to leaflet because he has already leafleted! His next step is to compact everything which doesnt take a rocket scietist to work out that knocking is the best way as has already used the leaflets to get him where he is today, its as if some window cleaners want to spend more of the day driving not earning than actualy cleaning glass earning a crust hence me saying dont know why some people are window cleaners. Wasnt aimed at you or others who are lucky enough to have a round thats been going years when was easy to get a round up and running, to me it just makes sence that if you want compact then you have to put the work in to do it which means knocking. Thats my view on it anyway and has worked for me and im 5 mins up the road from paul.

[gary999]

No, you shouldnt be a window cleaner if your not prepared to put in the work to make it worthwhile i meant otherwise you will be all over the place earning minimal compared to a round where you have built it using a few brain cells, anyone with savvy can leaflet/canvass a round. Paul has leafleted everywhere local which he has built his round on verey well but his next step is to compact it so can do more than 1 or 2 jobs from 1 spot which was his question on this thread wheather its good to knock day times!, thats where i cant work out why some are window cleaners by saying not to knock and to leaflet because he has already leafleted! His next step is to compact everything which doesnt take a rocket scietist to work out that knocking is the best way as has already used the leaflets to get him where he is today, its as if some window cleaners want to spend more of the day driving not earning than actualy cleaning glass earning a crust hence me saying dont know why some people are window cleaners. Wasnt aimed at you or others who are lucky enough to have a round thats been going years when was easy to get a round up and running, to me it just makes sence that if you want compact then you have to put the work in to do it which means knocking. Thats my view on it anyway and has worked for me and im 5 mins up the road from paul.

I started in 2007 started the same time as the financial crash

I take your point about canvassing Michael but its not the only way of being
proactive,i target specific areas to leaflet and keep a constant stream of advertising
for example Cards in local shops,every shop in a 10 min drive has my business
cards in its window and most forget to take them down so ends up free advertising
im on every free advertising link on the web for my local area.

Its not actually that hard to target the areas you want without canvassing.

Anyways Sir Michael wasn't really having a go,but its the ridiculas statements
some make,this is the only way blah blah blah that tend to agitate

[Paul erithwc]

I have a good round from leaflets so far but as mick said i want to compact my work a little by door knocking my existing customers neighbours.

But from what i have been told this week about another local window cleaning company increasing the price by quite a bit and telling customers they will be put on two weekly canvassing is going to be easier  

Paul

[Joey Eastwood]

Leafleting/advertising costs, knocking a door is free. In my experience there's about a 5% return from leafleting and iv leafleted 100+ houses before and got two calls, iv NEVER canvassed daytime evenings or weekends and picked up less than £100 of work be it an hour or a day