[Ben wood]

I have a spare few weeksa now. I had planned to get out door knocking but feel when I knock doors they are very untrusting and say no to get rid of me. Where I live its ful of old people and they are scared I am there to rip them off. I am thinking of just putting leaflets out. I have 5000 good quality professional leaflets with prices on what sort of return am I likely to get. Or is knocking still the best way to get customers

[home6442]

If people dont trust you at the door are they going to trust a leaflet
put through the door by a stranger they havent seen.
Canvassing every time.
Call during daylight hours.
Be polite and tidy.
A clean vehicle helps.
Have a good business card with a landline number.
Let them know where you live.
Try not to be too overpowering or pushy.
If your wife or a female friend will help ask her to go to the ones that might be scared.

[Smudger]

John - cant post any better than that, if you leaflet i'd expect youd get a return of around 50 enquires leading to
around 30 jobs ( depending on how your area is serviced )

Knock 5k doors and expect to quote for 150 to 200 jobs ( based on approx 40% of houses being out )

Darran

[pdale]

My experience has been that you can get more work by leaflet over a period of time, as people tend to phone later too, but the work is more spread out. Whereas with canvasing the work is more compact and you can target specific days that you are around.

I have found when time allows that a leaflet drop a few days beforehand, then a canvass over the same area yields more results as people have had a few days to think about it but perhaps for one reason or another haven't phoned. I always find Sunday is a good time to leaflet drop too as the flyer doesn't get mixed up with the post that people pick up after work. By delivering on a Sunday, the customer is picking your leaflet alone, with no other junk or bills.

They both have their advantages and disadvantages in my opinion, I tend to do both.

[Ian101]

Need customers fast = canvassing EVERY time

Need customers not fast = leaflets


just my opinion 

[Window Washers]

Need customers fast = canvassing EVERY time

Need customers not fast = leaflets


just my opinion 

quality come from leaflets just my experience

[Crystal-clear]

Basically everyones right fast work can't beat knocking wana Sit back and cherry pick = leaflets if the first clean customers weren't so annoying I would pick canvassing but as they tend to be a nightmare the spred apart and low % calls cancel each other out both have there place so if you need customers fast get knocking

[formb]

I am a useless salesman. I think door knocking is wrong on many levels. I have never bought anything from someone who has taken it upon himself to disturb my free time.

I have plenty customers all from leaflets.

[formb]

We have leafleted for 2 decades. Expect a 1% hit rate.

[telfordwindowclnr]

With a 1% hit rate, I'd knock. Even if you only got a 2% hit rate, it is a 100% increase!  If you know how to pitch, you will get way more than 1 client per 50 doors you knock.

[Klean07]

Canvassing response is a bit like marmite they'll either love you or hate you end of!

[formb]

With a 1% hit rate, I'd knock. Even if you only got a 2% hit rate, it is a 100% increase!  If you know how to pitch, you will get way more than 1 client per 50 doors you knock.

I can do 10 flyers in less time than you can do 1 door knock.

[sf]

i find knocking combined with leaflets works best.

[David Kent @ KentKleen]

With a 1% hit rate, I'd knock. Even if you only got a 2% hit rate, it is a 100% increase!  If you know how to pitch, you will get way more than 1 client per 50 doors you knock.

I can do 10 flyers in less time than you can do 1 door knock.

Souter, at last someone on my wave length. Leaflets all the way for me too!

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

i agree with paul it a bit hit and miss on canvassing but a leaflet drop  and a follow up a few days later will get good results . also advertise in shop windows is quite good as you can target areas around your round.foget website waste of money i say.

[Craggs]

I am a useless salesman. I think door knocking is wrong on many levels. I have never bought anything from someone who has taken it upon himself to disturb my free time.

I have plenty customers all from leaflets.

I tend to find if you act like a salesmen it would put people off... if that make sense...  I just knock on doors and say '' I'm cleaning a few of my customers windows today on your road'' Do you fancy having your windows clean for £__ while I am here'' and then see what they say.

Once they see what a good job I do I then say '' Do you fancy havin it clean every 4, 6, or 8 weeks'' More often than not they say yes.

Not saying leaflets is no good but it can take a long time to build up a round if I was depending on leaflets only

[roundbuilder]

No way are leaflets better for the responce rate. Lee prior is a prime example. 25000 leaflets for under 1000 customer return. 1 in every 2500 as hes average is not good.
From 2500 houses knocked id expect easily 50 new customers.
I have never leafleted my area before but i know a lot of cleaners who have with poor results to justify it.
If rapid growing then canvassing all the way. If not then leaflets will bring in a small trickle.

Souter maybe you can leaflet 10 for 1 house knock but id bet my house canvassed customers would be far more compact than leafleted hence the rubbish return rate. Who wants to do just 1 job from every stop?? Id rather 3/4 all day long.

[Crystal-clear]

Doesn't the knocking process annoy you a bit mick , I not sure if I can handle canvassed work right now for a while ye ye ye !!! Then no no no lol it's annoying nice figures for jan i see but doesn't it upset you a bit that more pointless cancelations will trickle in for me that amongs other issues with canvassed work level out with leafleting but I would always recommend canvassing to people who are starting out on a budget, or want to increase quickly maybe if you can ignore the idiots then canvassing is better but its a factor , lol

So I guess it's horses for courses
As you I've build up only by canvassing so know the woes too well lol

[roundbuilder]

No because half the cancelations cancal before the first clean, the others after so i still get paid for it so its a no lose situation. To be honest im having quite a good retain rate as of lately, has been as low as 50% in some areas.
I love it crystal canvassing reguly builds my business just how i want it, accepting the cancelations is just part of the process.
Anyway im sure with leaflets you get many 1 off cleans as a result so the only difference is that canvassed customers have been put on the spot where leaflets have more of a laid back approach. I see potential in both but for a new starter or someone rapid growing on a budget then canvassing wins all day long.

[Crystal-clear]

Yea I agree there too , I used to love it right now thou I'm enjoying a break from it I'm fully stocked as it is anyway , was planing on hiring or subbing to continue but I'm only human enjoying the stress free maintenance cleans right now