[Tom White]

What's the worst thing you can think of that's going to happen when you're canvassing?  Someone might be rude to you.  Big tommy two poos.  Who cares?  Never be rude back, just smile nicely and leave them a card.

But in reality it would be a very rare instance when someone is rude to you.  Most folk are decent and will just decline.  

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

I love it I just ring  billy whizz and he does it all so I find canvassing very easy its just one phone call

[Mick Kent]

If knocking on doors is not for you, don't do it. You can build up a solid round without having to disturb anyone. The best thing about leaflets is customers phone you. In my opinion that sets out a more solid round.

Mick Kent will be along shortly to explain how I am an idiot and canvassing is fab.

Each to their own but, I'm with J D. I dislike cold calling in any form.

I dont think your an idiot at all!
I have built my business up just how i want now and couldnt give a monkeys how anyone else does it weather leaflets or canvassing, all methods work just in some areas some methods are better than others.

[Stoots]

Cheers guys, like with most things i suppose the fear is worse than the actual doing.

I will try to keep leafleting for now and hopefully canvassing will follow, afterall no doubt i will bump into people when leafletting and have to talk to them anyway.

If its just not for me i guess i will pay someone to do it or just use leaflets

[bobplum]

I love it I just ring  billy whizz and he does it all so I find canvassing very easy its just one phone call

 

[bobplum]

Hi, i currently have a part time business as a car valeter alongside a part time employed job. but have been looking to get into window cleaning for morer regular work, the valeting i mainly get business from my website.

I have bought the basic stuff for water fed pole and had a practice, (trolley system, D.I.) and i have just recieved 5000 leaflets.

I went out this morn to post my first leaflets, i managed to put out about 100 but all the time i felt like a numpty. I was nervous posting what some may consider crap through peoples letter boxes and the thought of knocking on doors made me feel a bit ill. I admit to having a history of anxiety but have always managed when i was in full time employment.

Anyway i tried to psyche myself up a few times, but got thoughts in my head of everyone saying no or not answering or already having a cleaner or even getting upset i was knocking.

In the end i got back in my car angry with myself and went home, im now annoyed at myself because i know if i dont do this i might as well just go back to employment

has anyone else struggled with canvassing and being confident with selling etc?

thanks adam

and apparently wakefield is the worst place in the uk to canvass

[dazmond]

Cheers guys, like with most things i suppose the fear is worse than the actual doing.

I will try to keep leafleting for now and hopefully canvassing will follow, afterall no doubt i will bump into people when leafletting and have to talk to them anyway.

If its just not for me i guess i will pay someone to do it or just use leaflets

the hard part is getting good solid work in the first place adam.if you dont overcome your fear and have a drastic change in attitude you gonna fail mate.

regards


dazmond

[SeanK]

I disagree.

I don't think canvassing is a necessity. Get your leaflets right, do a good job, and work should come. Other things like on line advertising and word of mouth bring customers in too.

Worst thing that'll happen with a leaflet is it goes in the bin. Very few people will be annoyed by cold calling, virtually zero people will be annoyed by a leaflet.

Didn't work for me, I delivered thousands of professionally designed leaflets that even offered some freebees for new
customers.
Didn't get a single job from them.
Canvassed the same area over one week and got about 60 customers, the rest of my round came from word of
mouth and people approaching me while cleaning.
Yes leaflets do work for some but you need to be prepared to canvass if they don't.
If you think that people don't get annoyed by leaflets ask a postie.
My mates a postie and you want to hear the abuse he has taken over the years from people moaning and complaining
about junk mail.

[rosskesava]

Putting leaflets through letter boxes, what the worst that can happen......

It's not like you're going to get shot or tortured.

So what if some people don't like it, tough, as there are plenty who are after a window cleaner.

[8weekly]

Putting leaflets through letter boxes, what the worst that can happen......

It's not like you're going to get shot or tortured.

So what if some people don't like it, tough, as there are plenty who are after a window cleaner.

Well he could get bitten by a dog. I and two of my leafleters got fingers bitten.

[Johnny B]

I disagree.

I don't think canvassing is a necessity. Get your leaflets right, do a good job, and work should come. Other things like on line advertising and word of mouth bring customers in too.

Worst thing that'll happen with a leaflet is it goes in the bin. Very few people will be annoyed by cold calling, virtually zero people will be annoyed by a leaflet.

Didn't work for me, I delivered thousands of professionally designed leaflets that even offered some freebees for new
customers.
Didn't get a single job from them.
Canvassed the same area over one week and got about 60 customers, the rest of my round came from word of
mouth and people approaching me while cleaning.
Yes leaflets do work for some but you need to be prepared to canvass if they don't.
If you think that people don't get annoyed by leaflets ask a postie.
My mates a postie and you want to hear the abuse he has taken over the years from people moaning and complaining
about junk mail.

Yup, same here. In my locality there are many, many properties with 'No junk mail' stickers on the letterbox. Knock on the doors though, and people here are generally ok, therefore in my experience canvassing is the way to go. Elsewhere one may find more signs saying 'No cold callers'. Therefore
either method will have a measure of success depending on local conditions.

John
 

[Arnold Palmer]

 I'd be interested to see your leaflets.

I will ask my postie about junk mail.

We have delivered lots of leaflets. I'm talking many many many thousands. Over 22 years. Never had one single person moan.

[Ian101]

I love canvassing ... I love leafleting ... both work just differently.

To the OP ... you need to pshyc yourself up before hand ... play it thru your minds eye like the pro athletes do before a big event.

I would offer to come over to you but as im a scouser I like to keep away from Manchester unless its the Trafford Centre or John Bishop playing the MEN .... get yourself over here to lovely North Wales one Saturday morning and I will show you how to canvass for free (brekky in café is on you though  ) and no coming back to work my area 

Lemme know if any good for you

[Spruce]

Most are going to say no. You have to gear yourself up for most saying no and finding the ones who will say yes or those who are a maybe. When you have booked a few jobs the confidence will start to come.

I wrote the following blog post a while ago if it's any help "Window Cleaning Canvassing ... what do you say?" http://www.solutionsforwindowcleaners.co.uk/2013/11/canvassing-what-do-you-say.html

Hi Paul,

Thanks for this detailed script on how to do it.

This follows along the lines of the American sales pitch. The salesman learns the script off by heart before he gets to the door and has responses for each 'objection' the customer can throw his way.

With regard to the OP, there is nothing to worry about with canvassing. All you are doing is looking for someone who needs a service that you can provide. Nobody is going to shoot you or punch you. Yes, there maybe a couple of rude people who close the door abruptly to get rid of you, but it's nothing to get anxious about. Just move on and keep genuinely smiling.

[Spruce]

I love canvassing ... I love leafleting ... both work just differently.

To the OP ... you need to pshyc yourself up before hand ... play it thru your minds eye like the pro athletes do before a big event.

I would offer to come over to you but as im a scouser I like to keep away from Manchester unless its the Trafford Centre or John Bishop playing the MEN .... get yourself over here to lovely North Wales one Saturday morning and I will show you how to canvass for free (brekky in café is on you though  ) and no coming back to work my area 

Lemme know if any good for you

That's good of you to make that offer Ian. I'm impressed.

[Roberto Smith]

I think when you start to see results and the work comes in your attitude will change.

[Stoots]

I love canvassing ... I love leafleting ... both work just differently.

To the OP ... you need to pshyc yourself up before hand ... play it thru your minds eye like the pro athletes do before a big event.

I would offer to come over to you but as im a scouser I like to keep away from Manchester unless its the Trafford Centre or John Bishop playing the MEN .... get yourself over here to lovely North Wales one Saturday morning and I will show you how to canvass for free (brekky in café is on you though  ) and no coming back to work my area 

Lemme know if any good for you

Thanks Ian, but with the lack of funds at the moment a drive over to liverpool would probably skint me lol but i would like to take up the offer sometime in the future.


So what would be the best method of canvassing and leaflets then?

I mean, if im going to leaflet drop i may as well just knock the door well im there and if no ones in leave a leaflet i suppose

Best times to knock? i am thinking 5-8pm

And do you guys taget anyone or should i concentrate on decent areas, semis and detached houses, i have a lot of council estates and terraced houses in the city centre, but i think i would be more confident canvassing in the more pleasant parts of town tbh

After reading all your comments i think i need to have a word with myself, my self confidence isnt that good i suppose but i will hate myself more if i dont do this and like you say im sure that first YES will make up for all the over thinking ive done lol

Im working all day to day till 8 in my boring part time job but tomorrow im only working 12-4 so think im going to spend tomorrow morning cleaning and polishing my old van, and hopefully get out tomorrow evening for an hour or two and just do it, we shall see lol.

[Spruce]

I love canvassing ... I love leafleting ... both work just differently.

To the OP ... you need to pshyc yourself up before hand ... play it thru your minds eye like the pro athletes do before a big event.

I would offer to come over to you but as im a scouser I like to keep away from Manchester unless its the Trafford Centre or John Bishop playing the MEN .... get yourself over here to lovely North Wales one Saturday morning and I will show you how to canvass for free (brekky in café is on you though  ) and no coming back to work my area 

Lemme know if any good for you

Thanks Ian, but with the lack of funds at the moment a drive over to liverpool would probably skint me lol but i would like to take up the offer sometime in the future.


So what would be the best method of canvassing and leaflets then?

I mean, if im going to leaflet drop i may as well just knock the door well im there and if no ones in leave a leaflet i suppose

Best times to knock? i am thinking 5-8pm

And do you guys taget anyone or should i concentrate on decent areas, semis and detached houses, i have a lot of council estates and terraced houses in the city centre, but i think i would be more confident canvassing in the more pleasant parts of town tbh

After reading all your comments i think i need to have a word with myself, my self confidence isnt that good i suppose but i will hate myself more if i dont do this and like you say im sure that first YES will make up for all the over thinking ive done lol

Im working all day to day till 8 in my boring part time job but tomorrow im only working 12-4 so think im going to spend tomorrow morning cleaning and polishing my old van, and hopefully get out tomorrow evening for an hour or two and just do it, we shall see lol.

TBH Ian is very experienced in the sales game having worked in the motor industry. If you can borrow money to make the trip, then do that.  This is an offer you can't turn down - it means your future.

From my experience leaflet distribution was a waste of time and money. Another window cleaner in the same area found exactly the same thing. If you get a 0.4% return, then why waste the money and effort doing it?

Why don't the motor trade send mail shots much anymore? It's because the return is not worth the cost. In the early days of mail shots we got a 4% return in the motor trade, but this method of producing sales interest has long since died in most areas.

Beg, steal or borrow, but take Ian up on his offer and then door knock.

[colley614]

I would absolutely take Ian up on the offer if I was you mate.

My trick for leafleting and canvassing was to wait until Bob had been round leafleting and then knock.

Joking aside, if I had a quiet day then I would pop my leaflets in the van then go out to a new build estate. Once there I would leaflet all the houses and then go back after tea and do a few hours knocking doors. If I was you I'd do enough leaflets to do an hours canvassing each evening. I wouldn't go mad, I'd pick a different area for each evening, within a month you'll get an idea of which areas are covered and which areas need a window cleaner. When I did this I basically did it for one month and built up a nice little run of jobs in each area as I didn't like canvassing myself. However I have a friend who loves sales and I used to take him out for the day and I'd start my first job as he would start door knocking. We built instant full days work that way.

[8weekly]

I love canvassing ... I love leafleting ... both work just differently.

To the OP ... you need to pshyc yourself up before hand ... play it thru your minds eye like the pro athletes do before a big event.

I would offer to come over to you but as im a scouser I like to keep away from Manchester unless its the Trafford Centre or John Bishop playing the MEN .... get yourself over here to lovely North Wales one Saturday morning and I will show you how to canvass for free (brekky in café is on you though  ) and no coming back to work my area 

Lemme know if any good for you

Thanks Ian, but with the lack of funds at the moment a drive over to liverpool would probably skint me lol but i would like to take up the offer sometime in the future.


So what would be the best method of canvassing and leaflets then?

I mean, if im going to leaflet drop i may as well just knock the door well im there and if no ones in leave a leaflet i suppose

Best times to knock? i am thinking 5-8pm

And do you guys taget anyone or should i concentrate on decent areas, semis and detached houses, i have a lot of council estates and terraced houses in the city centre, but i think i would be more confident canvassing in the more pleasant parts of town tbh

After reading all your comments i think i need to have a word with myself, my self confidence isnt that good i suppose but i will hate myself more if i dont do this and like you say im sure that first YES will make up for all the over thinking ive done lol

Im working all day to day till 8 in my boring part time job but tomorrow im only working 12-4 so think im going to spend tomorrow morning cleaning and polishing my old van, and hopefully get out tomorrow evening for an hour or two and just do it, we shall see lol.

From my experience leaflet distribution was a waste of time and money.

But that isn't my experience. I have built up a fantastic round that far exceeds some of the dismissed claims in terms of hourly rate and weekly income from working 5-6 hour days - all from leafleting! I am in my fourth year, but I believe with a sign written van earlier and a better lifestyle I could have achieved it by year 2. Built on leafleting.