Door Knocking 101

pcplumber

I was really happy today when my door canvasser came into my office and put 2 signed contracts on my desk for $15,000. This is his first week he started closing his own leads and he sold about $23,660 since Tuesday. Not bad for 4 days.

As my canvasser put the contracts on my desk one of the addresses looked familiar. I asked if we did work for the customer before and he said the customer did not mention any previous work. A few minutes later, I remembered that I got a small claims judgment against this customer for $5476 just last week. I did a job for this customer and she was supposed to give me a down payment of $2400. Instead, she gave me a check for only $24 and keeps insisting that she paid the entire contract amount of $5500. She didn't even show up for the court hearing.

We carry a list of all our customers in each of our vehicles and this should not happen. I have not given a copy of customer list to me canvasser, yet.

Unfortunately, I have to deduct the $9600 from the 4 day's sales, but it looks like my canvasser will be a permanent fixture until I retire.

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wpc07834

150 to 225 appts called in from canvassing each week. Not bad. 50 percent of canvassing leads seem to fall out. I have been able to generate over 75 to 100 issued appointments each week. Over 2million gross sales since Febuary 1st.

Tell me canvassing does not work..lol

handyhands

How many sales reps do you have to cover that many appointments?

-And what services do you provide?

Or are you with a lead provider/ generator, and use canvass teams (similiar to "smart-circle"), and then sell the leads to others?

Was just curious, because if those numbers are accurate, that's a heck of alot of leads.

Unless you've recently employed Jenna Jamison to do your door knocking, I'd be interested to hear how the heck your generating those kinds of numbers.

Mr. Mike

Great stuff here.

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wpc07834

The answer to that question is 8. I believe it should be 10. You should not issue anymore than 2 appointments per day for each sales rep you have working.

I do not work for smart circle. I have been employed as a consultant to Home Improvement Contractors.

My last assignment just ended in Reno NV. This was by far the most difficult market to work.

I am a licensed contractor in NJ. I am not engaged in any current work at the moment.

I know the key to running a successful Canvassing department depends on the ability to Recruit, Train, and Motivate

Feel free to ask any questions you have about Canvassing and I will be happy to answer.

wpc07834

The leads are mainly for replacement windows. However, I have generated appointments for Siding, Kitchen/ Bath, Gutter Protection, Additions, Painting, Basement Remodels, Roofing, Decks and doors.

gariecrowder

WPC, I'm new to canvassing, but I was wondering are your guys straight comm. or sal. or draw vs comm?

handyhands

Again, good stuff.

Sorry if I'm being repetitive, but I'm just trying to understand.

So what you're saying is, you have 8 sales reps? or 8 canvassers?

What is the reponsibility of the person doing the canvassing,....to introduce your company and your services, and merely get the homeowners name/ info.?

Do they set the appointment at the door, or funnel the information obtained back to the office to have your marketing person then make the calls to set the estimate?

Again, those are very impressive numbers.

We've tried canvassing in the past to mild success. Stopped due to not being able to find or maintain the "right" person for the job.

Now, we have 3-4 people out there with door hangers and gift cards on a daily basis, one of them being a "canvassing manager" while the other 2 hit as many doors as possibly. As of late, they're only bringing in a callaborative 2-3 "lead slips" per 4 hour canvassing shift(I know that number needs to increase to make it work). At that point, I personally call the home-owner to further explain about my company as well as the services we provide in hopes of setting the estimate for my reps to run.

Still a little slow getting this thing fired up on all cylinders, but giving it a go.

Again, any more knowledge would come greatly appreciated, wpc.

wpc07834

There are many different ways to pay canvassers. You may choose to go a straight comm route, or you can make them employees.
I prefer the employee. You can control them better.

I was just running 35- 40 canvassers. Of course not all at the same time. You should ave a day shift and a night shift. People need to have days off as well.

The main goal of a canvasser is to set a quality appointment, and get the sales rep in the door.

New canvas crews always get the info and are often weak on closing for the appointment. I prefer to have a pay structure based on the canvasser calling in a appointment.

I beleve that there is only about 3-4 hours each day that are primetime for canvassing. I call them the power hour. I have seen a daily count go from 4 appointments to over 20 within a hour many of times.

wpc07834

Those are really impressive numbers for canvassing. I have been amazed as well. I have been experimenting on different programs. I finally found one that works the best.

The average canvasser makes between $250.00 - $350.00 per week. Of course you have some that are paid less, and some that are paid more.

I am going to write a very interesting story of what I have accomplished here in Reno. Keep your eye out.

If you have any questions about canvassing please feel to email me@ wpchere2day@yahoo.com

nlgutters

WPC:


What is the minumim size town you release your canvassers in. Or what size do you like, 30k people or more?

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wpc07834

Canvassing is about door knocking. I recommend you knock on EVERY door (except the ones that only need a match)lol

I have just finished working the hardest area I have ever worked. Reno Nevada is not very populated and in between this town and the next you will find is desert and rattlesnakes.. Sometimes you find these little patch towns maybe a population of only 2000 people or less can be a goldmine for canvassing.

The smaller the area is for canvassing the more important tacking becomes.

pcplumber

As stated in many previous posts, I pay my canvasser 10% of the sale for getting the lead and 5% to 7.5% for closing the sale. Last week was was my canvasser's 14th week with my company and the first week he started closing sales. He closed sales for $53,000 in 6 days and earned $6,300 in just one week.

One of my plumbers saw how much my canvasser made last week and today he went canvassing. Two hours later he sold a job for $4,000 and will get paid 17.5%, or a little over $600.

So far, since we started 14 weeks ago, we did a little over $200,000 from canvassing and we are not even warmed up yet.

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Framer53

Sounds like you are getting there, PC.

I always loved canvasing, almost as much as signing the job!!

It is good to here that old fashioned door knocking still works!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr. Mike

That is a very high commission it seems?

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wpc07834

The idea with any pay structure with canvassing should not exceed a 5% cost for each canvasser. A total of 10 to 15% marketing cost altogether.

Mr. Mike

I think paying an exact dollar amount for each lead brought in would be the most productive way to make the canvassers produce to the fullest. Just a thought with no experience behind it, please share.

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MOTB

While door knocking is just another way to find a new lead, I find it smarter to focus more of your efforts finding leads through existing and past customers, as well as people affiliated in your business sector. Too many people forget to reconnect with customers, ask if there is ANYTHING you can do to help them, AND IF NOT, you would appreciate just a few introductions to friends and neighbors (keep it plural, not singular) that you can introduce yourself to. Do not just ask for one contact. It is better to ask for a few so the person pyshcologically feels like he is only giving you a fraction of what you were looking for. It is much easier to knock-call on someone opening with "I was referred by XYZ person to introduce myself" than to introduce yourself from scratch.

We deploy a similar situation with my software platform MyOnlineToolbox that benefits from contractors connecting to their subcontractors. A subcontractor listening to the software benefits from a general contractor is sure to try my product quicker than by reading an advertisement.

Again, maximize your best assets which are your satisfied customers. I am sure you will see better results compared to knocking on doors.

Brian

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Mr. Mike

I would bet that is far from the real truth, In painting I think the statistics are something like 80% or more maybe as many as 90 something% of the people we paint for will call someone else for no reason at all the next time they paint.

I guarantee it is more profitable to knock on doors to find new prospects, however we all need to contact the past customers to keep that 10% or so calling back.

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wingman67

I sold encyclopedia door to door for a while after high school. My favorite sign next to a door bell was:
"Every third salesman shot.....the 2nd one just left"

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