Interrupting The Homeowner when they’re in the middle of something, leaving the house, or with a group of people
Over the last couple of months I’ve covered several different introduction techniques depending on the scenario your canvasser will encounter at the front door. This month let’s talk about one you can use when you don’t get to the front door.
As we get into spring and summer more and more homeowners are going to be outside the home doing yard work, washing the car, working in the garage, on their way out, or even having a “gathering” with neighbors or friends; this could be a picnic or an informal congregation in the front yard. Regardless of the situation, it creates a different dynamic than the traditional canvassing scenario of knocking on the front door and the homeowner answering.
Keep in mind that everything is the same with the exception of the homeowner’s location. In a traditional situation you have to get the homeowner to open the door for you to present, but in this case there’s no physical boundary between you and the homeowner (the front door).
In many cases when your canvasser approaches the home and notices that the person is outside often that person won’t notice the canvassers so it’s important they get their attention without startling them, or hindering their opportunity for an appointment.
This is pretty easy, but I’ve seen canvassers mess it up. The two important elements in getting the homeowner’s attention when you approach are:
- Volume
- Distance
Volume
When you approach the homeowner, you have to announce yourself loud enough to be heard, but not so loud that you freak them out. I announce myself with a projected, warm, “HELLO.” This makes your presence known in a friendly, neighborly way. You don’t want to start into your introduction until you’ve gotten the homeowner’s attention and you’ve established a rapport. If you start right into your introduction it’ll scream of “SALESPERSON” to the homeowner and their defenses will go up immediately and you’ll have to work to get their guard down.
Distance
The distance you announce yourself from is important. You don’t want to be so far away that you have to scream hello, but not so close you’re right on top of the person. If you’re too close when you announce yourself you can scare them. Each scenario can be different, so you have to consider the conditions, but I’ve found that 15-20 feet is a good rule of thumb. From this distance you can say hello in a slightly elevated voice, but not so loud you’re shouting. If the homeowner is doing something that creates a lot of noise, like cutting the grass, you’ll have to get their attention visually first, but again, not in a startling way.
Acknowledge they’re in the middle of something
The second key is to acknowledge they’re in the middle of something. Incorporating this into your introduction will help establish rapport. For example, “Hello, I see that you’re getting ready to leave.” Or, “Hello, I see that you’re cutting the grass.” This gets their attention, it buys you time and it’s a soft transition into your introduction. If you were to say, “Hello, I have a notification here…” you telegraph that you don’t care what they’re doing; you’re only interested in what you’re “selling.” Acknowledging what they’re doing as part of your presentation is a key to connecting with the homeowner and establishing rapport.
Sometimes acknowledging what the homeowner is doing can spark a conversation about that subject, and that’s OK, as long as you keep focused on why you’re there and bring the conversation back to your presentation.
The Group
A situation that I see canvassers having trouble with is approaching a group of people. The key is to quickly identify who the homeowner is. You can’t be a wimp here. Canvassers can be intimidated by a group of people, but the sooner you can identify the homeowner the quicker you can present. Besides, if the group of people are all neighbors, it’s an opportunity to make one presentation to multiple homeowners, but that’s a whole other subject that I won’t address here.
The key in singling out the homeowner is in your scripting. When I approach a group of people and I can’t visually identify the person I should be talking to here’s what I say, “Hello, I see you’re all together, actually I have a notification, which one of you is the homeowner so I can drop this notification off?” Immediately all eyes will turn to that person and now you know to whom to speak.
Don’t be a wimp. You’ve got to be direct and to the point. If you’re timid about it they’ll sense it and you’re more likely to accept a NO when it comes time to close for the appointment.
In summary, when approaching the home and you notice they’re outside, announce yourself with a friendly “Hello” loud enough to be heard and from a distance that won’t startle them, acknowledge what they’re doing and transition into your introduction.
Here’s an excerpt from one of my customized client coaching videos. (Click on video below to play)
(For more information on how you can create a customize canvassing coaching video call me at 216-588-1337)