The Joy of Sales: HOW TO WIN WITH DOOR-TO-DOOR MARKETING

By John Caffrey

Find out the most closely guarded sales secrets of one of door to door's most successful ever exponents!



From simple - but important - points such as maximising the percentage of a customer base contacted, to subliminal sales presentation issues such as proxemics (what posture to adopt at the door), this exhaustive D2D sales guide will enable you attain a much greater return on your daily door to door grind.



Many original and previously uncovered aspects of door to door selling are explored in this book - such as using Google Earth for advance reconnaissance of new sales areas, applying neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) to help optimise the quality of your work and sales output, how to deal with aggressive members of the public or family pets, and what is so frequently overlooked - knowing the legal parameters worldwide in which one can carry out door to door work.



The thorny issue of security for door to door staff is also addressed with some useful hints, and an interesting - if somewhat mischievous - section is included which addresses the social possibilities which can often arise out of a simple doorstep sales presentation. Enjoy!

• Language: English
• Publisher: eBookPartnership.com
• Release date: Jul 3, 2014
• ISBN: 9781783014743

Book preview

2014

I: LEGAL BASIS

Knowing the Legal Parameters under which you operate as a D2D Salesperson

First up, always carry your ID. It is a legal requirement in nearly every country. The recent spate of ‘distraction burglaries’ in the UK has sharpened the public’s focus on this issue like never before. Secondly, know the hours you can legally knock doors, and don’t work outside of those times. Hours you can knock will vary according to the jurisdiction you are in: the City Council of Phoenix, Arizona in the US has published permitted hours of 0900-2100 April-September and 0900-1900 October-March (seven days a week in each case), while currently in New Zealand, for example, there are no prescribed time limits.

In the UK many of the councils have introduced ‘no cold calling zones’ – these cannot prohibit D2D work but try to discourage the trade by requiring prior notice to be given to the zones in question. The NCCZ’s consist typically of between 30-60 households grouped together, so it becomes difficult to address the issue of flagging your sales campaign with them in advance where there are three or four separate NCCZ’s in one estate. These whole areas then, are obviously best avoided. So called ‘Green River’ ordinances in the US impose a complete ban on D2D selling in specific localities – these areas too are not workable - however such instances are thankfully few and far between.

Knowing the Regulatory Framework under which your Company operates

Bear in mind that a certain percentage of those you call to will either work for a rival company in the same industry as your company, or may even work for a government body which has a supervisory or regulatory role in your business. So know the facts regarding operating licenses which your company should have, either for the business itself, or simply to send D2D staff out into the field. If you don’t have these details, then ask a supervisor or manager – it’s not the sort of question which will leave a bad impression with your boss. On the positive side, any industry ‘gongs’ or ISO certifications which have accrued to your company are an even more emphatic way of heading off any suggestion that you have no right to be in business!

Consumer Rights and Protection

The most important legal provision, however, and one common to most jurisdictions, is your obligation to advise the customer of the cooling off period – the specifics of this vary from place to place, however one of the most important provisions, given that it covers such a large territory, are the European Communities (Cancellation of Contracts Negotiated Away from Business Premises) Regulations 1989. Under this legislation the customer has the right to a 7 day cooling off period, during which they may cancel an agreement to buy goods or services worth more than €40 from a trader whose visit is unsolicited. It further states that traders who fail to inform consumers in writing of their right to a cooling off period will be committing a criminal offence. To this end you would be well advised to ensure that the cooling off period is either noted in print on the order or contract form you ask the customer to sign, or if your company has not made such arrangements you can discreetly note it in handwritten form on the back-copy of the order slip you leave the customer.

One easily overlooked consumer right, which affects D2D sellers is that of Data Protection – most countries have stringent requirements in this regard which govern the taking of phone calls in public spaces, the sharing or retention of written personal details, etc. Clear out your briefcase / messenger bag every night when you get home – shred any personal details of recent sign-ups which you no longer need, and beware loose pieces of paper, or cancelled order forms which can float mischievously out of your bag and potentially into the hands of a complainant! When taking follow-up orders by phone, or simply customer enquiries, be sure to dive into a discreet corner if taking personal details such as bank accounts, telephone numbers, or email addresses, so as not to be overheard.

Also keep an eye out for door-stickers which say ‘No D2D / No Hawkers’ etc – have the courtesy to comply – this is just a customer who will take a little longer to get on board! Leave a flyer if there’s no notice on the door prohibiting you from doing so. If there is a ‘No Junk Mail’ notice, and no possibility of speaking to the householder, try leaving your flyer just under the lid of their wheelie bin, where they’ll possibly notice and read it, but will have to concede to you the excuse that you had intended in good faith to dispose of it when you saw the ‘No Junk Mail’ sign!

II: MOTIVATIONAL MANAGEMENT

Anyone who has studied the work of people such as Napoleon Hill or Morgana Rae (Money Magnet), will already know the value of applying a little brute force to either their daily, or longer term endeavours. In short, we live in a world where the chain of cause and effect can be inverted at a psychic level, through the practice of focussing and visualization, in order to induce the tendency towards a particular outcome: a little like the way setting up a difference in voltage between two points in an electrical field will induce a current to flow between the two. The human awareness functions in like manner.

Focussing, in the D2D context entails visualizing the feeling and satisfaction of the desired result in advance of the actual work. This can be done in much the same way as meditation in a period of just 5 minutes by locating a quiet place in your home:

You need to define the result you are aiming for before you start – it should be a good, but not unrealistic target which you know is achievable, but which nonetheless excites, and engages your adrenalin – maybe which you have achieved before on a very good day – If your average sales total to date has been three per day, with your best performances having been six and seven, maybe go for six. You can raise the bar a little later when confidence and greater job knowledge will allow for better results.

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