Owning a home is a big pain in the A_ _! I’ve been around the home improvement industry long enough and seen a lot of homes that needed help… badly. I’ve been in so many homes and worked with so many people to get financing for their improvement projects I know what it takes to keep a home going.
You have to keep in mind that for most people their home is the single biggest investment they’ll ever make… in their lifetime. I’ve met people who’ve lived in the same house 30, 40, 50 years. Especially in today’s economy, with foreclosures at their highest and credit lending at its stiffest people just don’t have the luxury to pick up and move on a whim as they once might have.
For the most part, homeowners are in the mindset to stay in their home as long as they can. With that said who in their right mind wouldn’t be interested in considering what you have to offer? I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating; canvassing is a challenging career. It’s not for everyone, but if you learn the scripts and develop your skills it’ll prepare you for every endeavor in your life. You owe it to yourself to keep a positive attitude, even on those days when it seems every door is being slammed in your face.
Customer testimonials are a powerful sales tool, but I find them to be a great motivator too. Review the customer testimonials your company’s gotten in an effort to pick up your spirits. They’ll re-energize you; they’ll validate the idea that you are bringing homeowners great value.
I had a phenomenal testimonial from a customer who said, “I would never do business with a company who knocked on my door. When I opened the door and saw this young man on my doorstep with a great smile on his face I was curious as to why he was there, but also skeptical of someone coming to my door. However he was professional and did a great job of persuading me against my instincts and his presentation was clear. Then the presentation on the windows was fabulous! Your sales person pointed out things we’d never considered. I’m glad to say we took advantage of your offer and couldn’t be happier with our windows. To think, if I’d blown that young man off we’d of missed out. Thank you!”
When my canvassers were feeling “beat up” I’d pull out testimonials and have them read. I could visibly see their self-confidence pick up as they read them. It was like watching a balloon being re-inflated. When they came back to the office after their shift canvassing, their numbers reflected their re-energized enthusiasm.
As a canvasser you’re in direct marketing and you’re going to handle a lot more No’s than Yes’s. Successful canvassers recognize 2 things:
1. They’re not selling the product, only the opportunity to look into it (an appointment)
2. They’re offering the homeowner a significant value proposition
You can control the situation at the door when you learn the scripts so well it is your conversation; you know the rebuttals so well they’re instinctive. What you can’t control is the homeowner and how they respond to you. There are 5-steps to my canvassing program and I teach canvassers that if you get through all 5 steps and the homeowner still says no then you’ve done everything you can to present the opportunity. If after step 5 you can’t book the appointment it’s time to say, “Thank you for your time… have a nice day” and move on to the next door.
As you walk away from that door, on your way to the next one, you have to pick yourself up mentally; tell yourself, “Well that person was crazy!” Have fun with it.
Think about it, we offered our time for free to show the homeowner a way to improve their most valuable investment and ways they could save money on utilities and maintenance costs, day in and day out; all from a reputable, trustworthy company that provides references, websites, and all types of information to check us out before meeting with them for the estimate.
In addition, we provided them with information on many programs that are making the home improvements more affordable than ever. For example, advertising discounts, financing, partials, tax credits and rebates. We’re flexible to meet with them on their terms, mornings, afternoons, evenings or weekends. At the very least they’ll be equipped with the knowledge to be able to plan for the future of their home.
You’re going to have to give 100% at the next door. If you don’t, your attitude will get worse, your posture will get lower, your shoulders will round over as you walk, your voice will take on a tone of discouragement and you’ll instantly communicate that at the next door. Don’t think for an instance the homeowner doesn’t see that; they do, and many will “kick” you when you’re down because they know you’ll be vulnerable to accept the first no they give you. Don’t take it! You’re a professional canvasser! They’re CRAZY, not you!