Keep A Knocking! part 1

Did you find your canvassing happy place yet?   Need more proof that canvassing done right works?    Over the next three days, I am going to share a few of my personal experiences with canvassing and then give a few pointers on how to be more effective with it.   Why so much emphasis on canvassing?     If you don't have much marketing money, or need to get things moving quickly, canvassing is a direct to consumer/business activity that can yield immediate sales opportunities.  The exercise of canvassing builds the closing muscle!   Most of my audience are insurance professionals and this is the perfect medium to build a client base from scratch. It is not glamorous or high brow, but it is effective.  Churches are built, politicians get elected, business owners get copiers, healthcare and insurance gets sold, not to mention Girl Scouts selling cookies (Thin Mints for me please!)...all from canvassing.  Why?   IT WORKS!   Case Study #1 - Natalie and I had been married about a year and had just bought our first home (good ole FHA!).  One evening, I had just gotten in from work and was tired, ready to eat dinner and channel surf.       "A man is coming over to show us vacuums.  He has been canvassing the neighborhood and I told him to come back at 6:30 when you are home".    She had wanted to integrated system for the home we built, but at $2,000, I vetoed it. Before I could veto the appointment, the doorbell rang...Darn!   "My name is Steve and I represent the worlds greatest product for new homeowners like yourselves...the Kirby vacuum."   I had an in inside sales job at the time and remember thinking,  "The nerve of this guy...knocking on doors when people want to be left alone.  There is no way he will make a living this way!"   While we didn't (more accurately, couldn't!) buy, 3 people on our street did...that day.  He canvassed the entire neighborhood and probably sold a dozen units that week.  Sure, that was over 25 years ago and things have changed...Kirby now sells online and other retail outlets.     While you don't have to agree with or like their methods, they still have a field force that canvases...Why?   IT WORKS!

A Few Pointers For Effective Canvassing!   Believe in yourself.  Sure, this may be out of your comfort zone but you can feel good about canvassing because you are paying your dues.  You are building a solid foundation of success and you have the gifts and talents to win people over...right?  Thought so! Believe in your product.  Have you ever said, "I could sell more if more people knew about my product?"  Here is your chance to prove it with direct interactions with potential clients.  Many products are bought and sold every day using this approach.  What about yours? Safety first.  If a neighborhood, house, or person answering the door give you any kind of pause...move on quickly.  This is not an "all costs" exercise. Trust your intuition! Pick your spots.  While door to door for consumers is "random", use your lists to give you a higher likelihood of qualified prospects.  Same for business communities...go where your product is needed. Dress the part.  Temperature and style should primary considerations but maintain a professional image and demeanor at all times.  Shirt & tie optional and high heels are not recommended unless you are calling on businesses. Use the buddy system. Team up with like-minded associates and work an area together.  You can have daily contests, share war stories, but most of all support each other in the activity.  You are more likely to stay committed if you team up.    Keep A Knocking!   Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!