A Few Of My Favorite Things!

A Few Of My Favorite Things!

Happy Friday and Independence Day!           I will make this quick but it fit in so nicely to the last few days and the theme of canvassing I had to share...you didn't really think you would get a break did you?    I was coming out of a store today and a young man came up to me with a flyer in his hand.  I had seen him approach two other people and they had waved him off.   I got ready to do the same when he said, "You look like a golfer...what's your handicap?"   I said, "I don't disclose such information".   "Would you be willing to play a round of golf for a for a good cause?"   What I didn't tell him is that I would play a round of golf for any cause!   He gave me a flyer, shook my hand and said, "I hope to see you there!"   He was courteous, short, sweet and to the point.  I am also a golf junkie so the sale was easy.  When supply meets demand...a sales is made...but only if you ask!     Try canvassing...   IT WORKS!   Twenty minutes later, as I am getting gas, another young man walks up to me and asks me, "What do you think of when you think of the 4th of July?"   I said, "Freedom and Independence" in a short tone.   Unfazed, he then asked, "What else do you think of?"   I was about to end the conversation, abruptly, when he said, "Hotdogs...right?"   Before I could say anything else, "We are giving hotdogs away all day on the 4th...bring this flyer and the dogs are on us!"   As he walked to the next person, I looked at the flyer and remembered it is a place my kids have gone before and they said the hotdogs were tasty.  Sure the "free promotion" is likely going to be followed by an "upsale" but who doesn't love a good dog?    So count me in!  After the Peachtree Road Race with 60k of my closest friends, I will deserve a fully dressed dog...or two!   Ok, more real life examples to show that canvassing works.    Two spontaneous meetings that compelled me to do something I was not thinking of doing in the moment.  That is the point of canvassing...finding people who don't know they need what you have.  The live interaction is the "spark" the prompts them to act on the newly realized desire.   In both of these cases, the last thing on my mind was golf and hot dogs.  I initially rejected the opening but with a good attitude and a little skill, I was converted into a customer.  It didn't hurt that golf and hotdogs are...   A Few of My Favorite Things!   Until Monday...I wish you Money, Power, Success!   Have a great weekend!

A Blank Canvas!

"Life is a great big canvas; throw all the paint you can at it." Danny Kaye   Case Study #3 - When I was a young child, we had a man that was always in our neighborhood that we called "Mr. Charlie".  He was a white man in a yellow VW bug walking around every week in an all black neighborhood (It was 1973...that matters).    I didn't know what he did, but like clockwork, he was there every week.  Some of the folks he saw would give him food and they would talk and laugh for a few minutes.    Most times, he was in a polo type shirt, especially in the hot summer months. There was a distinct occasion, I remember he wore a white short-sleeved shirt with a black tie.    He was going to the house of someone who has just died.  I saw him hug our next door neighbor as she cried over losing her son.    Funny what you remember as a child.    15 years later when I first got my insurance license I realized that Mr. Charlie was a debit insurance agent.  He would collect small premiums and when necessary...deliver the policy checks to those that were grieving.    I know that most of the people he sold did not hear about him from television (they didn't have them!)...or direct mail (some of them couldn't read - I know, I used to read their mail to them!)...    No...they heard about and "took out" insurance because Mr. Charlie was the "feet on the street"...canvassing.  Those folks who received a $2,500 or $5,000 check would tell you that Mr. Charlie prospecting, canvassing, selling and servicing made a difference in their life.  They would tell you that...    IT WORKS!     A Few More Pointers For Effective Canvassing    Make an introduction not an interrogation.  In the first moments, you should spend your time letting them know about you and your services.  A rapid fire series of questions trying to qualify them will likely be met with objections. Have literature.  While the goal is to set an appointment or do a demonstration, if they ask for a card or literature, provide it.  It will make you look more professional and who knows...they may call you! Get a phone number.  If they say "give me your card and let me get back to you", ask if they mind you calling them at a specific time.  The more you can do to solidify next step, the stronger the connection. Use focused time blocks.  Pick a dedicated time to canvas, such as 3 hour blocks twice a week.  Once you create a plan...stick with it! Set an appointment.  Resist the urge to sell in an environment that is not conducive.  If the grandkids are there or if customers are present, they are likely distracted. Set a firm date and time to present your product.  Have a script but don't be married to it.  A live conversation is more dynamic than telemarketing.  You need a script to stay on track but you must be ready for real time adjustments.  Be quick on your feet and ready to react! Measure, Monitor and Manage results.  How many doors or businesses did you visit? How many people did you talk to...how many set up appointments or were sold?  Knowing how effective you are will build confidence or allow for refinement. Make a goal. Set a target and objective for what you want to get out of the exercise.  Formulate how many contacts you need to make weekly to generate a certain number of sales.  The tactics must align with the target!       I hope the last few days have given you a fresh perspective on an activity that might be the difference maker in jumpstarting your business.   Canvassing is the cornerstone of how modern day marketing began...it might work for you.  Suspend judgment and look at this exercise as...   A Blank Canvas!   Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Keep A Knocking! part 2

Case Study #2 - A few weeks after our first child, Chaz, was born we got door-knock from a children's encyclopedia representative.    "Congratulations on your new baby!"   (Yikes, even before the days of the internet there is a lot of information floating around about you!)   "I know you want to raise a brilliant child.  Studies show between the age of 2-5, children learn at a greatly accelerated pace.  The program I offer today gives your child a learning advantage that will help them succeed in life."   Yes, you know the rest.  We did buy.     We used these books for all three of our kids and we have raised smart, artistic, entrepreneurs with one working on her 4th language with a 4.0 at a major university.   All from those books?  Heck no...but they did make a difference!     The point here, is that we bought them from someone who was canvassing...with a good message/product...professionally delivered.    IT WORKS!

More Pointers For Effective Canvassing!   Respect personal space.  If you in a residential neighborhood, make sure you step back from the front door to be less threatening. A business owner will be less receptive if customers are being serviced so don't interrupt! Be relaxed.  People can sense if you are nervous or anxious.  A relaxed posture, steady speech and a smile can actually put them at ease long enough for your opening.  Remember that you are relying on the odds and not the reaction of one prospect...relax! Be Friendly!  A smile goes a long way in opening the door to an evolving conversation. You want to be authentic and sincere as you conduct this activity.    Knock Already!  Once you have stepped on the porch go ahead and knock.  Any lingering or pondering will make you look suspicious!  Get yourself together before you approach the home or business. Move on quickly.  If no one answers in the first few attempts, move on the next location.  Yes, they may be home and you can hear the dog barking.  They are not opening for a reason and are not likely to be a good prospect. Thank them for their time.  Anytime you are fortunate enough to have a conversation, regardless of outcome, thank them for their time and attention.   Keep A Knocking!   Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

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!

The Joy of Canvassing! part 1

Happy Monday!    You remember the man in the picture...right?  His name is Bob Ross and he was a former military man turned artist.     As a young child, a rainy Saturday afternoon would have me sitting in front of the television (before cable!) with four programming choices...CBS, NBC, ABC...and PBS.   Sesame Street would just be signing off and Bob Ross had a show called "The Joy of Painting".  He would stand in front of a blank canvas and say..."What do I see today?"    "A happy little tree could go right here"..."A singing bird would go perfect there."    His soft spoken, "don't worry, be happy" demeanor belied his military background and was part of the charm of the show.  At the end of 30 minutes, there would be an amazing scene that evolved and transformed right before your eyes...from a blank canvas.  He believed you could do the same...if you could find your happy place.    Prospecting is also an art...and it starts with a blank canvas.  Canvassing is basic.  Primal.  To be good at canvassing you have to find your happy place.   Depending on your age and industry, it could be called door-knocking, soliciting (be careful!), clover-leafing, hot-knocking, cold-calling and gold-calling.  The more contemporary names (to make it feel more dignified) are grass-roots, community-based outreach and B2B.   Make no mistake, no matter what you call it - canvassing boils down to you meeting a stranger, engaging them in a conversation about your business/product and hoping that interaction evolves into a sale...and doing that dozens of times a day!     When you hear it said like that, no wonder most sales people "turn up their nose" at it.  But there is one thing you need to know before you get a nose bleed...   IT WORKS!   While I was in college I needed money.  I needed a flexible schedule and a chance to make $10-$15 an hour.  By chance, I saw an ad on the corner of Georgia Tech and North Avenue:   College Students Earn $10-$15 an hour Flexible Schedule Call Today!    My prayers were answered! I went for the interview and they told me I fit the profile...young, good looking (duh!) and energetic (duh again!).  They partnered me with an extremely attractive (before Natalie!) "manager" who was going to take me out in the field and show me the ropes.   I had no idea of the product or where we were going but when this manager smiled and said, "It is going to be a great day" something on the inside of me said, "Yes, I agree!"   I left my car at the office and drove with the manager to "the hood"...and I do mean..."da hood".  She had nerves of steel as she went door to door with an attaché case that I had no idea what was inside.   "Is the lady of the house in today?"  she would say if a man answered the door.  If he answered "no" then she hit another speed...   "As I am sure you treat your woman like a queen, what I have today would be perfect for the person in your life."   She took a velvet bag out of the attaché and pulled out an exotic bottle of perfume.  She sprayed a light mist in her direction.  She then stepped closer to the man as the door opened wider and she tilted her head to the side and back to give him a whiff of her neck.   "Smells amazing, doesn't it?"    Ok, it really doesn't matter what was said next (this is not a romance blog!).    All I know is at the end of 6 hours, 200 knocks (she put tic marks on a page), 40 people answering (she tic marked that too!)...she sold 9 bottles at $25.  Her cost was $6 a bottle for her daily profit of $171 (cash!) for an hourly rate of $28.50.   Lesson?   You could say that sex sells...and it does, but this was not that simple..   You could say men buy from beautiful women...and they do, but many men said "no" and she sold to women too..  She was not overt nor distasteful...she just exuded a confidence that I had never seen before...or since.   The real lesson is that canvassing works when you work it with boldness, have an approach built to your product/personality and measure your results.    To be effective you must find your happy place and embrace...   The Joys of Canvassing!   "I believe every day is a good day when you paint."    Bob Ross    Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!