Door to door advice!!!!

[Tha5150]

Got my business cards Friday. Just starting out this season part time (weekends only). Saturday I got out with about 50 cards, knock knock knock on most yards in my 2 mile radius and in my neighborhood. got 1 person starting April 1. extreem overgrowth and needs sprinklers fixed, flower beds, bush removal, etc etc. going to be a profitable one. also got a complete sod job. of the people who werent home or didnt answer, i simply left my card. people who werent interested at all i thanked them. heck everyone i thanked. people who said they mow their own laws, i offered pressure washing driveway or gutter cleanouts, etc etc... something they might not have thought of and need soon. i felt pretty good about getting out there.

one thing i wish i had though, after being in front of a few people, was a flyer to go along with my business card with more details on what i can provide to them. even a few estimate sheets and calculator or something. i need to get a binder with all this in there.

[PROCUT1]

You already said it works. If it works keep doing it.

Im in the commercial sealcoating business. Everything i do is essentially "door to door"

I go into businesses who werent thinking about their parking lot, find someone with papers stacked on their desk a mile high in the middle of 100 other things. And then I have to get them to stop what they are doing to listen to someone talk about something that didnt cross their mind before I walked in there.

Its not easy. You get a lot of rejection. But it works. It works better when I put my brochure on their paper filled desk than if it comes in the mail and ends up there.

[DVF Lawn Care]

Originally Posted by joelslawncare

If this is a turnoff then what should I do for advertising then? I'm not looking for negitave comments! Just helpful advice to market to new customers? Should I leave a flier? Buy yard signs? Any advice would be appreciated!
Posted via Mobile Device

Doing exactly what you are doing has gotten me great results! I don't go at times when people would be eating or sleeping or anything (I'm sure you don't either) I would usually go around 2 or 3 pm. If the door said no soliciting I would not go to that door. Maybe people are working at the time maybe not but I would say about half of the people answered on each block.
I introduced myself as living on their block or the next block over so they would not immediately be thinking "I just want this guy to leave so I could go back inside". I believe by saying I lived nearby gets their attention and they listen. I am 21 and I gave them my whole line about how I am a college student looking to make money to pay for college and all that.

I only saw two possible approaches to trying to get accounts:
1-Drop fliers on their door step which they probably will throw out (I tried that first and got no calls)
or 2-Speak to them in person and introduce myself which got me 4 accounts right off the bat and then those 4 people talked to others on their block and now I have 12.

Keep doing what your doing!

[CozyHollow]

Cozy Hollow Landscaping & Firewood here and this is also my first year starting out as well.

I was told to get as many "post cards" as I could afford and go door to door and just leave them. DO NOT put anything IN the mailbox. Around here (Jersey) people frown HARD upon soliciting. The North East where I live is known for people not wanting to be bothered when strangers come a knockin'. I got 1000 real nice color on one side and black and white print on the back side post cards from Vista Print. 99 bucks and 250 free Biz cards. Hit as many houses as you can and just keep PUSHIN'!

[joelslawncare]

Originally Posted by Procut lawn expert

how can i pm them or can you send me your email i get you some letters and stuff i bought this kit it is all professional made letters all flyer it also has a bid calculator if i can send it ill try to just send you the whole kit do you now how i could do that . its a how to start a lawn care business kit . i have been in business for 21 years and it really helped me out . it has some good stuff in it that you need to know ..

Sorry don't know how to pm you? I'm new to this forum. I would greatly appreciate it if you sent me that info! My email is joelaltmeyer@gmail.com
Posted via Mobile Device

[phillie]

Hey Joel, I think knocking is a great way to get business. If you are doorhanging you dont have to leave them if you get an answer stretching your dollar. The proven fact that you are getting results should prove to you that it works. There is no perfect way to go u to each customer as everyone is different. The more you do it the more comfortable you get talking to new people. I have grown my company to 120 properties in 2 years and a big part of it was knocking on doors. Just know that canvassing isnt the only form of marketing you should be doing to get customers.

[joelslawncare]

Originally Posted by phillie

Hey Joel, I think knocking is a great way to get business. If you are doorhanging you dont have to leave them if you get an answer stretching your dollar. The proven fact that you are getting results should prove to you that it works. There is no perfect way to go u to each customer as everyone is different. The more you do it the more comfortable you get talking to new people. I have grown my company to 120 properties in 2 years and a big part of it was knocking on doors. Just know that canvassing isnt the only form of marketing you should be doing to get customers.

Posted via Mobile Device
Thanks for posting your advice! I use todo lawncare two years ago and lives it. And I'm starting back up trying to make it a career. What did you do to gain the 120 clients besides knocking on doors? Thanks

[phillie]

Keep in mind 120 fert/squirt customers isnt like lawn mowing customers. Really 120 isnt that many. I have my truck lettered nicely, uniforms, website, direct mail campaigns, and online marketing. My customer referrals have worked better than anything though. Really I was just trying to get you to realize that successful marketing doesnt happen with just 1 point of attack. Mainly knocking on doors will give you a lot of rejection but its worth it for the amount of customers you can pick up.

[wswebster42]

Originally Posted by Procut lawn expert

i will be coming through there friday and the next monday i will be coming back from western KY and i can meet you own the way out, or own the way back monday.

just wondering would you happen to be coming down I-40 from around Nashville? If you don't mind shoot me an email and I'll reply with my phone number and then we can get this set up a little quicker. cleancut_tn@yahoo.com
Posted via Mobile Device

[1.2.3. green]

Originally Posted by j-ville native

Fliers would be better than what you are doing now because it would save you a lot of time and you wouldn't be bothering people. If they are interested, they can call you on their own terms and not yours. Never tried yard signs so I can't comment on that. I've got all my customers in many different ways including fliers, word of mouth, having a web site, having signs on my trailer. If you do a good job customers will refer you to friends and neighbors. A lot of times while I'm mowing, neighbors of customers will come up to me to ask for estimates just because they've seen me there on a regular basis and seen my work. This has been happening even before I got trailer signs

Known fact that door to door or face to face however you word it is the best way to get new accounts.Weekends on a nice day when homeowners are out working on thier property...go up to them and introduce yourself,you'll know right away if thier interested or not.Business cards should be on you at all times and put them everywhere you can imagine.I also give $100 for referrals if it leads to full time account