As a business owner, you’re always looking for effective ways of reaching the general public, in the hope that they will turn into customers in the future.
In this day and age, there are a plethora of marketing routes to go down, some more effective than others.
Over the past decade or so, social media and adverts online have taken the world by storm as more and more people use the internet every day.
However, a method that’s slightly been forgotten about is canvassing, and today we’re going to tell you why it can be an extremely effective method of marketing for your business.
First of all, what is canvassing?
Canvassing is the method of travelling by foot from house to house, or business to business and handing out flyers and leaflets that sell your products or ideas. In the process, you get the chance to talk to the home or business owner and explain your products and ideas further.
A great place to start with canvassing is by having leaflets or flyers printed through a reputable and high-quality source like www.stressfreeprint.co.uk so that you’ve got something to leave with your new potential customer.
Secondly, you need to work on a pitch when you’re greeted. Many people in this day and age don’t like being approached at home because of the dangers that are entailed with opening the door. Here are some tips to get your pitch off to a good start:
- Once you’ve knocked on the door, stand back. This helps give off the impression that you’re friendly and most importantly, not a danger.
- Smile when they open the door. This will help secure your conversation.
- Don’t go straight into your pitch! Ask them how they are and make small talk to begin with.
- Just before going into your pitch, ask them if they are interested in hearing about what you’ve got to offer. This will save wasting anyone’s time and prevent any doors slamming in your face.
Pitch
The pitch you deliver is extremely important, and can make or break the decision to become a customer or support your ideas.
It’s important to remember that you’re not pitching to corporates at a long table at a high-end office in New York!
These are real people, and don’t want to hear jargon they don’t understand. Be clear, concise, and explain what you’ve got to offer.
Ask their opinions. Be truthful, and most importantly, maintain the feeling of ease while you’re talking!
If your sole purpose is to hand out leaflets or catalogues in hope they will look at your products or services, then say so!
People don’t like the unknown, so explaining what you want from them early doors will help your pitch overall.
Adding lighthearted comedy into the conversation also helps in many cases. Your pitch needs to solve a problem they didn’t know they had.
You could start your pitch with a funny story (true or not) about a problem that has been solved with your products or ideas.
Creating relatability will help secure your pitch and is more likely to drive people towards your products or ideas.
Why is canvassing effective for business?
Canvassing is arguably one of the oldest forms of marketing, and shouldn’t be forgotten about! Here are some reasons why canvassing is effective for business, and why you should consider it.
It’s more personal
Being able to talk to people face to face is a much more personal approach to marketing your ideas.
One thing you cannot do with most marketing efforts is personalise your experience for each individual potential customer, and with canvassing, you can easily do this.
You can track data easily
Unlike phone lines and mass emails, you’re able to track data much more effectively by canvassing on foot.
You’re able to cross off areas on a map that you’ve visited, as well as collect data from people that are interested in your products or ideas.
This allows you to follow up on your canvassing efforts by sending an email directly to them, talking about the conversation you had at their door.
Visual aids
Going door to door allows you to give your potential customer visual aids. For example, if you’re selling security cameras, you could clearly point out areas on their home where cameras would be effective.
Strategic selling
Finally, canvassing allows for strategic selling, allowing you to switch to a personalised pitch. For example, kids toys in the yard or an expensive car in the driveway will allow you to make your pitch more relatable.
- DISCLOSURE – This post has been written by an outside source
