Finally Getting Round To Posting.....

[J.D]

"Greedy wains get battered, quiet wains get **** all...."

I love that quote! Your Dad is a smart fella.... Im sure youll be successful mate, the best of luck....

 

[bazzer]

Welcome mate just something to hopefully inspire you im fairly new to the game i picked up 40 customers in 6 hours knocking doors 3 saturdays for 2 hours be positive and best of luck fella.

 

[harunh]

Welcome, get knocking on them doors

 

[RealKidJoker]

Delayed the canvassing until a dryer day/evening as it's absolutely pouring down tonight. 40 customers from a 6 hour shift seems a great return. Out of interest, how do you start your conversation once the customer opens the door? The area that I'm targeting is a 280 house newly built private let/bought housing estate. I've no idea how many houses are already taken or not but I'll knock them all anyway. There's a nice wee area in the estate that is mostly bungalow's which would be a belter. Anyway, hope for a dry day shortly.

 

[bazzer]

Hi mate i knock door and say Hi my names Barry i clean a few windows in the area and wondered if you have one at the moment if they no i say would you be interested in having one normally they say yes how much you then look round all house and give price and book them in if they got one say thanks for your time and swiftly move to next one dont miss any houses because you never know hope this helps

 

[J.D]

Your obviously a gambling man Peter, i feel the odds are stacked in your favour.

 

[Duncs]

hi peter best of luck , where about are you from mate, you will soon pick up the graft

 

[RealKidJoker]

Yeah enjoy a game of poker. Usual weekly game in the pub which can lead onto regional and national finals. Nothing major. Ha. I'm from Dumfries in SW Scotland. Home of the mighty Queen of the South. /emoticons/smile.png

 

[Duncs]

dumfries scottish borders, very nice too,quen of the south blast of the past played at Berwick many times

 

[RealKidJoker]

Yeah been to Berwick many a time. Always used to go to a great chippy up the high street. Can't remember the name of it.. Lovely though. The footy from both teams at the time was never anything to write home about. Ha Ha.

 

[Duncs]

even worse now

 

[RealKidJoker]

I was all set to go for a bit of door knocking this evening as it's been warm all day. I was out trimming the hedge in the garden when the next door neighbour comes out or a blether. We're talking about footy etc and I say I'm about to go in to clean the windows. He then drops the bombshell that his younger brothers are window cleaners and do his with the water fed pole.....

Talk about gutted. I was trying to get some info out my neighbour about pricing but he said he couldn't remember. I'm just hoping they don't have a monopoly in the area I'm targeting or I might be f***ed before I'm started. The only positive thing is that I've never seen a window cleaner in the year we've stayed here and we've not had any flyers at all. Hopefully they're shy at the door knocking and there's some houses to be had?

Only time will tell though..... /emoticons/unsure.png

 

[Duncs]

peter dont worry about that you will find there is loads of work for everyone

when i started off the local window cleaner gave me loads of good work !!! mind he warned me to stay away from his graft at the same time

 

[Mart1001]

You're stalling Peter, get out there and knock some doors /emoticons/smile.png

The majority of us do this, we look for any reason to say "argh, I wanted to go canvassing but now, I can't". It won't get any easier until you kick yourself up the backside.

Your neighbour has his done by his brother yet, you haven't seen him and, he can't remember how much they charge....chances are, your neighbour was just politley making his excuses to ensure he doesn't have to say no when you delivered your next line of "would you be interested?". Maybe his bro is a windy and maybe he's cleaned his once but, he doesn't actually want a regular WC. It doesn't mean his brother actually cleans in the area that you're targetting and even if he does, I guarentee you, he doesn't clean them all.

Dress smart casual, take a deep breath and knock your first door. As you're just starting up, be honest from the start. Knock the door and say "hello, sorry to bother you, I'm trying to build a window cleaning round in the area and wondered whether you'd be interested at all?". This line worked for me when I first started, yes it's easy to think that you want to sound more professional with words like, my name is and I'm cleaning windows in the area and wondered if you'd like a free quote etc but, from my experience, I haven't got time for people I've never met telling me their name before stating their business....it's forceful and I ain't interested in how great a quote they can give me for something I haven't asked for.

Be honest from the start as I say, often people will be more interested that you're just starting out because it'll mean you're not feeding them the routine, you're more likely to want to do a good job to impress them, you're local and trustworthy and, they can ask more questions without feeling obliged.

Mean it when you say 'sorry to bother you' especially when they've taken time to unlock their door or, when they come to the door with a baby in their arms etc. Eveything happens in a flash and many times I've seen shoulders relax just by the way I deliver that line "sorry to bother you", if's often met with 'that's ok' but, don't dwell on it, get straight into your next phase of stating your business. Once you've informed them of your intentions, finishing with "I wondered whether you'd be interested?" forces a response of "yes or no" and this is the reason I will normally add "at all" as it opens their mind to more than a yes/no situation...ie...are you interested...um...at all...it depends?

They then might answer no thanks if there's no interest there but, sometimes the next response is "how much is it?", "err, how often do you come?" or "err...yea, which way do you clean um?". You're more than half way there then and it's upto you to finish the deal but, if it ends with a 'have you got a card' or 'I'll think about it', try to arrange to knock their door on the day you start because it's so very rare that they contact you.

Mart.

 

[J.D]

Mart is the cleaning forums resident adviser. Good post Mart.... :Image9:

 

[RealKidJoker]

Yeah great post. Thanks very much for the advice. In my previous job I was doing this all the time except it was over the phone. I think it's the face to face aspect that is daunting to me and others. Probably natural fear and embarrassment of rejection I'd say more than anything else..

Just out of interest, what times in the evenings would people say are suitable to be knocking on doors? Between 18:00 and 19:30 I was thinking. That would give people time to get in from work, and also not too late if kids are getting put to bed etc.

 

[J.D]

Its the best way to get new customers but i hate it and personally dont do it! I cant stand cold callers of any description, no matter what time of the day it is!

 

[bazzer]

thats a bit strong really when they only trying to make a living

 

[harunh]

5-8 for canvassing is best

 

[bazzer]

agree with above

 

[Duncs]

I just chap the doors brass neck its over and done with couple of mins its your living !!