Preparation
What to wear?
Preparation is very important; you have to be prepared for all kinds of weather, and must wear the right clothing. You are going to be walking all day so you have to wear a good pair of shoes. Leather shoes with a good rubber sole are best suited for door-to-door sales; they look professional and will be more comfortable than leather soled shoes.
When it comes to clothing, there are different opinions on what you should wear. Some people prefer to wear a suit and tie, personally I prefer to wear dress pants and a shirt and tie with a casual jacket. If you look too suited up people will stereotype you, or think you are canvassing religion. However it is very important to wear the shirt and tie if you want people to take you seriously. Remember you are representing a product or service and must do it professionally.
Wearing layers is also a good idea if you are working in a colder climate, as you can take off a layer if you seem to be getting hot. If you are working in the cold what you wear on your feet is very important. You should wear wool socks instead of cotton. Wool socks keep moisture away from your feet; cotton keeps it close to the skin and anything wet will not be warm.
Preparing yourself
Now you know what to wear and how to wear it, let’s look at you. You have to prepare yourself mentally for knocking on doors. “If you’re not smiling, they’re not buying!” The way to keep smiling is self-motivation. There are lots of motivational books out there; you should buy one and read a little bit each day. This will give you something to think about while working.
One thing you have to learn how to overcome is negativity. Negativity can take the smile out of your day and the money out of your pocket. No matter how bad things seem there is always a bright side, don’t ever forget this! You have to find the positives, that’s what will keep you smiling.
When knocking on doors you will hear “no” nine times more than you will hear “yes”. Don’t let the “no” get to you. You have to go through the “no’s” to get to the “yes’s”. Every time you hear “no” that gets you one step closer to a “yes”, so why let a “no” get to you?
If you feel you’ve made a mistake and lost a sale don’t dwell on it, learn from it. Write a few short notes, put them in your pocket and review them at the end of the day. If you are working with other people ask their advice; two heads are always better than one. By using this method you will learn from your mistakes without becoming negative.
Remember negativity is your enemy — it takes your smile and steals your cash! I always whistle or hum a tune between doors; it keeps me from thinking too much. I make an effort to make people smile because I know if they’re not smiling they’re not buying!