Hi all, i rarely post on here... to be honest i dont have that much time to get on here as much as i would like?
However, during the past couple of years or so i have read many of the claims that in order to build a good round fast, then you have to canvass?
This comment is probably going to make a few of you guys curl up with laughter, but... i have never canvassed (residential ) in 12 years of trading and i strongly believe that had i done so then i would not of reached where i stand today... why?
Because
1 - in the area that i live there is virtually no lamp-post without a notice warning against cold callers
2 - the clientell i target do not take kindly to canvassers
3 - i truely believe that you can get as many clients as you need from well drawn out letters & good flyers.
4 - Everybody reads what said on the forums and gets out canvassing... it has become swamped and very hard to get quality clients following this route, clients that call you because they read your letter will very likely accept your quote, because you unlike the rest of the herd stood out showed some class and tried something different... heck i even state on all advertising that we never cold call.
it's been said that a flyer will bring in around 0.5 - 1% yet canvassing will bring in 1 - 2%
this difference is big yes... but the time spent knocking doors waiting for the likely NO, could be spent putting leaflets through the box and doing this repeatedly all year round.
many newbies are affraid to canvass yet everyone goes on about it being the only way to build a round quickly,
yet i and many others have built a good round never having canvassed once???
carpet cleaner rarely canvass, same for pressure washing, roof washing, domestic cleaning, ironing ETC, ETC, ETC.
it's just like commercial contracts, it seems to be taboo on here WHY?
if any of the newbies want advice about gaining commercial work or even residential please drop me a line and i will be happy to help where i can (time permitting)
No i have not got the biggest and best company by any streach of the imagination, nor do i claim to be a marketing guru,
what i am is an hard working individual who continually tries new thing things in order to learn, making many mistakes along the way... but hey the harder i try the luckier i get
so for any newbies who still dont know where they are heading yet, my advice is get out there and do anything, dont over analyse and dont give up, there are many doing just the same as you guys are but those that take the knocks and learns will be the ones still standing (& earning) when the dust has settled.