How to solicit new business in high end residential areas ?

[AllProLC]

Around the northside of Indy the high end business is there, it's just of matter of being able to solicit it. Most of the mid to high end homes & subdivsions have " No Soliciting" signs posted at entrances. Don't want to start in these areas w/ doorhangers & get into trouble but want the biz !!! Any ideas on how to market??

[GSPHUNTER]

If you can get adresses, you could try direct mailers. This will cost more with postage, but it will give you exposure to them without getting in trouble for it. In Missouri, we can't get access to whole streets of addresses for free by going onto the county assesor's web page. This may help you.

[GreenN'Clean]

Direct mail or find out what local newspaper goes to that area and run an ad in that

[green-pa]

What about placing the flyers in the newspaper box instead of going to the door? Is this still illegal? And by just attatching a card or flyer on a door, is that considered "soliciting" or do u have to actually knock? I know many of these people will want the service but then there may be some knuckle heads that may report u to the authoritities. Anyone know what the fine is for soliciting flyers...lol?

[toac]

If you can get adresses, you could try direct mailers. This will cost more with postage, but it will give you exposure to them without getting in trouble for it. In Missouri, we can't get access to whole streets of addresses for free by going onto the county assesor's web page. This may help you.

I don't know how many you plan on sending, but go drive around and write down all the street addresses. Then go to whitepages.com and and do a reverse person lookup. It will give you the name of the of the people at the residence. Time consuming, but could be worth it in the end.

[Grits]

I have talked to my homeowners association about soliciting. They have talked to the "authorities" about it, and apparently you can not stop someone from doing this. I gather that it is not "against the law", but more of courtesy thing that you can't get in trouble for with the law. This information is what I have heard from my homeowner's association, I do not know how accurate it is. So if you get arrested, it is not my fault. :)

Besides, I would think soliciting is knocking on a door and disturbing someone trying to sell them something. IDK.

[rvincent]

I currenty have 1 HIGH end client (2mil house). I plan on sending everyone on their block a letter this weekend outlining my services.

[echeandia]

And by just attatching a card or flyer on a door, is that considered "soliciting"...

Yes it is considered soliciting. I actually called the sheriff's department here thinking I might need a permit to go door to door. They said no permit was necessary.

[AllProLC]

Thanks for suggestions guys. Tyring to tap into large area of high-end homes in my area, feel like if I can get 1 or 2 in a neighborhood things will really take off.

[echeandia]

Thanks for suggestions guys. Tyring to tap into large area of high-end homes in my area, feel like if I can get 1 or 2 in a neighborhood things will really take off.

Those neighborhoods usually have a non-gated entrance. Either that or you can slip the guard a $20.

[justanotherlawnguy]

Around here you can hand out door hangers and not get in any trouble. In fact I have done plenty of work in neighborhoods with no solicitation signs and the homeowners told me I should hand out business cards to all the neighbors.

Most just dont want to be bothered with the freak door to door religious sales creeps.

As long as you dont go door to door and do hard selling you should be ok. Leave a flyer and if they are interested they will call.

Last word of advice, million dollar home subdivisions are not even worth it! They will critique you to no end, complain about price, and not appreciate your hard work. Did I mention they complain about price.

[HOOLIE]

I would just go in and pass the flyers out...for the most part 'no soliciting' means people don't want you knocking on their door.

My sister lives in such a neighborhood, and she still gets a bajillion flyers despite the place having a gate and guard.

[Yard Cowboy]

I agree about the "high end" client. It appears they often times feel a sense of entitlement and don't always appreciate what you are doing. Ignorance, as they quite possibly have never had to do it.

[echeandia]

I agree about the "high end" client. It appears they often times feel a sense of entitlement and don't always appreciate what you are doing. Ignorance, as they quite possibly have never had to do it.

That's why you can charge them more. A guy like you or me wouldn't pay at all because we couldn't justify the cost and would do it ourselves. But these people aren't about to do anything and are ready to pay.

[Yard Cowboy]

No doubt they can be an easy sale because you know they aren't going to do it themselves. However, that doesn't always make them easy to deal with. Of course, not all of them are like that but I have dealt with my share in sales that all they do is gripe about price and want more and more from you. It chaps my a** sometimes to see a guy barely scraping by give it over more easily than they guy making over $250K a year. And a lot of times, we jump through their hoops and take their crap in hopes of getting that carrot of more business through their friends and business contacts..

[echeandia]

... all they do is gripe about price and want more and more from you. It chaps my a** sometimes to see a guy barely scraping by give it over more easily than they guy making over $250K a year. And a lot of times, we jump through their hoops and take their crap in hopes of getting that carrot of more business through their friends and business contacts..

It seems that you have a few issues that you need to fix. If you are barely getting by you should either charge more for your services or watch your spending more closely. Secondly, I don't know what kind of crap people are giving you but you don't have to take it, provided you did what you said you would do. Work on these things and your business and you will prosper.

[Yard Cowboy]

I definately have issues I need to fix. lol However, I was referring to the "customer" barely getting by, not myself (I'm just starting in this business as an owner. I do have experience though). I have worked with customers that brought home less than $50K a year as a household and don't complain as much about price as some do that bring in 5x that. Those are my experiences. As far as crap taken, if I allow it, I guess I shouldn't complain..