What Does A New Hire / Entry Level Canvasser Have to Produce Over a Pre-designated Period of Time for you to know they have the skill, ability, attitude and work ethic to consistently produce results
I asked you to consider this last month. To effectively define this you have to put it in black and white; what’s the single thing that defines whether a canvasser is or is not doing their job.
New hires want to do a good job and you want to make good decisions. Having a defined benchmark for performance satisfies both those needs; something by which you both can measure. If the hire is underperforming, they’ll know themselves and they’ll know how close or how far away they are from hitting the benchmark.
Often owners want to hire a canvass manager to take on the responsibility of hiring, promoting and firing because they don’t have the time to manage people. Having a defined performance measuring system can help you manage people with little effort, whether you have a canvass manager or not. It takes the burden off you or your manager having to be the “bad guy.”
It’s Not A One Size Fits All Solution
There are variables you must consider when you create your performance benchmarks.
There are some factors to keep in mind.
- Are canvassers working full or part time?
- What hours of the day are they canvassing?
- How many products do they canvass for?
- What’s your “sit” or demo policy?
These questions should sound very familiar. I wrote a series of articles from February to May 2009 about what I call the canvassing matrix, or the numbers behind canvassing. I’d recommend you go back and review those articles to help you develop your own performance review benchmarks.
How Can You Measure?
In my published Canvassing Manual one system I outline is a point system. It’s a means for motivation, but more importantly it’s a system to monitor individual performance in a fun way. It’s a standardized system for evaluating who needs a pat on the back and who needs a kick in the tail. You can also measure by tracking demos by pay period or months. (You receive a copy of my Canvassing Manual free when you sign up for the Exclusive One on One Phone Coaching)
When I work with canvassers I focus their understanding that when they’re at the door they’re not selling the product, but rather the appointment for the demo. The reality is that canvassing is really about demos. The focus with your canvassers should not be about leads or sales, but rather demos. You need to know how many demos per week, per canvasser you need to be profitable.
In addition to knowing how many demos you want from each canvasser you also need to determine the “measuring period.” I find that 6 to 9 weeks is a good measuring period; it’s not too long or too short. You may want to make it longer, but there’s a danger in making the time period too long, like 6 months. It should be reasonable and attainable by the canvasser.
Here’s a monthly model I’ve used successfully for performance measurement.
Let’s say I determine I want a 2 demo per week average from each canvasser, which equals 8 per month. If a canvasser is able to produce that many qualified and confirmed demos per month for two consecutive months then they’ve proven themselves to me to have the skill, attitude and work ethic to consistently produce results. This would be a good indication, to me, they have what it takes to move to the next level.
Instead of monthly, you also could measure it by pay period. Tie it directly into when your company pays canvassers; for some it’s weekly, others bi-weekly. You can evaluate their performance each time they’re paid.
Keep your performance measurement between 6-9 weeks for your pay period. Again, they would have to hit the goal consecutively.
The choice is yours. The key is to create a clear, measurable performance review system that is representative of how you want your department to grow.
Keep in mind; they must hit your performance standard consecutively. If they don’t, then start the measuring period over.
Once you’ve created your Entry Level Performance Review System, and you have canvassers who are meeting or exceeding these benchmarks, you’re ready to move them to the next step. You’ve established the “black and white” measuring system and have canvassers who’ve proven they have the skill, ability, work ethic and attitude; all the things they need to be successful, but as a manager or owner, what do you do next? They’ve proven they can turn what they’ve learned into consistent performance, but can they teach and coach others? I’ll jump into that next month.
If you’d like to learn more about training you can call me for a brief, free phone consult. You can contact me directly at (216) 588-1337.