Ever Knocked Door-to-Door?
Ever knocked door-to-door? If not, I suggest you try it.
Step inside this DeLorean with me a minute, will you? Got a good pair of shoes? Great. Where we're going we need roads. Sidewalks, too, and doors. We're off to knock. It's 1994 and yours truly is studying economics in London, but not today. Today, there's no text book in sight, no calculator, and thankfully no quantitative methods. On today's agenda: doors, windows, conservatories. See that? A street of terraced houses. Must be - what? - 200 doors? 300? We're going to knock them all (if we have to). Either knock until we drop or knock until we get our target. But fear not: I'm not entirely bad at this profession. With any luck, we'll be finished before the 20th door.
Look: door's opening. Wait for it. It's coming. It's a tough knock this street; been hammered. The first words out of this sweet old lady's mouth will b- 'Not interested. Bugger off!' Will be "Not interested" (And, indeed, "Bugger off.") Now watch this. Sorry to bother you love, is your mum home? (She cracks a smile.) 'Hop it. Not interested.' No problem. I'm not a salesman. We're just doing a job here. I know you're not interested now, but when you're ready to get a PVC window or two, will you give me a ring? 'When I'm ready. But you might be my age by then.' (Now it's my turn to smile.) Laughing: At least you're honest! When you are ready then, where would you start? Pointing: Would it be one of these windows here, or one around the back? Just step aside a moment; give the nice lady room. She's stepped outside and she's pointing. Wait for it. 'How much for that one?' The bedroom window up there? 'Yes, awful bloody draft.' I'll tell you what I'll do for you. I'll give you a free price, a nice price, and if you like it, will you give me a ring later when you're ready? 'Okay, love. Come in; you look freezing. Want a cuppa?'
5 minutes. £50. Better than working in the Student's Union, right?
Time for that DeLorean again. Yes, you can take a couple of her biscuits along for the ride. 88 MPH. Screech. 2014.
Point of all this? I grew up in a fairly affluent family. Prep school, boarding school, military school, university. Lived in different countries. On top of all that, and before I began knocking doors, I was quiet, shy, retiring. But after around the 1000th door mark, all that began to change; and every door changed me a bit more. Not long after university, not long after knocking my last door, I turned my passion for internet marketing into a career. And I'll tell you something. (My point coming up.) All those doors - they gave me an edge in this career. And not remotely a small edge, either. I know economics, finance, marketing, and a host of other subjects inside and out. But the lessons I learned on the door are perhaps the most influential. I'm not even going to try to define each separate lesson. Instead, let's try to encapsulate: I learned, in short, how to sell.
I don't suggest you swap Amazon or CJ for securing quotes for double-glazing, but - since we're in the offline section here - I do suggest you step away from the phones, walk out of your office, out of your home, and do some knocking. Walk into businesses, speak to the owners, and always take "Not interested" as an opportunity.
Burn some shoe leather, is my advice. By the time those shoes have holes, you'll be a better salesperson.
Tom
Step inside this DeLorean with me a minute, will you? Got a good pair of shoes? Great. Where we're going we need roads. Sidewalks, too, and doors. We're off to knock. It's 1994 and yours truly is studying economics in London, but not today. Today, there's no text book in sight, no calculator, and thankfully no quantitative methods. On today's agenda: doors, windows, conservatories. See that? A street of terraced houses. Must be - what? - 200 doors? 300? We're going to knock them all (if we have to). Either knock until we drop or knock until we get our target. But fear not: I'm not entirely bad at this profession. With any luck, we'll be finished before the 20th door.
Look: door's opening. Wait for it. It's coming. It's a tough knock this street; been hammered. The first words out of this sweet old lady's mouth will b- 'Not interested. Bugger off!' Will be "Not interested" (And, indeed, "Bugger off.") Now watch this. Sorry to bother you love, is your mum home? (She cracks a smile.) 'Hop it. Not interested.' No problem. I'm not a salesman. We're just doing a job here. I know you're not interested now, but when you're ready to get a PVC window or two, will you give me a ring? 'When I'm ready. But you might be my age by then.' (Now it's my turn to smile.) Laughing: At least you're honest! When you are ready then, where would you start? Pointing: Would it be one of these windows here, or one around the back? Just step aside a moment; give the nice lady room. She's stepped outside and she's pointing. Wait for it. 'How much for that one?' The bedroom window up there? 'Yes, awful bloody draft.' I'll tell you what I'll do for you. I'll give you a free price, a nice price, and if you like it, will you give me a ring later when you're ready? 'Okay, love. Come in; you look freezing. Want a cuppa?'
5 minutes. £50. Better than working in the Student's Union, right?
Time for that DeLorean again. Yes, you can take a couple of her biscuits along for the ride. 88 MPH. Screech. 2014.
Point of all this? I grew up in a fairly affluent family. Prep school, boarding school, military school, university. Lived in different countries. On top of all that, and before I began knocking doors, I was quiet, shy, retiring. But after around the 1000th door mark, all that began to change; and every door changed me a bit more. Not long after university, not long after knocking my last door, I turned my passion for internet marketing into a career. And I'll tell you something. (My point coming up.) All those doors - they gave me an edge in this career. And not remotely a small edge, either. I know economics, finance, marketing, and a host of other subjects inside and out. But the lessons I learned on the door are perhaps the most influential. I'm not even going to try to define each separate lesson. Instead, let's try to encapsulate: I learned, in short, how to sell.
I don't suggest you swap Amazon or CJ for securing quotes for double-glazing, but - since we're in the offline section here - I do suggest you step away from the phones, walk out of your office, out of your home, and do some knocking. Walk into businesses, speak to the owners, and always take "Not interested" as an opportunity.
Burn some shoe leather, is my advice. By the time those shoes have holes, you'll be a better salesperson.
Tom