Have you considered canvassing for your contractor business? Are your leads trickling in? A well-run canvassing campaign can boost those lead numbers and increase sales in no time.

Canvassing Basics

Most people are familiar with canvassing as it pertains to political campaigns, or those annoying religious groups who ring the bell just as you sit down for dinner. In fact, it is often because of the negative connotations with canvassing established by such groups that contractors don't consider this option for their overall marketing plan.

Yes, canvassing is going door-to-door. When run properly, canvassing can be a very effective direct contact marketing tool that, at the very least, will put a brochure with your company's name and phone number on it in the hands of a homeowner. In a best-case scenario, the canvasser will leave the doorstep with a scheduled estimate or demonstration, or have the homeowner scrambling to call the sales rep to schedule such an appointment.

Who does the canvassing? This depends on how you want to run it. As the contractor business owner, you can go door-to-door yourself, although this probably isn't a good use of your time. You can have employees ringing doorbells in the neighborhood where an install is happening (or has just been completed). Or, if you really want to do it right, you can hire part-timers (many political campaigns will employee college students looking to make an extra buck or two) to do the canvassing. How you choose to go about it will be influenced by a number of factors, including workforce, time, and budget. If you do choose to hire part-time canvassers, you'll want to hire a canvassing manager to oversee these new employees.

Your canvassing manager can be you, the owner, an employee hired from within the company, or an outsider. Having a canvassing manager is vital to a successful canvassing campaign. The manager is responsible for recruiting, interviewing and hiring, training, and tracking of canvassers. This is no small task. It is wise to consider assigning this role to someone within the company, as they will be very effective when it comes to training the canvassers on the particulars of the business.

To conduct a canvassing campaign, the canvassers need to be trained, and they should have a "script" that they follow when the door opens. Having the dialogue arranged and practice is crucial to moving things along to compel the homeowner to action, i.e. scheduling an estimate or calling the business to do so. When canvassing in a neighborhood where the business is doing-or has done-a job, it is smart to point homeowners in the direction of that job, so they can see what kind of work you do. This is why it is wise to canvass in neighborhoods where you are currently doing an install.

Investment and Return

It is difficult to put a number on the return expected from a canvassing campaign, but there can be no doubt that this form of marketing can increase leads, particularly when done correctly. And in this economy, generating leads is on the fore of every contractor business owner's mind. What to do with those leads is another matter. Canvassing leads can be slightly different from other leads, and it is a good idea to prepare your sales staff to deal with them. They may require a little extra attention.

With regards to the cost of such a campaign, it will depend on how it is run. When hiring part-time help to do the door-to-door work, you're looking at evaluating payroll ($/hour, hours/week, # of employees, etc.), and other overhead costs (pamphlet or brochure costs).

For contractor businesses inclined to run a canvassing campaign but short on specifics, consider hiring a professional canvassing consultant, like CanvassKing, LLC (www.canvassking.com). These consulting companies will work over the phone with contractors, to train the canvassing manager, help put brochures together, guide the sales staff on dealing with canvassing leads, and offer suggestions on the "script" that the canvassers will use. CanvassKing charges $297 per month for their entry-service, which requires a year-long commitment. It's a worthwhile investment for the business hoping to get their canvassing campaign right.

By Benjamin E. Hardy