Sangster, of course, felt the pain of the door knocking. vassers must be presentable and non-threatening — no
Cold. blustery weather is not the best time to canvass, Need- pierced faces, or scary scars!
ham acknowledged. If you want to set up a canvassing pro- Is this a magical formula for everyone? Obviously not —
gram, it is often best to do it in the spring. And you are going You need the systems, processes, and organization to handle
to have to work hard and creatively to find canvassers — the leads (or the willingness to stomach the rejection and ten-
probably going through 21 or more candidates before you sion involved in canvassing yourself) and obviously this type
find one that ‘sticks’. of canvassing works rationally when there is a visible exterior
Canvassers need to be able to stomach rejection and the problem or qualification for the service. It would be harder, if
obvious stigma associated with door-to-door work. (Needham still possible to canvass for interior renovation and mainte-
says few women are interested in the job, but he has had a nance work.
few interesting experiences with women in the houses he Needham asked if I would like to go to a door with him.
canvasses — a subject probably best not reported here in “No way,” I said. “I can’t think of anything I would like to do
great detail.) less (personally) than to knock on doors. In fact, I abhor can-
Good canvassers, usually earning a modest wage with a vassers when they knock on our door at home.”
bonus for each appointment they set, can earn $30,000 to But in researching construction marketing, in assessing
$40,000 for part-time work (four to six hours a day) for the the options and choices, it is my interest to understand how
warmer months of the year. Some graduate to work in sales things work, whether or not they reflect my personal values
— canvassing is certainly good practice for a sales career. and interests. Here, Feazel Roofing’s Mike Feazel and I share
In the middle of the day in Columbus, few people were the same values. “The biggest mistake some people make in
home. Sangster met one homeowner who said she would marketing is to impose their personal interests in their mar-
use the company the insurance company recommended. keting — the issue here is what matters for the clients.” I
(Needham had an answer to that objection). Needham, mean- agree, in part. I also believe that you should always align your
while, found a homeowner who welcomed an appointment. work with your interests and strengths; and if you realize you
He took down her information and called the order into the need some expertise, talent and strengths more suited to a
office. task, you should hire or contract for these services.
Later in the afternoon, as Needham drove with me around
various neighbourhoods, he explained that he fell into can- Editor's note: Needham's assignment with Feazel Roofing
vassing when, after obtaining a degree in psychology with a ended much more quickly than anticipated, for reasons unre-
minor in sociology, he needed work, so went to a roofing lated to his canvassing training talents. Since then, other con-
company near his home in the Battle Creek, MI, area. The tractors including Leonard Megliola of Bestline Plumbing in
company owner suggested that instead of getting on a roof Los Angeles, have discovered the effectiveness of Canvass-
installing shingles, he might be better suited to going out and ing. See this Contractortalk.com thread for additional in-
bringing in the business. And he did — achieving astounding sights.
results.
Eventually, word got around, and Needham discovered Mark Buckshon, president of the Construction News
other roofing contractors wanted to know his secrets, so he and Report Group of Companies, publishes regional
began work on the canvassing manual. Now, he says he sells and online publications, including the Design and
30 to 40 of them a year on the Internet. Construction Report. His blog is at http://www.construc-
Needham emphasises that he trains canvassers never to tionmarketingideas.blogspot.com and he can be reached by
go where they are not wanted. If a ‘no soliciting’ sign is on a email at buckshon@cnrgp.com.
door (or entrance to a neighbourhood), he’ll stay away. Can-
Good canvassers, usually earning a modest wage
with a bonus for each appointment they set, can earn
$30 to $40,000 for part time work (four to six hours a day)
for the warmer months of the year.
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