[stuartb]

Hi folks,
Decided I need a few more customers so started pushing some flyers through doors.
To get around a hundred customers how many do you think it would require? I know it will be a lot. I used to bang on doors but I dont think I can stand people being rude and sharp anymore.
Stu

[Arnold Palmer]

10000 - 20000 depending how saturated your market is.

[stuartb]

Wow! Thats a lot

[Arnold Palmer]

99% of my customers are from flyers.

A 1% hit rate is good going.

[robbo333]

25,000
1 customer every 250. 
That's what I work on.

[8weekly]

Wow! Thats a lot

The thing is, Soupy is right. 

[stuartb]

Ok guys, ill keep giving them out. Been putting it off for a while now. Did 90 yesterday...just 2410 to go

[nathankaye]

The ionics magazine might shed some light

[Spruce]

Wow! Thats a lot

A lot of customers or a lot of flyers? 

The motor trade stopped doing flyers 12 years ago as the general response rate was 0.4%. So that is one customer for 250 flyers as Robbo's experience is.

.

[Phil J]

It's all hit and miss, right place at the right time. I've got some really good customers from flyers. Just keep doing them and you'll pick jobs up.

[robbo333]

Stu
Why are people rude when you bang on doors? No disrespect mate but perhaps you need to change your technique. The best time to canvass is when you are cleaning. Clean a house and then go and knock on neighbours doors, you've got a genuine reason to knock and that really shouldn't upset anyone. Failing that, leave a leaflet 4 houses either side and across the road and on to the next job.
For me, leaflets work very well and although 1 custy in 250 isn't great, they ALWAYS pay for themselves...and that is the key to effective advertising.
What area do you work in?

[8weekly]

In my opinion, leafleting only works if it's a campaign. Either ongoing like us 20-25 hours a week or one off with thousands dropped over a few days.  If you're only managing a couple of hours a week it will be a long time before you get 100 customers. We average about 10 a week.

[stuartb]

I dont think my techniques that bad, its just the occasional rude person puts me of the canvassing experience.  I think ill follow in your path robbo and knock on doors while im out working and also 200-300 flyers per week. Ive allowed my business to just sit still for a while so am looking forward to this change.
Thanks for all your thoughts,
Stu

[Ian101]

whilst working have u considered the 5 a side idea - leaflet the 5 houses either side of the one your cleaning every clean for 6 months - build it compact that way - lost count over the years how many times ive got a neighbour this way esp good if a house has recently been sold. 

[Spruce]

I dont think my techniques that bad, its just the occasional rude person puts me of the canvassing experience.  I think ill follow in your path robbo and knock on doors while im out working and also 200-300 flyers per week. Ive allowed my business to just sit still for a while so am looking forward to this change.
Thanks for all your thoughts,
Stu

Its all about your attitude Stu. (Meant in the nicest possible way.)

Unfortunately you are going to get annoyed people answering the door on occasion. That's the way it is. Some of those not so nice people will always be like that so you have found a potential customer you don't want. Others may be very nice  normally, but you caught them at a bad time. Don't take it personally. Walk to the next door with a smile on your face.  Nothing ever sticks to Teflon, so become a Teflon man. 

Many years ago we had a salesman working for us that welcomed No's as it meant he was getting closer to a yes. He worked out that on average he got 11 No's to 1 yes. According to work colleagues he also applied that same formula to his private love life. He got plenty of slaps during the evening, but apparently always took someone home.

You might find you may have better success canvassing rural roads and areas than estates as canvassers tend to stick to estates as there is a greater number of houses.

You need to persevere and you will 'stike gold'.  Eventually you will find houses where the windie has just stopped coming, for whatever reason. Getting 5 or 6 yes in a row is a real confidence booster.

Canvassing isn't just door knocking. It encompasses other things as well. We have found over the years that referrals from existing customers have been the most successful. In fact most of our current round is built on those early referrals. So ask your customers for their friends that may need a window cleaner. if you do a good job, are reliable, honest, trustworthy and well presented they will be happy to recommend you.

Pick your canvassing time carefully. Canvassing when the football m,atch  is on TV isn't a good time as you are likely to get a no even if they are looking for a window cleaner.

Work Saturdays. People are more likely to be around and see you cleaning.



.

[8weekly]

You get them whilst leafleting too. I had a great one the other day. I was walking up to a house where a guy in his 60s was trimming his rather neat hedge and as I opened the gate he said in an unpleasant tone "Not interested". I replied, "How do you know, you don't know what it is". He said "I've got everything I want in life". I looked at his hedge and said "Except a straight hedge". He told me to "modded off". I did enjoy that one.

[nathankaye]

Actually pick time when the wives are in or the lady of the house. Lets face it, us men are pains. How many of us have lost work because some dude found out how much his wive spends on cleaning windows and suddenly he wants to clean them himself and your ass is dumped. Ive cleaned many a single womans windows and as soon as a chap moves in, end of window cleaner, bin cleaner etc etc. 
So canvass when us tight arse chaps arent in and hou have a better chance of getting work

[dave f]

I must say I have poor results leafleting I have always had better results nocking the amount of junk mail that gets put through letter box these days I e menus charity bags and the like  I do not bother reading owt it gose in the bin.

[Dave Willis]

The ionics magazine might shed some light

Mine did - I set fire to it.

[SB Cleaning]

The ionics magazine might shed some light

Mine did - I set fire to it.