There’s no doubt the real estate market’s in the dump. People are staying in their homes longer and investing more in the upkeep of their homes and government’s encouraging it. With credit and financing tighter than ever before it’s no wonder people are staying put. I wonder then why the same institutions are working hard to construct road blocks for us in the home improvement industry. The same industry that’s helping people stay where they are longer and helping drive real estate values back up.
The only answer I can come up with is bureaucracy at the local level. There are more small towns in America than big and the people at the government level are familiar faces to the very same homes and neighborhoods in which you’re knocking on doors. And because those neighbors know their council person’s personal cell phone they’re quicker to complain to the right people. And because they’re neighbors the council people are quick to side with them and enact these ordinances and give them silly names like, “The No Peddler’s Ordinance.”
No I don’t have empirical evidence that this is exactly how these crazy ordinances are getting passed, but I do know regardless of how they get created and what they’re called they’re standing in your way of serving the community, making money and paying your taxes.
It’s not my intention to make this a political discussion, but rather to reassure you that you’re entitled to canvass neighborhoods. I’ve successfully canvassed “no knock neighborhoods.” That’s not to say I haven’t experienced someone exercising their unalienable constitutional right to pick up the phone and call and complain to their council person. I’ve had a few local magistrates approach me during my career; it’s unavoidable.
You can however minimize its frequency and prevent having people call the authorities. Here’s how I did it. There are 3 areas.
- Who you’re hiring
- Your system
- Are you being honest?
All three of these are internal decisions you can make and control.
First, who are you hiring? Are you attracting quality, value oriented people as applicants to your canvassing program. Your recruiting methods and messages will control this. You need people who will adhere to your professionalism; people who will follow your scripts and systems. Are they willing to adopt your philosophy?
It’s great we live in a country that embraces individualism where a young adult can where their pants half way down their butt, but you don’t have to employ them. And if you find someone who fits your profile, has the work ethic and attitude to fit your program, but dresses or acts in contradiction to your policies and program then they need to change or you don’t hire them (or worse, you fire them).
Second, what is your system? Are you selling products or offering opportunities to consider the products. Do you have tried and tested canvassing scripts that produce consistent results or are you “just winging” it? I will be so bold to say that it has been a game changer for companies who have adopted and implemented my system. If you’re going into neighborhoods afraid of the authorities because you’ve had to deal with it often, then it may be time to reevaluate your system and message.
And third, are you willing to be honest with your hires. This ties back to part of #1, but it’s so important it’s a component unto itself. If you have a young kid who dresses a certain way and you have a dress code are you coaching him or her on how they must behave when on the job? I’m not saying you tell them, “Pull up your pants.” You’re not their parent; they’re probably hearing that from mom or dad. Instead, you need to tell them why they have to pull up their pants.
The fact of the matter is that it doesn’t matter what they do outside the office when they’re not on your time, but when canvassing and marketing for you, in the situation that they will, they’re going to be canvassing to all types of generations, people’s opinions, etc. The words you work on to develop into your scripts are done for a certain purpose and a desired outcome and when you have a youngster who dresses “different”, the two won’t correlate (their words and appearance/behavior) in the homeowner’s mind. It’s yet another obstacle that can be avoided.
Sometimes they’re hard decisions to make, but when you communicate the reason behind your actions, policies and directions and then hold consistent to them your people will respect you a lot more when they’re taking home more in their pay checks. At that point they won’t care if you’re a jerk at times because they’ll know you have their best interest in mind. Look at it as being the stern, but loving parent they need. Honesty is always my best policy.