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Canvassing for the first time tomorrow

jamiesmack

Active member
Messages
224
Location
Brixham, Devon
anyone got any tips? I am just going to go with something simple - "Hi, I am cleaning some of your neighbour's windows and thought I would call and see if you need a window cleaner at the moment?

anyone go any other advice?

 
Exactly that,

Don't think about it, just be natural, don't treat it as a big deal, just knock and ask if they would like a window cleaner, simples /emoticons/smile.png

 
Try and read people.

I always ask if they'd like a quote. People are naturally curious, that gives you s chance to sell the service.

 
Good luck Jamiesmack. I be going out for first time on monday, I thought people would get annoyed if I knocked on a sunday?

 
Knock on a sunday

More people will be in

Not before 11 and not after 3 ish but in between is fine

 
What about other times for knocking? what would you say are the best times @daveyboy1 . I had an issue with the van to sort out this weekend so didnt make it out, but I will be made redundant on Friday so from then on its canvass, canvass canvass! Im going to have sore knuckles from all the door knocking!

 
Personally i would canvass any time after 10am until about 7pm

Best times are after the afternoon achool run..i find it better to leaflet before then as most people are out at work

 
If I was you i would be canvassing every opportunity before friday so you have some work to get on with

The best way to build up is start early and do your days work....then canvass once finished and do any new jobs first thing the next day and repeat

If you are really quiet do it there and then and carry on canvassing after

Won't take long before you're busy

 
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What about other times for knocking? what would you say are the best times @daveyboy1 . I had an issue with the van to sort out this weekend so didnt make it out, but I will be made redundant on Friday so from then on its canvass, canvass canvass! Im going to have sore knuckles from all the door knocking!
you need to promise yourself youre not going home till your knuckles are sore and bleeding

 
Went out for the first two hours tonight, 5-7 after work. Picked up 4 window cleaning jobs & one conservatory clean to do next week - about £96 to earn next week so far! Was nervous as hell for some reason, almost bottled a few houses but knocked every one in the end. Most people were pretty tidy, so dont know what the fear is all about!

Same time tomorrow night!

 
I just knock doors and ask if they are looking for a window cleaner. Did a house today (first clean) houses either side of it had filthy windows, put a card through each door with a price on as they were out. One of the houses was up for sale so wrote on the back that it may help sell the home, got a call tonight to do the FSG and too windows told her it would be £60 all in and she's happy to go for it. I'm a great believer in if you don't ask you don't get haha

 
and it always helps if you proof read your cards/leaflets properly before print!!! just noticed (after sticking 50 through letterboxes)(keyed entry doors) that ive got a . where the @ should be. Now wondering how many emails ive missed due to the mistake!

 
Lol it'a always worth getting someone else to proof read stuff as you know what it's "meant" to say so your brain fills in the blanks. I've missed many a letter or word ;-) I wouldn't worry about missed emails though, I've delivered 2,000 flyers and only had 2 emails from them! But 20ish calls. So odds are your good /emoticons/biggrin.png

 
Haha, cheers mate, the thing is everytime I type the email out I do the exact same thing! Now I'm photoshopping it out and replacing with the new one, along with a Facebook and Twitter logo and then it's off to vista print.

 
I wouldn't worry bud

My cards and flyers have my facebook business page email not my normal one as i find no one bothers with email

I would put the facebook one on rather than proper email

They use that to look who i am and then either facebook message me or ring

I tend to get a lot of facebook messenger messages which is easy to chat with

 
If you don't fancy spending 2 hours clicking through and saying no to all of the extras vistaprint tries to sell you after sorting your flyers, try solopress.com, they deliver the next day.

 
I used solopress on your recomendation @MrBump and they were great. Bit cheaper than Vista on a few things as well. I wasnt completely happy with the business cards, it was my fault with the design really, and they replaced the whole lot free of charge in 3 days.

 
What i do is....

Drive to nearby roads i like the look of, i mean i want to work on roads i like, this might sound picky but u have to start somewhere so may as well start where u like, or convinient for you, as they are on local routes you run all time like on the way to shops or school etc.

Canvass late morning as dave said, i go about 11. And make a note of all the houses that have dirty windows, dirty list. U knock on these also, these houses do t have a window cleaner or dont do them themselves either. U can then follow up this dirty list at peak times, 5/7pm

Of course u can knock on every house as sometimes u get it wrong, the cleanest looking house may well be wanting a wi dow cleaner, but generally very few in my experience.

Keep these dirty lists, as u wont get through the whole list first or even second month, its important to try lots and lots of roads, u will get one here and two there a lot of the time, but over time they will be 5-10

Ultimate aim is to have a full days work in one spot so u dont have to drive around much.

How u getting on?

 
Also its worth knowing that as a fact u will pick up messers, say u get 10 customers, 3 may well mess u about, they will cancel, or be hard for paying etc and will dump you within the first few months, this isnt your fault, but its worth expecting them. Sometimes u wont know if they will be a long term customer for u until about six months have gone by

 
cheers @Pickingpaul, some good tips there.

Its a little slow to be honest, biggest problem has been catching people at home! seem to be staring at a lot of closed doors lately! I have been canvassing all day when I'm not cleaning, and I think I'm out at the wrong time. I will try to focus more on the 5-7 slot.

Feeling the pressure a bit to get some more work in before winter kicks in, but got Facebook and the website pretty much sorted now so that should help as well.

 
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