Door-to-door sales may seem outdated in today’s digital world, but it still offers unique advantages that other marketing methods can’t match. From creating a personal connection to delivering information directly into customers’ hands, this approach brings a human element to sales. Let’s explore the pros and cons of door-to-door sales in detail.
Door-to-Door Sales: A Brief Introduction
Where did door-to-door sales even come from? Here’s a quick rundown.
What Is Door-to-Door Sales?
Door-to-door sales is a direct selling strategy where sales representatives visit potential customers at their homes to present products or services. Typically, a salesperson will knock on doors, introduce themselves, and offer a sales pitch. This method has been used for decades, especially for electricity, plumbing, and pest control industries where face-to-face interactions and demonstrations are crucial.
The History of Sales
However, door-to-door sales began long before the advent of digital technology. Prior to the 19th century, salesmen—then known as peddlers—would take products to people living outside of towns. Without close proximity to shops, people in rural communities relied on peddlers as the only way to obtain necessary items.
The arrival of the 19th century brought a larger presence of retail shops and mail-order catalogs, but door-to-door sales still thrived. Many people still remember the milkman, the vacuum salesman, the Avon lady, the encyclopedia salesman, and Tupperware parties. Door-to-door sales provided a personal touch and the convenience of shopping from home. These benefits would typically win a client’s business over impersonal, less convenient retailers.
Door-to-Door In the Modern Era
The biggest impact on door-to-door sales came from the dawn of the digital era. People can now order what they want with the click of a button. Their products are delivered directly to them, meaning door-to-door sales no longer have a competitive advantage by way of convenience.
Despite this, the practice still offers other benefits that online ordering cannot. It is currently a $28.6 billion industry and shows no sign of disappearing in the near future.
The Biggest Advantages of Door-to-Door Sales
Door-to-door sales continue to play a crucial role in the modern sales industry, even amidst the dominance of e-commerce. While online shopping provides unparalleled convenience and accessibility, door-to-door sales excel in areas that digital platforms simply cannot replicate. Here’s a peek at the biggest five.
The Human Touch
One of the most important factors of door-to-door sales, which is missing from most other marketing, is the human touch. Technology allows companies to personalize ads to make them relevant to the viewer. But with so many ads in play, it is easy to ignore them. In the case of digital ads, this can lead to a lot of missed business.
With door-to-door sales, a human is knocking on the door. Not only is this much more difficult to ignore, but also more engaging—especially if someone’s right in front of you offering discounted services!
Studies have shown that when someone smiles at you, a part of the brain is activated that causes you to mimic that expression. When a homeowner opens the door to a smile, he or she will most likely smile back. Even if they do so guardedly, this smile is the first step to building rapport. It makes the potential customer more comfortable and open to hearing what you have to say.
Once the door is open, you gain another edge that digital ads do not have: you can carry on a two-way conversation. Prospective customers are not just reading your information—they’re actually hearing you say it. They respond, ask questions, and voice concerns that you can answer immediately.
Additionally, as the conversation carries on, you can pay attention to their facial expressions. This ability can help you discover pain points, weak areas in your pitch, and more. And all of this is happening in real-time!
Putting Information in Hand
People often scroll right past digital ads on their screens to find something more interesting—but door-to-door sales put information about your company straight into their hands.
While there is a chance they throw that information away, they cannot simply scroll past it. They look at physical information, try to process it, and then determine what to do with it. It helps you keep their attention for longer than digital marketing usually can.
On-Site Inspections
Another huge advantage of door-to-door sales in certain industries is the ability to conduct on-site inspections. You could provide immediate services, or give a potential customer first-hand experience of their pest infestation. Being in the home and seeing the issue firsthand can be a powerful sales tool that online marketing simply cannot offer.
Plus, being on-site allows you to offer live demonstrations of your product or service. This can be especially effective in industries like pest control, where seeing the effectiveness of a treatment firsthand can convince a homeowner to make a purchase.
Your Presence
Imagine walking into your kitchen for a snack and seeing a long line of ants making their way to your cabinet. You see an ad for a pest control company and plan to inquire about their service and pricing.
Before making that call, someone knocks at your door to tell you about their pest control services. You can either let the guy standing in front of you handle it, or you can send him away and call the number in the ad.
Most people would choose the person who is at their door for one main reason: people want instant gratification. They want their needs met and met quickly because they value their time as much as their money.
Data shows that approximately 78% of people have backed out of the buying process due to poor customer service. If they have to choose between someone standing in front of them or calling a company and hoping they get an answer, they typically prefer the faster option. With your pest control company actively knocking on doors, it means you are present. Homeowners can ask any questions, get the information they need, and schedule a service right then and there.
Door-to-Door Sales Can’t Be the Perfect Strategy, Right?
While door-to-door sales can be an effective strategy for pest control companies, it’s not without its challenges. This approach requires significant effort, faces potential rejection, and may not always align with consumer preferences. Here are the top three disadvantages of door-to-door sales:
- Bad Rap: Consumers tend to view door-to-door salespeople in a negative light, avoiding them or being completely closed off to them. Additionally, some unsavory companies have taken advantage of prospects in different ways, making it difficult for the good guys.
- Uses Resources: You’re using one of your most valuable assets: your employees. This can cost you a lot of money with staffing.
- Rejection: No matter how hard your door-to-door sales team tries, they will get rejected at times. Most salespeople hear “No” or “I’ll think about it” more often than “Yes”, especially during a first interaction. While rejection is a normal part of sales, it can wreak havoc on a salesman’s confidence and impact their performance.
How to Start Your Pest Control Door-to-Door Sales Team
If door-to-door sales sound right for your company, follow these steps to get started!
1. Do Market Research
The first step is determining the areas you should target and the type of client you wish to attain. Research your market to answer the following questions, then use the answers to map out your target locations and create a good sales plan.
- What demographics are present in your area? You need information on your potential clients to discover when they’re typically home, their financial outlook, and how to attract their attention.
- Are there high-crime areas to avoid? You do not want to send your team into high-risk areas. Also, prospects may be much less likely to answer the door when crime is common.
- What pests are common in the locations you hope to target? This helps create a script and ensure you offer relevant services.
- Who is your competition? You need to know what they offer and what they are known for so that you can find a way to stand out.
- Are there any regulations in your area you need to comply with? You do not want to get sued or have legal trouble.
- How does your target market feel about door-to-door sales? Some areas, especially wealthier ones, are less receptive to this method and may even have regulations against it.
2. Recruit and Train Your Team
Your next step is to recruit a team. You can either outsource sales or build an internal team. In either case, there are important steps to follow to ensure success:
- Develop an Onboarding Process: Develop an onboarding process for recruits. Be sure they know your products and services well, which will build their confidence.
- Provide Ongoing Training: Ongoing door-to-door sales training will help your team refine their skills. Provide information and training on any new services or campaigns you may be offering. Give door-to-door sales tips for your pest control sales team on topics such as understanding and targeting pain points, ways to handle rejection, building rapport, and following up.
- Teach the Team to Avoid Certain Practices: It is also a good idea to teach your team about common practices to avoid, such as dishonesty and over-promising. Your sales team should be as honest and open as possible. Being dishonest to get a sale is only going to lead to distrust and disappointment. It’s also always better to under-promise and over-deliver than to over-promise and disappoint your clients.
- Send Proof of Results: Anyone can say that they offer the best of something or that a product can provide specific results. However, not everyone can show proof. Prepare your team with proof that your company does what it says it will do. This can be in the form of customer reviews and demonstrations.
3. Develop a Door-to-Door Sales Pitch Script
Keep your script simple, and do not focus on selling. Instead, try something like, “Hi, I’m Bill, and I work with ABC Pest Control. Summertime is approaching, and I’m talking to people today to learn more about the pest challenges they typically face at this time. Would you mind answering a few questions?”
This type of pitch makes them feel more at ease and like they are doing you a favor. If they are willing to answer questions, get to the bottom of their pain points and offer a solution. If they do not want to answer questions, thank them for their time and leave them with a card.
Door-to-door sales may be considered old-fashioned, but there is no doubt that it is still an effective marketing strategy. In fact, it is even more effective in some ways as it provides so much that digital marketing cannot. Try adding door-to-door sales to your pest control marketing strategy and experience the benefits for yourself.
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After you work hard to drum up business, you do not want to lose it due to missed calls. Luckily, Slingshot by ProntoBPO can answer your customers’ calls 24/7 and help sell your services to callers. Our highly trained team will ensure every call is answered promptly and professionally, increasing your chances of turning those prospects into customers.
Try our 24/7 live answering service today and take your door-to-door sales strategy to the next level!
