What's a good product to sell door to door?

by socialentry Banned
163 replies
Hi,

I'm pondering what to do this summer amongst several options.

I'm returning to school very soon as my priority is to accomplish my academic goals as fast as possible. Maybe I have some more free time in August but I don't want to do anything too complicated.

A job would be the first thing to come to mind. but I have summer courses, I think it's a bit in bad faith to apply just to plan to quit 1 month afterward.

It's not a lot of time. I've been thinking maybe finding something to sell and going door to door.

What would be the criterias of a good physical product to do this? What's a net profit I should aim for per product?
#door #good #product #sell
  • Profile picture of the author wentzco
    Well first if you sell your own products door-to-door - make sure you have a permit to conduct door-to-door sales. Each city/state will have various rules. If you sell for a business then again make sure they also follow the rules.

    I used to sell Kirby vacuums 30 years ago which was profitable but wears you down (door-to-door or preset appointments). I even had my own dealership after a while. A friend of mine sold meat (steaks/burgers) that he purchased from a local meat processing plant. He made some good money & it was an easier sale.
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    • Profile picture of the author Bigdirty
      You are right sir...I just read that in my city you have to pay for a permit to go door to door. A lot of people do not realize this. Those sneaky cats.... :p
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  • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
    Originally Posted by socialentry View Post


    It's not a lot of time. I've been thinking maybe finding something to sell and going door to door.
    You make it sound easy, no time to learn, just slap me up something that would sell. Have you ever sold door to door before, do you have the chops and alls to make it work, regardless of product?

    Got all of that? then there would be a few local companies already doing this so why not plug into one of those sales teams and sell a product that is already selling door to door.

    must be easier ways to make a few dollars ?
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  • Profile picture of the author Yvon Boulianne
    food is easy to sell, once i was young and selling all kind of high price food like fish and meat, was easy..
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    Claude is the man to tell you all about door to door.
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    • Profile picture of the author yukon
      Banned
      Originally Posted by laurencewins View Post

      Claude is the man to tell you all about back doors.
      Fixed it...
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  • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
    Originally Posted by socialentry View Post

    Hi,

    I'm pondering what to do this summer amongst several options.

    I'm returning to school very soon as my priority is to accomplish my academic goals as fast as possible. Maybe I have some more free time in August but I don't want to do anything too complicated.

    A job would be the first thing to come to mind. but I have summer courses, I think it's a bit in bad faith to apply just to plan to quit 1 month afterward.

    It's not a lot of time. I've been thinking maybe finding something to sell and going door to door.

    What would be the criterias of a good physical product to do this? What's a net profit I should aim for per product?
    You're at university? Or high school?

    One thing about colleges, every student needs textbooks, and then, after the class is over, you can't get anywhere near what they cost. Start buying and selling textbooks.
    As for door to door, no permits needed for surveys. On behalf of home improvement companies, who will pay for leads and even more for a customer.

    GordonJ
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by GordonJ View Post

      You're at university? Or high school?

      One thing about colleges, every student needs textbooks, and then, after the class is over, you can't get anywhere near what they cost. Start buying and selling textbooks.
      As for door to door, no permits needed for surveys. On behalf of home improvement companies, who will pay for leads and even more for a customer.

      GordonJ
      Maybe the best idea. There isn't enough time to get proficient at a complicated sale. Selling meat is simple (not easy, but easy to learn) and selling home improvement leads is easy to learn and pays well.

      I'd just call a home improvement company and ask if they have door to door canvasers that gather leads for the reps.

      Originally Posted by yukon View Post

      Fixed it...
      When I was selling in people's homes, my new sister-in-law asked me why I sold by going door to door. I said "I used to go window to window but I got arrested".
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  • Profile picture of the author quadagon


    I'm sure you could flog some of these turned into window stickers.

    'are you sick and tired of salesmen knocking at your door and disturbing your day - I know I am. That's why I bought salesman-be-gone'
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by quadagon View Post



      I'm sure you could flog some of these turned into window stickers.

      'are you sick and tired of salesmen knocking at your door and disturbing your day - I know I am. That's why I bought salesman-be-gone'
      I think I mentioned before that I bought a box of "No soliciting" signs for a buck each, and sold them for ten dollars each, when the person didn't buy a vacuum cleaner from me. It was partly a joke, but it paid for my gas and meals.

      What I didn't mention (I don't think) was that I also spent the afternoon just selling the signs.
      I sold several every hour.

      If I had absolutely nothing except $100 and had to survive, I'd go to a Wal-mart or K-Mart and buy a box of something I think I could sell for 5-10 times my cost.

      Here is a source that I used to use to buy cutlery sets to give away for in home appointments...you can sell most anything wholesale from this company and make a good profit.
      Enjoy.
      https://www.maxam.com/
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      • Profile picture of the author yabesgroup
        Could you share where you bought those $1 "No soliciting" signs from?
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      • Profile picture of the author Kurt
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        I think I mentioned before that I bought a box of "No soliciting" signs for a buck each, and sold them for ten dollars each, when the person didn't buy a vacuum cleaner from me. It was partly a joke, but it paid for my gas and meals.
        You must have made a lot of money...

        Here is a source that I used to use to buy cutlery sets to give away for in home appointments...you can sell most anything wholesale from this company and make a good profit.
        Enjoy.
        https://www.maxam.com/
        In my late teens I sold cutlery sets door to door. I did pretty well with it, but was too young. As soon as either my friend or I sold a set, we'd hit the bar and get a pitcher of beer.

        I bought them for $6.50 a set and sold them for $14.50, then $17.50. I made just as many sales at the higher price as I did at $14.50. The key was I had a brochure that said they retailed for $59.95.

        They were decent knives...the funny thing was if someone checked to see how sharp they were with their thumb, they'd cut themselves and 100% of the people that cut themselves bought. I think it was from embarrassment.
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  • Profile picture of the author umc
    As a former Jehovah's Witness I can tell you that religion can be sold door to door. Find your local Kingdom Hall, ask for a Bible study, get rid of your friends and family, join the cult, and you too can waste your life knocking on doors peddling their cult. I wish I had put those skills to use in something more fruitful.
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    • Profile picture of the author socialentry
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      Originally Posted by umc View Post

      As a former Jehovah's Witness I can tell you that religion can be sold door to door. Find your local Kingdom Hall, ask for a Bible study, get rid of your friends and family, join the cult, and you too can waste your life knocking on doors peddling their cult. I wish I had put those skills to use in something more fruitful.
      A JW couple went to my door once and their pitch was really odd, it went something like this:
      The devil is trying to influence us via shows like Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire slayer. Do you watch Buffy? What does the Bible say about this? Come and find out.

      I am obviously not the prospect for this kind of pitch but how is that supposed to even work?
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by socialentry View Post

        A JW couple went to my door once and their pitch was really odd, it went something like this:
        The devil is trying to influence us via shows like Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire slayer. Do you watch Buffy? What does the Bible say about this? Come and find out.

        I am obviously not the prospect for this kind of pitch but how is that supposed to even work?
        Their pitch at the door wasn't written by a salesperson. Their pitch is what someone...who has no idea how to interest people...thinks is a zinger.

        I had a JW couple at my door once. The guy said "Hi. I'm Bob Jones and this is Sarah Smith" And I said "You are Jehovah's Witnesses"

        And he said "How did you know?"
        And I said "Because nobody introduces themselves to a complete stranger by saying both their first and last names..and the first and last names of their companion. It's just not how people talk"

        My mother was a JW. I walked with her "witnessing" for a few years (as a kid). I don't remember a single person ever inviting us in". It has to be the least efficient way to build a church there is. But at least they feel like they are doing something.

        Two Mormon guys knocked on my door once at 8AM. The first thing one guy asked was "What's your idea of Paradise?".

        I said "Not having someone knock on my door at 8AM".

        "What's your idea of Paradise?" was supposed to suck me into a conversation. Truth be told, it was better than anything we said as a JW.
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        • Profile picture of the author savidge4
          Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

          It has to be the least efficient way to build a church there is.
          When there will only be 144,000 that actually make it to heaven - efficiency isn't really the name of the game. The next person you convert maybe the person that bumps your spot.
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          • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
            Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

            When there will only be 144,000 that actually make it to heaven - efficiency isn't really the name of the game. The next person you convert maybe the person that bumps your spot.
            there is a number on entry tickets ?, you would think that with all of these centuries past that there is now very limited spots remaining. for the rest of us it looks like to hell in a hand basket, good or not there is just no room left at the inn, you miss out.

            Could there be a new WSO, How to grab one of the last few spots, and guarantee your ticket to the pearly gates.
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          • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
            Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

            When there will only be 144,000 that actually make it to heaven - efficiency isn't really the name of the game. The next person you convert maybe the person that bumps your spot.
            One of the 10,000 things we were taught that made no sense to me.
            I remember asking my mom why we didn't have any doctors, scientists, or even college graduates in our church.

            Eventually, the answer was obvious.
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          • Profile picture of the author umc
            Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

            When there will only be 144,000 that actually make it to heaven - efficiency isn't really the name of the game. The next person you convert maybe the person that bumps your spot.
            That's assuming the only hope is a heavenly one. According to them, the majority will live forever on a paradise earth. It's funny that so many walk away with this 144,000 thing because that means that clearly the JWs aren't getting their message across effectively.

            So you see OP, this is an example of what not to do. Don't make your message so complicated and so far away from what others believe that it doesn't compute to them. Find common ground with them and work off of that rather than just trying to be counter to what is popularly held belief.

            Sorry if my post ended up derailing anything here. There are lessons to be learned, and nobody spends more time in a door to door work than JWs.
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            • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
              Originally Posted by umc View Post

              T
              So you see OP, this is an example of what not to do. Don't make your message so complicated and so far away from what others believe that it doesn't compute to them. Find common ground with them and work off of that rather than just trying to be counter to what is popularly held belief.
              That's excellent advice. Don't ever start the conversation with a statement or question that will only sound sane to the already converted.

              If I were going to try to convert someone to my religion, I'd ask "What church do you go to?", "What do you like most about it?". "What question have you asked that hasn't been answered yet?"...

              Anything to establish common ground, and get them talking about religion. Then you see pockets of opportunity where you can answer a question, and establish yourself as someone "in the know". That's selling. It's all selling.

              But the JWs have the same problem that MLM has, they think everyone is waiting with baited breath to hear about their amazing miracle cure. And they are not.
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      • Profile picture of the author umc
        Originally Posted by socialentry View Post

        A JW couple went to my door once and their pitch was really odd, it went something like this:
        The devil is trying to influence us via shows like Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire slayer. Do you watch Buffy? What does the Bible say about this? Come and find out.

        I am obviously not the prospect for this kind of pitch but how is that supposed to even work?
        Our pitches were given to us every month. JWs spend billions of hours every year and yield little results. The birth rate helps more than anything, and many join through informal methods. like talking to people they work with or something like that. The door to door work is busy work to keep people occupied, with terrible presentations. We literally acted them out on stage. Of course, everyone wanted what we had to offer in those skits. It didn't work as well in the real world.

        You can sell things door to door though. Although our message wasn't always well put together we still had lots of people talk to us. Be real, be genuine, and just talk WITH people, not at them. I like the headlight restoration mention above. I've actually done it as an add-on to the mobile detailing business I once had.
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  • Profile picture of the author eccj
    If you have July open I would look at a fireworks stand. I did it once and it was profitable and educational.

    You essentially get a crash course in running a really busy retail store.

    Maybe open a booth at a flea market.

    If you do d2d it has to be a simple sale as others have mentioned.

    Added later: the no soliciting sign may work. There are some nice looking no soliciting signs. With all the solar people selling d2d in some states it may not be a bad way to make some money.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
    Following up on Gordon's and Claude's advice. If you are pounding it door to door, you'll essentially be canvassing.

    Could be for simple sales like Claude suggests or Gordon's survey approach that may turn into a lead or if you are savvy enough to qualify them further, a sale.

    Whatever you decide, here's an additional thought. There are many businesses that would also like to get their info into the hands of the person you are talking to.

    You could hand deliver it for them, in a packet containing, business cards, brochures, discount coupons, etc., and be paid to do so. You'll be paid every time you talk to someone, whether you sell them anything or not.

    Let your imagination run with this one. There are some interesting and very profitable possibilities.

    Ron
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  • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
    Originally Posted by socialentry View Post

    Hi,

    I'm pondering what to do this summer amongst several options.

    I'm returning to school very soon as my priority is to accomplish my academic goals as fast as possible. Maybe I have some more free time in August but I don't want to do anything too complicated.

    A job would be the first thing to come to mind. but I have summer courses, I think it's a bit in bad faith to apply just to plan to quit 1 month afterward.

    It's not a lot of time. I've been thinking maybe finding something to sell and going door to door.

    What would be the criterias of a good physical product to do this? What's a net profit I should aim for per product?
    Here is a tested and proven way to make fast money.

    Instead of selling a thing, sell a service; HEADLIGHT CLEANING.

    You don't even knock on doors, just leave a little note on car windows.

    Spend 30 mins at youtube and watch every headlight cleaning video you find.
    Then practice on your own car or family.
    Print out small biz size cards with your offer.

    Walk down a street and put your offer on car windows. If you see someone working in their yard, give them a card. Probably one of the easiest ways to make 40 to 100 bux an hour.

    If you want, contact me, I'll send you a report (free) on how it is done.

    Also, one stop at a used car lot, a couple of hours later, walk away with a couple hundred bux. Will that work for you?

    GordonJ
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    • Profile picture of the author earman
      Gordon
      I read your reply about headlight cleaning and am very interested in getting a fee copy of the report.

      Thanks in advance
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  • Profile picture of the author socialentry
    Banned
    @GordonJ, I'm a uni student and yeah that works for me!
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  • Profile picture of the author wlasikiewicz
    what about going door to door selling doors?
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  • Profile picture of the author DWaters
    If someone knocks on my door with the intention of selling me something i will most likely tell them no and to get off my property. If they do not i will probably call the police.

    I would rethink your business model.
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    One time a guy knocked on my door and asked If I wanted to buy some steaks (lmao), I looked out at the street and he was driving an old junk pickup truck with a house freezer in the back (classy).

    I told him no thanks but what I was really thinking was I'm not in the mood to die from rotten meat that's been frozen 7 times in the last month.

    He asked me you don't eat steak? I told him no and closed the door. I guess he went away.
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  • Profile picture of the author WebsTraffic
    You can sell a seazon product.You can sell icecream ,icetea
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  • Profile picture of the author gurjinderseo325
    Good thinking i agree to work in free time like in the summer vacation for your earning
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  • Profile picture of the author Bigdirty
    Driveway sealing or grass mowing, window cleaning, gutter cleaning in fall, snow shoveling in winter, junk removal, residential window tinting, post holes for fences, fences in new build neighbourhoods, patio decks, moving students from residence, hot tubs, pool cleaning, duct cleaning, dryer vent cleaning for safety, knife sharpening, roofs, windows and doors, painting, carpet/rug cleaning, renting chickens, painting parking lines etc. If you cannot do it your self find someone who will pay you per sale those are great cash hustles in my opinion but again it all depends where you live and on how creative you get with ur pitch.

    Hopefully someone else can add a few that I missed or dodnt know of.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by Bigdirty View Post

      Driveway sealing or grass mowing, window cleaning, gutter cleaning in fall, snow shoveling in winter, junk removal, residential window tinting, post holes for fences, fences in new build neighbourhoods, patio decks, moving students from residence, hot tubs, pool cleaning, duct cleaning, dryer vent cleaning for safety, knife sharpening, roofs, windows and doors, painting, carpet/rug cleaning, renting chickens, painting parking lines etc. If you cannot do it your self find someone who will pay you per sale those are great cash hustles in my opinion but again it all depends where you live and on how creative you get with ur pitch.

      Hopefully someone else can add a few that I missed or dodnt know of.
      These are all fine ideas for a summer job.

      But after the sale is made...you have to actually do the work. And that's what takes the time.


      Here's an idea. I sell these air purifiers in my store for $395. They sell easily. There used to be a company called Eco-Quest (maybe still in business) that had an MLM empire built on these machines. I remember selling 17 in a day at a mall one Christmas season.

      You can actually buy these in bulk from China (maybe a minimum of 200) for about $65.
      But you can buy them one two at a time on E-Bay. That's where I buy them now.

      Here's a link.
      Home Air Purifier Ionic Ozone Ionizer Cleaner 3500SQF Fresh Clean Smoke Remover | eBay

      No, I'm not an affiliate.
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      • Profile picture of the author Bigdirty
        Thats a good idea only problem with house hold electronics is it doesent comply with federal regulations usually if its from china unless the facility is certified....in other words you didnt pay them to get a sticker
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        • Profile picture of the author savidge4
          Originally Posted by Bigdirty View Post

          Thats a good idea only problem with house hold electronics is it doesent comply with federal regulations usually if its from china unless the facility is certified....in other words you didnt pay them to get a sticker
          I am thinking you are referring to a UL or ETL listing? Its not actually a "Federal" entity. They are however approved by OSHA to actually do "Safety Testing" but no where is there a "requirement" that you have such a certification for the product.

          As the legal system in the States works.. if there was an issue.. and there was a court based grievance not only the person or entity that sold the item, but the company that owns the Brand name and possibly the manufacture would be names in said grievance.

          The reality is the UL and ETL certification does not remove any amount of liability. That is what insurance and or a LLC are for. But alas we are talking about a summer gig and pedaling some electronic wares... wouldn't all of that be over board?
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          • Profile picture of the author Bigdirty
            Compliance with applicable safety standards and directives (e.g. FCC Part 15, RoHS and the EMC Directive) is mandatory when importing electronics to the United States, the EU, Canada, Australia and many other countries. Most Chinese manufacturers cannot ensure compliance, and therefore previous compliance (e.g. Test reports and technical documents) must be verified before selection. Making compliant products' requires more costly components (e.g. RoHS compliant ICs and solder), as compared to electronics not made according to comply with strict safety standards and regulations.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kurt
      Originally Posted by Bigdirty View Post

      Driveway sealing or grass mowing, window cleaning, gutter cleaning in fall, snow shoveling in winter, junk removal, residential window tinting, post holes for fences, fences in new build neighbourhoods, patio decks, moving students from residence, hot tubs, pool cleaning, duct cleaning, dryer vent cleaning for safety, knife sharpening, roofs, windows and doors, painting, carpet/rug cleaning, renting chickens, painting parking lines etc. If you cannot do it your self find someone who will pay you per sale those are great cash hustles in my opinion but again it all depends where you live and on how creative you get with ur pitch.

      Hopefully someone else can add a few that I missed or dodnt know of.
      I knew a guy that would sell two things: A service to spray paint the address numbers of the curb and installing water heater insulation jackets.

      Both were easy sales, although it may be better to sell the large "stick on" numbers for addresses now a days. The sales pitch revolves around how it could save your life because fire, police and ambulance services often have issues finding a residence right away because they can't see the street address. I know this to be true from having driven a taxi for many years. Have a supply of numbers and/or spray paint and some stencils.

      The water heater insulation jackets actually save people a lot of money on their utility bill and will pay for themselves very quickly. You can get them at any Lowes or Home Depot.
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      • Profile picture of the author Kurt
        Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

        I knew a guy that would sell two things: A service to spray paint the address numbers of the curb and installing water heater insulation jackets.

        Both were easy sales, although it may be better to sell the large "stick on" numbers for addresses now a days. The sales pitch revolves around how it could save your life because fire, police and ambulance services often have issues finding a residence right away because they can't see the street address. I know this to be true from having driven a taxi for many years. Have a supply of numbers and/or spray paint and some stencils.

        The water heater insulation jackets actually save people a lot of money on their utility bill and will pay for themselves very quickly. You can get them at any Lowes or Home Depot.
        I should probably add that this was a number of years ago and I'm not sure that people would allow some stranger into their home to install a hot water heater insulation jackets today.

        I also think it's probably a lot harder to do door to door today than it was 2-3 decades ago, but that's just a guess.

        If it were me, instead of going door to door I'd probably come up with a variety of services, then use Craigs List, classified ads, bulletin boards, maybe even HARO to promote those services.

        I wouldn't have a CL ad with a bunch of different services. Instead, I'd get a few phone numbers/forwarding services and post a variety of ads focusing on different single services, with respect to CL's posting TOS.

        College students can be a great resource and are always looking for jobs. I'd concentrate on marketing services, then hiring students to perform the services.

        Also, instead of the typical door to door where you make one sale at a time, I'd work with small businesses to sell them leads. For example, you advertise plumbing services in Craigs List, etc. Instead of making a single sale, when you visit a plumbing company you only need to close a single sale to have repeat business.
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        • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
          Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

          I should probably add that this was a number of years ago and I'm not sure that people would allow some stranger into their home to install a hot water heater insulation jackets today.

          I also think it's probably a lot harder to do door to door today than it was 2-3 decades ago, but that's just a guess.
          It's not harder to sell door to door, but it's far less common than it was a couple decades ago. The reason is that people can shop online ...from their smart phone..and buy most anything you have to sell for less on Amazon or E-Bay. And they can do that while you are standing there.

          It's what killed most bookstores and killed the encyclopedia sales industry.

          So it's important to sell something that can't be shopped online. Or sell such a low ticket item that it isn't worth shopping online.

          Online shopping has killed almost all vacuum cleaner sales...being sold in people's homes. The customer either shops while you are there...or shops after you leave. And cancellations are high.

          Selling door to door is very uncommon now. But there are still guys out there, hammering out a living. And it's much harder to hire someone to sell door to door, because unemployment is so low. If we had 12% unemployment, maybe we might see these businesses spring back up.

          And these companies really don't need door to door salespeople to sell their stuff. Distribution is much easier online. And sales funnels, infomercials, and webinars can do most of the work with lower hassles.

          I recently got a call from a vacuum cleaner company wanting me to open an office and hire salespeople. It was a great deal, but the only offices they had that were successful were the ones in Amish country. I'm not joking. Why? No internet.
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          • Profile picture of the author Kurt
            Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

            It's not harder to sell door to door, but it's far less common than it was a couple decades ago. The reason is that people can shop online ...from their smart phone..and buy most anything you have to sell for less on Amazon or E-Bay. And they can do that while you are standing there.

            It's what killed most bookstores and killed the encyclopedia sales industry.

            So it's important to sell something that can't be shopped online. Or sell such a low ticket item that it isn't worth shopping online.

            Online shopping has killed almost all vacuum cleaner sales...being sold in people's homes. The customer either shops while you are there...or shops after you leave. And cancellations are high.

            Selling door to door is very uncommon now. But there are still guys out there, hammering out a living. And it's much harder to hire someone to sell door to door, because unemployment is so low. If we had 12% unemployment, maybe we might see these businesses spring back up.

            And these companies really don't need door to door salespeople to sell their stuff. Distribution is much easier online. And sales funnels, infomercials, and webinars can do most of the work with lower hassles.

            I recently got a call from a vacuum cleaner company wanting me to open an office and hire salespeople. It was a great deal, but the only offices they had that were successful were the ones in Amish country. I'm not joking. Why? No internet.
            I think you just make my point...

            And this is why it's probably better to try to sell services than products, such as the two I suggested (and many others). But as I said in my post above, I would use methods other than door to door.
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            • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
              Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

              I think you just make my point...

              And this is why it's probably better to try to sell services than products, such as the two I suggested (and many others). But as I said in my post above, I would use methods other than door to door.
              Of course, but for a summer job? You can literally start the same day you buy something to sell.

              In the area I live, nobody knocks on my door except neighbor kids selling cookies or asking to shovel our walk.

              But in my store? I get about 3 cold walkers a week. Selling anything from credit card processing to coupon books. These people are making a living.

              Yeah, services are not only harder to shop, but the idea of shopping probably doesn't occur to the prospect as often.

              The last three life insurance policies I bought were from someone just walking into my store, selling insurance.
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              • Profile picture of the author Kurt
                Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

                Of course, but for a summer job? You can literally start the same day you buy something to sell.

                In the area I live, nobody knocks on my door except neighbor kids selling cookies or asking to shovel our walk.

                But in my store? I get about 3 cold walkers a week. Selling anything from credit card processing to coupon books. These people are making a living.

                Yeah, services are not only harder to shop, but the idea of shopping probably doesn't occur to the prospect as often.

                The last three life insurance policies I bought were from someone just walking into my store, selling insurance.
                Yes, a person can start today, but can they make a sale? It takes some practice, trial and error to get a pitch that makes sales, assuming they have a decent offer to begin with, especially if a person has little to no sales experience.

                I tried selling encyclopedias door to door back in the day and didn't make a single sale after about a week. That's when I switched to selling the cutlery sets. A big part of that was me and I wasn't good at selling higher ticket products. Plus I didn't really believe in the pitch with the encyclopedias.

                For the cutlery, I sold a set about every 40 minutes on average, which meant I was making about $12-$15 an hour back when minimum wage was something like $3.35 per hour. But I only got in the door a 2-3 times with the encyclopedias in that week and never closed a sale.

                Emotionally I did better with more sales (less rejection) at a lower price point/profit per sale. Door to door really requires the ability to handle rejection. I would rather make $100 making $10 per sale than $100 from one sale, assuming they take the same amount of time and effort.

                It was the same with telemarketing...I tried to sell light bulbs by the case (high ticket) which was pretty much a scam and didn't do well at all, but did pretty well when selling tickets to a policeman's ball.
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                • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
                  Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

                  Yes, a person can start today, but can they make a sale? It takes some practice, trial and error to get a pitch that makes sales, assuming they have a decent offer to begin with, especially if a person has little to no sales experience.

                  I tried selling encyclopedias door to door back in the day and didn't make a single sale after about a week. That's when I switched to selling the cutlery sets. A big part of that was me and I wasn't good at selling higher ticket products. Plus I didn't really believe in the pitch with the encyclopedias.
                  .
                  You're right. It's not so much that it's a big ticket, but that it's a complex sale.
                  I met a guy (when in my late 20s) that sold encyclopedias. We became friends, and then he took me with him knocking on doors....(we watched each other give presentations)

                  He sold the encyclopedias by telling people they were free. I had to see more. I went with him for a week. Every day he would get in the door at least twice, and sell at least one set a day. But everything he said was a lie. It was mesmerizing.

                  To me, it was both masterful and repulsive (that people fell for it). I told him "Your a masterful salesman". He was insulted. He said "I'm not a salesman, I'm a con man. You show benefits, and try to close sales. Me? I tell a story. If they believe the story, they buy. If they don't believe it, they don't buy".

                  I learned the pitch and made some sales, but every time the person bought I felt worse.
                  Sure, it was a great set of books, and not even a bad deal. And the people knew they were making payments. They knew what they were paying (by the end of the presentation), and they got what they paid for....

                  It wasn't that I thought the deal was bad, it's that I hated the fact that the people were so easily fooled. I wanted to grab them and yell "Hey! What I'm telling you makes no sense!"

                  So, I went to an Encyclopedia Britannica training, to learn how to legitimately sell encyclopedias, and then left them and sold my own set...and financed the sales myself. Highly lucrative. The most money I ever made selling in homes. I bought the set (maybe 50 books) for $180 and sold them for $1,600 plus interest.

                  I stopped because it was just more fun selling vacuum cleaners. It was a "lighter" sale and I enjoyed it more.. And I went back to selling vacuum cleaners.

                  As an experiment (You'll like this), One year I got tired of listening to sales objections. I was selling a $1,500 vacuum cleaner (Maybe in the late 1980s).....I decided to sell something where I wouldn't hear "Right now is a bad time, can you come back next month?". I could handle the objections, I just got tired of getting them.

                  So, I decided to sell a set of home medical books that I bought for maybe $8, and I decided to sell them for $29. I created a presentation (from when I sold encyclopedias) and started knocking on doors.

                  I got the same objections to a $29 sale as I got on a $1,500 sale. My closing percentage was about the same too. I would hear, "Well right now isn't a good time, I may get laid off"...on a $29 sale. Amazing.

                  So I learned my lesson and went back to selling vacuum cleaners.

                  But even selling a $29 set of books is a complex sale. I think if I were selling cutlery sets, I would have made more sales. The truth is, most people simply don't care about books and learning. It's a hard sale, and that's why my friend needed to approach it as "The books are free". That became the motivation, the fact that they were encyclopedias was secondary.

                  My friend could sell the set to people with no kids. I had to talk to people with young children, or the sale was almost impossible. (based on our approaches).
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                  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
                    Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

                    You're right. It's not so much that it's a big ticket, but that it's a complex sale.
                    I met a guy (when in my late 20s) that sold encyclopedias. We became friends, and then he took me with him knocking on doors....(we watched each other give presentations)

                    He sold the encyclopedias by telling people they were free. I had to see more. I went with him for a week. Every day he would get in the door at least twice, and sell at least one set every day. But everything he said was a lie. It was mesmerizing.

                    To me, it was both masterful and repulsive (that people fell for it). I told him "Your a masterful salesman". He was insulted. He said "I'm not a salesman, I'm a con man. You show benefits, and try to close sales. Me? I tell a story. If they believe the story, they buy. If they don't believe it, they don't buy".

                    I learned the pitch and made some sales, but every time the person bought I felt worse.
                    Sure, it was a great set of books, and not even a bad deal. And the people knew they were making payments. They knew what they were paying (by the end of the presentation), and they got what they paid for....

                    It wasn't that I thought the deal was bad, it's that I hated the fact that the people were so easily fooled. I wanted to grab them and yell "Hey! What I'm telling you makes no sense!"

                    So, I went to an Encyclopedia Britannica training, to learn how to legitimately sell encyclopedias, and then left them ad sold my own set...and financed the sales myself. Highly lucrative. The most money I ever made selling in homes.

                    I stopped because it was just more fun selling vacuum cleaners. It was a "lighter" sale and I enjoyed it more.. And I went back to selling vacuum cleaners.

                    As an experiment (You'll like this), One year I got tired of listening to sales objections. I was selling a $1,500 vacuum cleaner (Maybe in the late 1980s).....I decided to sell something where I wouldn't hear "Right now is a bad time, can you come back next month?". I could handle the objection, I just got tired of getting them.

                    So, I decided to sell a set of home medical books that I bought for maybe $8, and I decided to sell them for $29. I created a presentation (from when I sold encyclopedias) and started knocking on doors.

                    I got the same objections to a $29 sale as I got on a $1,500 sale. My closing percentage was about the same too. I wold hear, "Well right now isn't a good time, I may get laid off"...on a $29 sale. Amazing.

                    So I learned my lesson and went back to selling vacuum cleaners.

                    But even selling a $29 set of books is a complex sale. I think if I were selling cutlery sets, I would have made more sales. The truth is, most people simply don't care about books and learning. It's a hard sale, and that' why my friend needed to approach it as "The books are free". That became the motivation, the fact that they were encyclopedias was secondary.

                    My friend could sell the set to people with no kids. I had to talk to people with young children, or the sale was almost impossible. (based on our approaches).
                    My pitch for the cutlery sets was a bit of a con too. It didn't bother me back then but it would today.

                    I told people that I wasn't a salesman and worked in the warehouse and that we had too many sets of the cutlery in stock. So my boss told me to go out and sell them directly to people for the same price we sold them to stores.

                    Again, I had the brochure that said they retailed for $59.95 but were selling them for $17.50. People were amazed that the "markup" was so high and what a great deal they were getting.

                    The pitch for the encyclopedias revolved around giving people a "half off deal" in exchange for their testimonial, because we're "just getting started" in business. I've seen the same technique used in other advertising.
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                    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
                      Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

                      My pitch for the cutlery sets was a bit of a con too. It didn't bother me back then but it would today.

                      I told people that I wasn't a salesman and worked in the warehouse and that we had too many sets of the cutlery in stock. So my boss told me to go out and sell them directly to people for the same price we sold them to stores.

                      Again, I had the brochure that said they retailed for $59.95 but were selling them for $17.50. People were amazed that the "markup" was so high and what a great deal they were getting.

                      The pitch for the encyclopedias revolved around giving people a "half off deal" in exchange for their testimonial, because we're "just getting started" in business. I've seen the same technique used in other advertising.
                      The encyclopedia pitch I learned was;

                      We aren't salespeople, we are in the area ahead of the sales force to give away 100 sets of the encyclopedias...for a written testimonial. All they had to pay for was the Yearbook.

                      At the end of the presentation, we showed the yearbook at $160, and told them that if they pre-paid for ten yearbooks that we would give them a great set of additional books (maybe 25 books for kids). Everyone took that deal (unless they just didn't buy).

                      Of course, they were just paying $1,600 for a set of 50 books, but it was the way the offer was structured. That feeling of getting "something for nothing" would carry the sale. They would spend the whole time telling us how they always wanted a great set of encyclopedias (because they thought they were getting them for free). By the time we told them that they were paying for the Yearbooks ahead of time...they had already convinced themselves that they really really wanted the set of books.

                      I actually learned quite a lot about psychology in selling from my con man friend. But he was really not a good man, not at all. And for a time, neither was I.
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                    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
                      Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

                      The pitch for the encyclopedias revolved around giving people a "half off deal" in exchange for their testimonial, because we're "just getting started" in business. I've seen the same technique used in other advertising.
                      A great pitch I remember, when I had an office full of salespeople....

                      A guy came in with a large dictionary, a set of VHS Sports Bloopers, and a few other items. He said he was a publisher's rep and asked if he could leave the samples with me and come back in a week to pick up orders.
                      I said "I'll buy everything here, if you'll tell me the truth about how your business works". It took him a minute, but he agreed. (I still have the dictionary. It's huge. It was $20)

                      He told me that they would leave 100 sets of books/tapes, and then go back to collect them and the orders. He said about half had orders, but he really made the money from people misplacing the items (or staff stealing them), and he would get the business owner to pay for the missing items.

                      He said rejection wasn't a problem, because the approach was so low key. He said he kept 50% of what was collected. And he thought the owner of his business was paying about 10% of the selling price for the books/tapes.

                      Later I found exactly the things he was selling from a Remainder House. Yup, these were discontinued and remaindered books. Sold for pennies because storing them cost more than selling them.

                      Many of the loss leaders (through the mail) are really these remaindered books. A premium I used when selling my DVD advertising/sales training sets (years ago) was a cassette tape program put out buy Zig Ziglar. I think I bought 200 sets for $4 each. They were being sold by Nightingale-Conant at the time for $59.95.

                      I would also buy a case or two of popular business books (for a dollar or two each) and send them as gifts, and include them in packages (of my info products)
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                      • Profile picture of the author Kurt
                        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

                        A great pitch I remember, when I had an office full of salespeople....

                        A guy came in with a large dictionary, a set of VHS Sports Bloopers, and a few other items. He said he was a publisher's rep and asked if he could leave the samples with me and come back in a week to pick up orders.
                        I said "I'll buy everything here, if you'll tell me the truth about how your business works". It took him a minute, but he agreed. (I still have the dictionary. It's huge. It was $20)

                        He told me that they would leave 100 sets of books/tapes, and then go back to collect them and the orders. He said about half had orders, but he really made the money from people misplacing the items (or staff stealing them), and he would get the business owner to pay for the missing items.

                        He said rejection wasn't a problem, because the approach was so low key. He said he kept 50% of what was collected. And he thought the owner of his business was paying about 10% of the selling price for the books/tapes.

                        Later I found exactly the things he was selling from a Remainder House. Yup, these were discontinued and remaindered books. Sold for pennies because storing them cost more than selling them.

                        Many of the loss leaders (through the mail) are really these remaindered books. A premium I used when selling my DVD advertising/sales training sets (years ago) was a cassette tape program put out buy Zig Ziglar. I think I bought 200 sets for $4 each. They were being sold by Nightingale-Conant at the time for $59.95.

                        I would also buy a case or two of popular business books (for a dollar or two each) and send them as gifts, and include them in packages (of my info products)
                        I think a big part of sales, and an underrated part, is that to be a good seller you really need to be a good buyer.

                        Back to SocialEntry's original question...what would you recommend to sell door to door? I think I'd go with the address numbers/peep holes and if you agree how would you pitch them?
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                        • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
                          Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

                          I think a big part of sales, and an underrated part, is that to be a good seller you really need to be a good buyer.

                          Back to SocialEntry's original question...what would you recommend to sell door to door? I think I'd go with the address numbers/peep holes and if you agree how would you pitch them?
                          Over the many years I have sold door to door from one side of the country to the other, for many products, kitchen items, electricity churns, auto service gigs, jobs for people looking for work was one, and probably so many things Id care to forget now, but probably the most easiest thing and one of the most profitable was when pay tv was introduced into the country.

                          Everybody wanted it and it almost felt like everybody was just waiting for the pay tv guy or girl to knock the door so they can sign up, but those days are long gone, also highly profitable was home renovation services but these were warm calls I done on homes, that was very good money for the time and in one of my better weeks pulled over 6K plus for not many more hours work and often made on average 3 - 4 times an average worker.

                          That said for me any way, door to door is and was one of the toughest gigs in sales (some people make it sound easy and anyone can do it ?), it is not easy especially if your new as the OP and most would be tappers starved before making living, you really had to learn to get good or go hungry fast.

                          And now a days there would be little to no way I would ever tap another door in my life, yes it was good learning curve and money but there are 101 better ways to make a sale / living than tapping cold doors.

                          If I were to do it peep holes or numbers on footpaths would at the very bottom of my ladder, it takes almost as much time to sell a big ticket item as it can to peddle pencils, and given the same conversion rates I would want to be closing down big ticket items for my time, peep holes and numbers would be just nickle and diming the streets and wasting your time.
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                          • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
                            Originally Posted by tryinhere View Post

                            That said for me any way, door to door is and was one of the toughest gigs in sales (some people make it sound easy and anyone can do it ?), it is not easy especially if your new as the OP and most would be tappers starved before making living, you really had to learn to get good or go hungry fast.
                            I agree. In fact, out of perhaps 1,000 new salespeople that I have hired, fewer than 5% lasted longer than a month, and maybe 5 or 10 were actually in the money. This was a reasonably complex sale.

                            If you were selling something simple like cutlery, or cleaning solution, I think it would just be a matter of knocking on enough doors and having a good personality.

                            And I think you are right about price pints. It isn't any harder to get an appointment (or start a presentation) for a $4,000 product than it is a $40 product. And the closing isn't that much harder on the more expensive item. But a complex sale requires skills that take decades to fully develop, at least it did for me.

                            And there is a difference between "Big ticket item" and "Complex sale". The fact that a sales is complex is what makes it header, not the price point. Just wanted to clarify.
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                            • Profile picture of the author Kurt
                              Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

                              I agree. In fact, out of perhaps 1,000 new salespeople that I have hired, fewer than 5% lasted longer than a month, and maybe 5 or 10 were actually in the money. This was a reasonably complex sale.

                              If you were selling something simple like cutlery, or cleaning solution, I think it would just be a matter of knocking on enough doors and having a good personality.

                              And I think you are right about price pints. It isn't any harder to get an appointment (or start a presentation) for a $4,000 product than it is a $40 product. And the closing isn't that much harder on the more expensive item. But a complex sale requires skills that take decades to fully develop, at least it did for me.

                              And there is a difference between "Big ticket item" and "Complex sale". The fact that a sales is complex is what makes it header, not the price point. Just wanted to clarify.
                              BTW, when I talked about selling cutlery above along with my friend...we met selling encyclopedias. We both went through the training together and tried selling them for about a week, but neither of us made a sale.

                              We then did the cutlery and both made sales pretty consistently, but neither of us had a strong work ethic back then...I was only 19 and he was 22. But our conversion rate for the "high ticket" encyclopedias and the low ticket cutlery were no where near the same, if we were to consider "zero" a conversion rate with the encyclopedias.
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                            • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
                              Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

                              I agree. In fact, out of perhaps 1,000 new salespeople that I have hired, fewer than 5% lasted longer than a month, and maybe 5 or 10 were actually in the money. This was a reasonably complex sale.

                              If you were selling something simple like cutlery, or cleaning solution, I think it would just be a matter of knocking on enough doors and having a good personality.

                              And I think you are right about price pints. It isn't any harder to get an appointment (or start a presentation) for a $4,000 product than it is a $40 product. And the closing isn't that much harder on the more expensive item. But a complex sale requires skills that take decades to fully develop, at least it did for me.

                              And there is a difference between "Big ticket item" and "Complex sale". The fact that a sales is complex is what makes it header, not the price point. Just wanted to clarify.
                              Another consideration is that most folks attempting to get into complex sales positions do not stay with it long enough and hard enough to be successful. Once you get over that hurdle and make your first few sales, you are rolling and it gets much easier.

                              The people who don't hang in there and quit, never realize how close they were to being successful. They never experience the situations where prospects are genuinely interested in what you have to offer. Even complex sales are relatively easy when the prospects want to buy. And they're much more lucrative than smaller sales.

                              You end up working less and making more money. Not a bad way to earn a living.

                              Ron
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                          • Profile picture of the author Kurt
                            Originally Posted by tryinhere View Post

                            Over the many years I have sold door to door from one side of the country to the other, for many products, kitchen items, electricity churns, auto service gigs, jobs for people looking for work was one, and probably so many things Id care to forget now, but probably the most easiest thing and one of the most profitable was when pay tv was introduced into the country.

                            Everybody wanted it and it almost felt like everybody was just waiting for the pay tv guy or girl to knock the door so they can sign up, but those days are long gone, also highly profitable was home renovation services but these were warm calls I done on homes, that was very good money for the time and in one of my better weeks pulled over 6K plus for not many more hours work and often made on average 3 - 4 times an average worker.

                            That said for me any way, door to door is and was one of the toughest gigs in sales (some people make it sound easy and anyone can do it ?), it is not easy especially if your new as the OP and most would be tappers starved before making living, you really had to learn to get good or go hungry fast.

                            And now a days there would be little to no way I would ever tap another door in my life, yes it was good learning curve and money but there are 101 better ways to make a sale / living than tapping cold doors.

                            If I were to do it peep holes or numbers on footpaths would at the very bottom of my ladder, it takes almost as much time to sell a big ticket item as it can to peddle pencils, and given the same conversion rates I would want to be closing down big ticket items for my time, peep holes and numbers would be just nickle and diming the streets and wasting your time.
                            I said earlier in this thread I wouldn't do door to door today and would instead try to get leads for businesses, which would be repeatable and ongoing from a single "sale" to a business. However, that wasn't the question.

                            I seriously doubt someone just starting out would get the same conversion rates on a big ticket item as they would on peep holes and address numbers and would not only need to find a big ticket item, but would also need some serious talent in addition to training. Specifically, what big ticket item would you recommend in this particular situation?
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                            • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
                              Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

                              I said earlier in this thread I wouldn't do door to door today and would instead try to get leads for businesses, which would be repeatable and ongoing from a single "sale" to a business. However, that wasn't the question.

                              I seriously doubt someone just starting out would get the same conversion rates on a big ticket item as they would on peep holes and address numbers and would not only need to find a big ticket item, but would also need some serious talent in addition to training. Specifically, what big ticket item would you recommend in this particular situation?
                              with training ? if i were to go out again it would be in home improvement / repair or similar, and I would be trying to work warm leads. for example roof repair in the onset / during winter as an example. What will be in high demand with people wanting your product and or service and need to solve a problem now and has good amount of dollars to get a good slice of the pie.

                              there is not much difference in setting your sales roles as online research in many ways. what are a lot of people wanting, is it fixing a problem (people pay to fix problems, they simply do not hum and har with a leaking roof and a nagging wife getting wet) and is there good money to be made if you applied yourself.

                              another thought would be an area of town where the old are moving on and the young ones are now moving in and buying up, those areas I bet are doing a lot of renovation, so for example sell new kitchens, and placing yourself in the line of those people looking for new kitchen upgrades, and lets say I could earn 1 - 2 thousand commission and I could close 3 - 4 sales a week it is a much better position to place your self here than selling 20 toasters a week at a few dollars.

                              So no real answer to whats best other than supply, demand and quality and $ all of the usual time tested markers but many people forget these things.

                              I think also Claude and Ron make some good points, people need to learn to stay the course and learn, and the best teachers are the old people that have been doing it for years, if people are lucky enough to get a good mentor they should treasure that opportunity.

                              I would bet if people drove out and spent 1 month working with Claude / Ron or any of the real masters here (and there are plenty of real deals here), one on one in his shop they would learn more than trying to read 5 years worth of material.

                              The biggest problem I see when people read books is they do just that they just read the book, then within 2 days it is forgotten or not put into practice, so they read another book and again it goes in and out, and they end up saying O I have read 100 sales books, but they still know jack didley.

                              any way i am off topic and ranting on now.
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                              • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
                                Originally Posted by tryinhere View Post

                                with training ? if i were to go out again it would be in home improvement / repair or similar, and I would be trying to work warm leads. for example roof repair in the onset / during winter as an example. What will be in high demand with people wanting your product and or service and need to solve a problem now and has good amount of dollars to get a good slice of the pie.

                                there is not much difference in setting your sales roles as online research in many ways. what are a lot of people wanting, is it fixing a problem (people pay to fix problems, they simply do not hum and har with a leaking roof and a nagging wife getting wet) and is there good money to be made if you applied yourself.

                                another thought would be an area of town where the old are moving on and the young ones are now moving in and buying up, those areas I bet are doing a lot of renovation, so for example sell new kitchens, and placing yourself in the line of those people looking for new kitchen upgrades, and lets say I could earn 1 - 2 thousand commission and I could close 3 - 4 sales a week it is a much better position to place your self here than selling 20 toasters a week at a few dollars.

                                So no real answer to whats best other than supply, demand and quality and $ all of the usual time tested markers but many people forget these things.

                                I think also Claude and Ron make some good points, people need to learn to stay the course and learn, and the best teachers are the old people that have been doing it for years, if people are lucky enough to get a good mentor they should treasure that opportunity.

                                I would bet if people drove out and spent 1 month working with Claude / Ron or any of the real masters here (and there are plenty of real deals here), one on one in his shop they would learn more than trying to read 5 years worth of material.

                                The biggest problem I see when people read books is they do just that they just read the book, then within 2 days it is forgotten or not put into practice, so they read another book and again it goes in and out, and they end up saying O I have read 100 sales books, but they still know jack didley.

                                any way i am off topic and ranting on now.
                                You should rant more often. There's a lot of useful and solid information in your posts.Don't be afraid to repeat things, either. People don't always get it the first time around.

                                They need repetition to have that "aha" moment.

                                God knows...I surely do.

                                Thanks for your contribution to this thread.

                                Ron
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                                • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
                                  Originally Posted by Ron Lafuddy View Post

                                  You should rant more often.
                                  Mostly I get told I know nothing, like most of people get I suppose, so lets see if i can upset some now and spoil the lovin.

                                  So we have seen that is the product in demand, does it solve a problem, does it have a high commission / sale point to make it worth your while, is there in some what limited supply or being supplied badly etc, is the product / service of quality etc. and these rules really apply to any sales role people take on door to door or not, if you want to dine in a nice restaurant and not the local takeaway.

                                  Whats next that people need to look at then that's also important, well next to tick of you checklist is the company, Is it established, do they have a proven sales process, are they turning over staff quicker than I have a shave, do they have a strong customer support base etc are some of the questions to ask yourself.

                                  When out in the field / customers house doing your pitch, what presentation material is being supplied ? and even more important is the customer care and support, because if I am out the signing of on a 20K kitchen you can bet one of the big majors will be peace of mind in support if there are problems, and if you do not have this nailed down it can swing a sale away from you.

                                  Avoid working for companies that say things like I have a great idea to make millions and all I need is a sales person, and these people have no sales material or process, have no idea on the process and have no real back end to support those sales, these same people often beat their chests as if they know everything and tend to look down on sales peoples as mere cannon fodder while they work out to even run a business ( you see them on the help wanted ads blurting their crap / just stay away from these people )

                                  Your role in sales is in many ways your own business, so do not make bad business decisions by working for the wrong people, just to get a job, set high expectations and live by that.

                                  So qualify the product and service your selling, and now qualify the company your selling for and in many way you can give these points and then have a minimum amount of points before it meets your criteria.

                                  Ok one more, you have a product / service and company now the next question is how do you sell it?

                                  Back when first starting out in sales well before the internet, sales trainers such as Hopkins and that style were big, and to some point it had some merit ( and I wont go onto why it also not the best way even back then ), but these days are long, long and long gone.

                                  Sitting there in a home for what seems hours trying to make friends and building relationships and every other part of the sales training pyramid is nothing short of going to loose you the sale these days. ( this also ties a little back to the company and if they have old outdated sales practices such as this and wont change, then simply do not bother working with them and move to the next company )

                                  These days most customers are learned and have for the best part studied (in their mind) everything there is to know on giggle, so yes it is fine to break some ice and common ground, that's just polite, but from there forget the make a friend bull crap if you want to close more sales, at this point the customer want's the expert.

                                  So you need to be very skilled in your topic of choice to a point you are an expert in the subject at hand and again when a customer is spending 20K plus with you, they not only need to know there is good back up but the information they are getting is the best, and that I have asked question as to their problem and now as the expert I am solving their problem.

                                  If you get that right ( and there are 101 other little slight moves every good sales person knows it is a combination of everything ) you do not need to sell the customer because you have asked, listened offered an experts view and helped them on how to fix the problem, what happens next if your ducks are in a row is you sell nothing, but they buy from you, often it's shut up, where can I sign and here take my money. NB at this point shut up, stop selling and close the deal, nothing else.

                                  I said one more but a bonus, this thread is about selling door to door, and as said there are better ways, as above the ability to select a product, select a company, and have the ability to close down a sale is good but there is one more skill that far out ways all of these.

                                  and that is the ability to market, of everything if people get this right, it would mean rather than going out tapping cold doors hoping to sell a small item for a few nickels, you can now go out on targeted hot leads and close big sales, but that is whole new story.
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                              • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
                                Originally Posted by tryinhere View Post

                                The biggest problem I see when people read books is they do just that they just read the book, then within 2 days it is forgotten or not put into practice, so they read another book and again it goes in and out, and they end up saying O I have read 100 sales books, but they still know jack didley.

                                any way i am off topic and ranting on now.
                                Reading books on selling is fine. But you need to be out there daily....selling.....to have something to attach your new information to.

                                It also depends on which books you read. For example, if you read 100 motivational books...it's possible to learn nothing at all, except the power of being motivated.

                                I would always suggest reading books written by sales masters, people who have been in the field for decades, setting records. There are only a few books written by academics (on selling) that I find really valuable. SPIN Selling is one, Influence is another.

                                But thinking you know how to sell, just because you have read lots of books on selling, is faulty thinking. Nobody ever won the Mister Olympia contest by reading the most books on bodybuilding. They had to get to the gym.



                                By the way, my first in home sales job was selling fire alarms. I sold precisely no alarms in 3 months. It was mostly that I was like every other new salesperson. No clue what I was doing. But also....

                                I learned years later that fire alarm sales is harder for one reason, you are trying to sell prevention. It's much easier to sell a cure. And that's true even if you have to invent the disease or create the problem.

                                Burglar alarms and fire alarms are among the hardest things to sell cold. Why? They don't do anything for the customer, unless they are needed. And it's easy to rationalize that they may never be needed.

                                If I were going to sell fire alarms, I'd only call people on the same block as where a home burned down. These people are still in an emotional state where they see the need.

                                Dan Kennedy tells the story (not from my personal experience) that burglar alarm sales companies hire people to put beer bottles and trash in people's bushes around their home. They may hire a policeman to drive around the neighborhoods at night, with short bursts of his siren going.

                                It puts the idea in people's minds that there are burglars about...and makes the alarm sales easier. Otherwise, it would be a far harder sale.

                                The reason vacuum cleaners are easier to sell (they aren't really a cure) is that the person gets the benefit almost daily, and it gets used. It's also something they can touch, feel, and see.

                                If you sell cancer insurance, it's much easier to sell if the prospect knows someone with cancer.

                                When I was selling air purifiers (in malls and in homes) my first question was "Does anyone in your home have allergies?"

                                I found that these factors dramatically increased the chance of them buying;
                                1) They had allergies.
                                2) They had kids (with or without allergies)
                                3) They had pets. Believe it or not, "Pets with allergies" almost certainly guaranteed a sale.
                                4) If they had mold problems.
                                5) If someone smoked (but not both adults) If one smoked and the other didn't a sale was probable.

                                Anyway, I hope that helps someone.
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                                • Profile picture of the author Kurt
                                  Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

                                  Reading books on selling is fine. But you need to be out there daily....selling.....to have something to attach your new information to.

                                  It also depends on which books you read. For example, if you read 100 motivational books...it's possible to learn nothing at all, except the power of being motivated.

                                  If it were me, I would read and apply the principals in "The Power to Get In" concerning using leverage, and instead of going door to door in residential areas, I'd go to businesses and try to sell leads, although some businesses it may be better to use mail.


                                  I'd set up a third party call tracking system like CallRail and then focus on getting leads using Craigslist, HARO when appropriate, and other online and offline methods. Virtually all services on Craigslist don't use or understand basic copywriting principals, so there should be an advantage for those that do.
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                                • Profile picture of the author yukon
                                  Banned
                                  Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

                                  By the way, my first in home sales job was selling fire alarms. I sold precisely no alarms in 3 months. It was mostly that I was like every other new salesperson. No clue what I was doing. But also....



                                  It's all in the presentation.






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        • Profile picture of the author animal44
          Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

          If it were me, instead of going door to door I'd probably come up with a variety of services, then use Craigs List, classified ads, bulletin boards, maybe even HARO to promote those services.
          At least one other person has made it out of the 1970s...

          This is good advice and will save you a lot of grief.

          Me? I'd be getting out there now and talking to business owners and asking them what issues are they facing? What do they need the most help with.

          Once you have an idea, then you can find something to sell them, that they actually want. And the connections you make will make it (relatively) easy to get started...
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      • Profile picture of the author Bigdirty
        You are right there is a guy in my friends neigbourhood that was painting reflective numbers on the curb so you can see it at night. Thats a good one.
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        • Profile picture of the author Kurt
          Originally Posted by Bigdirty View Post

          You are right there is a guy in my friends neigbourhood that was painting reflective numbers on the curb so you can see it at night. Thats a good one.
          Claude is better at this than I am...but if Socialentry wanted to try this, I'd start my pitch with something like:

          Hi...I'm a "starving" college student (not a salesman!) trying to earn a little extra money to help pay for expenses for school. I'd also try to trigger some emotions using any relevant current events, like if there's been an increase in burglaries or a fire recently in the neighborhood.

          Then pitch folks on how even a few seconds can be a life saver in an emergency like a fire or medical emergency and how if they're having a stroke or heart attack you don't want the ambulance trying to find their home. Plus how everyone from the pizza delivery guy to Uber drivers will love them for having the address easy to see.

          There's also an old thread in the War Room about drill profits, or something like that. Without giving away all the details, it's about installing peep holes. All you need is a drill and some peep holes, plus a whisk broom to sweep up after the installation. He suggests to look for doors that don't have peep holes. There's been some real improvements in peep holes that show wide angle views.

          Maybe buy a few of these new fangled wide angle peep holes and let people see through them and sell people on the security on the new and improved peep holes to expand the potential market to just about everyone with a front door. This could also work for businesses that have a back door for deliveries and need extra security.

          Peep holes and reflective address numbers tie in well together as both are related to security and give a variety of options for people. They may buy one, or the other, or both.

          I'd also print up some fliers on my PC and leave them on everyone's door that didn't answer the door.
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  • Profile picture of the author Beehelp
    Does this method still work?
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    • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
      Originally Posted by Beehelp View Post

      Does this method still work?
      Unfortunately, no. It used to be that just about anyone could learn how to sell things to people and make a great living doing so.

      But, sales and selling is one of those "old school" professions that almost no one practices these days.

      That's cause no one buys anything anymore. They all just stopped one day...and that was that.

      We're just a bunch of old timers here talking the "good ol' days".

      You can go back to sleep now.

      Ron
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    • Profile picture of the author animal44
      Originally Posted by Beehelp View Post

      Does this method still work?
      If your goal in life is to end up flogging ebooks to fund your retirement on a forum such as this... then yes, this works real well...
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      • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
        Originally Posted by animal44 View Post

        If your goal in life is to end up flogging ebooks to fund your retirement on a forum such as this... then yes, this works real well...
        Do people do that here ? Dang I missed the boat n all on that one as well.
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      • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
        Originally Posted by animal44 View Post

        If your goal in life is to end up flogging ebooks to fund your retirement on a forum such as this... then yes, this works real well...
        You must be referring to the JW comments.

        Don't know that I've ever seen an ebook advertised for them, but as UMC points out, they ARE changing things up a bit.

        Heck, if they move into "jointventurin'"... they'll be crowdin' into your space.

        And you'll have to get a new shtick.

        Probably religion, I suppose, eh?

        Ron
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        • Profile picture of the author umc
          Originally Posted by Ron Lafuddy View Post

          You must be referring to the JW comments.

          Don't know that I've ever seen an ebook advertised for them, but as UMC points out, they ARE changing things up a bit.

          Heck, if they move into "jointventurin'"... they'll be crowdin' into your space.

          And you'll have to get a new shtick.

          Probably religion, I suppose, eh?

          Ron
          Lol, JWs believe that they are the only true religion and all others are false and guided by Satan, so they won't be jointventurin' with amyone. Heck, you're not even supposed to go to a wedding or funeral in another church. Animal's JV biz is safe there. No competition.

          Speaking of jointventurin', maybe socialentry could create some sort of local discount card to sell door to door with local businesses on it. There you would have the jv and jw worlds colliding, lol.
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          • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
            Originally Posted by umc View Post

            Lol, JWs believe that they are the only true religion and all others are false and guided by Satan, so they won't be jointventurin' with amyone. Heck, you're not even supposed to go to a wedding or funeral in another church. Animal's JV biz is safe there. No competition.

            Speaking of jointventurin', maybe socialentry could create some sort of local discount card to sell door to door with local businesses on it. There you would have the jv and jw worlds colliding, lol.
            Yeah, they're following a time honored tradition that's been around since man came up with the idea of religion.

            "Mine is right and yours is wrong. There is no middle ground."

            Quite a salespitch. Especially if you were on the receiving end.

            Anyway, it's good to know our 'barnyard buddy' won't be replaced by the JW's anytime soon.

            He's a bit thick but I've grown fond of his nuttiness

            He's tries hard. That counts for sumthin'.

            Ron
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          • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
            Originally Posted by umc View Post

            Speaking of jointventurin', maybe socialentry could create some sort of local discount card to sell door to door with local businesses on it.
            That would work, too.

            By distributing a packet with existing offers though, we remove any design/graphics problems socialentry might encounter.

            Makes the project easier to start and to finish.

            Getting paid whether you sell anything or not is a great incentive to be out there talking to folks and passing out the packets. It could be a conversation starter, "Oh, by the way..." that can lead to sales.

            The idea can be tweaked and made more profitable but I'm trying to keep it simple and easy for someone to start.

            Starting can be the biggest obstacle for some people.

            Ron
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  • Profile picture of the author umc
    Actually, I should point out that even the JWs are changing tactics. They have a website, produce lots of video content, and have drastically reduced usage of printed materials including cutting magazine production by over half. They now have push carts that they set up in high traffic areas with displays of colorful literature and although they watch the carts they don't speak to people much. It's more attraction marketing. Of course, it's all aimed at indoctrinating you into their cult which can wreck your life, but even they are changing with the times somewhat.
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  • Profile picture of the author socialentry
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Claude

    Here's an idea. I sell these air purifiers in my store for $395. They sell easily. There used to be a company called Eco-Quest (maybe still in business) that had an MLM empire built on these machines. I remember selling 17 in a day at a mall one Christmas season.
    What do you say to those who just check up the price on Ebay? Skip?

    Assuming I can sell decently during the summer, is it easy to transition to the mall stand strategy?

    Originally Posted by Ron Lafuddy View Post

    Yeah, they're following a time honored tradition that's been around since man came up with the idea of religion.

    "Mine is right and yours is wrong. There is no middle ground."

    Quite a salespitch. Especially if you were on the receiving end.
    I still wonder why there was no one that rose up and said "hey what we are doing isn't working well, let's change this." earlier, if only by making the better recruiters in charge of training.

    Is it simply because they do not expect to turn a profit? Or is it simply because of some religious tenet?



    here's an internal document leaked from a pro-Israeli NGO and prepared by a GOP consultant:
    https://www.transcend.org/tms/wp-con...dictionary.pdf

    It's not religion but it's still a very heated topic.

    You could give an israeli this pitch and it wouldn't be inconsistent with his beliefs. There's no reason why any organization could not have a similar document tailored to their own beliefs.

    As can be seen, most organizations make a distinction between public and internal image, why not this one?
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by socialentry View Post

      What do you say to those who just check up the price on Ebay? Skip?

      Assuming I can sell decently during the summer, is it easy to transition to the mall stand strategy?
      Amazingly, most people don't go on E-bay to check to see if they can buy it cheaper. They will go on Amazon however. The important thing is the brand name. Give it your own brand name. Buy stickers and put them on the front of the air purifiers. Most people doing a search use the brand name in their search. This one company in China must have 50 different brand names for the exact same unit. When you buy from them in bulk, they will print the brand name for you and even customize a box. But the people selling on Amazon have their own brand names.

      To sell without a mall booth, I used to just go business to business, and ask them if they would like to try it for free for 3 days.....if they agreed to that, I'd ask them if they just wanted to use it for two weeks as a trial. The difference is that they paid me up front, and I'd give them a refund if they called me back within 2 weeks. 75% kept the air purifier. I was selling them at the time for $599 or $699.

      The demonstration is what sold it. Put a little ammonia on a handkerchief and let them smell it. Then turn on the air purifier for about 30 seconds with the handkerchief hanging in front of it. Then let them smell it. No odor at all, even though the handkerchief is still damp.

      Small retail stores, pet stores, furniture stores, garages, gyms, shops....these air purifiers really work.
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      • Profile picture of the author socialentry
        Banned
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        To sell without a mall booth, I used to just go business to business, and ask them if they would like to try it for free for 3 days.....if they agreed to that, I'd ask them if they just wanted to use it for two weeks as a trial. The difference is that they paid me up front, and I'd give them a refund if they called me back within 2 weeks. 75% kept the air purifier. I was selling them at the time for $599 or $699.

        The demonstration is what sold it. Put a little ammonia on a handkerchief and let them smell it. Then turn on the air purifier for about 30 seconds with the handkerchief hanging in front of it. Then let them smell it. No odor at all, even though the handkerchief is still damp.

        Small retail stores, pet stores, furniture stores, garages, gyms, shops....these air purifiers really work.
        I thought you didn't like things like puppy dog closes and such?
        Do you still go through the major steps of selling as outlined in your books?
        If so,If they are sold, why mention the trial?

        Originally Posted by Kurt

        I bought them for $6.50 a set and sold them for $14.50, then $17.50. I made just as many sales at the higher price as I did at $14.50. The key was I had a brochure that said they retailed for $59.95.
        Originally Posted by Claude

        Or sell such a low ticket item that it isn't worth shopping online.
        That must be hard to make a decent earning out of such low ticket items though.
        You'd have to sell several an hour and take almost no time in the presentation I imagine?
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        • Profile picture of the author Kurt
          Originally Posted by socialentry View Post

          That must be hard to make a decent earning out of such low ticket items though.
          You'd have to sell several an hour and take almost no time in the presentation I imagine?
          This was in 1979. The same cutlery sets would probably be $75 today. I could well be wrong, but I doubt they would sell in today's environment.

          As I said just above, I averaged about $12-15 an hour when the minimum wage was something like $3.35 an hour, so I was making 4-5 times the minimum wage.
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      • Profile picture of the author Kurt
        Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

        My pitch for the cutlery sets was a bit of a con too. It didn't bother me back then but it would today.

        I told people that I wasn't a salesman and worked in the warehouse and that we had too many sets of the cutlery in stock. So my boss told me to go out and sell them directly to people for the same price we sold them to stores.

        Again, I had the brochure that said they retailed for $59.95 but were selling them for $17.50. People were amazed that the "markup" was so high and what a great deal they were getting.

        The pitch for the encyclopedias revolved around giving people a "half off deal" in exchange for their testimonial, because we're "just getting started" in business. I've seen the same technique used in other advertising.
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        The encyclopedia pitch I learned was;

        We aren't salespeople, we are in the area ahead of the sales force to give away 100 sets of the encyclopedias...for a written testimonial. All they had to pay for that the Yearbook.

        At the end of the presentation, we showed the yearbook at $160, and told them that if they pre-paid for ten yearbooks that we would give them a great set of additional books (maybe 25 books for kids). Everyone took that deal (unless they just didn't buy).

        Of course, they were just paying $1,600 for a set of 50 books, but it was the way the offer was structured. That feeling of getting "something for nothing" would carry the sale. They would spend the whole time telling us how they always wanted a great set of encyclopedias (because they thought they were getting them for free). By the time we told them that they were paying for the Yearbooks ahead of time...they had already convinced themselves that they really really wanted the set of books.

        I actually learned quite a lot about psychology in selling from my con man friend. But he was really not a good man, not at all. And for a time, neither was I.
        Saying I wasn't a sales person took me a short time to figure out, but it was really key to my pitch. I think our experiences show that not coming across as a sales person is a fairly potent sales technique. I think that's what they call "irony".
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        • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
          Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

          Saying I wasn't a sales person took me a short time to figure out, but it was really key to my pitch. I think our experiences show that not coming across as a sales person is a fairly potent sales technique. I think that's what they call "irony".
          It also works when closing (This stuff makes me nauseous).
          If I've tried a few closes that haven't moved the sale forward, I lean back a little, let out a sigh...and say "Well, I'm done selling".....and then I just continue closing.

          For some ungodly reason, the prospect accepts that the "selling part is over" and they tend to open up after that.

          Honest to god, I wish these things didn't work.

          And the "I'm not a salesman" part ..I hated it. I always thought selling was a noble profession, requiring uncommon skill.
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      • Profile picture of the author savidge4
        As I see it.. wealth is measured by what you don't spend. Sure you can finance cars and houses and TV's and kitchen upgrades and vacuums and whatever else... but understanding how to position yourself to the point you don't need financing - or should I say switching from the need to finance to using financing as a tool.

        Understanding how to make money work FOR you, vs working for money is a really big deal.

        I think 10% is all fine and dandy.. its a great number to strive for, but the reality is it is not going to get you anywhere fast. You need to sit down and look at your expenses.. ALL of them - how much money do you need to exist like you did last month and the month before? Every penny above and beyond that amount, you need to put away

        If for example you make $2000 a month, you stash 10% away.. it would take you 10 months to have a 1 month cushion. But if you analyze your expenses and see you only need to spend $1500 a month, and you could stash $500 you could have a 3 month cushion in 1 years time.

        Having a cushion of 1 years worth of living expenses.. its life changing. I don't think one could even begin to describe, how things change mentally in terms of cash... you no longer are chasing the dollar.. discounting goes bye bye... you are getting paid what you are worth... and you no longer are scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of clients.. you are getting picky.. you target better, you charge more - you MAKE more.

        In short - It takes money to make money. And I don't think its in the ability to invest the money, its in the mindset that having money gives you
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    PS...Unlike Claude, I care about other people.

    I quit selling door to door because I got tired of bothering people. The last door I knocked on was a young mother. She had a baby on her hip, two other young kids running around and I could see she had lunch cooking on the stove.

    She was polite, but I could tell by the look on her face that I was a big interruption. This is the reality of door to door selling. I just didn't want to do it any more and I grew up with a family owned door to door sales business.

    You really need to be able to handle rejection in person in order to sell door to door.
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  • Profile picture of the author salauddinbappi
    I want to say the good product name is milk because every parents brought milk for him and his childrens .It is very tasty and nourishing food.
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    I'd pay good money to watch someone cold sell sandblasters door-to-door (residential).





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    • Profile picture of the author savidge4
      Originally Posted by yukon View Post

      I'd pay good money to watch someone cold sell sandblasters door-to-door (residential).
      If they came to my house.. I might buy one! LOL
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  • Profile picture of the author fratt55
    hey there
    each city have there own rules selling door to door
    to start check your city register's office ..after you get their blessing just go ahead with your gut and whatever you are passionate about...
    life insurance, food, vacuum cleaners are few items that sells well door to door

    ok
    talk soon
    sam f
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  • Profile picture of the author flopitdown
    anything that people need. With that said, probably something for the home so you can show them firsthand how nice it will look right there and then. People are lazy, they wouldn´t have to put any effort into tuirning around and looking.
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  • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
    You've gotten some great ideas these last 12 days. Hope your head isn't spinning. Heck someone could take this thread and create a product from it, maybe, The Best Thing to Sell Door to Door. Probably find a market.

    So, school is out, or soon will be. Whatcha gonna do?

    GordonJ



    Originally Posted by socialentry View Post

    Hi,

    I'm pondering what to do this summer amongst several options.

    I'm returning to school very soon as my priority is to accomplish my academic goals as fast as possible. Maybe I have some more free time in August but I don't want to do anything too complicated.

    A job would be the first thing to come to mind. but I have summer courses, I think it's a bit in bad faith to apply just to plan to quit 1 month afterward.

    It's not a lot of time. I've been thinking maybe finding something to sell and going door to door.

    What would be the criterias of a good physical product to do this? What's a net profit I should aim for per product?
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    • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
      Originally Posted by GordonJ View Post

      You've gotten some great ideas these last 12 days. Hope your head isn't spinning. Heck someone could take this thread and create a product from it, maybe, The Best Thing to Sell Door to Door. Probably find a market.
      So, school is out, or soon will be. Whatcha gonna do?
      GordonJ
      For me it's like a flash back in time, lot's of old memories, so before you write your book here is one last snippet from my old memory bank, it is real and these are more important than made up stories.

      It relates to 100% cold calling and knocking on doors that I was doing at the time selling electricity churns, so these people had no idea I was about to knock and change their power provider in a few short minutes, and more importantly the words I used to do that.

      So before the words, I was no newby to this game of tapping doors but this was a new product for me to sell, and the average conversion or sale was 1 every day or every second day, and the commission was around $200 from memory. That said I start out on day one for this new company tapping doors.

      I still remember to this day, that day was the absolute pits as far as weather goes, it was sleeting rain, and it was so cold my lips were turning blue and my body was turning into a frozen wet icicle, so first of any illusions that this job was for soft weeners is out of the question, the environment you work in can be very very hard. I remember calling home to my wife that day and saying, "go out and buy me some thermals"

      Needles to say on day one I sold 0 sales, and from memory it took me almost the week to sell my first sale. I am telling people this because even as a semi pro or what ever (as I never see myself as that) I was unable to close down sales.

      It is important that any huff and puff that your an instant superstar is put to bed, as (in my case it is not true), as an analogy and probably the best way to describe it is like split testing a sales page.

      You go out, and you start with a pitch and then over the coming days and weeks you really need to analyse everything, what works, what does not work and why. This is also where getting to listen and learn from any old timers really does help.

      But you must keep split testing no matter how long it takes, this will separate a winner from average. Also very important to learn is your tone and volume of speech, in that if a person has a loud squarwky voice or loud or super quite shy voice, the odds of somebody wanting to listen to you for more than 5 seconds is really going to go against you.

      When I was training new tappers the best way I could explain this was to say, use a milk n honey voice, and by that if you have ever had a sore throat and then had a warm glass of milk and honey, you would tend to speak in a smooth relaxing sound, that's what was needed here and if anything a little lower in volume but not much so people had to concentrate to listen to you.

      Ok from starting with maybe one or two sales in the first week, and remembering that the average may have been 3 - 4 sales a week or $600 - $800 of which most people were happy with, I kept split testing my spill until after 3 weeks it was where I wanted it, this shows that it does take time to get things right sometimes.

      This was my end result spill. for the best part as I can remember it,

      "Good Morning / Afternoon, My name is Pete and I am working with xyz electrical, today I am here speaking with you on how you can save some extra money on your electricity bill, (small pause) which in turn allows you to keep some extra money in your pocket. Do you have a few moments available so that I can show you how this can work for you?"

      That was it short and sweet, nothing fancy and yes it did take 3 weeks to perfect, but that pitch delivered with milk n honey, opened doors and had people inviting a complete stranger inside their homes like it was Christmas, and instead of selling 2 - 3 sales a week I was selling 2 - 4 sales a day, now over the week that changes the average earner from getting $600 - $800 to 5 times that amount making the average $2000 - $4000 or an average week in and out $3000 in the middle, and now your earning 3 times the average paid worker and more.

      And if were to go out tomorrow and do it all again I would expect to start at the bottom and take the time to rise to the top, but once there just try and stop me now type thinking.

      So do not expect miracles on day one but work hard and learn then yes expect results from your hard work.

      Now I must get back to some other work, been fun stepping back, but now I feel bloody old.
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      • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
        Originally Posted by tryinhere View Post

        For me it's like a flash back in time, lot's of old memories, so before you write your book here is one last snippet from my old memory bank, it is real and these are more important than made up stories.

        It relates to 100% cold calling and knocking on doors that I was doing at the time selling electricity churns, so these people had no idea I was about to knock and change their power provider in a few short minutes, and more importantly the words I used to do that.

        So before the words, I was no newby to this game of tapping doors but this was a new product for me to sell, and the average conversion or sale was 1 every day or every second day, and the commission was around $200 from memory. That said I start out on day one for this new company tapping doors.

        I still remember to this day, that day was the absolute pits as far as weather goes, it was sleeting rain, and it was so cold my lips were turning blue and my body was turning into a frozen wet icicle, so first of any illusions that this job was for soft weeners is out of the question, the environment you work in can be very very hard. I remember calling home to my wife that day and saying, "go out and buy me some thermals"

        Needles to say on day one I sold 0 sales, and from memory it took me almost the week to sell my first sale. I am telling people this because even as a semi pro or what ever (as I never see myself as that) I was unable to close down sales.

        It is important that any huff and puff that your an instant superstar is put to bed, as (in my case it is not true), as an analogy and probably the best way to describe it is like split testing a sales page.

        You go out, and you start with a pitch and then over the coming days and weeks you really need to analyse everything, what works, what does not work and why. This is also where getting to listen and learn from any old timers really does help.

        But you must keep split testing no matter how long it takes, this will separate a winner from average. Also very important to learn is your tone and volume of speech, in that if a person has a loud squarwky voice or loud or super quite shy voice, the odds of somebody wanting to listen to you for more than 5 seconds is really going to go against you.

        When I was training new tappers the best way I could explain this was to say, use a milk n honey voice, and by that if you have ever had a sore throat and then had a warm glass of milk and honey, you would tend to speak in a smooth relaxing sound, that's what was needed here and if anything a little lower in volume but not much so people had to concentrate to listen to you.

        Ok from starting with maybe one or two sales in the first week, and remembering that the average may have been 3 - 4 sales a week or $600 - $800 of which most people were happy with, I kept split testing my spill until after 3 weeks it was where I wanted it, this shows that it does take time to get things right sometimes.

        This was my end result spill. for the best part as I can remember it,

        "Good Morning / Afternoon, My name is Pete and I am working with xyz electrical, today I am here speaking with you on how you can save some extra money on your electricity bill, (small pause) which in turn allows you to keep some extra money in your pocket. Do you have a few moments available so that I can show you how this can work for you?"

        That was it short and sweet, nothing fancy and yes it did take 3 weeks to perfect, but that pitch delivered with milk n honey, opened doors and had people inviting a complete stranger inside their homes like it was Christmas, and instead of selling 2 - 3 sales a week I was selling 2 - 4 sales a day, now over the week that changes the average earner from getting $600 - $800 to 5 times that amount making the average $2000 - $4000 or an average week in and out $3000 in the middle, and now your earning 3 times the average paid worker and more.

        And if were to go out tomorrow and do it all again I would expect to start at the bottom and take the time to rise to the top, but once there just try and stop me now type thinking.

        So do not expect miracles on day one but work hard and learn then yes expect results from your hard work.

        Now I must get back to some other work, been fun stepping back, but now I feel bloody old.
        The problem is: most income from these ventures are: food in mouth/roof over head ventures.

        In the above history lesson, we see a success of exceeding expectations.

        Especially young college types, will spend their money, above and beyond what they use for food/rent. Although, maybe they have that covered.

        My dad gave me advice, 10 cents on the dollar of income goes into the cigar box. Meaning: savings.

        Can you put 10% of any and all income from whatever you sell door to door, into an UNTOUCHABLE savings program?

        Then, at some point, can your savings pay itself the 10%?

        Today, I see too many guys, especially over 50, grinding it out to make their living. A PLAN of savings/safe investments right from the Get Go could allow our young college Warrior to reach the automatic income level so by the time he has a couple of decades of work under his belt, his savings will be doing the grind.

        GordonJ
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        • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
          Well, there you go. Ninety some posts discussing what might be sold door to door and not one suggested websites, SEO, FB, Google, pokerman or anything related. Who would have thought it was possible?

          There's a whole lot of real world experience hanging out in this forum and it shows!

          Gordon: You are "right on" as usual. I had a discussion with someone the other day along this line of thinking. I pointed out that if he made just 2 additional sales calls each day, instead of stopping early, he'd probably make an additional sale each week.

          That additional weekly sale money can be put aside in a savings account which is also an emergency only fund.

          This gives our sales guy "staying power" so that he can stay consistent making sales, even if a setback occurs.

          The eventual setbacks are what undermine most people's efforts.

          But it doesn't end there. What is not apparent from the 2 additional calls each day and the one additional sale each week, is the referrals that those additional sales might provide. Also, the additional purchases those customers may make if our sales guy gives them the opportunity.

          Those things are future deposits in his "wealth bank account" which is also interest bearing with a compounding effect.

          I learned these things along the way, and pass them on here today with the hope that others may benefit.

          Good Luck!


          Ron
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          • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
            Originally Posted by Ron Lafuddy View Post

            But it doesn't end there. What is not apparent from the 2 additional calls each day and the one additional sale each week, is the referrals that those additional sales might provide. Also, the additional purchases those customers may make if our sales guy gives them the opportunity.

            Those things are future deposits in his "wealth bank account" which is also interest bearing with a compounding effect.
            That reminds me of two conversation.

            I was talking to a distributor that sold vacuum cleaners in the home. He asked me if I knew how to increase his income. I asked a bunch of questions and found that 15% of what he took in was actual profit. He was paying a 15% fee to the finance company (on top of the interest they charged the customer).

            I said "I can double your income this week...forever... with just one quick move"
            Of course he was interested how.
            I said "Change finance companies and stop paying that 15%. Nobody pays that. It isn't standard. I can get you another company today and double your net profit".

            He got upset! He called the 15% fee "a cost of doing business". He said that changing companies would be disloyal. I said "Charging you 15% extra sounds disloyal to me."

            To prove my point, I got in the car, went to the nearest finance company, and got financing set up...without the fee. It didn't matter. He was in the habit of paying that damn fee, and it felt like the right thing to do.

            I was talking to a sales rep (my own) and he asked me how to increase his income. After getting his figures, I said "You'll double your real income with one more presentation every 6 days"

            He was doing about 8 or 9 a week. I said "Most of what you are earning now goes for your expenses and personal bills. You don't get to keep very much of it. An extra presentation every 6 days (at his figures) is an extra sale every two weeks. And these extra sales are pure profit. None of that goes to overhead, it's all yours. A 15% increase in effort will effectively double how much money you have left over after expenses."



            I sure wish I was good at following my own advice.
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            • Profile picture of the author Oziboomer
              Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

              He asked me if I knew how to increase his income. I asked a bunch of questions and found that 15% of what he took in was actual profit. He was paying a 15% fee to the finance company (on top of the interest they charged the customer).

              I said "I can double your income this week...forever... with just one quick move"

              -----and later------A 15% increase in effort will effectively double how much money you have left over after expenses."

              I sure wish I was good at following my own advice.
              Thanks for sharing Claude.

              If most business people realised the small differences they can make to change their circumstances and then act upon them they would be a lot more profitable.

              Most of the so called gurus who focus on just the "revenue" side of things always talk about getting more customers, make them spend more and then increase the frequency of their purchase whereas that is only one part of the "best way" to improve overall.

              I've pasted a video below demonstrating the principle of increasing revenue, decreasing cost of sales and decreasing expenses.

              Below that there is a link to the spreadsheet so anyone can put in their own numbers for their business and see the difference a few small changes can make.

              When you really look at your business numbers using the profit improvement calculator you will see what it really takes to double net profits in your specific circumstances.

              If anyone is interested I have a longer video showing the tools I use to control and improve each of the components required to influence results.



              You can download the template to use with your own numbers here--->

              Download Profit Improvement Calculator (open in excel or google sheets)

              Best regards,

              Ozi
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by tryinhere View Post

        I still remember to this day, that day was the absolute pits as far as weather goes, it was sleeting rain, and it was so cold my lips were turning blue and my body was turning into a frozen wet icicle, so first of any illusions that this job was for soft weeners is out of the question, the environment you work in can be very very hard. I remember calling home to my wife that day and saying, "go out and buy me some thermals"
        Hard rain was the worst. When it snowed, I found it easier to get people to let me in. They would say "Come in here. It's freezing outside". It wasn't like that when it rained. A wet man standing outside your door isn't appealing at all. Fortunately, we also could sell people in apartment buildings. So on rainy days, I'd go to the apartments.



        Originally Posted by tryinhere View Post

        It is important that any huff and puff that your an instant superstar is put to bed, as (in my case it is not true), as an analogy and probably the best way to describe it is like split testing a sales page.

        You go out, and you start with a pitch and then over the coming days and weeks you really need to analyse everything, what works, what does not work and why. This is also where getting to listen and learn from any old timers really does help.

        But you must keep split testing no matter how long it takes, this will separate a winner from average. Also very important to learn is your tone and volume of speech, in that if a person has a loud squarwky voice or loud or super quite shy voice, the odds of somebody wanting to listen to you for more than 5 seconds is really going to go against you.
        You may find this interesting.

        My sales career (the early days) went like this;
        Fire alarm sales 3 months, not a single sale. I'll bet it was 100 presentation. i was the worst.

        Life insurance....all I had was work ethic and a rate book. I read a couple of books on selling insurance, and by the end of my first full year I was the third top agent in the company. That sounds more impressive than it was. I was still only bringing in about $3,000 a month in commissions.But in 1976-77, that wasn't so bad.

        And then I saw a Kirby vacuum cleaner demonstration...

        Vacuum cleaner sales. Amazingly, nothing I learned selling life insurance translated to selling vacuum cleaners. Another month of no sales (maybe 30 presentations). Then I started figuring it out.....and my first full year (I think 1978) I made about $24,000. Pretty good at the time.

        And then I found another vacuum, where I could be factory direct. My profit per sale tripled. And then I found a finance company that would take all my turned down sales. Another big boost in income.

        But here is where I made my real money. I started this after I had been selling for a few years. After every presentation (whether they bought or not) I would take notes of what happened. Detailed notes. Maybe a few pages. Every day. I decided that I was going to be the best in the business (for whatever reason) and was determined to figure out the best way to do it.
        And while I was taking notes, I was reading sales books. I was talking to other really great salespeople...watching them sell, and they would watch me sell. At first, these were salespeople selling the same vacuum I was selling. Then I just started watching salespeople in other industries.

        I kept up the habit of keeping notes on every presentation for about 20 years.
        The income jumps came slowly, but they came in big leaps.

        A new approach, a new way of asking a question...how to handle any situation that arose...and the best answers to every question/objection. 20 years.

        But the big leaps came from studying marketing. I found that some prospecting methods paid 4 or 5 times more, per hour , than others. I found that certain types of people bought almost always...and some almost never bought. The big leaps came when I found how to only see the "Highly likely to buy" prospects.

        Another huge leap came when testing price. I found the sweet spot in price. Where you were making the most per sale..but you weren't sacrificing sales.

        But even taking notes, reading over 1,000 sales books....it took me over ten years before I really hit my stride. None of this came easy. it was all up hill.
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        • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
          PURE GOLD, CLAUDE. PURE GOLD!
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    Depending on the geographic area and the specific location, and I wanted to sell a big ticket item, I'd probably start with selling solar panels.


    I forget the exact numbers, but a $15,000-20,000 investment in solar panels increases the value of a home $40,000-50,000 virtually instantly. Not to mention the savings in energy costs over the lifetime of the solar panels, which is 20-25 years.


    In addition to a sound financial investment, solar panels appeal to two distinct demographics: 1. The "green" people (on the left). 2. Preppers that want to be off grid and self dependent. (On the right)...and I would try to base the pitch on these two segments.
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    • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
      Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

      Depending on the geographic area and the specific location, and I wanted to sell a big ticket item, I'd probably start with selling solar panels..
      Yes Kurt I agree 100% especially those now with the tesla back up battery, I see this as something you could learn and be in for a good 10 - 20 years, good money, solving a problem, it does tick a lot of boxes and will be where people move to to get away from the pain of higher power bills and getting away from the reliance on the grid.

      a perfect choice.
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    • Profile picture of the author savidge4
      Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

      Depending on the geographic area and the specific location, and I wanted to sell a big ticket item, I'd probably start with selling solar panels.
      This is a niche I keep looking at... I would bet top dollar if you could put together a system that did 1 thing and one thing only, you could make a killing.

      The one thing you ask? Ill answer with a question... when the power goes out and you have a gas furnace, you don't have heat right?

      Since I do have a EE degree.. the concept is not so hard.. a panel, a battery a quick little circuit that says hey the power is out, and switch to the battery / solar solution. - just have never made the time.

      The only thing electric on a gas furnace is the ignitor ( for newer systems ) the internal circuits that are primarily 5 and 12 volt, and the blower. absolutely nothing a decent battery and an inverter couldn't power.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jonathan S
    Ask yourself what products you want a door-to-door salesman has with him when he knocks on your door. Lots of companies around are looking for enthusiastic salespeople to sell their products and sales is a very lucrative business but not everyone are good at selling never mind door-to-door. If you're good at it, you can try the first 5 products you have in mind. Goodluck.
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  • Profile picture of the author brookeharper08
    Have you really made up your mind on the whole door-to-door selling? You can always get paid online for doing articles and administrative tasks, and it won't take a lot of your time if that's what you're concerned about.

    Try Fiverr or those companies on the articles by The Penny Hoarder.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by brookeharper08 View Post

      Have you really made up your mind on the whole door-to-door selling? You can always get paid online for doing articles and administrative tasks, and it won't take a lot of your time if that's what you're concerned about.

      Try Fiverr or those companies on the articles by The Penny Hoarder.
      No. Sell something. Sell anything. Just stick to it. It's not just that it will pay you more per hour than you could ever make doing these mini-tasks on Fiverr....it's that learning how to sell something is a valuable skill. Maybe the most valuable.

      Sales ability is always in demand, and always pays well.

      There is almost nothing that creates a sense of security like knowing that you can always just buy something and sell it....and make a good living at it.

      Selling is counter-intuitive for most people . And most people are culturally conditioned to be repelled by the idea of actually selling something. But for the 1% that can? The ability to understand human nature, motives, needs, and emotional triggers? I can't think of a more valuable skill.


      Except joint ventures of course. We are fools for doing something other than joint ventures.
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      • Profile picture of the author animal44
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        No. Sell something. Sell anything. Just stick to it. It's not just that it will pay you more per hour than you could ever make doing these mini-tasks on Fiverr....it's that learning how to sell something is a valuable skill. Maybe the most valuable.
        This thread's about what to sell door to door, not what makes the most money... Otherwise we'd be talking about Joint Ventures...

        Oh, we are talking Joint Ventures..., well at least you are...
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        Except joint ventures of course. We are fools for doing something other than joint ventures.
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      • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        Except joint ventures of course. We are fools for doing something other than joint ventures.
        Well, joint ventures have been touched on in this thread.

        I think there is a natural progression for people who stay in sales. They learn their buyer's common characteristics and they seek out those commonalities in their prospects.

        The process usually brings them in touch with sellers of related products.

        Sometimes it's the products that have characteristics in common and one compliments the other.

        Your product may make their product work better, smarter, cheaper, more efficiently, even last longer...

        For example, Claude's vacuum kept the new carpet cleaner. It extended the life of the carpet protecting the investment, while making it look better.

        I would also encourage salespeople to seek out uncommon referral sources.

        Some people are just natural "fountains of referrals". They'll brag about their purchase from you, to everyone in their circle. Their word is trusted. You can use that to your advantage.

        A couple of decades ago, I sold credit card processing to small businesses. The industry was still growing, as whole market segments i.e. grocery, medical and home businesses, had not yet adopted the ability to take/process credit cards.

        I signed up a doctor, who was the first in his group to do so. He turned out to be a remarkable source for referrals and produced 3-4 new ones every time I contacted him. Some of his referrals had multiple offices. It was like hitting the lottery!

        Keep your eyes and ears open and you'll run across referral sources like this, too.

        Best of luck!

        Ron
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by Ron Lafuddy View Post

      Well, joint ventures have been touched on in this thread, as a way to determine whether someone is likely to buy from you.
      Of course, everything you say is true. And experienced salespeople eventually discover the advantage of working other lists, Referrals are a form of joint venture. And selling by creating alliances with other vendors is about as good as it gets.

      I was being a little silly when I said "Except joint ventures of course. We are fools for doing something other than joint ventures."

      But I do want to point out that the vast majority of people selling, will never get to the point of exploring joint ventures. Even career salespeople.

      In my own personal selling, my biggest leaps in business came from studying marketing...not personal selling, and applying those ideas to my personal selling.

      And joint ventures (and similar structures) created huge surges in income.

      But when I talk to audiences of sales people about marketing....their eyes glaze over. To them, it's an alien concept.

      In my book on selling advertising, I say that the single most intelligent thing you can do is study advertising. How it works, how to create sales from ads. How to attract the buyers for your advertising clients. I explain why trying to actually make your client a profit is in your best interest...how they will buy consistently if you make them a profit, and how you would be unique among the other ad reps.

      I've read the same advice in a few masterful books on selling advertising.

      But I've yet to meet an ad rep, in any media, that has the first clue in how to make an ad actually pay. And I've met thousands. The concept is totally alien to them.

      And the concept of marketing is totally alien to the vast majority of salespeople.

      I'm about half way through writing a new book titled Marketing To Sell. But it's a labor of obligation (to myself), and a effort to put the information out there for a few enterprising salespeople. It won't sell well. Most salespeople still think that learning better closes is the secret to more sales.

      I have to admit a prejudice. I love the idea of cold calling. It's inefficient and difficult for most to learn how to do it well. But people that make it work, and do it well are heroes to me. Just like the guy selling potato peelers at Times Square. These guys are selling, really selling in the purest sense of the word. They are creating their fortunes out of nothing but wit and ambition.

      To me there is something beautiful about that.
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      • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
        Yes, we're talking about advanced selling here. I agree, most sales people won't ever get to this point.

        A cold call for them and a cold call for you, even in the same industry, will be entirely different.

        But, that is the result of what...40 some years in the field?

        You can't buy that kind of skill level. It only comes with experience.

        Those who are reading this, even if they pick up just one new thing in this thread...and then work the hell out
        of it and develop it.

        Put their own stamp on it!

        Will be miles ahead of where they might have ended up.

        That's how I got here. That's how you got here. One brick at a time, over many, many years.

        We're "paying it back" in the forums, and elsewhere, in deference to those who reached out a hand to us when we
        needed it. Some in print. Some real time.

        All appreciated.

        They're the real "sales heroes". God bless, em'!

        Ron
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        • Profile picture of the author animal44
          Originally Posted by Ron Lafuddy View Post

          Yes, we're talking about advanced selling here. I agree, most sales people won't ever get to this point.
          Nonsense. JVs are possibly the simplest marketing you can get. You're automatically making an offer to a list of highly likely buyers. The list is the most important element. A poor offer to a good responsive list results in more sales than a good offer to a poor list, all other things being equal. So you don't need copywriting. You don't need years of sales training... All you need is a decent list.

          JVs are simple. If you can't sell a JV, you're going to have trouble selling anything...

          I did my first JV a couple of months after I learnt I could start my own business. I had no sales training. I was shy and introverted, not used to dealing with business people. Nobody taught me. All I had was a couple of stories of how my mentors had put together deals. I made $36,000 in 1977 for a few hours work. Over the full year, I made over $200,000 in all, not a bad income in 1977.

          And a comment on work ethic. You're a businessman. You hire two guys to bring in targeted prospects. One guy works all hours and brings in 10 targeted prospects per day. The other arrives late, leaves early and spends much of the day with his feet up. However, he brings in 20 targeted prospects. Who do you want to keep on paying...
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          • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
            Originally Posted by animal44 View Post

            Nonsense. JVs are possibly the simplest marketing you can get. You're automatically making an offer to a list of highly likely buyers. The list is the most important element. A poor offer to a good responsive list results in more sales than a good offer to a poor list, all other things being equal. So you don't need copywriting. You don't need years of sales training... All you need is a decent list.

            JVs are simple. If you can sell a JV, you're going to have trouble selling anything...

            I did my first JV a couple of months after I learnt I could start my own business. I had no sales training. I was shy and introverted, not used to dealing with business people. Nobody taught me. All I had was a couple of stories of how my mentors had put together deals. I made $36,000 in 1977 for a few hours work. Over the full year, I made over $200,000 in all, not a bad income in 1977.

            And a comment on work ethic. You're a businessman. You hire two guys to bring in targeted prospects. One guy works all hours and brings in 10 targeted prospects per day. The other arrives late, leaves early and spends much of the day with his feet up. However, he brings in 20 targeted prospects. Who do you want to keep on paying...
            No, not nonsense. It's a fact. I wasn't talking about JV's but advanced sales techniques. (hope your not smokin' that straw again, son...mama said your gonna burn the barn down.)

            The number of salespeople who study advanced techniques is tiny. Most can't be bothered. I've witnessed it hundreds of times, over 40+ years. They would rather spend their time looking for "easy" ways than study how to make more sales.

            I wish it were different. Sales is a decent and honorable profession.

            Those who come into it with the notion of "easy", who feel that "cutting corners" is acceptable are the ones who give all salespeople a bad reputation.

            They're really just shysters, not salespeople. And they never will be good at it.

            JV's can be easy to put together. We have discussed them in this thread. There are JV partnerships where no money changes hands between the partners, yet, everyone gets paid.

            These are cleaner, easier JV's to create and maintain, and much preferred over the ones that require someone's "promise to pay".

            You keep reading these threads though, son. Claude once told me that with repetition, even the thickest skull can obtain some knowledge.

            And knowing Claude...I believe him

            Ron
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            • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
              Originally Posted by Ron Lafuddy View Post

              The number of salespeople who study advanced techniques is tiny. Most can't be bothered. I've witnessed it hundreds of times, over 40+ years. They would rather spend their time looking for "easy" ways than study how to make more sales.

              I've often wondered why the vast majority of salespeople never study selling, beyond what is required for the job. Product knowledge mostly.

              I think it may be the "ease of entry' that many sales opportunities have. It's easy to get hired as a salesperson, particularly a commission paid salesperson. So it attracts people that are not used to training for a position..or studying on their own. There is generally not an extended period of training before the new rep starts selling.

              Another reason is that sales tends to attract people who fantasize about selling as an easy way to make money. And those who do the hiring often create this myth in the new hire's mind.

              This would also explain the high turnover.

              But fully 95% of all salespeople I've ever met have never graduated beyond the ideas of;
              "Buyers are liars"
              "The company needs to get me better leads"
              "Nobody can sell in this economy"
              And they still think it's the buyer's fault for not buying, rather than their fault for not selling. These mindsets keep salespeople at the lowest rungs of the ladder.

              They are literally doing the same thing in their 20th year as they were their first year. There are entire industries that are full of nothing but these people.

              In fact, in my core industry (of about 5,000), I've met maybe 12 people that are intentionally learning more every year and apply what they learn.
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              • Profile picture of the author eccj
                Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

                I've often wondered why the vast majority of salespeople never study selling, beyond what is required for the job. Product knowledge mostly.

                I think it may be the "ease of entry' that many sales opportunities have. It's easy to get hired as a salesperson, particularly a commission paid salesperson. So it attracts people that are not used to training for a position..or studying on their own. There is generally not an extended period of training before the new rep starts selling.

                And other reason is that sales tends to attract people who fantasize about selling as an easy way to make money. And those who do the hiring often create this myth in he new hire's mind.

                This would also explain the high turnover.

                But fully 95% of all salespeople I've ever met have never graduated beyond the ideas of;
                "Buyers are liars"
                "The company needs to get me better leads"
                "Nobody can sell in this economy"
                And they still think it's the buyer's fault for not buying, rather than their fault for not selling. These mindsets keep salespeople at the lowest rungs of the ladder.

                They are literally doing the same thing in their 20th year as they were their first year. There are entire industries that are full of nothing but these people.

                In fact, in my core industry (of about 5,000), I've met maybe 12 people that are intentionally learning more every year and apply what they learn.
                Those same people then get hired at being sales managers. And woe to the sales guy who steps out of line and tries to use an "advance technique" lest he get fired or humiliated in a sales meeting.

                Most sales organizations will not tolerate a sales person stepping out of line; be it the car lot, payment processor, what have you.

                Everyday a promising sales career is killed in this way:

                NEW SALESMAN: Hey boss, my prospects wants to know XYZ. Does our (products, service) do that?

                SALES MANAGER: Does he want to buy?!?!?!?!

                NEW SALESMAN: Uh, I don't know. He won't buy it if it doesn't do what he needs/wants.

                SALES MANAGER: That's because your weak! Get on the phone and ask if he wants to buy and get ride of him!

                The new salesman will then be humiliated in the next sales meeting. The sales manager will then declare that everyone wants what we have because rah rah we are awesome.
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                • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
                  Originally Posted by eccj View Post

                  Those same people then get hired at being sales managers. And woe to the sales guy who steps out of line and tries to use an "advance technique" lest he get fired or humiliated in a sales meeting.

                  The new salesman will then be humiliated in the next sales meeting. The sales manager will then declare that everyone wants what we have because rah rah we are awesome.
                  The real funny thing is some sales guys / girls get to a point that if they ever work for these twats, they have no problems telling a so called sales manager exactly where they sit, and when you have no fear of what they say or do, it can be real fun watching these puppets on a string dance like Fred Astaire on drugs.

                  Always been nice to all people but when faced with real twats like this, throwing crap around like yesterday, I have one simple rule they must pass, and it's bit like this, If you can sell more than me, I will take on board what your telling me, if not, sorry it's my way or I am happy to hit the highway.

                  I found the less I cared about retaining any sales role the more these so called twats left me alone, I did feel sorry for those people who acted like a puppet, with a stick up their arse, because the sales boss had them on the fear and intimidation train.

                  + your is a very good point you made in this thread, for all newer sales guys and that is the world is littered with inexperienced sales managers and trainers, for some reason they were given a promotion, and this then gives them a title, and for some of these people the title is the biggest thing going for them, they have nothing behind them to pin that title to.

                  All I can say to any new person getting these clowns is, it is better to stand on your feet and not to bend down to their fear and intimidation methods (often these tactics and wanker managers go hand in hand). stand your ground or walk away, you will become a better person for it.
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              • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
                Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

                I've often wondered why the vast majority of salespeople never study selling, beyond what is required for the job. Product knowledge mostly.

                I think it may be the "ease of entry' that many sales opportunities have. It's easy to get hired as a salesperson, particularly a commission paid salesperson. So it attracts people that are not used to training for a position..or studying on their own. There is generally not an extended period of training before the new rep starts selling.

                Another reason is that sales tends to attract people who fantasize about selling as an easy way to make money. And those who do the hiring often create this myth in the new hire's mind.

                This would also explain the high turnover.

                But fully 95% of all salespeople I've ever met have never graduated beyond the ideas of;
                "Buyers are liars"
                "The company needs to get me better leads"
                "Nobody can sell in this economy"
                And they still think it's the buyer's fault for not buying, rather than their fault for not selling. These mindsets keep salespeople at the lowest rungs of the ladder.

                They are literally doing the same thing in their 20th year as they were their first year. There are entire industries that are full of nothing but these people.

                In fact, in my core industry (of about 5,000), I've met maybe 12 people that are intentionally learning more every year and apply what they learn.
                The shame of it is... there could be so much more stuff sold.

                More stuff being sold would open up tremendous opportunities for additional sales.

                The economy around the world would be in much better shape.

                Imagine what even a 1% improvement might mean worldwide.

                Maybe the internet will force improvement. It certainly makes learning easier than it used to be.

                Have to wait and see on that one.

                Ron
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                • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
                  Originally Posted by Ron Lafuddy View Post

                  The shame of it is... there could be so much more stuff sold.

                  That in itself would open up tremendous opportunities for additional sales.

                  The economy around the world would be in much better shape.

                  Imagine what even a 1% improvement might mean worldwide.

                  Maybe the internet will force improvement. It certainly makes learning easier than it used to be.

                  Have to wait and see on that one.

                  Ron
                  Ron;

                  I don't think it will happen. We are dealing with human nature here. We all have a very strong sense of our position in life.

                  Let's take a typical rep making $50,000 a year. His day is full of habitual activities, routines. He has a self image about who he is, and the value he brings.

                  What does this mean? He wants to be the way he is. If suddenly, the economy shifts, or there is a tragedy...he'll scramble to get back to a state of homeostasis. He'll strive to get back to normal. And that's why we show such drive and courage in an emergency or a tragedy. But striving to be more than your self image? Even by a few percent? The pull to go back to "normal" is strong and ever present.

                  For example, our muscles have evolved to be under our planet's gravity. Our body wants to be at a certain strength. If we are weightless for a time (or suffer a disease that keeps us in bed), our muscles will atrophy. But when we get back on our feet, the muscles quickly recover to their "normal state".

                  And if you work out hard every day, you can get stronger than normal (normal for you). But if you stop this extra strain on your muscles, they quickly snap back to their normal strength.
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            • Profile picture of the author animal44
              Originally Posted by Ron Lafuddy View Post

              No, not nonsense. It's a fact. I wasn't talking about JV's but advanced sales techniques. (hope your not smokin' that straw again, son...mama said your gonna burn the barn down.)
              Apologies. I misunderstood...

              Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

              This comment struck me hard... real hard. If you were to ask me this question... I would toss the lazy good for nothing slouch that is bringing 20 prospects to the table every day...
              That's why you're still scratching around cold calling for a living... Lazy doesn't mean no ambition...

              Let's have a history lesson.

              Did Mr Wheel invent the device named after him because of his work ethic? Or was it because he was sick of carrying all these heavy loads around? Of course, it took a JV with Mr Barrow to make it work well. With the wheel barrow people could shift twice the stuff with half the effort - pure laziness...! I bet Mr Wheel and Mr Barrow made gazillions.

              Of course, Mr Work ethic had to work harder to compete, make more calls, wear out more shoe leather this altering his work life balance and causing strife with the wife...

              Then Mr cart came along. He improved the design by making it bigger and putting wheels on each corner.
              Of course, there were teething problems, such as Hills. Too much effort to pull a cart up a hill. Something had to be done. So a JV with Farmer Brown resulted in attaching a couple of Oxen to the front. Mr Cart could then laze about on the cart while the Oxen did all the work... Pure laziness...

              By this time, Mr Work ethic was divorced, suffering from ulcers, worn out shoes, huge phone bills and he still couldn't compete.

              Fast forward to Mr Pickup Truck who inserted a supercharged V8 to allow him to not only travel in comfort with one arm holding up the roof, while transporting the goods around, but he was also able to go out on Saturday night and impress the women by doing burnouts in the supermarket car park. As all young men know, burnouts make women hot and horny, and as a result, Mr lazy bones pickup truck procreated in great numbers, far outnumbering Mr Work Ethic - who was far too busy making more calls and wearing out his shoe leather...

              Mr Work ethic, by this time could not compete. He was done. He succumbed to his ulcers, overwork and loneliness. Except for a rare few dinosaurs sometimes found on forums...

              History lesson endith...

              There isn't an innovation in history that wasn't created to make life easier - read lazy...

              As Claude says, take him aside, find out what motivates him and set a challenge. He could potentially make you rich.
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              • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
                Originally Posted by animal44 View Post

                There isn't an innovation in history that wasn't created to make life easier - read lazy....
                What about wedding cake?
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              • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
                Originally Posted by animal44 View Post

                Apologies. I misunderstood...


                That's why you're still scratching around cold calling for a living... Lazy doesn't mean no ambition...

                Let's have a history lesson.

                Did Mr Wheel invent the device named after him because of his work ethic? Or was it because he was sick of carrying all these heavy loads around? Of course, it took a JV with Mr Barrow to make it work well. With the wheel barrow people could shift twice the stuff with half the effort - pure laziness...! I bet Mr Wheel and Mr Barrow made gazillions.
                First, that was an excellent post.

                You are forgetting that Mr. Wheel and Mr. Barrow had to sell these ideas to customers that were completely unaware of what a wheel was, or how it could be used.

                What I'm saying is..these ideas had to be sold. And the life changing ideas are the hardest to sell, because they are life changing, and people don't like change.

                The guy that invented the wheel had to contend with;
                "The devil lives in the center of the wheel" -The Anti-Circular Tool Guild
                "While you are trying to make a round wheel, the crops are dying"
                "You are trying to destroy 2,000 years of tradition"
                "And who's going to carry the wheel?"
                "What do you do if you are working on a hill, and it gets away from you?"

                Assuming he had shoes, the wheel inventor spent quite a lot of shoe leather trying to convince people to completely change their lives by adopting his untried..unproven...wheel.

                You are right about connecting the invention of the wheel with no ambition...making our jobs easier. But that was just the pitch, the reason to buy.

                The pitch is to make the customer's job easier....to appeal to lazy customers.The people that actually invented the wheel...and the cart and the wheelbarrow had to sell those ideas. And they must have worked hard (or the reps they hired worked hard) to convince us that these were good ideas.

                I'm just glad the wheel inventor wasn't lazy, or we would be riding horses today.
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                • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
                  I don't know about the guy who invented the wagon, but the guys who invented and offered the first automobiles faced stiff resistance from the "horse drawn" crowd.

                  They had to sell the idea of owning, driving and riding in the "horseless carriage". I believe there are youtube videos on the subject.

                  Crazy when you think about it, but it took a while for cell/mobile phones to catch on, too.

                  I had one in the late 80's, which was great for sales, but costly to operate. I don't remember more than a couple of other salespeople who had one, at the time.

                  People can be slow to adopt new technology. The other side of it is, they can be slow to let go of old technology, too.

                  I went to a seminar in, I think, 1996 or '97 where the guy at the front of the room was pitching private pay phones as an investment. You had to pay for the phone and the installation, something like $6000 or so upfront and his company would select the location and guarantee you a certain amount of money each month, as your return on investment.

                  I was sitting in the front row and had asked a couple of questions at the end of his presentation, so he singled me out and asked me what I thought about the investment.

                  I told him he was nuts. His company's numbers, estimated profits and predictions for the future were completely fabricated. At the time I worked for the phone company. They ALREADY HAD more pay phones installed, at more locations, than all of the private phone competitors combined.

                  They had also run the numbers and determined that cell phone usage would overtake the need for pay phones in just a few short years At that point, they stopped installing any new phones, except where required by law or for safety issues.

                  I got up to leave the seminar and as I was walking out, noticed that a small crowd had gathered around the speaker. They were old guys. Probably retired. Oblivious to the sea change that was underway.

                  I'm sure he took their money. I'm also sure they never collected their investment.

                  Ron
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                  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
                    Originally Posted by Ron Lafuddy View Post

                    I went to a seminar in, I think, 1996 or '97 where the guy at the front of the room was pitching private pay phones as an investment. You had to pay for the phone and the installation, something like $6000 or so upfront and his company would select the location and guarantee you a certain amount of money each month, as your return on investment.

                    I was sitting in the front row and had asked a couple of questions at the end of his presentation, so he singled me out and asked me what I thought about the investment.

                    I told him he was nuts. His company's numbers, estimated profits and predictions for the future were completely fabricated. At the time I worked for the phone company. They ALREADY HAD more pay phones installed, at more locations, than all of the private phone competitors combined.

                    They had also run the numbers and determined that cell phone usage would overtake the need for pay phones in just a few short years At that point, they stopped installing any new phones, except where required by law or for safety issues.

                    I got up to leave the seminar and as I was walking out, noticed that a small crowd had gathered around the speaker. They were old guys. Probably retired. Oblivious to the sea change that was underway.

                    I'm sure he took their money. I'm also sure they never collected their investment.

                    Ron
                    A friend of mine was in an MLM that sold long distance services for $25 cents a minute. (Maybe 1990) The program was in a matrix. My friend wanted me to join (I think it was $500 for the "training").

                    I said, "Let's do the math. If everyone you recruited spent $30 a month on long distance...every month...and you filled your matrix...and nobody ever left....and the company never went out of business....the most you could possibly make a month is $2,500. That's the most. Nobody can make more than that".

                    I felt bad, but he was my friend, and I felt obligated.

                    Your post reminded me of the "900 number craze". People at the front of the room selling 900 number business packages. My first question was always "why are they selling these if it's so great? Why not just make your fortune with your own bank of 900 numbers?"
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                    • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
                      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

                      A friend of mine was in an MLM that sold long distance services for $25 cents a minute. (Maybe 1990) The program was in a matrix. My friend wanted me to joint (I think it was $500 for the "training").

                      I said, "Let's do the math. If everyone you recruited spent $30 a month on long distance...every month...and you filled your matrix...and nobody ever left....and the company never went out of business....the most you could possibly make a month is $2,500. That's the most. Nobody can make more than that".

                      I felt bad, but he was my friend, and I felt obligated.

                      Your post reminded me of the "900 number craze". People at the front of the room selling 900 number business packages. My first question was always "why are they selling these if it's so great? Why not just make your fortune with your own bank of 900 numbers?"
                      Ha! There was a time when people were selling 800 numbers.

                      That's because AT&T, who owned most of the 800 numbers, had been forced to give them up.

                      It was an absolutely crazy time. Especially, when the "bidding for 800 numbers" deal got going.

                      Some 800 numbers were selling for thousands of dollars, much like urls today, but a lot less organized.

                      The long distance craze you speak of, was another government inspired phenomenon.

                      Those who jumped in early made a pile of money. Fraud within the long distance companies, as well as "bought and paid for" legislation, which changed the rules in the phone biz, brought it all crashing down.

                      It was sweet while it lasted.

                      I uncovered some mega fraud going on with the supposed "wireless providers" at the time. It amounted to millions of dollars in bogus service contracts and thus...overvalued stock prices for the wireless companies AND their partners.

                      Think Enron on a larger scale.

                      When I tried to discuss it with a contact at a certain regulating body, I was told rather bluntly to "leave it alone or else".

                      I knew the game was up. At least I had time to get out of the way of the tsunami that wiped out so many others, and move on.

                      Gotta know when to hold 'em...and know when to fold 'em.

                      Ron
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          • Profile picture of the author savidge4
            Originally Posted by animal44 View Post

            And a comment on work ethic. You're a businessman. You hire two guys to bring in targeted prospects. One guy works all hours and brings in 10 targeted prospects per day. The other arrives late, leaves early and spends much of the day with his feet up. However, he brings in 20 targeted prospects. Who do you want to keep on paying...
            This comment struck me hard... real hard. If you were to ask me this question... I would toss the lazy good for nothing slouch that is bringing 20 prospects to the table every day...

            And now for the why... the guy working all hours to pull 10... given time... he will pull 20, 30, 40, or 50 per day. This is the guy that has drive.. this is the guy that will pay attention when you help him on his path. this is the guy that many may refer to as a "Super Star"

            The other lazy flick... pompous arse that comes in late and leaves early... I would say cocky as flick.. no respect... and more importantly.. he is comfortable... he does his numbers and calls it a day. he doesn't want to get ahead... he probably has nothing other than loans and mortgages to show for his work...

            Chances are better than good he is a drug addict - or drinks a whole lot... lives a life style beyond his means and the day will come when the house of cards comes crashing down... he wont hit his 20... he will look for ways to steal from you.. and then quits and turns it all on you.. its your fault he is not making the numbers.. its your fault his wife left him. its your fault his house and cars are being defaulted on.

            If this sounds like personal experience... well it is... it was me, and more than once, I was the one being blamed LOL. Super Stars are developed, not brought n off the street that way... if they truly were Super Stars, they wouldn't be working for any of us!
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            • Profile picture of the author Oziboomer
              Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

              Super Stars are developed, not brought n off the street that way... if they truly were Super Stars, they wouldn't be working for any of us!
              It's the old problem.

              Train them to be good. Train them to be the best. Reward them highly

              ----they leave.

              Don't train them. Moan and grumble at them. Never pay incentives.

              ----the b*stards stay.

              Best regards,

              Ozi
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            • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
              Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

              This comment struck me hard... real hard. If you were to ask me this question... I would toss the lazy good for nothing slouch that is bringing 20 prospects to the table every day...

              And now for the why... the guy working all hours to pull 10... given time... he will pull 20, 30, 40, or 50 per day. This is the guy that has drive.. this is the guy that will pay attention when you help him on his path. this is the guy that many may refer to as a "Super Star"
              I agree. I can train the hard worker to sell better. In fact, just by the sheer volume of work he/she is doing they are bound to get better. But I can't install drive in a "natural". I can't create ambition, I can't give them goals that they would care about.

              I would keep the high producing low effort guy. But I'd keep him away from the other reps. What they will copy from him isn't his superior technique, but rather his low output.

              I have to admit that for most of my sales life, I was more the "work half a day make lots of sales" guy. But not when I was working with a team of reps.

              A friend that also sold vacuums went with me on appointments, and I went with her...for a few weeks. It was instructive for both of us.

              One day she says "You know the difference between the two of us? I'll work like a dog for a week, make ten presentations, and get two sales..and be happy with two sales. You'll do four presentations that same week, make three sales, and agonize the rest of the week over the sale you missed". And she was right.

              Sure, there were spurts of activity. A referral chain would keep me working rapidly and all day for a month. A personal goal like "Can I sell every person on this street?" or "I'll work like a dog for a week, and however much I make that week, I'll spend on a new car". That sort of thing.

              The problem with "natural salespeople" is that they start out really well, and are generally the best in the office. But they are also complacent. They usually don't put in the work, or the study, to get better. So they stay at the "really great for a new guy" stage.
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      • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        I'm about half way through writing a new book titled "Marketing To Sell More." But it's a labor of obligation (to myself), and a effort to put the information out there for a few enterprising salespeople. It won't sell well. Most salespeople still think that learning better closes is the secret to more sales.
        ? well if you have your marketing right it will be a number one, would that not be true.

        "This little book reveals the one big secret that shows you how you can double your sales with effective marketing."
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        | > Choosing to go off the grid for a while to focus on family, work and life in general. Have a great 2020 < |
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        • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
          Originally Posted by tryinhere View Post

          ? well if you have your marketing right it will be a number one, would that not be true.

          "This little book reveals the one big secret that shows you how you can double your sales with effective marketing."
          That's a good sub head. Thanks. In fact, how about this? "This Little Book Reveals The Single Biggest Secret In High Profit Sales..Marketing Techniques Applied To Selling"

          You gave me the idea of marketing it as a Marketing book, not a Sales book. I would be easier to sell as a "sales book for marketers" than a "Marketing book for salespeople". Of course, I'll position it as both,


          You may get something out of this;
          My books on Closing and Prospecting both sell well. But the one on Closing sells more than twice as many copies. It may be the title, but I think it's that the vast majority of salespeople still think that Closing is the key to more sales. And while you can increase you sales by learning how to close better, you won't double your sales (unless you are a rank beginner). But prospecting in the right pond.....seeing the people most likely to buy will easily double your sales.

          I may also write a book on "Sales Presentation That Will Get Them On The Edge Of Their Seats" I haven't started it yet, but the idea of demonstrating an idea to make it brain dead obvious that they should buy...and perfectly matching your product/offer to what the prospect wants....I think would be valuable.

          But sales books sell in very limited numbers. In most sales categories, a #1 best seller may sell 40 copies a day. Most book buyers aren't salespeople, and most salespeople aren't readers.

          I write these books more for personal reasons.
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          • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
            Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

            That's a good sub head. Thanks. In fact, how about this? "This Little Book Reveals The Single Biggest Secret In High Profit Sales..Marketing Techniques Applied To Selling".
            I am sure that title and sub will play a big part in sales, but what ever you title it, it will be a good seller.

            + i will add this topic is my number one interest for the very reasons you talk about, it seems others here are of the same view, so maybe a whole new thread on that one day, but there also may be just more people that would tilt to this than might appear on the surface, you book will be well worth a read from anybody starting out to even seasoned pros, who want to reach to higher levels. I look forward to reading it when you have it completed.
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            | > Choosing to go off the grid for a while to focus on family, work and life in general. Have a great 2020 < |
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    • Profile picture of the author animal44
      Originally Posted by Ron Lafuddy View Post

      What about wedding cake?
      I know little of wedding cakes, however a quick search indicates that wedding cake evolved from many little things being created by lots of different specialists. So yes, by making one big cake they avoided all the hassle of dealing with lots of different individual specialists...

      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

      Assuming he had shoes, the wheel inventor spent quite a lot of shoe leather trying to convince people to completely change their lives by adopting his untried..unproven...wheel.
      No.

      They ran a PPC ad on the smoke and drum net, an early version of arpanet...

      Henry Ford sold his cars by advertisement and catalog. He gained publicity by entering races and winning them. I do not remember anything about him sending salesmen out door to door.
      Here's some of his early ads. They invite people to go down to his showroom, or to receive a catalogue. This is the equivalent of a website call to action and it's getting (attracting) people to come to him. Not sending people out to try and sell his cars door to door.

      Also note he advertised in the horseless age magazine. A highly targeted audience. He didn't send someone out to call on every subscriber, one at a time. Instead he advertised and allowed those who were "most likely to buy" to come to him.

      Originally Posted by Ron Lafuddy View Post

      I had one in the late 80's, which was great for sales, but costly to operate. I don't remember more than a couple of other salespeople who had one, at the time.
      Ha, me too.
      My sideline to my consultancy was a small software house. We had an arrangement with a mobile phone company where we would sell their products to our clients (sound familiar? ). They gave us each a phone. Mine was like a small briefcase, all battery with a handset on top. Weighed a ton. I think it had about one hour talk time....
      Ah the good old days...
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      • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
        Originally Posted by animal44 View Post

        Henry Ford sold his cars by advertisement and catalog. He gained publicity by entering races and winning them. I do not remember anything about him sending salesmen out door to door.
        Here's some of his early ads. They invite people to go down to his showroom, or to receive a catalogue. This is the equivalent of a website call to action and it's getting (attracting) people to come to him. Not sending people out to try and sell his cars door to door.

        Also note he advertised in the horseless age magazine. A highly targeted audience. He didn't send someone out to call on every subscriber, one at a time. Instead he advertised and allowed those who were "most likely to buy" to come to him.
        One thing I know about Henry Ford is, he relied on his workers to buy his product.

        He did a lot of things to make that happen.

        He paid them $5.00 per day, which was unheard of at the time. That brought him a ton of free publicity, the best workers for his assembly lines and...lots of car sales.

        Also, you didn't dare to park a competitor's car in the Ford employee parking lot.

        Henry Ford was a very flawed genius, I think, who learned quickly, and was not afraid to try something and fail. He knew about and understood the value of leveraging the talents, ability and knowledge of others.

        He built a company that has stood the test of time.

        Many of his original innovations and ideas are still being used today.

        He also understood the value of salesmanship and how it related to more car sales, which is why salesmen were employed in Ford dealerships.

        http://www.autonews.com/article/2006...prison-success

        As to wedding cake...and more importantly, what it represents...the words "easy" and "lazy" do not come
        to mind.

        Ron
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      • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
        Originally Posted by animal44 View Post

        My sideline to my consultancy was a small software house. We had an arrangement with a mobile phone company where we would sell their products to our clients (sound familiar? ). They gave us each a phone. Mine was like a small briefcase, all battery with a handset on top. Weighed a ton. I think it had about one hour talk time....
        Ah the good old days...
        I did something similar but was paid for each customer I referred.

        I referred a number of police officers, who were required to "phone in" for some matters. At the time, police departments did not supply the officers with a phone, which left only convenience or pay phones as their option.

        Using pay phones was awkward, inconvenient, time consuming and somewhat risky for cops. Once they tried a cell phone, they would not give it up.

        Ron
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    • Profile picture of the author wentzco
      I thought I would add some things regarding selling door-to-door regarding my 3 year experience selling Kirby vacuums back in the 1980s.

      We used door openers to get in the door. When door knocking, I would have a cutlery set in hand (from Maxam) telling people that I make money giving presentations & would be willing to give them a cutlery set or shampoo one room of carpet free.

      Follow the presentation you were taught as best as possible. Often over time, you end up taking shortcuts in your demo which I discovered ended up lowering your sales ratio & selling price (& commissions). Why? It's because you didn't show the overall value. You never know what people's hot buttons in a product are. Regarding the Kirby - some people loved the shampooer, some liked the turbo brush & some people wanted all the dead skin out of their bed mattress. Ha - yeah we would vacuum "a portion" of their mattress pulling out tons of dead skin. When I brought a new salesperson along on presentations to train them, I did my best presentations which most often ended up in a sale.

      We did a lot of telephone closes at the end of presentations to aid new & experienced reps close the sale with better deals. People see you're talking to the manager/boss which has a psychological effect. As I had been a sales manager, trainer & Area Dealer - I often was the person helping close the deal & telling reps what to say in homes or even talk to the customer directly over the phone. This definitely increased sales. If your training included making calls to your manager/trainer at the end of your presentation... there is a reason for that. If they already committed to buy then you didn't need to make the call & just finished the paperwork.

      If you are selling a larger ticket item, pitch the monthly payments instead of selling price. People may not have $700-$1200 cash handy but when you pitch something like $36 a month - you increase sales. Every company selling larger ticket items door-to-door have a finance company in place. Often people would say what kind of deal would they get if they paid cash. That's what you call a buyer signal

      Another tremendous way to increase sales is to do trade-ins & discount the selling price. Obviously we traded in vacuums but often I would trade in a wide variety of products on occasion. The question of "Do you have anything around the house that you are willing to trade in to knock the price down?" was a powerful question. Ha - I traded in furniture, stereos, kitchen appliances, farm equipment, pick-up toppers, paintings, etc... . I knew what my cost was so I just needed to figure how much cash I wanted out of the deal. I also then could resell the trade-ins. It would be easier now to resell these trade-ins with Craigslist & Facebook groups. Furniture was a pain as you had to get someone with a pick-up to help you haul it away. Anyway - trade-ins increased sales plus it was kind of fun for both me & the customers.

      Always feel good about the product you're selling. Would you like to own it yourself?

      Lot's of good info throughout these 3 pages of posts in this thread!
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      • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
        Originally Posted by wentzco View Post

        I thought I would add some things regarding selling door-to-door regarding my 3 year experience selling Kirby vacuums back in the 1980s.

        We used door openers to get in the door. When door knocking, I would have a cutlery set in hand (from Maxam) telling people that I make money giving presentations & would be willing to give them a cutlery set or shampoo one room of carpet free.

        Follow the presentation you were taught as best as possible. Often over time, you end up taking shortcuts in your demo which I discovered ended up lowering your sales ratio & selling price (& commissions). Why? It's because you didn't show the overall value. You never know what people's hot buttons in a product are. Regarding the Kirby - some people loved the shampooer, some liked the turbo brush & some people wanted all the dead skin out of their bed mattress. Ha - yeah we would vacuum "a portion" of their mattress pulling out tons of dead skin. When I brought a new salesperson along on presentations to train them, I did my best presentations which most often ended up in a sale.

        We did a lot of telephone closes at the end of presentations to aid new & experienced reps close the sale with better deals. People see you're talking to the manager/boss which has a psychological effect. As I had been a sales manager, trainer & Area Dealer - I often was the person helping close the deal & telling reps what to say in homes or even talk to the customer directly over the phone. This definitely increased sales. If your training included making calls to your manager/trainer at the end of your presentation... there is a reason for that. If they already committed to buy then you didn't need to make the call & just finished the paperwork.

        If you are selling a larger ticket item, pitch the monthly payments instead of selling price. People may not have $700-$1200 cash handy but when you pitch something like $36 a month - you increase sales. Every company selling larger ticket items door-to-door have a finance company in place. Often people would say what kind of deal would they get if they paid cash. That's what you call a buyer signal

        Another tremendous way to increase sales is to do trade-ins & discount the selling price. Obviously we traded in vacuums but often I would trade in a wide variety of products on occasion. The question of "Do you have anything around the house that you are willing to trade in to knock the price down?" was a powerful question. Ha - I traded in furniture, stereos, kitchen appliances, farm equipment, pick-up toppers, paintings, etc... . I knew what my cost was so I just needed to figure how much cash I wanted out of the deal. I also then could resell the trade-ins. It would be easier now to resell these trade-ins with Craigslist & Facebook groups. Furniture was a pain as you had to get someone with a pick-up to help you haul it away. Anyway - trade-ins increased sales plus it was kind of fun for both me & the customers.

        Always feel good about the product you're selling. Would you like to own it yourself?

        Lot's of good info throughout these 3 pages of posts in this thread!
        Lots of good points in your post that could apply to selling just about anything.

        What kind of questions would you ask during your presentation to keep the customer engaged?
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        • Profile picture of the author wentzco
          Originally Posted by Ron Lafuddy View Post

          Lots of good points in your post that could apply to selling just about anything.

          What kind of questions would you ask during your presentation to keep the customer engaged?

          Well I always let people be part of the presentation so they definitely were engaged that way. Example - go over a spot 20 times with their cruddy vacuum & then let people go over the same spot with the Kirby a couple of times with a dirtmeter attached showing what they missed with their vacuum. The dirtmeter was a small glass container with paper pads in place of where the bag usually was attached. Often I would hand them the dirt pads or place them right in front of them... they would pick them up. Some times when doing the mattress pad test - people would insist on letting them clean the whole mattress to get that dead skin & dust mites (& their feces) feeding on the skin out of their bed. Yeah - I'd carry a large picture of mites showing what they looked like. I'd get them to do a dash of shampooing to show how easy it was - sometimes they did most of the room themselves.

          Get them to feel like whatever product you're selling is already theirs by getting it in their hands & not wanting to see it go. That's how many air filtration units were sold by letting people try them out for a few days.

          Some questions I used a lot

          - Do you know some people that have Kirby vacuums? Usually everyone knew someone... often they grew up in a household with a Kirby. How long have they had it? Often the answer would be 15-30+ years. Basically you're getting people to say how durable they are compared to plastic ones they replace every 2-4 years. We actually own a 30 year old one ourselves. I've run accross people that had much older models.

          - Did you realize how much dirt your vacuum actually was leaving in the carpet? Did you realize that the beater bar on your vacuum actually was damaging the carpet? Basically you're getting people to tell you that their current product is crappy. Parents with babies crawling on the floor were often ticked at what wasn't being picked up.

          - Ask questions about them, their family or interests. Nice picture - how old are your kids? How long have you lived here? Oh you lived in whereeverville... my dad had a hardware store a few miles away. Often you know someone in common. That's a gorgeous dog - a purebred or mixture? Nice rock collection - my grandpa collected & polished rocks for years. I see you're a Minnesota Vikings fan - that was a shocker of an ending last week... wasn't it? People like to talk about themselves, family & interests. Basically you're getting people to like you by just talking with them... you increase your chances of a sale. This type of engagement is crucial in presentations.
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          • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
            Originally Posted by wentzco View Post

            Well I always let people be part of the presentation so they definitely were engaged that way. Example - go over a spot 20 times with their cruddy vacuum & then let people go over the same spot with the Kirby a couple of times with a dirtmeter attached showing what they missed with their vacuum. The dirtmeter was a small glass container with paper pads in place of where the bag usually was attached. Often I would hand them the dirt pads or place them right in front of them... they would pick them up. Some times when doing the mattress pad test - people would insist on letting them clean the whole mattress to get that dead skin & dust mites (& their feces) feeding on the skin out of their bed. Yeah - I'd carry a large picture of mites showing what they looked like. I'd get them to do a dash of shampooing to show how easy it was - sometimes they did most of the room themselves.

            Get them to feel like whatever product you're selling is already theirs by getting it in their hands & not wanting to see it go. That's how many air filtration units were sold by letting people try them out for a few days.

            Some questions I used a lot

            - Do you know some people that have Kirby vacuums? Usually everyone knew someone... often they grew up in a household with a Kirby. How long have they had it? Often the answer would be 15-30+ years. Basically you're getting people to say how durable they are compared to plastic ones they replace every 2-4 years. We actually own a 30 year old one ourselves. I've run accross people that had much older models.

            - Did you realize how much dirt your vacuum actually was leaving in the carpet? Did you realize that the beater bar on your vacuum actually was damaging the carpet? Basically you're getting people to tell you that their current product is crappy. Parents with babies crawling on the floor were often ticked at what wasn't being picked up.

            - Ask questions about them, their family or interests. Nice picture - how old are your kids? How long have you lived here? Oh you lived in whereeverville... my dad had a hardware store a few miles away. Often you know someone in common. That's a gorgeous dog - a purebred or mixture? Nice rock collection - my grandpa collected & polished rocks for years. I see you're a Minnesota Vikings fan - that was a shocker of an ending last week... wasn't it? People like to talk about themselves, family & interests. Basically you're getting people to like you by just talking with them... you increase your chances of a sale. This type of engagement is crucial in presentations.
            You given some real gems that can be used by anyone, in just about any kind of selling.

            I'm amazed that you can remember all of those details from a couple of years of selling, some 30 years ago.

            Certainly a memorable experience.

            Ron
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          • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
            Originally Posted by wentzco View Post

            Well I always let people be part of the presentation so they definitely were engaged that way. Example - go over a spot 20 times with their cruddy vacuum & then let people go over the same spot with the Kirby a couple of times with a dirtmeter attached showing what they missed with their vacuum. The dirtmeter was a small glass container with paper pads in place of where the bag usually was attached. Often I would hand them the dirt pads or place them right in front of them... they would pick them up. Some times when doing the mattress pad test - people would insist on letting them clean the whole mattress to get that dead skin & dust mites (& their feces) feeding on the skin out of their bed. Yeah - I'd carry a large picture of mites showing what they looked like. I'd get them to do a dash of shampooing to show how easy it was - sometimes they did most of the room themselves.

            Get them to feel like whatever product you're selling is already theirs by getting it in their hands & not wanting to see it go. That's how many air filtration units were sold by letting people try them out for a few days.

            It occurs to me that the sale of not only a new vacuum, but a new mattress was actually built here. Possibly with the air purifier thrown in as a "sweetner" or for added profit.

            Where be that Finance Man when you need him? Ah, me.

            Ron
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Throw their mailbox in some bushes then knock on the front door and ask If they want to buy a new mailbox.
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  • Profile picture of the author imagetypers
    Great , First, " door-to-door" jobs really enrich your speaking abilites and personality. Coming back to on what you should sell, you should first take a trip to the locality you wanna jump on to, do some analysis.
    And then you can get a clear picture.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jessica Amboos
    Food is always a good choice. If you love baking, like me, then you can bake your own goods to sell. What I'm doing part time is I bake desserts and I sell them to dealers who are the ones doing the "door to door" thing. Basically, I'm the manufacturer and they're the sellers. That way, I don't have to exert a lot of effort selling them. I suggest you work with what you do best and go from there. Since your schedule is tight, look for a way where you can manage your time in doing both but always prioritize your studies as much as possible.
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    • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
      Originally Posted by Jessica Amboos View Post

      Food is always a good choice. If you love baking, like me, then you can bake your own goods to sell. What I'm doing part time is I bake desserts and I sell them to dealers who are the ones doing the "door to door" thing. Basically, I'm the manufacturer and they're the sellers. That way, I don't have to exert a lot of effort selling them. I suggest you work with what you do best and go from there. Since your schedule is tight, look for a way where you can manage your time in doing both but always prioritize your studies as much as possible.
      Food is a tough one, for a variety of reasons. Takes just one person claiming that they didn't feel good after consuming something you sold them, to bring down the house of cards.

      Doesn't matter if it's the same day you sold it to them or 2 weeks later.

      You're guilty til proven innocent.

      There are many other things to sell that don't spoil, require special handling or have a limited shelf life.

      Why complicate it?

      Ron
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  • Profile picture of the author thrillaike
    If you're in an urban area life insurance works very well. You'll get the door slammed in your face quite a bit, but every sale is between $500 and $2000, so one or two a day....
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  • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
    Originally Posted by socialentry View Post

    Hi,

    I'm pondering what to do this summer amongst several options.

    I'm returning to school very soon as my priority is to accomplish my academic goals as fast as possible. Maybe I have some more free time in August but I don't want to do anything too complicated.

    A job would be the first thing to come to mind. but I have summer courses, I think it's a bit in bad faith to apply just to plan to quit 1 month afterward.

    It's not a lot of time. I've been thinking maybe finding something to sell and going door to door.

    What would be the criterias of a good physical product to do this? What's a net profit I should aim for per product?
    Just wondering if you decided to go through with this.

    If so, what product or service will you be selling?

    Ron
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    • Profile picture of the author socialentry
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Ron Lafuddy View Post

      Just wondering if you decided to go through with this.

      If so, what product or service will you be selling?

      Ron
      I don`t think I`ll go ahead with it after all. In june, I just decided to study in advance. For the month of AUgust I`ll likely help a relative sell vegetables in bulk until school starts again.The product is not super exciting by any measures but it means more responsibilities (within my extended family, I`m one of the few with sales experience) and bigger sales volume then going door to door or just a regular sales jobs.

      The main thing it`s also safer, it won`t jeopardize my next semester if for whatever reason I choke. I didn't think about the possibility of failure but seeing people discuss got me thinking:

      Last sales job I had was selling in telemarketing B2C and tbh the first 3 weeks I sold almost nothing. I already had phone experience but it took me a while before I got the grooves of things and I started hitting good odds at bat. And then you have Claude and tryinghere relating similar experiences in their early careers and I went:

      'ok well, maybe err on the side of safety'
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by socialentry View Post

        Last sales job I had was selling in telemarketing B2C and tbh the first 3 weeks I sold almost nothing. I already had phone experience but it took me a while before I got the grooves of things and I started hitting good odds at bat. And then you have Claude and tryinghere relating similar experiences in their early careers and I went:

        'ok well, maybe err on the side of safety'
        My entire career selling fire alarms, three months (when I was 20 years old) I sold nothing. My first three weeks selling vacuum cleaners...I sold nothing.

        If you're just working for the Summer, I get it. But just know that I absolutely know that if you applied yourself, when ever you wanted...to selling something...you'd be making an executive income within a year. I was.
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        • Profile picture of the author Kurt
          Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

          My entire career selling fire alarms, three months (when I was 20 years old) I sold nothing. My first three weeks selling vacuum cleaners...I sold nothing.

          If you're just working for the Summer, I get it. But just know that I absolutely know that if you applied yourself, when ever you wanted...to selling something...you'd be making an executive income within a year. I was.
          Many of us weren't in a position at that time in our lives to be able to go 3 weeks, let alone 3 months, without any money.
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          • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
            Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

            Many of us weren't in a position at that time in our lives to be able to go 3 weeks, let alone 3 months, without any money.
            Neither was I. And that's why I quit trying to sell fire alarms. I had a car payment and rent. And I was behind. My car was repossessed because of this period with no money. I had to move back in with my parents, get a job within walking distance...and start over again.
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            • Profile picture of the author Kurt
              Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

              Neither was I. And that's why I quit trying to sell fire alarms. I had a car payment and rent. And I was behind. My car was repossessed because of this period with no money. I had to move back in with my parents, get a job within walking distance...and start over again.
              This isn't an option for everyone.
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              • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
                Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

                This isn't an option for everyone.
                I have to admit, that is true. There wasn't enough room for everyone to move back in with my parents.
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              • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
                Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

                This isn't an option for everyone.
                If that's not an option, simple find another option, then keep moving forward.

                When a man (or woman) knows where he is going, the world will open it's doors to you.

                Being scared or put of by every what if, is not cool, and if you really are in a position of such doom and gloom, don't turn and run, look the future in eye and tell it to pitch up good, because your here to make good tough calls and hit home runs.

                Sack negative Nancy, and you should expect it to be hard and challenging if this is the case.

                the safe sales people are all eating the local take away crap burgers, driving shit cars that break down, are complaining about the boss and generally lead shit lives whining about everything, and they probably know everything as well.

                I got a spare room down under if Claude's parents are full up.

                Anyway I am sure you will work out what's best and good luck with your calls.
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                • Profile picture of the author Kurt
                  Originally Posted by tryinhere View Post

                  If that's not an option, simple find another option, then keep moving forward.

                  When a man (or woman) knows where he is going, the world will open it's doors to you.

                  Being scared or put of by every what if, is not cool, and if you really are in a position of such doom and gloom, don't turn and run, look the future in eye and tell it to pitch up good, because your here to make good tough calls and hit home runs.

                  Sack negative Nancy, and you should expect it to be hard and challenging if this is the case.

                  the safe sales people are all eating the local take away crap burgers, driving shit cars that break down, are complaining about the boss and generally lead shit lives whining about everything, and they probably know everything as well.

                  I got a spare room down under if Claude's parents are full up.

                  Anyway I am sure you will work out what's best and good luck with your calls.
                  You need to get off your soap box and get a dose of reality. It's impossible for a person to go 3 months without eating. So either you earn some money, steal or depend on the generosity of others. But not everyone can depend on others, deal with it.

                  And if you're telling someone to risk homelessness while they learn to sell, you shouldn't be giving anyone advice. Instead, how about they get something more stable until they can minimize their risks?


                  You act as if a decision made when someone is 19 is the last decision they can ever make and are forever committed to that decision. It's very possible for a person to get a job to help stabilize their position while still planning for a better future.

                  It's a fact, not everyone has a support system to help them. So while you can call me names like "Negative Nancy", you're living in a fantasy world that the consequences of failure are the same for every person. You simply call it "risk" and apply it evenly to every situation.

                  You're also arguing a straw man fallacy. I never said a person shouldn't take risks...at least calculated risks. However, life isn't as simple as you pretend it is. One person can take a risk and it he/she fails, they can move in with their parents. Another person can take the very same risk and if they fail, they are out on the street with a couple of kids and no roof over their head.

                  Don't pretend you know anything about the risks I've taken in life. One thing I do know, and that's how to calculate odds, and taking risks for the sake of taking risks is foolish. While risk is necessary for many good things in life, the ability to minimize risk is an essential life skill.

                  For example, I read a story about a guy that drives for Uber but makes 6 figures selling jewelery to his customers. Here's a guy that minimized his risk but maximized his gain. You have the "gain" part down, but you need some serious work on the "minimizing risk" part.
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                  • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
                    Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

                    You need to get off your soap box and get a dose of reality. .
                    Kurt I am not soap box person, more the opposite, and what the frogs legs do you know about others, rude reply buddy, for the record how does encouraging somebody to be positive sound.

                    Now if being nice to people and encouraging people is not in your nature then I am sorry for you.

                    How the hell do you know what roads we have walked down, you have no room to bat out you soap box rubbish here mate. for me I will go on encouraging people to live a better life, nothing more and shove your rude soap box crap where it dont shine.

                    and for the record negative nancy comment was a comment relating to life in general so you stuffed right up thinking I was putting you down or referring to you. / wrong call mate

                    o crap i see more that you were thinking I was talking about you ? wtf, mate nothing of what i wrote was about you, did you wake up in a bad mood or looking at things without a coffee. real bad call now buddy, you are at opposite ends of the spectrum. just wow, bugger me

                    Have a good day.
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                  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
                    Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

                    You need to get off your soap box and get a dose of reality. It's impossible for a person to go 3 months without eating. So either you earn some money, steal or depend on the generosity of others. But not everyone can depend on others, deal with it.
                    Kurt. I said I went three months without selling anything (way at the beginning).

                    That is an exceptionally long time to go without income. And it's an extreme example.

                    No normal person would take three months to make a sale. I was selling fire alarms, a particularly hard product to sell. I also had almost no sales training. And I was a 20 year old kid that had no idea what selling even was.

                    I have never hired a rep and they didn't make at least one sale the first two weeks. If I had to, I'd go with them and make it for them.

                    I would never expect someone to stick with a non-paying job for three months.

                    Somehow you have interpreted my statement as somehow me expecting someone to go that long without a sale. That would be ridiculous.

                    The only reason I stayed as long as I did is because I didn't know any better, and they didn't fire me. Staying 3 months wasn't a barge of courage, it was an act of ignorance.

                    Sticking with selling vacuums the first three weeks without a sale...is a different story.
                    I knew how to sell life insurance, and was a pretty seasoned salesman by then. I just had no idea how to sell a vacuum cleaner. Amazingly, the skills didn't transfer well at all.

                    And I was married, and had some money saved. I also absolutely knew that it was just a matter of learning how to do it. I knew others were making sales. I knew I would make sales too. Honestly, I wold have kept at it for a month or so, without a sale, before giving up. Not because I'm tenacious...or brave...or determined. It's because I knew that It was just a matter of learning. I had to unlearn some of the insurance approach, because it was killing my vacuum sales.

                    And again, I had no sales training. My manager was an idiot. A kid.

                    Those are unusual circumstances. When I hired a rep, the single most important thing for me to do was show him sales being made...and get him a decent check the first week,

                    I would never suggest that a new person stick with a sales job for three months without a sale, no matter what their position or resources.

                    Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

                    Don't pretend you know anything about the risks I've taken in life. One thing I do know, and that's how to calculate odds, and taking risks for the sake of taking risks is foolish. While risk is necessary for many good things in life, the ability to minimize risk is an essential life skill.
                    .
                    I think I know enough about you to know this;

                    Even if you never think about sales again in your life. I promise you that you could be about the best there is. You would have to learn how to do everything intellectually. (Like I did) It may not come naturally to you. But you have the capacity to understand deeply how the entire process works.

                    I'm not suggesting that you pursue it. I'm just saying you have the mental architecture to be great at it.

                    One thing I'm sure of is that it takes great mentors to produce a great salesperson. In my case, most of those mentors came in the form of books...and later several gifted salespeople I worked with. It's always better if that great mentor is your boss, and you learn in person.
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                    • Profile picture of the author Oziboomer
                      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

                      No normal person would take three months to make a sale. I was selling fire alarms, a particularly hard product to sell. I also had almost no sales training. And I was a 20 year old kid that had no idea what selling even was.
                      You'd love it if you had to go out an sell "smoke alarms" in my neck of the woods today.

                      New national legislation came in recently where all smoke alarms will have to be hard-wired into the homes power supply.

                      It has already rolled out in new homes and rentals and homes being substantially renovated from 1st Jan 2017.

                      All old homes need to be upgraded by 2027 but if you are selling a home you have to install photoelectric replacements in the meantime.

                      Also there are positioning requirements

                      on each storey
                      in each bedroom
                      in hallways that connect bedrooms and the rest of the dwelling
                      if there is no hallway, between the bedroom and other parts of the storey; and
                      if there are no bedrooms on a storey, at least one smoke alarm must be installed in the most likely path of travel to exit the dwelling.

                      Some of the details are at the link below for the keen Aussies who want to get out and sell them for the whole next decade.

                      https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/community-safety/smokealarms

                      A goldmine for electricians and those who want to sell them the leads and bookings.

                      You want to retire pretty soon don't you Claude? - One whirlwind trip around Australia and you could add the finishing touches to that retirement fund.

                      Best regards,

                      Ozi
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                      • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
                        Originally Posted by Oziboomer View Post

                        You'd love it if you had to go out an sell "smoke alarms" in my neck of the woods today.

                        New national legislation came in recently where all smoke alarms will have to be hard-wired into the homes power supply.

                        It has already rolled out in new homes and rentals and homes being substantially renovated from 1st Jan 2017.

                        All old homes need to be upgraded by 2027 but if you are selling a home you have to install photoelectric replacements in the meantime.

                        Also there are positioning requirements

                        on each storey
                        in each bedroom
                        in hallways that connect bedrooms and the rest of the dwelling
                        if there is no hallway, between the bedroom and other parts of the storey; and
                        if there are no bedrooms on a storey, at least one smoke alarm must be installed in the most likely path of travel to exit the dwelling.

                        Some of the details are at the link below for the keen Aussies who want to get out and sell them for the whole next decade.

                        https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/community-safety/smokealarms

                        A goldmine for electricians and those who want to sell them the leads and bookings.

                        You want to retire pretty soon don't you Claude? - One whirlwind trip around Australia and you could add the finishing touches to that retirement fund.

                        Best regards,

                        Ozi
                        You bring up an important point, that was mildly touched on earlier in the thread: profiting from government regulation.

                        Government meddling, i.e. spending, regulation, registration, licensing, tariffs, tax credits, etc., can create some very profitable income streams for those who are paying attention - and act.

                        Richard Maybury calls them cones.

                        Those supplying the defense industry in the U.S. are witnessing some of their best times currently, as money is being poured into defense buildup.

                        https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...s-the-military

                        "Not long ago, SpaceX founder Elon Musk cracked what he once labeled a monopoly for Defense Department space launches, successfully breaking into a business that was dominated by United Launch Alliance LLC.

                        The DOD's appetite for space access is voracious, given the myriad reconnaissance, defense, and communications roles there, coupled with a future where conflicts are almost certain to involve space assets. Musk's 2014 lawsuit against the government was settled out of court, and the Pentagon certified SpaceX, also known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., as a suitable supplier of military space launches."

                        Cones can be extremely profitable for a while, especially if you get in early before the bulk of the competition does.

                        Just remember that what the government creates with one hand, it usually takes away with another, down the road, when you least expect it.

                        Ron
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                    • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
                      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

                      Kurt. I said I went three months without selling anything (way at the beginning).

                      That is an exceptionally long time to go without income. And it's an extreme example.

                      No normal person would take three months to make a sale. I was selling fire alarms, a particularly hard product to sell. I also had almost no sales training. And I was a 20 year old kid that had no idea what selling even was.

                      I have never hired a rep and they didn't make at least one sale the first two weeks. If I had to, I'd go with them and make it for them.

                      I would never expect someone to stick with a non-paying job for three months.

                      Somehow you have interpreted my statement as somehow me expecting someone to go that long without a sale. That would be ridiculous.

                      The only reason I stayed as long as I did is because I didn't know any better, and they didn't fire me. Staying 3 months wasn't a barge of courage, it was an act of ignorance.

                      Sticking with selling vacuums the first three weeks without a sale...is a different story.
                      I knew how to sell life insurance, and was a pretty seasoned salesman by then. I just had no idea how to sell a vacuum cleaner. Amazingly, the skills didn't transfer well at all.

                      And I was married, and had some money saved. I also absolutely knew that it was just a matter of learning how to do it. I knew others were making sales. I knew I would make sales too. Honestly, I wold have kept at it for a month or so, without a sale, before giving up. Not because I'm tenacious...or brave...or determined. It's because I knew that It was just a matter of learning. I had to unlearn some of the insurance approach, because it was killing my vacuum sales.

                      And again, I had no sales training. My manager was an idiot. A kid.

                      Those are unusual circumstances. When I hired a rep, the single most important thing for me to do was show him sales being made...and get him a decent check the first week,

                      I would never suggest that a new person stick with a sales job for three months without a sale, no matter what their position or resources.



                      I think I know enough about you to know this;

                      Even if you never think about sales again in your life. I promise you that you could be about the best there is. You would have to learn how to do everything intellectually. (Like I did) It may not come naturally to you. But you have the capacity to understand deeply how the entire process works.

                      I'm not suggesting that you pursue it. I'm just saying you have the mental architecture to be great at it.

                      One thing I'm sure of is that it takes great mentors to produce a great salesperson. In my case, most of those mentors came in the form of books...and later several gifted salespeople I worked with. It's always better if that great mentor is your boss, and you learn in person.
                      In spite of the OP choosing a safe thing, this thread, nonetheless, has been one of great insight and help, also in spite of big dick swinging pissing contests.

                      BUT, The above, which I've high lighted in RED, is the reason why so many IMers take years flitting around. When I was a sales trainer, I too, wanted the trainee to have QUICK SUCCESS, some money in his pocket.

                      Back then we used the standardized formula:

                      Show them how. Let them assist. Let them DO. Critique and continue.

                      Today, online, IF I accept any apprentices or mentees, they must sell something within 10 days, Showing them that money can be made quickly, albeit in small amounts, generates fire and enthusiasm for their efforts.

                      The WF is famous for the stories of 5 years of effort before a breakthrough, and so much anecdotal "you MUST work hard" nonsense. Like a Claude apprentice, teach a man to catch a fish quickly, even a minnow, and you've helped him on his way to feeding him for a lifetime.

                      FAST results is, IMO, one of the best motivators out there.

                      GordonJ
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          • Profile picture of the author savidge4
            Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

            Many of us weren't in a position at that time in our lives to be able to go 3 weeks, let alone 3 months, without any money.
            I'm not disagreeing with what you are saying... but the reality is... EVERYONE is in a position to do exactly that.. but are you willing to live in the position it places you?

            I'm also not saying you have to dig that deep either... Look back at this very forum.. how many times have people said I quit my job and started X and I'm not getting anywhere - or I'm going to quit my job and start X full time. - or any other crazy combination? what generally is the advice given? GET A JOB, and once those 8 hours are up each day, follow your dream.

            At this point we are not dream building.. we are being responsible and allocating our time to an Education, and during the summer trying to pick up the cash to make that happen. Go with the steady, and with the other 16 hours in the day, start building yourself financially.
            .
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        • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
          Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

          My entire career selling fire alarms, three months (when I was 20 years old) I sold nothing. My first three weeks selling vacuum cleaners...I sold nothing.

          If you're just working for the Summer, I get it. But just know that I absolutely know that if you applied yourself, when ever you wanted...to selling something...you'd be making an executive income within a year. I was.
          That's powerful, Claudius.

          It's also true. Many of us have gone out and gotten a sales job, made the income, and have proven it.

          Someone who is willing to work, can turn their life around very quickly in sales.


          Based on your previous post in this thread, you and I differ on this BUT, these kids (actually young adults) sitting at home with no job, no income, living off their parents, are in real trouble.

          I can't encourage them to waste their lives by excusing the behavior.

          Time is slipping away from them and they don't realize it. Some have student loan debt.

          They are going backwards not moving forward with their lives.

          It's never okay for able body adults, who are capable of providing for themselves to be dependent on the charity of others.

          Never.

          My .02

          Ron
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        • Profile picture of the author socialentry
          Banned
          Originally Posted by Savidge4

          I'm not picking what so ever... but I hate the word "Safer". The other side of this is "Family" which actually means a whole lot to me. I would bend over backwards to help family.

          So what is a person to do? You need to bend over backwards. Do both. Assist the family during the day til 3 or so, and then hit doors in the mid to late afternoon.

          Safer may get the bills paid... MAY... but risk in one form or another pays dividends beyond dollars.

          Sitting on comfortable will be a regret for the rest of your life.. maybe not a major one... but one none the less. I'm going to sound like a really bad sales manager right now.. but regret is for losers! LOL
          You're right....There's really no security in this life.

          So for the sake of discussion... you are going to work a veggie stand.. one of the options was to sell knife sets.. why not bring the 2 together... offer the knives for sale at the veggie stand - maybe introduce a paring knife for the occasion? and then maybe while you are knocking on doors offer a "Fresh Veggie Basket" along with the knives?

          Is the Veggie thing a year round business? maybe start a basket of the week or basket of the month offering?
          It's a small co-op organic farm. There's a few harvests in the summer but that's it.

          There is a veggie stand at local community events, but I don't expect to man it. The staff sees the future in B2B because they would rather focus on production rather then marketing if given the choice.

          But the suggestion to mix is a good idea.

          There's a couple hundred people at least that come to community events organized by their farm and so I'm sure I could transmit the mall stand strategy to there.
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      • Profile picture of the author savidge4
        Originally Posted by socialentry View Post

        The main thing it`s also safer, it won`t jeopardize my next semester if for whatever reason I choke. I didn't think about the possibility of failure but seeing people discuss got me thinking
        I'm not picking what so ever... but I hate the word "Safer". The other side of this is "Family" which actually means a whole lot to me. I would bend over backwards to help family.

        So what is a person to do? You need to bend over backwards. Do both. Assist the family during the day til 3 or so, and then hit doors in the mid to late afternoon.

        Safer may get the bills paid... MAY... but risk in one form or another pays dividends beyond dollars.

        So for the sake of discussion... you are going to work a veggie stand.. one of the options was to sell knife sets.. why not bring the 2 together... offer the knives for sale at the veggie stand - maybe introduce a paring knife for the occasion? and then maybe while you are knocking on doors offer a "Fresh Veggie Basket" along with the knives?

        Is the Veggie thing a year round business? maybe start a basket of the week or basket of the month offering?

        Sitting on comfortable will be a regret for the rest of your life.. maybe not a major one... but one none the less. I'm going to sound like a really bad sales manager right now.. but regret is for losers! LOL
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      • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
        Originally Posted by socialentry View Post


        'ok well, maybe err on the side of safety'
        the world is full of safe people, they work 9-5 every week, every year till retirement. last time i looked you only get one life. live it to the max.

        what was the greatest fear when interviewing dying people?

        not having the courage to live their own life as they wanted, instead they lived the lives as others wanted. yes 9-5 good day to be workin for the man.

        if you are young socialentry and if you can learn one thing, don't be safe, go out there and be somebody special, the world already has plenty of safe people, but people / entrepreneurs with passion and courage and drive, well we need more of those.

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      • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
        Originally Posted by socialentry View Post

        I don`t think I`ll go ahead with it after all. In june, I just decided to study in advance. For the month of AUgust I`ll likely help a relative sell vegetables in bulk until school starts again.The product is not super exciting by any measures but it means more responsibilities (within my extended family, I`m one of the few with sales experience) and bigger sales volume then going door to door or just a regular sales jobs.

        The main thing it`s also safer, it won`t jeopardize my next semester if for whatever reason I choke. I didn't think about the possibility of failure but seeing people discuss got me thinking:

        Last sales job I had was selling in telemarketing B2C and tbh the first 3 weeks I sold almost nothing. I already had phone experience but it took me a while before I got the grooves of things and I started hitting good odds at bat. And then you have Claude and tryinghere relating similar experiences in their early careers and I went:

        'ok well, maybe err on the side of safety'
        Now is the time to Go For It.

        Savidge is correct. Double down on your efforts. Put in some real work and make it happen.

        Do more than you need to do to be successful.

        I can promise you 2 things.

        1. You'll never regret the extra effort you put in, the hard work, the long days, the joy of making those sales and the income they provide.

        2. You will remember and cherish the experience, long after the money is spent, all the days of your life.

        I promise.

        Ron
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      • Profile picture of the author eccj
        Originally Posted by socialentry View Post

        I don`t think I`ll go ahead with it after all. In june, I just decided to study in advance. For the month of AUgust I`ll likely help a relative sell vegetables in bulk until school starts again.The product is not super exciting by any measures but it means more responsibilities (within my extended family, I`m one of the few with sales experience) and bigger sales volume then going door to door or just a regular sales jobs.

        The main thing it`s also safer, it won`t jeopardize my next semester if for whatever reason I choke. I didn't think about the possibility of failure but seeing people discuss got me thinking:

        Last sales job I had was selling in telemarketing B2C and tbh the first 3 weeks I sold almost nothing. I already had phone experience but it took me a while before I got the grooves of things and I started hitting good odds at bat. And then you have Claude and tryinghere relating similar experiences in their early careers and I went:

        'ok well, maybe err on the side of safety'
        Sounds like a smart choice to me. In family situations you can find yourself doing a lot more "real" business than you would otherwise working for someone else or yourself.

        Plus, there is nothing stopping you from leveraging what they have now into something bigger.

        Sounds better than knocking on doors in August to me.
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      • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
        Originally Posted by socialentry View Post

        I don`t think I`ll go ahead with it after all. In june, I just decided to study in advance. For the month of AUgust I`ll likely help a relative sell vegetables in bulk until school starts again.The product is not super exciting by any measures but it means more responsibilities (within my extended family, I`m one of the few with sales experience) and bigger sales volume then going door to door or just a regular sales jobs.

        The main thing it`s also safer, it won`t jeopardize my next semester if for whatever reason I choke. I didn't think about the possibility of failure but seeing people discuss got me thinking:

        Last sales job I had was selling in telemarketing B2C and tbh the first 3 weeks I sold almost nothing. I already had phone experience but it took me a while before I got the grooves of things and I started hitting good odds at bat. And then you have Claude and tryinghere relating similar experiences in their early careers and I went:

        'ok well, maybe err on the side of safety'
        Another approach might be to hire and train a couple of others
        who are in your same situation, and looking to earn a few bucks.

        Turn them loose with a pitch and a product or service to sell
        and take a middleman's share.

        Lots of possibilities.

        Ron
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    This scene from Glengarry Glen Ross reminds me of this forum thread.
    • So You're Here to Sell Me Land?



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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by yukon View Post

      This scene from Glengarry Glen Ross reminds me of this forum thread.
      • So You're Here to Sell Me Land?



      Glengarry Glen Ross (5/10) Movie CLIP - So You're Here to Sell Me Land? (1992) HD - YouTube
      Although I've seen the movie several times, I hate these movies. They universally depict selling as something slimy...evil. And they depict salespeople as morally bankrupt desperate losers.

      And the truth is, only at the lowest end of the spectrum will you find salespeople like that.

      The problem is, that's where many salespeople stay.
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      • Profile picture of the author yukon
        Banned
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        Although I've seen the movie several times, I hate these movies. They universally depict selling as something slimy...evil. And they depict salespeople as morally bankrupt desperate losers.

        And the truth is, only at the lowest end of the spectrum will you find salespeople like that.

        The problem is, that's where many salespeople stay.


        Relax, it's just a movie.
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  • Profile picture of the author fratt55
    hey there

    great question

    this should be everything families use on a daily basis namely

    1 cable/salellite this should be #1 on any list

    2 . baby niches kids niches

    3 alarms

    4 solar systems

    i have not done this job personally but in my part of town these are the top things people complaint

    about so

    if you can go out there and solve some of these issues it will be great business for you

    ok
    talk soon
    sam f
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  • Profile picture of the author celente
    i did well with chocolate, but ended up putting on weight eventually.

    Its the devil in a wrapper.....LOL.

    .But I can say it does sell well.....people and kids are suckers for this stuff.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by celente View Post

      i did well with chocolate, but ended up putting on weight eventually.

      Its the devil in a wrapper.....LOL.

      .But I can say it does sell well.....people and kids are suckers for this stuff.
      When I was in high school, we sold chocolate candy bars to raise funds for a school trip.

      I don't remember exactly how I did it, but I contacted the supplier and ordered dozens of boxes of chocolate bars, and just sold them on my own. An easy sale.
      Signature
      One Call Closing book https://www.amazon.com/One-Call-Clos...=1527788418&sr

      What if they're not stars? What if they are holes poked in the top of a container so we can breath?
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  • Profile picture of the author wentzco
    The chocolate reminds me of the first thing I sold door-to-door when I was kid... golf balls. I waded into a few water hazards at the golf club & felt the golf balls with my feet. I must have got over a 100 balls with about 1/2 of them being pretty much new. I can't remember what I sold them for each but I think it was around 50 cents each. Pinball money!
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