Canvassing - Strategic or Mass door knock/leaflets?

[Windows95]

Hi all

Hope everyones had a decent day.

Just having a bit of a planning session tonight, and wondering how people approach canvassing (assuming you don't hire someone).

If you were starting from scratch building a business, would you literally knock all doors in your area (small village for me) or do a more area specific targeting, for example a drive to the next town/village.

Facebook page is nearly ready to go and I know a few people that will help me promote/do their windows etc.

Keen to hear what worked for you.

Cheers

Dan

 

[Pjj]

When I started I knocked every door on all the estates I canvassed this will give you more compact work .

 

[Chris34]

You need to decide where you want to work, set yourself a work radius and then target all the houses within that radius. When I started I targeted different towns, like went to one town one day then a different town the next day. Just gives you a better idea of the level of demand. 2 of the towns I targeted were hammered by cheap window cleaners, very rich areas where all the window cleaners flocked and still flock to. I found it a bit pointless, there are easier towns to get the work. I've actually found council / ex council estates to be pretty good, I presume the traditional window cleaners on those estates are flocking to the affluent areas thinking there is no money to be made on their own doorsteps.

You need to think carefully, things like the road network around these towns, do they get gridlocked at the school rush? Do they have regular road closures for roadworks where is creates havoc. Also look at how many houses are within each town, more houses means more potential customers.

Another thing to think of is do you want to bump into your customers when you're in your local pub, supermarket, restaurant? I made the choice to have my closest work no closer than 1 mile away, it means I rarely bump into my customers when I'm in the local shops. I wanted to relax when not working. When you're working you have to put on an image, you have to bite your tongue a lot, it's just part of the job... but when I'm not working I want to be myself, not watching what I say or do all the time. By keeping the work at arms length it allows me to relax a bit and not get delayed bumping into customers all the time.

 

[Windows95]

You need to decide where you want to work, set yourself a work radius and then target all the houses within that radius. When I started I targeted different towns, like went to one town one day then a different town the next day. Just gives you a better idea of the level of demand. 2 of the towns I targeted were hammered by cheap window cleaners, very rich areas where all the window cleaners flocked and still flock to. I found it a bit pointless, there are easier towns to get the work. I've actually found council / ex council estates to be pretty good, I presume the traditional window cleaners on those estates are flocking to the affluent areas thinking there is no money to be made on their own doorsteps.

You need to think carefully, things like the road network around these towns, do they get gridlocked at the school rush? Do they have regular road closures for roadworks where is creates havoc. Also look at how many houses are within each town, more houses means more potential customers.

Another thing to think of is do you want to bump into your customers when you're in your local pub, supermarket, restaurant? I made the choice to have my closest work no closer than 1 mile away, it means I rarely bump into my customers when I'm in the local shops. I wanted to relax when not working. When you're working you have to put on an image, you have to bite your tongue a lot, it's just part of the job... but when I'm not working I want to be myself, not watching what I say or do all the time. By keeping the work at arms length it allows me to relax a bit and not get delayed bumping into customers all the time.

Cheers Chris

Where I live it's one of those villages "for local people" ? everyone knows everyone else's business.

I like the idea of not working too close to home in a way, I'm quite familiar with the neighbouring villages and towns. Road layouts, schools etc.

I'll have to have a proper think about where I want to work. For a small village we have a lot of window cleaners, some who charge an absolute pittance (my dad being one of the culprits ?)

Appreciate the advice pal

 

[Windows95]

When I started I knocked every door on all the estates I canvassed this will give you more compact work .

Definitely see the value in that. Makes perfect sense.

 

[Yogi1872]

Google any new build estates that's getting built near you and try get in there first. Banging doors of schemes that's been up years where they already have a window cleaner will just waste your time and deflate you when your knocking for hours getting nothing. They might tell you that there not even happy with the current window cleaner, 99% of the time they still stick with him. There will be some exceptions where people have managed to get alot of work when there's already a window cleaner there but it's more than likely just going to be a waste of your time.

If you do get a few of the current window cleaners work, a good thing to remember is your going to see each other at some point working in the same area. If I lost work to someone chapping my doors, I wouldn't blame the person chapping the doors, the blame would lie with me, I had them to loose. Not everyone thinks this way though, you could end up getting your van targeted etc, or end up with a sore face.