Canvasing For Leads

flashheatingand

That thought crossed my mind once, but I don't think it's a good one. You could get in big trouble, and the paper boy could lose their job.

almreno

I agree with flash, the paper boy could cause some issues being a conflict of interest (god forbid he sticks one of your flyers in the mail box). If your looking to keep your costs low - target ages 18-25 (their used to lower wages) and can give better oppurtunities for them in the future, weather its with your company or not.

almreno

Hi all, well on my last week and things just get better every day, sales just keep coming. Homeowners are great in thr tri-state areas and everyone is looking for something. I head back home 7/3, then headed to CT for my next stop on 7/11 - come back 8/6. If anyone has questions or needs help on canvassing issues let me know. Make it a GREAT day!

BDiamond

Congratulations on the success.

I was wondering how many guys you have canvassing at one time and how long they're canvassing?

__________________
The extraordinary, repeated often enough, becomes ordinary - David Pratt

Trauffer

I don't like being canvassed so I don't canvass. I will read a flyer.

BDiamond

Was curious so pulled month to date numbers.

These are strictly canvassed leads...the only source of leads.

261 leads
239 ran
133 demo'd
47 sold
$396,184 in gross volume

I'd like the demo rate to be about 10% higher and closing about 5% higher but I'll take it.

The point is canvassing can be lucrative...

__________________
The extraordinary, repeated often enough, becomes ordinary - David Pratt

Framer53

Experienced closers? Seems a tad low, but not to bad.

BDiamond

Mishmosh of experienced and newbies...

35% closing collectively...like it to be 40% as a group.

This was actually a report I yanked from the 21st so I'm sure the month will average around 40% closing.

__________________
The extraordinary, repeated often enough, becomes ordinary - David Pratt

almreno

Bdiamond - right now I have a staff of 6 to keep in line with the amount of sales people (dont want to overfill with leads and not be able to run them) in process of training 3 more so - will be bumping that up soon, the most I have ever had is 33 canvassers.

CarrPainting

So what the difference between Canvassing and hanging flyers on doors?

Also...do you wear company T shirts while out doing this?

almreno

Carrpainting - flyers and direct mailing seems to find its way into the trash even before most people even look at what is says (or very quickly). Your response is very few and far between, as opposed to having someone in the field that can pin point issues on the home even before he or she has knocked on the door. Canvassing and flyers should go hand in hand - cuz if your not home then I can leave a flyer. Canvassing is just not trying to knock on every door, a great canvasser should be able to isolate the problem and know what your going to say when you hear "not interested" cuz everyone is not interested lol. Canvassing is a very low cost with high return if hired and trained and managed properly, no matter what part of the country or world (canvassing is huge in the UK) people are all the same, first impressions are everything and a great canvassing dept starts it all, to sales, to install, to any services after. And finally YES company logo's will help 1000 times to your canvassing mission - however it can be done with out - If you ever need shirts let me know - I know a guy that knows a guy. Carrpainting - do you have a canvassing dept? Or thinking about it?

RacerX780

Been trying to get out for weeks.... one thing or another kept getting in the way. Finally made it out tonight to an area I wanted to hit.

Only spent about an hour... 7-8pm. Spoke with almost everyone - only a couple not-at-homes. I gotta go thru the numbers - how many homes, interested, not interested, etc. I'll post shortly how it worked out for me.

Have plans to go back out on Thursday evening... and then next Monday evening. Starting around 5:30pm those evenings and working til 8p.

__________________
D & S Window Tinting - Serving NJ/PA/DEL

CarrPainting

Right now I am doing flyers to individual homes.... mainly in the richer neighborhoods around me. So far I have done about 1700 flyers myself... and got one job

I have two other jobs which look promising... and another 2 I put estimates in on...

At this point I am pretty much a one man operation and have a good friend that helps me on jobs though he is by far NOT a painter....

I am trying to do what I can as cheaply as I can at the moment only because cash is tight...

I do have some company T shirts and stuff I wear on jobs, and while estimating jobs... And I have begun wearing them when I do fliers as well...

I have everything I need to do this business,.... experience working in high class homes, a nice looking truck, good clean looking equipment - not new, used but in good shape. my work truck is neat and organized, and I have yet ot have an unhappy client...

I had magnets for both my personal truck made up... and my work truck, though the magnets on the work truck I think are too small for the truck... I would prefer to get the work truck lettered instead since the body is fiberglass and magnets dont stick to fiber glass....

I also had yard signs made up for when I am at a home doing work....

Most of the homes, i would say, 80% when walking up to them, need some sort of exterior paint work done to them...Its a bit discouraging when you see all these houses... that need work done, and you have done thousands of fliers and got 5 phone calls

I am going to have to look into this canvasing thing and see what is offered in my city as far as classes...

almreno

RacerX - NO way you went and canvassed! Right on lol. I can just see it now ha ha. I know you did something positive - so give it up - whats the numbers!

modterry

Almreno & B Diamond:

Your canvassar' s do they? :
1) Have a preprinted home form
2) Do you teach them an "approach" on what to say to the homeowner along with questions they should ask?
3) Then do they say to the homeowner - that someone will follow up with a phone call to set an appointment ?

Many thanks for your kind replies

Terry

almreno

Modterry,

Yes we my canvassers will have printed forms to write the appt at the door (so to answer question 3) we call appts in at the door and someone on other end is confirming the appt. Also, (to question 2) you must have a basic pitch for canvassers, basically - who you are, who your with, and the "reason" we stopped by, and be trained on basic info on what were picthing at the door. Hoped this helped out - just let me know. Also WPC says hi - im talking to him right now

RacerX780

Sorry for the delay. Life seems to throw all kinds of crap my way and I don't seem to get many moments to just chill.

Anyhoo - This is what I did last nite. Keep in mind I was only out for an hour - 7-8pm and I haven't really been trained or anything - just going with what I know since it's my biz.

Trade: Window Tinting

I hit an area that they are still building homes - $300k and up - and homes that have been up for a couple of years. Same value probably. These areas first have all their trees removed, so there is no shade... then the homes have a large amount of glass, which is great for sunlite, but fades all the hardwood floors and furniture. Not to mention the heat that causes their A/C to run all the time.

Total of 28 homes.

6 Homes already have tinting.
7 Were interested
9 Were not at home

and the rest I'm not sure but either weren't interested or not at home. I made sure to note the ones that definitely showed interest.

Everyone that said they had it - I asked if they knew anyone who is interested... those not at home I left a door hanger. EVERYONE got a postcard... (Which has my info on it and on the back lists the benefits to film - the card is top-notch quality wise and lets everyone know who I am and what I do. Handed these out to everyone who passed my booth at the homeshow as well)

Got a call this morning... not from someone on those streets, but someone in that town. Maybe someone passed along my info. I'll find out when I talk to them. (They left a msg, I left a msg... tag.)


Going out tonight... but going at 5:30p. A little earlier. Different area... going to try and hit a newer development if I can. Got a book of new homes so I'm going to check them out.

My plan is to do this three nites a week.. Mon, Tue, and Thur... and go from there. Maybe throw in a Sat here and there...

The 'problem' for my plan is the areas aren't close together and don't have a ton of homes in each area. I'm specifically targeting people I know would use my service... rather then just picking a starting point and working from there. Which I dunno... maybe I'm not doing it the best way????


My game plan from here is to wait 7 days.. mail a postcard. wait 7 days.. mail postcard #2. wait 7 days, mail brochure. That way within a month or so everyone has seen my company's name 4 times. (each postcard features a different benefit and the brochure is a brief overview of everything)

I can't see how this won't produce overall.

__________________
D & S Window Tinting - Serving NJ/PA/DEL

almreno

Hi all,

Well leaving Phily today but on to CT next week. I really like the tri-state area - people are much different and very easy to talk to (hey i didnt get anyone who wanted to punch me **that was for you Bamm lol* anywho - cant wait to see my wife and kids even if its for 6 days. Talk to everyone soon.

contractorsales

While in college at University of Maryland I had a part time job canvasing neighborhoods in suburban Maryland and DC. We would go out in teams of 4-6 people, knock on doors or ring bells, greet the customer, and ask qualifying questions related to windows, door, siding, and roofing. The goal was to set up a no obligation sales appointment within 3-5 days. I was paid on an hourly basis, but I was a top canvaser often bringing back 3-5 leads per 5 hour evening field shift. Canvassing does work if you work it of course.

RacerX780

Went out on Thursday evening... this time from 6p-8p. Did two areas I wanted to hit. Many more homes then the previous evening... but less interest. Probably close to 80 homes... maybe 4 or 5 showed interest. Handful had their windows tinted already.. and a good number were not at home.

Going out three nites this week... still refining my pitch a bit.

__________________
D & S Window Tinting - Serving NJ/PA/DEL