There are many struggles in setting up and managing a canvassing department (or event and show departments).
- Recruiting/Interviewing/Hiring
- Putting the recruiting ads together
- Placing ads
- Distributing (Monster.com, CareerBuilder, etc.)
- Fielding the inbound calls from ads
- Scheduling in person interviews
- Handling the in person interviews
- Vetting the recruits
- Deciding on hires
- Hiring
- New hire orientation
- Office training
- In-field training
- Combination training
- Continuing training for existing canvassers
- Reviewing – role playing
- Tracking canvasser activity
- Mapping territories
- Working in the field
- Logistics on scheduling geography for canvassing on a daily basis
- Scheduling teams on days
- Tracking results of each person, areas
- Leads are correctly filled out
- Qualifying / Validating leads
- Scheduling leads
- Firings
- Promotions
- Acquiring canvassing permits
- Transportation logistics
- Coaching and motivating canvassers
This is a quick list off the top of my head and is by no means a complete list. This is just what I can rattle off instantly. Often there are 1 or 2 people responsible for doing, if not over-seeing that all this happens. There can be people who help, but the struggle is making sure it all gets completed efficiently… and profitably. It’s like the circus performer who is keeping all the plates in the air, spinning so none of them fall and shatter on the ground. The key for the circus performer spinning all those plates is to stay focused on all of them at the same time. It’s the same for the canvass manager. When he or she focuses too much on one area another area starts to falter and when he/she least expects it, it comes crashing to the ground. Why, because they lost focus.
The Magical Myth
It’s the canvass manager’s responsibility to keep track of all the spinning plates, even if he or she has others helping out. The manager is still accountable for the performance of the department. If they were on Donald Trump’s TV show, “Celebrity Apprentice”, they would be the one sitting in the hot seat, in the boardroom with everyone pointing the finger at because they were the ‘project-leader’; it was all their responsibility and you can sense that Trump is about to point that finger and bark, “YOU’RE FIRED”! It’s a lot of pressure!
How do you manage a canvassing department? First, list all the things that need to be done to run a department efficiently, in your company. I say, “in your company” because each company’s size, resources and talent pool available are different. Once you identify all the tasks, next, understand the obstacles you face with each one.
Systems = Success
Successful businesses grow on systems, not people. Consider one of the most successful businesses the world has ever seen, the fast food chain, McDonalds. Here’s a multi-billion dollar a year company that runs successfully, makes independent store owners millionaires and most stores are run by people who are likely unemployable in our industry and they manage pimply-faced teenagers and senior citizens. How can they do this? Systems! You can learn 3 managing lessons if you study McDonalds:
- The importance of systems
- The owners don’t work in the business (it runs without them being there – systems)
- Be who you are
The first 2, systems are the focus of this article and are pretty self-explanatory. However, “Be who you are” often requires a little clarity. Let’s be honest, McDonalds is not about great food or great hamburgers. If you want great food go to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, or great hamburgers, pick your favorite joint. No, McDonalds is about convenient food. None of their advertising states they have the best hamburgers. In fact, their latest slogan, “Lovin it” has nothing to do about loving the food and everything to do with the convenience… study the message of all the other ads they run; what are they promoting? Convenience! How does that apply to you? Be patient, you’ll find out very soon.
Your focus must always be on results. Anything else put in place that isn’t focused on achieving those results is a waste of time to have a discussion about. That may be harsh, but it’s the truth. In any game there are winners and losers and truly competitive people hate to lose.
As an example, consider recruiting.
If you refer back to my long, and partial, list at the start of this article the thing that topped it was recruiting. After the canvass manager you can’t have a canvassing department without canvassers. You can actually start a canvassing department without a manager, but at some point you need one. You need to recruit canvassers and most start by advertising for them. One of the biggest struggles I see is in the ad that company’s place for canvassers. A recruiting ad should attract the kind of people you want as canvassers, yet most I see do the opposite, they repel people. They repel the kind of people you want as canvassers. (Connecting the dots here, this goes to the 3rd thing to learn from McDonalds – “Be who you are”)
Here’s what I see in a lot of recruiting ads, fliers and postings (this is a generalization):
“We’re looking for a hard working person because we’ve been in business for X years and we’re the best company to work for, blah, blah, blah.”
What does it say to people? This is a wimpy ad and we’re a company desperate to find people, anybody to work for us. Think about the personality type of a great canvasser. Does this ad attract or repel them?
[Note: This is the kind of conversations I have with coaching clients who have ascended above Silver Telecoaching membership.]
Everything you do as a manager either motivates or will de-motivate people. I’ve written and talked about it before, there are three legs to canvassing and they tie into every responsibility the managers have, skill set, mind set and get off your assets. You create a set of skills in your canvassers with the X’s & O’s of canvassing (scripts, presentation, etc.) and the results they experience from those create motivation (if they get positive results) or de-motivate (they become frustrated with no results). Secondly you create a mind set for the canvasser, the fundamentals behind why they’re canvassing for the company, you, themselves and the customers. Lastly, the physical motivation, the ‘get off their assets’ to go out and apply what they’ve learned in skill set and mind set.
Of all the manager’s tasks, motivation may be the most challenging because every canvasser brings different skill sets and mind sets to begin with and you have to mold them into your system, your required skill sets and mind sets. Remember that the most powerful motivator of all, is not what you can teach them or show them, but how you can make them feel. Teaching and coaching requires a special skill set. Everyone can do it, but I’ve found that getting your mind right about it will help you help others.
As the great man, Zig Ziglar has been quoted to say, “Help enough other people get what they want and you’ll get everything you want.”
I know I’ve covered a lot in this article, and there is so much more I haven’t addressed. If you have questions or need help, my email box is open to receive your questions. You can email me at cthompson@canvassking.com or go to www.AskTheCanvassKing.com to post your questions. I read and answer all of them personally. If your challenges are more immediate and you need help, call my office at (216) 588-1337.
It’s my mission to help every canvasser become a better, more successful canvasser, to help managers become more efficient, productive and happier managers, and owners to maximize the profits in their canvassing departments. Thank you for sticking around.