# Door to door "soliciting"?



## Hubjeep (Jan 9, 2002)

For lack of a better word, lol.  

I have a handful of driveways... all neighbors, and would ideally like more on the same road. I know fliers could work, but has anyone actually gone door to door asking if anyone was interested in plowing?

Thanks,
John


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## All_Clear (Jan 28, 2005)

Actually its not a bad idea, helps keep the route tight. Introduce yourself, your business, hand them a card or flyer, i think the interaction and meeting helps sell yourself. Might throw something in that lets them know you'll already be in the area. Most will feel safer hiring if they know a neighbor has hired you. Just my 2 cents.


All_Clear


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## SnowGuy73 (Apr 7, 2003)

I think it would make you look like your "in need of work" and unprofessional. Thats just my way of thinking.


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## exmark1 (Nov 30, 2005)

I agree! It would make you seem for lack of a better word desperate for work. Maybe just send them a flyer then if they are interested they will contact you on there time, if there not they can just toss it out! To me it seems less intrusive into there personal time at home.

Just a thought...


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## (SIC) PLOW (Dec 8, 2005)

I would have to agree with the other guy's on this. Nobody likes someone beating on the door trying to sell them anything.... services or vacuums. JMO


But.... I don't see anything wrong with a flyer put on the door handle, they can look it over at their leisure and make a call or not.


Jason


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## plowman350 (Jul 19, 2004)

*Door to door works!*

Here's where I will disagree with most....door to door really works! You do need to overcome the impression that you "need" work. That's pretty simple though.

Include in your pitch, that you have been in great demand, but your accounts are too scattered...so this year I'm concentrating on your neighborhood, which helps keep me efficient, and keeps my prices vert competetive.

This lets them know that you're a sought after service, but you're a smart business person as well. It might not work on everyone....but it shows that you've put some thought and dedication into your business. Smart business people are usually successful, and everyone believes that successful people are more reliable than joe blow who will take any account he can touch.

Most of my business comes from my lawn customer base, and most of those I've acquired by face to face interactions. I put out about 2000 flyers last year and only got 2 customers from it. When I knocked on doors and spoke to people in person (while handing out flyers) I got about 10 customers, using a lot less flyers. I only knocked on about 100 doors....that's 10% return as opposed to 2 customers from 2000 flyers (0.1%).

If you sell yourself and are good with people....you'll get better response from face to face.....I would hire a service from a person I talked with rather than randomly call a phone number on one of the 28 flyers I recieved this year.

Good luck to you.


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## addicted (Dec 13, 2005)

I go door to door. Works great. Get to meet people, and when they are impressed they tell their friends and neighbors. Last year i picked up a customer by knocking. He liked my work so much he gave me 3 other houses to do. This past storm he promised 4 more! There is no better advertising than word of mouth!

I also drive around after i finish all my regulars and look for people who are struggling with shovel. Roll down the window "need some help with that?" Almost guaranteed, and they usually already did half of the driveway for you!


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## RODHALL (Nov 23, 2005)

Let the people you plow for know your looking for more work in the area. Offer a $10 discount if they can get 4 of there neighbors to let you plow.

Once we are done plowing our normal customers, I work my way home going door to door. It ends up being 50/50 on undone driveways of getting the job. and about half will ask you to plow the rest of the season for them.


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## Foxfire (Sep 25, 2003)

*Door Knocking*

I have 31 res I got 24 of them from knocking on doors, In my eyes this is telling them you are not afraid to work, A lot of older folks like this Ideal, I have also been told I'm so glad you came thats to much to keep shoveling...


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## JLK 1500 (Oct 11, 2005)

not saying that iam a vet at this but what worked for me this year was going door to door and leting the residents know that my company was in the area and we can price very competative. after the first snow fall i had a pen and paper with me and wrote down the address that were in my route that had someone else plowing them out. stopped back later that after noon and asked them if they were happy with there services, and if they had heard about my company. just to kinda get some feedback. many of the same people had called me when there contractor didnt show up, or when he refused to come back later in the afternoon. 70% of these people singed on with me jan 1st. because they seen my face and service.


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## SnowIsGood (Oct 19, 2005)

*Door to Door*

I work in Commercial so we have hired someone else to do our driveway. We use the same guy the other five houses around us use. He may even have the whole street for all I know. We had hired someone different first year we were here and then asked the neighbors whom they use because he did better job. It is nice when all driveways get done at same time because then he seems more considerate of where he puts mounds of snow. I have gotten flyers for lawn and other services and appreciate them. I agree that knocking door to door may not go over well because in this day and age - not everyone wants to answer door to people they don't know. Times have changed. However, a good flyer in the door would be appreciate by most I think. If you want a certain neighborhood, I would canvas it and contact current clients & ask them if they have any referrals for you. That way if they give you names - you are not going blind. That is how our neighbors picked up our lawn service. They all asked us who we used but before three of them could switch, our lawn service contacted them and gave them a discount because they already had work in area. It works for the Service Provider and for us, the homeowners, because when I see them coming or at the neighbors, I can pull the dogs in if I'm home. Word of mouth is the most powerful tool you can use.


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## RJ snow (Oct 4, 2005)

Hubjeep said:


> For lack of a better word, lol.
> 
> I have a handful of driveways... all neighbors, and would ideally like more on the same road. I know fliers could work, but has anyone actually gone door to door asking if anyone was interested in plowing?
> 
> ...


Tell ya what I did this year and it worked great...Send out a post card advertisement!!! You can target your streets and customers in a certain area and you will get your ad in front of all the clients you can handle legally. Did you know that its illegal to stuff mailboxes or newspaper tubes. And door to door is definetly a desperate measure and customers know that. The best part about it is everyone that has an address has a mailbox and they will see your ad. Some people don't read classifieds some don't even get the newspaper. Some people don't ever open a phonebook either but you know what they go out and get the mail every day rain or shine cold or hot they always get their mail. Proof in the puddin is... I sent out 500 cards and booked my route solid in one month for the season residential & commercial, oh and all my route is within a 2 mile circle of base. Folks like to have there plow guy live close by too, and they trust you more because your local so don't let them down and do good work and you'll have a client base for years to come. Some were even willing to pay me at a higher rate just because they were so near by. They said, "last year the guy wouldn't show 1/2 the time and when we called he said it wasn't snowing here where he lived" Beleive me people don't like to hear that excuse ever....! Best of all time and fuel savings alone brought the profit margins way up in a single season. 
$150 bucks for five hundred ads to a target audience that you know will be seen is well worth the money.


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