I was having a chat with @AlumTradeSupply on the phone earlier today and we touched on the subject of door knocking and questioned if it still actually worked in this day and age. He told me he was speaking to someone who told him that he was doing tens of thousands of pounds a week. We both felt that the days of door knocking were seriously numbered.

First of all, it’s intrusive. It may have worked 20-30 years ago when the PVC part of the industry was in it’s infancy and people were still trusting of the general public. These were the days where people like my own mum could leave the door unlocked and not have to worry about her belongings or someone sneaking in. But those days are gone and people are far more alert about who is coming to the door. Does the double glazing industry really want to keep peddling this old hat image? Surely in 2014 door knocking for leads only portrays an outdated way to do business?

Next there is the argument from the companies that employ canvassers. They will argue that door knocking gets them the leads and gets them the business. But from what my Dad has told me, who used to door knock himself in a previous life, is that the quality of leads are poor generally, and that the forcing of business from customers isn’t always that nice to do. I have always been taught that if people really do want something, they will seek it out themselves. What companies who do door knock fail to mention is how much of the business gained on an evening then cancels. I have a friend that used to work for one of the UK’s biggest installers and he explained to me that a lot of business signed up the previous evening was cancelled a few days later because the customer felt pressure into it and didn’t want to proceed. I am fairly certain that this is a regular pattern for most canvassing companies. I am also certain that this scenario rarely occurs for non-canvassing businesses because the clients that sign up with them genuinely wanted to buy something in the first place.

Maybe I just don’t get it. I have sold in a business which gets 85% of it’s business through word of mouth and recommendation. We have rarely needed to advertise and we certainly don’t door knock. Most of our clients are serious buyers so the job of selling to them is fairly straightforward. But we have worked ourselves into this position by being damn good at what we do. I would have thought any company that gets a decent amount of recommendations wouldn’t need to door knock at all. But maybe those companies who canvas need to do so because they’re not pulling in the business via a good reputation? Just a thought.

Put all this aside, we live a brilliant technological age. I would have thought it was a fairly simple process to take advantage of the power of the web to harness some leads. And yes, when I mean leads, I mean customers asking to see sales reps! We get them via our website too and if other companies can do the same, do they really need to door knock?

I would love to hear from a company that employs door knockers to get their opinion on this. I am a firm believer that door knocking doesn’t have it’s place in a modern fenestration industry. I believe that if people genuinely want something they will seek it out and do their own research in the process. The consumer is a much more educated one now and a door knocker isn’t going to sway that person’s decision one way or another. It’s generally an inconvenience that I think most home owners want to see banned now.

Do you agree? Is door knocking dead or are you a canvasser that makes a good living from this and thinks it should remain? Please leave all comments in the section below.