Unprecedented decisions are being made by business owners and door-to-door sales reps on how to knock doors (if at all) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Companies are sending sales teams packing from states that are still observing stay at home orders, to markets where stay at home orders have been lifted. What does this mean? It means that states with stay at home orders in place are making it difficult for sales reps to knock doors as paranoid homeowners call the police to get sales reps removed from their neighborhoods, and city and state offices are closed, making it impossible to issue solicitors licenses.
It also means that states where stay at home orders have been lifted are being flooded with door-to-door sales teams. Earlier this week, a sales rep told me a potential customer told him he was the 4th pest control company to knock on his door within a week! And it’s only May!!!
These concerns just scratch the surface. I won’t even get into the impact of sales reps knocking doors in masks, observing social distancing guidelines on the doors, and negative online reviews from those who adamantly oppose uninvited guests showing up on their doorstep.
Interesting times for sure!
Follow these 3 principles to calm your nerves while knocking doors.
Even with over 20 years of experience knocking doors, I must admit, I still get a little bit nervous right before a prospect opens their door.
“Will I omit a step in my initial approach?”
“Will I forget to use a creative icebreaker?”
“Will my words get jumbled and not come out clearly?”
These are just a few of the questions that can race through my mind before I utter my first words, and from my experiences knocking doors with hundreds of sales reps, questions like these race through most sales reps’ minds.
For me, what I’ve found to be the most helpful techniques to calm my nerves and give me confidence are:
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- Focus on the person in front of me.
- Don’t try to make the sale during the initial approach.
- Take the experience from each interaction as an opportunity to learn.
First, by focusing on the person in front of me, I only concern myself with one person at a time. Thus, I don’t get caught up thinking about the hundreds of other interactions I’ll be having in the coming days. The only impression that matters at that moment is the impression I make on the person who answers the door. By focusing on that person and controlling my interaction with him or her, I don’t allow the previous or upcoming interactions to distract me.
Second, sales are rarely made during the first 30 – 45 seconds of an interaction, however, sales are lost during this time. People must like you before they’ll buy something from you, thus your first impression needs to be impeccable in order to earn more time with each potential customer. Learn to make a good impression on people by using creative ice breakers and showing genuine interest. By doing so, you will earn more of their time, which will progress you closer to the sale.
Finally, remember that even the best sales reps have been rejected more often than they’ve made sales. Thus, take each denial as an opportunity to learn something that will assist you during your next sales opportunity. Lessons learned from a loss are way more powerful than lessons learned after a win. Improvement comes more quickly to those who apply what they learn from each experience.
Is nervousness about knocking normal?
Yes!
Regardless, by following the principles above, you can negate your nerves and focus on controlling what is in your direct control. And remember, the next “no” you receive, is getting you one step closer to making your next sale.
It was an honor to be invited, once again, to speak at D2D Con. This time around I wasn’t out of the country so I was glad to do it!
As advertised, the room was packed with eager door-to-door sales reps. I suspect somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 – 250 people filled the room.
I was impressed with those who volunteered to role-play, especially a rookie rep who had never knocked a door! I was equally impressed with the questions that were asked during and after the workshop.
When I asked the group who had read my book, I was surprised to see most hands in the audience raised.
Being able to sign copies of my book and take pictures with attendees was fun too!
Here’s the cliff notes version of what I discussed:
I – Be prepared to have your best day on the door every time you go out to knock. I shared a personal experience from 2002 when I came up 2 sales shy of having my best sales day. In contrast to my best ever day of 23 sales on July 4, 2000, on August 28, 2002 I didn’t start knocking until later in the morning, I took a break for lunch and I was wearing flip-flops all day! 🤣 I ended the day selling 21 accounts with lots of regret.
II – Win every door with: pre-knock observations, authenticity, and a flawless initial approach. Pre-knock observations help to eliminate generic ice breakers and they set you apart from the typical sales rep. People can spot a fake from miles away, so being your authentic-self will assist in building rapport with your potential customers. You cannot make mistakes during your initial approach (the first 30 – 45 seconds of an interaction). Bruce Lee said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced 1 kick 10,000 times.” Your initial approach is your “1 kick.”
III – Why I wrote Door-to-Door Millionaire: Secrets of Making the Sale. First, to shed some light on a mysterious industry. Second, to prove high producers can sell with integrity. Third, nobody else had done it!
IV – Life is about more than making money. The big picture of success includes: Humility – being willing to share what you’ve learned and learning from others. Inspiration – seek direction from a higher power to become the best version of yourself. Your thoughts should be marinated not microwaved. Giving – the more you give, the more you appreciate what you have. There are so many people in the world with basic needs, by giving you find a greater purpose for what you do.
Door-to-Door Millionaire, Secrets of Making the Sale, has been used as a foundational sales training piece by companies from around the world. However, it just scratches the surface of the sales training content I’ve created during my 21 years in the door-to-door sales industry.
It’s just a book and I offer so much more!
The D2D Millionaire, YouTube channel has thousands of subscribers. It contains nearly 300 videos dissecting the door-to-door sales process from start to finish.
My website, lennygray.com offers a variety of free and available for purchase training materials. These materials include podcasts, expert forums, preseason training materials, and more.
Don’t Settle for Second Best
Although these resources are fantastic, if you want THE ABSOLUTE BEST sales training, apply to work with me. However, I can’t hire ALL of you! My company, Rove Pest Control, hires relatively few door-to-door sales reps. This ensures each rep maximizes his or her development and earning potential. And this happens because I personally train EVERY SINGLE REP!
Think about it in these terms, if you want to be a great football quarterback and Tom Brady, 6-time Super Bowl champion and 4-time Super Bowl MVP, wrote a book on quarterbacking, you would undoubtedly buy the book and scour every page. However, reading a book only gets you so far.
How much more would you benefit from attending an in-person training session with Tom Brady and asking him questions about his quarterbacking ways?
This is what I offer my sales reps! I personally train my reps for 12 hours before they knock a single door. My sales reps knock their first door with supreme confidence, because they’ve received second to none preseason training.
They also have access to over 40 hours of my online courses. These courses include audio and video of me in the field, analyzing what I do while interacting with potential customers. Essentially, it’s like Tom Brady sharing his most effective quarterbacking secrets with you before you step on the football field!
Customized Training
Ok, so you’ve read Tom Brady’s book, you’ve learned from him in-person, and he’s shared hours of video and audio showing you exactly how he does what he does. You are well on your way to quarterbacking greatness, right? Well, maybe, but wouldn’t it be even more helpful if Tom Brady wanted you to send him videos of you quarterbacking your team so he could give you customized advice on how to make improvements? Of course it would! During the selling season, my reps can send me audio and video clips of them interacting with potential customers so I can refine their sales processes.
You Will Succeed
Now, with all this training from one of the best to ever play his position, you may not become a Super Bowl MVP, but you’d certainly become your best version of quarterback. This is exactly what I want for my sales reps, to become their best versions of themselves. And, I offer my sales reps even more! I personally knock doors with each rep so they can see up close and personal how I do what I do. Can you imagine being in the huddle and on the field with Tom Brady during an actual game? As long as you weren’t being chased by 290-pound defensive linemen, that would be an amazing experience!
Hit Me Up
Of course, putting this much effort into my reps results in only being able to hire a select group. So, here’s what I’m looking for; I want reps who are ethical, hard-working, mentally tough, and committed to success. I want sales reps who are serious about becoming the best versions of themselves.
If this describes you, and you want a shot at becoming a member of the D2D Millionaire team, contact me today at:
Remember a few months ago when you were on the doors with that sales rep who had the perfect comeback to a potential customer’s concern, but now you can’t remember what was said?
If you’re like me, throughout the course of a sales season, I learn several ways to improve techniques while interacting with potential customers and by observing other sales reps on the doors.
If you assist in developing your company’s sales training materials, retaining what you learn and incorporating these new ideas and techniques into your existing materials, are vital steps in improving your sales training program.
Below are 3 tips I use when updating and upgrading my company’s sales training materials:
TIP 1 – WRITE IT DOWN!
Get in the habit of writing down what you learn. Whether you’re in a sales training meeting, having a conversation with another sales rep, or even on the doors, take time after the experience to make a note of what you learned.
TIP 2 – DEVELOP VARIOUS TRAINING METHODS
People learn and retain information differently, so be sure to have a variety of sales training materials and methods of delivery. For my company, I’ve developed a written training manual, an online training course with audio and video samples, and I also conduct a series of in-person training events for my sales reps leading up to them knocking their first door.
TIP 3 – UPDATE SOONER THAN LATER
Don’t wait! When your off-season begins, immediately start the process of updating your sales training materials. What’s worked for me is dedicating a few hours a week for updating. The quicker you begin this process, the more likely you’ll be able to recall the specifics from your notes.
Following these tips will assist in the development of a killer sales training program. Your sales reps deserve THE BEST training materials and it’s up to you to make it happen!
For access to some of my sales training materials, visit:
