Worth canvassing for handyman work as well as window cleaning?

[slippy]

Better to have leaflets on thicker card than normal paper? And A6 rather than A5 (so is postcard size better)?

 

[Chris33]

A5 and 130 or above gsm thickness, gloss paper is good

 

[Goodkingnige]

Better to have leaflets on thicker card than normal paper? And A6 rather than A5 (so is postcard size better)?

Definitely paper not card for your leaflet - why go to the extra expense? And the choice of A6 or A5 depends on how much you're putting on the leaflet.

I use double sided A5 leaflets on 130gsm silk (ie glossy) for the leaflets (one side is all about the window cleaning, the other side is about other services).

I also use an A5 booking card for canvassing with a central perforation making it 2 x A6 cards, on 250gsm silk (ie glossy card). One half is kept by the canvasser and has the booking information - the other half is given to the customer and says "You spoke to ............ your first clean will be on ............. (date/day) and every ..... weeks thereafter at a price of £..... (plus some other blurb about "includes sills and frames", my telephone number etc). The other side of that half is used for advertising (you could put "We also are able to do garden work, carpentry" or whatever it is you want to put on it - mine says "We also have established relationships with reliable local tradesmen who carry out other kinds of work around the home" then a list of things).

Not wishing to blow my own trumpet but......I'm proud of my leaflets - I think they're the best I've come across!

 

[nick666]

Looks like I am out of a job (main job) and window cleaning will be my main earner. To get any work at the moment when I knock on doors, is it worth saying instead of " I was wondering if you need a window cleaner?" but "I was wondering if you need a window cleaner or handyman?"
I have always canvassed from 5pm - it gets dark). But how about doing 10am onwards? Would that work?

I canvass during the day-it sounds obvious but if you check whether there is a car in the driveway or it looks like an older persons home eg net curtains etc you still get a lot in.If you do gutter cleaning I would mention it with the window cleaning and then say "just before I go we also do.........(specific jobs appropriate to house/garden).The gutter cleaning is good for quick cash.I also charge double for most first cleans.As soon as you get a job booked I say to all the neighbours-even in the next street "I don't suppose you know Mrs Jonesat number 22........."response is normally yes if immediate neighbour or no if not but puzzled look-whilst they are still racking their brains -which theynormally are if she's three streets away ;-)I say "all it is,is we're cleaning her gutters/windows over next few days just wondering whether you would like a quick price whilst we are here-/"The key to saying it is to say it as casually as possible sunding as if you are not really bothered one way or the other.Which I am not because its easier to find someone who is interested than try and persuade someone who's not.

I don't dress in cleaning gear -if you answered the door to me you wouldn't really know I was canvassing-I suppose there are 2 sides to the quality of leaflet debate-I would be embarrassed to show a pal what I use but it's more for the client to have my name address and land line printed on something-you really could do with a land line for credibility.

The reason I am not arsed about the quality of the flyer is I have found that the return rate is so low when just mail shotted I have never noticed any difference between ones I've spent a few quid on or A4 made into 3 compliment slips.If expensive flyers generated a lot of business we would all sit on our backsides and pay leaflet companies to deliver them all day.I use coloured-not sure it makes a massive difference. It does make a worthwhile difference I have found if you leaflet an area and then canvass the next day or two.I also offer a full money back guarantee on leaflet-which nobody has ever asked for-my main work is gutters but the odd time when the windows or gutters haven't been perfect I have just sent someone back to redo it with only a couple complaining in 10 years and in fairness they had a point because I hadn't explained the limitations of a clean.

 

[slippy]

Interesting and gives me some positive feelings about canvassing during the day.

I spoke to a window cleaner and reckoned advertising like ad words and Gumtree was better because the customers come to you and as a consequence are better customers who stay with you for longer. Won't stop me canvassing though, and I have found some great customers canvassing and bad ones.