[geefree]

hi everyone.
am sure you used to me now,
i am dropping 2,to 3 hundred leaflets per day and door knocking at nights.... its bloody hard work when nothing happens,
i have a background in sales..even canvassing... yet still nothing.....
im polite and persistent yet not not overpowering, yet something is wrong !
so my point here is , to all newbies same as me... are we being laughed at by all the pros ?
do they know how hard it is and think .. go ahead sucker because you wont succeed.....
i think to myself.. oh the advice here is fantastic...then i think .. hang on a mo.... i ask for a trip out in my local area.... suddenly it all goes quiet.... so come on guys if you really want to help.. then please help.... or is it that the real way to do it is to buy buy buy..?? then build!

because it seems to me that the newbies here try and build what they can.... then the real big boys snap up the bargains.. in other words ..when the newbie gives in through sheer exhaustion and pittance of a wage.. they have to sell !... so the big boys get bigger.... ..you may say i could be in an area saturated.... but i will tell you like i see it..... and that is ..the help is in abundance until you hit a brick wall.........then its a massive stop sign. !

that is my massive whinge for the day. thanks for reading.

gary.

[supernova77]

Gary,

I only started in January 2006, and I also started from scratch. It was VERY hard work building a round. I doubt anyone on here has ever told you it would be easy?

You have to keep canvassing and canvassing and canvassing... Knock on every door, don't just put leaflets through.

The people you talk to... Do they already have a window cleaner, or are you quoting them and then they say no?

As I said I started building a round in January and its only now that I'm earning a "livable" wage... I still need to double what I have now to be comfotable really, and I plan to do that by the end of this year.

Andy

[geefree]

cheers andy.
i am doing both at the mo.. all to no avail... its not getting me to the point of jacking it all in ... but i really think it must be an area where its slightly saturated .. i really dont know yet... but i wont give up until its hopeless.

[geefree]

but you have given me more confidence.. iyou have done fantastic and that is a real credit to you.. i hope you achieve your goal by xmas .. good luck with that.... a true example mate of how its done.   

[geefree]

still ped off tho, lol  i could canvass every day could i not? and nothing happens... the leaflet drop rate is less than 1% on average.. the door to door rate is not much better for me... should i just commit the big sin lol.... feel like it sometimes... maybe i am going thru the lesson.. and one day i will be able to give others advice.... so i will hang on in there.
 i HAVE to... so shall we watch this space

[Mike George]

Hi gazza

As I posted elsewhere, the response to my leaflet drops has started to dry up so I tried door knocking again last night and picked up 5 new customers in half an hour. I think a couple of them are going to be unreliable but if I just get 3 I'll be happy.

My round is pretty well spread out over two towns 15 miles apart and a couple of villages, so I've got plenty of choice of places to canvas. Maybe you could spread your wings a bit?

[Ian Gourlay]

I feel sad for you.

It is good that someone has said that it is not easy.

I believe that sometimes these Forums make it seem  so easy, and all you have got to do is put a few leaflets knock doors and you will succeed.

When you were in Marketing or Sales how  good were you at Knocking doors.


Some People can do it otherss not that is why The big  Window companies are always advertising.  They sack you if you do not get a lead. I was told once that only 3% of population have the right personality and inner qualities needed to succeed  at this method of marketing over a prolonged period.

You have said you are geting a !% response on leaflets.


Only if this is genuine why not spnd the next wee kputting out 5000 leaflets this will give you 50 customers.


In my opinion a !% response is not realistic but 20 customers might be a realistic result..


This  means using this method you need a ten weeks to get 200 customers.

If you paid someone put ot leaflets it would cost you about £150 to £200 a week for 5K of leaflets solo dropped.


How much would you pay for 20 customers.


Why not contact  Job Centre for Canvasers  and pay say £10 per customer.


Just  a few ideas and thoughts

[pylofm]

GAZZASP8 canvassing....mmmm...this is my big problem/challenge...I am like yourself and am just starting....I am however at a slight disadvantage in that I am a English guy in Holland and my conversational skills are not all that at the present.....This also leads me into further problems if I were to put out leaflets...How would I talk to them if they phoned?..The language skills will come but at the moment...as you can see..a slight disadvantage

So I am having to find different ways to crack this nut....I have put out advertisments in the local supermarkets to find local ladies (mums) that I can have as canvassers....I inturn will be paying them 66% of the total for the 1st cleans for each customer they bring...once they have been cleaned.

I am aiming to have 4 distinct areas worked over the coming months...the aim is that I in the initial set the area's first....I have been around to prospective areas and photographed the style of houses in said area's, this is then put into a folder for them to carry around with prices etc.

These are my thoughts, hope it works 

So, if anyone has any super,cooli idea's that would help out...don't be shy, step up and shout it out loud 

Cheers Dave

[geefree]

well done dave .. great idea.. i wont give up... i used 1% as a guess guide but the figures you put out do make sense and worth thinking over re;canvass team.... yes it is hard and i guess people will read this and be put off, thats not what i want... but i will now post my progress to you all who have replied..(hopefully i will progress lol.)

thanks once again.. i wish you all a prosperous day.

Gary.

[pylofm]

Hey GAZZASP8, how about we have this same conversation in 6 months...I currently have 0 customers, thus no business....

I would love 150 customers by then....

Cheers
Dave.

[Mike George]

Another idea for getting lots of flyers distributed is to speak to the people who deliver the local free papers and see if they'll give you a good price to include your flyers with them.

[ok cleaning]

hello new be my advice is go for where no other window cleaner goes for instance for a start go to the cancel estates prices might be lowish but you get lots in and that gives you some point to built up your round and you can change your area later onfor somewhere more better priced and dont go door knocking to the newly built estates becouse many window cleaners gothere try to choose the ones been established for awhile all the best good luck

[john tomkins]

Hey GAZZASP8, how about we have this same conversation in 6 months...I currently have 0 customers, thus no business....

I would love 150 customers by then....

Cheers
Dave.

I'm in the same boat as you Dave...0 customers... just getting my head around everything involved.
I'm off out with a kind person off this forum tomorrow for an idea what's involved. (what's the betting it pee's it down again).
Just keep the faith 

[pylofm]

Hi John....Good to hear the a fellow window cleaner is taking the time to take you along....Every now and again it is good to hear things such as this...it goes to show that the world is indeed not such a bad place afterall...

Good luck and keep us all posted of how you get along...I know I shall be on this forum bleating on about this and that..

Good luck to you...

Cheers
Dave.

[geefree]

hi all.
good to hear a few newbies chat , its hard out there eh guys? but if i have the same desire you guys have then i wont go far wrong, ...... good idea dave and it will all act as more incentive for us both.. or all of us... thanks for everybodys imput and help, and thanks for the lift when i was down.. to all of you

gary.

[Ian Gourlay]

Just a few more points.

Are you knocking the same roads as you are leafleting.


Does your leaflet say you will be calling tonight to give a no obligation qoutation.


I have heard some Window Cleaners have a two sided leaflet which asks householders to put it in their Windows. if they want a window cleaner.
Im sure the idea has been covered and you will find further detailsi f you do a search.




How good are your leaflets take a look at www.leafletsforyou.co.uk The last samples are window cleaning leaflets.

Carpet Cleaners find Solo  Leaflet drops work better.


Better Practice what I preach off to put out leaflets

[Fast 1 *]

persistance,persistance,persistance.And try to become a bit thick skinned at times.If your flyers are of good quality,you look smart and confident,act friendly and polite,the work should eventually come in.Remember,everyone had to start somewhere.Relax,it will happen.

[pjulk]

The last samples are window cleaning leaflets

And my pic is in two of them. 

I know the guy used to work for trade print warehouse and they did mine but i hope my pic is not being used by anyone else else as in the samples. 
But if they are only examples i dont mind

Paul

[supernova77]

persistance,persistance,persistance

Yes, that is the key!

Today I went out canvassing from 2pm - 6pm (not the best times to canvass).

For the first 2 hours I didn't get anything   I felt like giving up and going hoime...

But I carried on and acquired another £102 of definate x6 weekly cleans + £67 of maybe's (the wife checking with the husband etc...) AND to top it all off in the last close I canvassed I got a conservatory roof to clean next week for £70!

So... Canvassing is not easy. But if you are persistent you will come across areas that need a window cleaner and then you're laughing! 

Andy

[john tomkins]

Thanks to jon TC for taking time to learn me the ropes today, I learnt loads about Trad & WFP and had a good few hours trying each, and if my neck, shoulders and back recover in time I may try it again

Now for the hard part....Getting customers.....arghhhhh