Well, the city doesn’t worry about the sidewalks when it rains. The only thing I do is remove the elements that might make them slick and dangerous. Would you need the council’s approval to rake the leaves off your sidewalk? Do you think I ought to bill the city for the cleaning?
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…but can they see out the window to tell who’s knockin’ on the door? I love those signs. They really mean that the person on the other side of that sign isn’t harrassed too often, might actually bee a pushover, and so shouldn’t mind my minor intrusion. After all, their neighbor sent me. I’m just being neighborly. BTW, my sidewalk renewal project IS in my neighborhood. However, I won’t feel any differently going into some other neighborhood as long as I have a referral or a name to drop. Believe me, when you offer something just to introduce yourself, people don’t really feel pressured. With me, NEVER do they feel pressured. I’m only trying to help them in exchange for an introduction. When I run into a rude person (it happened twice yesterday) I smile really big, thank them for their time, ask for their forgiveness for the intrusion, and suggest that they give me a call if they EVER need my services. In another time I’ve even had someone call me back and apologize for their rudeness.
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Pretty sure those signs are actually asking you to respect their privacy. Not ignore them.
Imo, I would avoid doing things that result in having rude endings. Wether, you look at them and smile and ask for their forgiveness, they are still going back inside to talk bad about you and the annoyance of the door knock. That’s not good word of mouth. That’s working against you. Btw, they are probably being rude because they feel pressured as soon as that door knocks. A lot of people just don’t want sales at their home. Plain and simple.
But you do you boo lol 
if it’s working for you and you obviously enjoy doing it, don’t stop.
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To me a no soliciting sign means that one of the owners is a pushover and buys anything that walks up. The other half put the sign up to fend off the weak hearted. That said I did a lot of residential door to door sales in the past as an employee. They had a terrible rap because of the type of salesmen it takes to do that work. 
I haven’t/ won’t knock doors for my own business because of that stigma it can create.
How many of you receive telemarketers in a positive way?
I’m annoyed at telemarketers but I think door knockers are more invasive to your space and find that worse.
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I think that’s were the Nextdoor app and other community apps are going to come in handy. Unless it turns into a advertisement every other post and people just tune it out
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No one has ever sold me anything cold calling. No one that knocked on my door to make a cold sales call, has ever sold me anything.
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I just did a house on the weekend and as I was talking with the home owner, a sales guy came to her door. She sent him off before he even said anything and when he did, she didn’t give him the time. And then we talked about how annoying it is.
Save your time with walking to houses. It’s seriously not needed.
Not one company I worked for has done that and they do just fine. It’s a desperate thing to do in many eyes and invasive.
A good one doesn’t sell, they let you buy.
This shows just how far down the rabbit hole society has gone - irritated that people dare come up the sidewalk and knock on the door. Meanwhile, we place pictures and videos of ourselves and loved ones all over the internet without any real discrimination. What is privacy really? If someone came to the door with something that would truly be of benefit, we would appreciate it, I think.
If someone chooses to go for face to face marketing, go for it. May not get you the most exposure, but if you are well presented and can spit out a coherent sentence - it will get you good exposure. Besides, why do you think the JW’s keep coming to the door? Because it works.
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But the JW’s piss 95 percent of the people off in the process.
If it’s your thing or anyone else’s, go for it. But if I ever hired a landscaper, it won’t be the company that came to my door. It’ll be one of the 10 others that didnt bug me during dinner or during what ever i am doing at MY house on MY time.
Facebook is different. You can hide privacy and who sees your posts. And it’s not face to face, direct sales.
Maybe not 95% but enough where it does turn people away…in the end, there’s enough customers for every one to do ok.
JW’s come to your door, because they are commanded to biblically,. Not because it works, but rather they are commanded. Mormon’s do the same, for the same reason.
Can’t really compare facebook to door knocking either. Facebook is more non discriminant about posting your stuff. It’s not in your face, interrupting dinner, TV time, or time with family.
People get marketed to at every turn in today’s world. Most don’t like someone invading their homes to shove something else in the face, to sell.
Coarse, if someone wants to knock on doors, go for it. If it earns you a reputation of being “that guy”, then don’t complain later.
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I can honestly say I have never found anything of benefit come to my doorstep to be purchased.
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I did door to door sales when I was much younger, I hated it it was all commission and I really wasn’t that great at so much so I had to find a real job lol
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Eh, the big dirty secret on noncompetes is that it’s most likely not enforceable. I ask for employees to sign it but know that I’m probably not going to sue someone. And most likely no court will side with you against someone trying to provide for their family.
If you were an operations manager and had access to proprietary material then yeah you’ll probably get hit.
But if you were a cleaner then as an owner I’d just ask you not take any of my customers and good luck.
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If door knocking irritates most people, so be it. They are not your target customers anyway. Just like pricing your services at a certain level, you are going to alienate a certain demographic, and that’s ok. Worry about the ones you CAN get, on your terms.
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@MrSparkleVA, You have no idea how inspiring your words are. I’m gonna get out there tomorrow and knock on 20 doors no matter what! I’ll have my door hanger in hand, and simple words.
@Fredled, thank you for sharing your experience. This is helping me so much.
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I understand both sides of this coin actually. I used to be that homeowner who hated door to door salespeople. I would hide and peek out of the side of the blinds to just look at them and watch them walk away when I didn’t answer. Sometimes I’d answer and meet some seemingly interesting people, but my aim was to just get rid of them at all costs if I didn’t like them within the first 2 seconds. I’ve bought something twice, but I gave them hell for it 
I understand now how much anxiety that the sales person must be under to be able to endure the high amount of rejection. However, there are people out there who will buy… so there is a chance for success.
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Remember that warm calls beat cold calls every time. You know a neighbor who sent you to help them with their dirty windows. Have they ever hired a professional window cleaner? Would they mind if you cleaned their entrance glass while you’re there free of charge? You are more than a salesman, you are performing a service. That makes us professional servants. Wear your belt, BOAB, & squeegees so that you are obviously NOT a salesman, just a service professional promoting his business.
NEVER FORGET: Perception IS reality, and you want to be convinced that you are there to serve your prospect if you are to convince your prospect that you are there to perform a service, not to sell them something.
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What state are you in? I use to work for fish window cleaning. They try very hard to scare you into thinking the non-Compete form you signed will mean anything. It can’t hold up in for long though it depends on your state regulations. I have my own window cleaning company now in the same town and I plan on taking at least half of the competition. By the way Fish Window Cleaning is Garbage!
