[qginsburg]

Have any of you guys gone door to door in an attempt to drum up business ?

[Simon Gerrard]

Not for decades, but if you do it right, it is a sure fire way of getting business and beats the hell out of sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring.

Simon

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

When I first started in the eighties my partner and I who were both Industrial Chemists by day went door to door after work for an hour or two and then quite often rewarded ourselves with a couple of beers!

It worked quite well but was much easier with 2 as if one was having a bad time the  other one could cheer him up.

In the early nineties when the very deep recession hit and virtually wiped out my new business in Essex I decided to go commercial cold calling.

I still have two of the customers I gained and it was probably the reason I survived.

Go for it!

Cheers

Doug

[qginsburg]

Thanks guys , I thik if you can put an info pack together and you are quiet it may of.
Fortune favours the bold right ?

[Ian Gourlay]

As  Doug says you need to be strong to do it day in day out

Works better if you have a team.

Surprisingly  you hit a lot of doors where people do not reply


Some frog march you down the Garden

But stay strong

[Simon Gerrard]

The mistake made by many in using this technique is in thinking that it is about selling carpet cleaning on the door step, it is not, or at least it shouldn’t be. People hate cold callers and do everything to get rid of the salesman that just turned up on their doorstep. So don't be a salesman. Why not just knock on a door and introduce yourself as their local carpet cleaner and ask if you can leave them with a business card or flyer for when they might need you in the future? When they take the card you simply thank the person and turn to walk away and you'll find that some people will say, 'well, while you're here we were thinking of having x cleaned,'
If you're pushy they will do everything to get rid of you and throw your card in the bin where you've gone.

Simon

[dan paton]

I've thought about doing it but soon learned after extensive leafleting that virtually every other door (most doors in the well to do areas) all have stickers on them either from Hampshire constabulary or Hampshire county council saying no cold callers, we don't buy services at the door etc...

[SteveAllan]

Same here Dan, lots of those stickers. We leaflet about an hour day after finishing and quite a few people have even opened the door as i have been walking away and said cant you read and handed me my leaflet back. Weirdos

[Radek Jablonski]

Same here Dan, lots of those stickers. We leaflet about an hour day after finishing and quite a few people have even opened the door as i have been walking away and said cant you read and handed me my leaflet back. Weirdos

seriosly? are they or you?
just respect their own place man
just sticked the same on my door as I am sicking from opening door to see strangers and filling my bin with a lot of rubish.

[SteveAllan]

I suppose you never do leaflets then

[Emil Dinev]

The mistake made by many in using this technique is in thinking that it is about selling carpet cleaning on the door step, it is not, or at least it shouldn’t be. People hate cold callers and do everything to get rid of the salesman that just turned up on their doorstep. So don't be a salesman. Why not just knock on a door and introduce yourself as their local carpet cleaner and ask if you can leave them with a business card or flyer for when they might need you in the future? When they take the card you simply thank the person and turn to walk away and you'll find that some people will say, 'well, while you're here we were thinking of having x cleaned,'
If you're pushy they will do everything to get rid of you and throw your card in the bin where you've gone.

Simon

Or how about leaving your branded carpet spotter with them instead? I suppose it could be somewhat costly, but wouldn't it work as when you leave your spotter bottle with a client you just worked for? Just a thought...

[Simon Gerrard]

You'd have to have deep pockets to do that, Emil. You could give a money off voucher to anyone who answers the door and seems interested in getting cleaning done, just not yet.

Simon

[Richard Meads]

I have gone door to door, but it takes a long time. Now I prefer a leaflet drop, because you cover far more houses so I'm not so sure that the return is that different. I used to say I was leaving them with my leaflet with its guide on what to do if you spill something on your carpet.

[JandS]

What's hard about picking a leaflet up and binning it...must admit if the leaflet isn't for food I will glance at it...most of mine I get are takeaway ones.

[Ian Gourlay]

The mistake made by many in using this technique is in thinking that it is about selling carpet cleaning on the door step, it is not, or at least it shouldn’t be. People hate cold callers and do everything to get rid of the salesman that just turned up on their doorstep. So don't be a salesman. Why not just knock on a door and introduce yourself as their local carpet cleaner and ask if you can leave them with a business card or flyer for when they might need you in the future? When they take the card you simply thank the person and turn to walk away and you'll find that some people will say, 'well, while you're here we were thinking of having x cleaned,'
If you're pushy they will do everything to get rid of you and throw your card in the bin where you've gone.

Simon

Or how about leaving your branded carpet spotter with them instead? I suppose it could be somewhat costly, but wouldn't it work as when you leave your spotter bottle with a client you just worked for? Just a thought...

I have asked before, has anyone ever head success with this or variation, such as if I can give you a quote for Carpet Cleaning I will give you a no obligation bottle of spotter. Thinking about it it could be worked as an alternative three step letter

[Emil Dinev]

You'd have to have deep pockets to do that, Emil. You could give a money off voucher to anyone who answers the door and seems interested in getting cleaning done, just not yet.

Simon

Simon, I think many people would refuse the spotter anyways as they just want to get rid of you ASAP 
I have to admit I have done so as well 
I may give this a go and let you know how I get on.

[Emil Dinev]

The mistake made by many in using this technique is in thinking that it is about selling carpet cleaning on the door step, it is not, or at least it shouldn’t be. People hate cold callers and do everything to get rid of the salesman that just turned up on their doorstep. So don't be a salesman. Why not just knock on a door and introduce yourself as their local carpet cleaner and ask if you can leave them with a business card or flyer for when they might need you in the future? When they take the card you simply thank the person and turn to walk away and you'll find that some people will say, 'well, while you're here we were thinking of having x cleaned,'
If you're pushy they will do everything to get rid of you and throw your card in the bin where you've gone.

Simon

Or how about leaving your branded carpet spotter with them instead? I suppose it could be somewhat costly, but wouldn't it work as when you leave your spotter bottle with a client you just worked for? Just a thought...

I have asked before, has anyone ever head success with this or variation, such as if I can give you a quote for Carpet Cleaning I will give you a no obligation bottle of spotter. Thinking about it it could be worked as an alternative three step letter

I like that! I shall go knocking tomorrow 

[Ian Gourlay]

Emil

Did you give it a go?

[Jamie Pearson]

When I was 19 and running a domestic carpet cleaning business I would knock the door and just introduce myself and ask if I could give them a leaflet just in case they needed something done in the future.

That was it, nothing else. Not selling anything at the door.

I had great success with it.

Granted that was 19 years ago.

Emils spotter idea could work on the 5 surrounding properties with the right kind of label on it. We were working at number x, blah, blah, blah. Call this number when you need a free refill.