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H2O TECH

  • Posts: 141
having trouble with the door knocking part
« on: June 29, 2011, 03:08:05 pm »
Hi guys
I', in my first week, and im really finding it hard knocking on peoples doors and bothering them, feels like begging.

I do get a good percent calling be back just from leaflets do you have to do the canvassing part where you knock at the doors?

Do all of you do the door knocking/canvassing method to build your business up?

When I have done it ive done between 4 and 7pm

I really hate doing it, I would not like it someone knocking at my door while im having me dinner, so i find it hard to do it to others.

Pope vader

  • Posts: 1944
Re: having trouble with the door knocking part
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2011, 03:14:39 pm »
knock between 6- 8   

and just say

hi am starting a wc round and was wondering if you would be intrested

yes/no

give price  or say no problem sorry to bother you, heres a flyer if you ever need me

dave.e

Re: having trouble with the door knocking part
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2011, 04:15:05 pm »
Hi guys
I', in my first week, and im really finding it hard knocking on peoples doors and bothering them, feels like begging.

I do get a good percent calling be back just from leaflets do you have to do the canvassing part where you knock at the doors?

Do all of you do the door knocking/canvassing method to build your business up?

When I have done it ive done between 4 and 7pm

I really hate doing it, I would not like it someone knocking at my door while im having me dinner, so i find it hard to do it to others.





Hi mate in all the years i have been a windy i have never knocked on any ones door like yourself i do not like people knocking on my door so would not do it to other. i have gained all my customers from fliers and recommendations and still do to this day.

Dave

AC Window Cleaning

  • Posts: 229
Re: having trouble with the door knocking part
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2011, 04:17:41 pm »
be confident,and dont be nervous,speak clearly and politely.
Ignore all the "door to door SALES F-off etc"
Remember you ARENT selling anything,merely offering a service.
I went out last night and most who said no said- "thanks for asking"
All i say is exactly this...(I picked up 7 new ones between 6 and half 7 by the way..)

" Hello,sorry to bother you,do you need a window cleaner?"
Now there will be 3 types of response...
"Yes"= "ok could i take a quick look round back to give a price?" (aslong as you are resonable its in the bag)
"No/No i have one already"= "could i leave a leaflet incase you ever do/incase he stops coming"
"..err..pause....." =Ask if they want a price while your there and if they want them doing/think about it and leave a leaflet.
End all the above with "thanks very much for you time"
Always say please and thank you,they will remember you for being polite,and always close any gates,even if they were open!!
Good luck!

sf

  • Posts: 347
Re: having trouble with the door knocking part
« Reply #4 on: June 29, 2011, 04:20:14 pm »
Door knocking is the only way to build a compact round.I find leafleting and door knocking combined works very well.iv gone form 40 houses to 170 in a month from combineing leaflets and door knocking 90% of wich are in a 3 mile radius.Back out door knocking 6-8.30 tonight and the same tomorrow night.

sf

  • Posts: 347
Re: having trouble with the door knocking part
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2011, 04:22:28 pm »
Ur offering a service,never think of it as begging.The more you do it the easier it gets.

H2O TECH

  • Posts: 141
Re: having trouble with the door knocking part
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2011, 05:00:59 pm »
That sounds good and has lifted me abit as i was thinking i had to do this, and I hate it, i know I will get some post on here saying I will build my business quicker by knocking maybe, but i was thinking domestic cleaning companies dont have to do this.

The flyer and reccommendations should be enough, some people have dogs and if you knock and they go mad, only for them to say they have a windy, it must be very annoying for them.

I have picked up a fair about from my leaflets, plus i have a web site they can see which is on my leaflet, and a landline and mobile number if they really need me they will call me.

and i have picked up recommendation jobs, and this is only really my first week in business.





Hi guys
I', in my first week, and im really finding it hard knocking on peoples doors and bothering them, feels like begging.

I do get a good percent calling be back just from leaflets do you have to do the canvassing part where you knock at the doors?

Do all of you do the door knocking/canvassing method to build your business up?

When I have done it ive done between 4 and 7pm

I really hate doing it, I would not like it someone knocking at my door while im having me dinner, so i find it hard to do it to others.





Hi mate in all the years i have been a windy i have never knocked on any ones door like yourself i do not like people knocking on my door so would not do it to other. i have gained all my customers from fliers and recommendations and still do to this day.

Dave

supernova77

  • Posts: 3547
Re: having trouble with the door knocking part
« Reply #7 on: June 29, 2011, 05:08:40 pm »
When I was building from scratch I knocked doors... That way I was able to go out, pick up confirmed work on that day and clean it the next day... I would have got bored just pushing leaflets.

Andy

AC Window Cleaning

  • Posts: 229
Re: having trouble with the door knocking part
« Reply #8 on: June 29, 2011, 05:17:15 pm »
Agreed Andy,post leaflets and your waiting for the phone to ring.
If you get out and canvas,you build your round to how you want it,and when.

George Gardner

  • Posts: 220
Re: having trouble with the door knocking part
« Reply #9 on: June 29, 2011, 05:35:17 pm »
Its all about percentages can you take 90 no's for 10 yes's.


If you cant dont bother, you will be doing it awkwardly and this is show when you knock the door and speak to someone.

If you do someone else in the street its loads easier, just say I was down the road cleaning such and such's and wondered if you would like yours doing too?

Even thinking about it, is actually harder than physically doing it. All the what if's, what if they are eating, what if they dont hear and they are in the garden and then see me through the window on their drive etc etc.

Let us know your response rate with the knocking though as posts like these spur others on  ;D

AC Window Cleaning

  • Posts: 229
Re: having trouble with the door knocking part
« Reply #10 on: June 29, 2011, 05:41:31 pm »
Indeed they do,im off out now!!!

cozy

Re: having trouble with the door knocking part
« Reply #11 on: June 29, 2011, 06:03:40 pm »
That sounds good and has lifted me abit as i was thinking i had to do this, and I hate it, i know I will get some post on here saying I will build my business quicker by knocking maybe, but i was thinking domestic cleaning companies dont have to do this.

The flyer and reccommendations should be enough, some people have dogs and if you knock and they go mad, only for them to say they have a windy, it must be very annoying for them.

I have picked up a fair about from my leaflets, plus i have a web site they can see which is on my leaflet, and a landline and mobile number if they really need me they will call me.

and i have picked up recommendation jobs, and this is only really my first week in business.





Hi guys
I', in my first week, and im really finding it hard knocking on peoples doors and bothering them, feels like begging.

I do get a good percent calling be back just from leaflets do you have to do the canvassing part where you knock at the doors?

Do all of you do the door knocking/canvassing method to build your business up?

When I have done it ive done between 4 and 7pm

I really hate doing it, I would not like it someone knocking at my door while im having me dinner, so i find it hard to do it to others.





Hi mate in all the years i have been a windy i have never knocked on any ones door like yourself i do not like people knocking on my door so would not do it to other. i have gained all my customers from fliers and recommendations and still do to this day.

Dave

You've already made up your mind and want to think that all people think like you do. Good luck. Drop leaflets and wait for recommendations if it's too unconfortable. If you don't maind taking ages to buid a round, that's OK. You seem to have a low opinion of yourself if you see knocking as begging for work.

Alot of us had that feeling when we started. If you take the way of least resistance, you will get the responce you deserve. Takes guts to knock, so learn to like it or learn to wait for customers to come and find you.






See you in a year.

Viktor

  • Posts: 229
Re: having trouble with the door knocking part
« Reply #12 on: June 29, 2011, 07:00:52 pm »
I have a question related to door knocking as well, so I thought I will ask here.

When you guys canvas, do you pick out houses from the street or do you just go to every and each hows and ask if they need a windy  ? I have been knocking on the doors and the area of where I live is not very promising as I can find most of the people already have window cleaners. So I start to look for houses with a bit less clean windows and knock on them, but I end up of going around and around without knocking and then changing the area and then again and end up with 5-10 try s in 2-3h.
How do you guys canvas ?   

Johnny B

  • Posts: 2385
Re: having trouble with the door knocking part
« Reply #13 on: June 29, 2011, 07:25:03 pm »
When I started 14 years ago, I canvassed 2 separate areas, and picked up some work in both. It was enough to get me started. Once I had exhausted the work, I continued knocking (during the day) and did any new customers I found there and then.

I will be relocating in 5 weeks time, and will be going straight for the 'find a customer and clean immediately' route from day 1.

I have never used leaflets, as I prefer to make myself known to potential customers by knocking their door and meeting them. I'm not knocking leaflets, it's just not for me.

John.
Being diplomatic is being able to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip.

cozy

Re: having trouble with the door knocking part
« Reply #14 on: June 29, 2011, 07:42:32 pm »
I have a question related to door knocking as well, so I thought I will ask here.

When you guys canvas, do you pick out houses from the street or do you just go to every and each hows and ask if they need a windy  ? I have been knocking on the doors and the area of where I live is not very promising as I can find most of the people already have window cleaners. So I start to look for houses with a bit less clean windows and knock on them, but I end up of going around and around without knocking and then changing the area and then again and end up with 5-10 try s in 2-3h.
How do you guys canvas ?   

I use a leaflet that says we are expanding to their area and will be calling soon to see if they are intersted. This helps when they open the door, I ask if they got our leaflet, if yes, good, if not, good, then do they need a windy?

The ones who have dirty windows are usually the ones who aren't bothered about clean windows, or the ones who got dumped for messin their windy about. Knock every door. The worst that can happen is they say no.

Some will some wont, so what, who cares?

Jackal

  • Posts: 1088
Re: having trouble with the door knocking part
« Reply #15 on: June 29, 2011, 08:01:03 pm »
some folk just arnt cut out for door knocking,i hate it when i get 1, and i dont answer the door when i see them coming but most door knockers are pests and wont take no for an answer thats what p**ses me off

but custys wont be to bothered as you are only after a yes or no then you leave so your not agrivating them,

i did 1 full day canvassing picked 2 custys up from it (hated it) so thought i would drop leaflets instead as i cud get more done response wasnt great about 0.5 %,but to be honest i think business cards is better as leaflets are thrown out without looking at them with so many keep coming through the door,iv only managed to drop 470 cards this year as im to busy working and cant be arsed but picked 6 custys up off them which is my best response to date,vista print is cheap for business cards

AC Window Cleaning

  • Posts: 229
Re: having trouble with the door knocking part
« Reply #16 on: June 29, 2011, 08:33:26 pm »
Well i did a quick45mins tonight and picked up 2 new,so 9 new ones this week with possibly 10 at 9am in morning,had one woman say to me earlier-"you wont get owt round here,the window cleaner lives round corner and he does them all..."
"Is that right?"
And proceeded to point out half a dozen filthy ones LOL
Back in you go silly woman lol

Londoner

Re: having trouble with the door knocking part
« Reply #17 on: June 29, 2011, 08:56:59 pm »
I've mostly used leaflets over the years and it works fine it just takes longer thats all. But its no good just delivering a few. You have to deliver loads.

Re: having trouble with the door knocking part
« Reply #18 on: June 29, 2011, 09:56:42 pm »
There is no such thing as a system that works for all.We are all different and are motivated by different triggers that makes us respond.We need to do all of the above and more, the more we make use of different methods of marketing the bigger our return will be.So get your thinking hats on and be creative.Remember, what ever you do, if it has not been before strikes a lasting note.