When you have a company that sells Business to Consumer (B2C), canvassing a neighborhood in the early stages of the business when you have more time then money can often be an effective way to gain customers. When ringing a stranger’s doorbell, it is best to start out with a few non-business questions/statements to build rapport. These can be basic openers like “Can you believe this weather” or “What a lovely house you have, how long have you lived here?” Or there’s always my favorite, “What a beautiful dog, is he friendly?”
Everyone loves a dog lover. Once you have used a few statements/questions to build rapport, it is time to deliver the pitch or presentation. People take in 69% more information using their eyes than their ears. To make your presentation or pitch more efficient, use photos, drawings, or a product demo. Then ask for the sale and be prepared to overcome any objections. Canvassing can be very time to consume, so it is a good idea to qualify your prospect early in the process. I also find it helpful to dress like the prospect. When I ask permission to hunt a new property I try to dress like a farmer or rancher to make my prospects feel more at ease.
In the early stages of one of my businesses, my partner and I were making door to door calls on several rafting companies in Colorado. We tried to look professional and were dressed in dark suits. Often we would enter our target establishment only to find the place empty. On one call we could see someone besides the building, but as we drove up they disappeared behind the building. Just like many of the other sites, when we walked in the door no one was there to greet us. Needing to make a sale, we walked around behind the building. We discovered our prospect was purposely hiding, thinking that we were from the IRS or some other government agency. Either way, the bearers of bad news. We went to the nearest Wal-Mart, bought a change of clothes, and had much better luck.
When you are talking to a new prospect, observe their body language for signals that you need to adjust your message. Look at their eyes. If they are looking around you might be losing their interest. Look at their mouth. If they are not smiling you may be too serious. Making them laugh is always a good sales tactic. Also look at their hands. If the prospect is fidgeting or wringing their hands, it means they are bored. Finally, look at their arms. If they are crossed, the prospect is not receptive to your message. Making unsolicited face to face calls, although time-consuming, costs the entrepreneur very little in terms of money and may help a new business to make its first few sales.
Would canvassing a neighborhood, especially one where you have made a previous sale, be worth your time and effort?
