Here's what I've been doing; please feel free to critique my technique (hey that rhymes!)...


I made a pitch book that has my before/after pics in it, along with some articles and stuff I found online that strengthen my case for why a roof should be cleaned.  I go to a good neighborhood starting around 4 pm and I knock on doors.

I keep a street sheet which has notes on each customer contact.  It has columns where I can put a check for DOESN'T NEED, NOT HOME, NOT INTERESTED, and COME BACK LATER.  I make a note of everything I do, especially if I leave a flyer.  I always date these sheets and have them filed by street name and by region.

Since no one has heard of roof cleaning in Michigan, my reason for stopping by is just to inform people of what I do and to say hello.  I show them the pics and talk about GM, my insurance and my guarantee, etc.  The pics are arranged in a logical progression so that when I get to a certain part of my spiel, I know that the very next page has pics or info that back up what I'm saying.  It's like a powerpoint presentation using nothing but photographs (printed on actual photo paper so that they aren't thought of as  photoshops).

I don't try to close at the door because that's just too much of a commitment for someone who was quietly in the kitchen doing dishes when this stranger showed up and started talking about roof bacteria.  So if they seem interested I ask if I can come back in a day or so and do a free demo/spot clean, whatever.  That seems fair to most people and they agree.

Sometimes they aren't home when I come back for the demo. Sometimes they shoot me down right away, but that's just life.  It happens in sales.  But I've found that if they show up for the demo and ask the right questions then it's really just a matter of negotiating a price that they can afford.

I have been offering a fall special wher I dropped my price by seven cents per square foot.  And I offer a 20% discount for paying in full on the day of the roof cleaning or they can finance in 3 payments.  Basically, I want to give the customer no good reason why they can't buy this.

I have canvassed for four years and I have a pretty good knack for doing this.  Also, I splurged and ordered some embroidered shirts to give me some credibility off the bat.  I also decided to have my flyers done professionally.

Is this how you guys do it?  Please add your tips and tricks so that others can learn from your experience.