The Resurgence of Door-To-Door Canvassing
Many thought that as advertising and marketing on the internet grew, other forms of more traditional marketing would slowly wither into unimportance. More than likely, when you think of door-to-door sales you think of the nice Avon lady or someone trying to sell you typewriters.
But door-to-door marketing is making a comeback as more and more businesses are seeing the benefits of a personal connection, especially compared with growing customer dissatisfaction about all the noise that comes with online marketing.
NBC News points to a couple key factors that are leading companies to once again realize the potential of door-to-door canvassing. The first is that “… the national do-not-call list makes it impossible to reach millions of potential customers…” which limits the effectiveness and reach of cold calling. Another issue? “Unsolicited e-mail annoys most computer users, and improved spam-blockers makes the tactic less effective.”
As customers get tired of spam emails and automated phone calls, the personal touch of door-to-door canvassing has become a new way for companies to target specific customers and areas. Of course, it’s not all that new, and it never really went away. According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2010 Direct Sales was a $28.6 Billion industry. About 80% of that came from door-to-door canvassing.
Why is door-to-door canvassing so effective? We’ve mentioned already that the personal touch of a canvasser can make a difference, but what else?
Men’s clothier J. Hilburn LLC uses “style advisors” who go door-to-door selling dress shirts. “The key for us is going direct to the customer,” Chief Executive Hil Davis said in the Wall St. Journal. “Once a guy starts buying through that personal relationship, he becomes very sticky.”
That stickiness is key to customer retention and growth. Forming a strong relationship one-on-one with a customer can be a time-heavy task, but the investment is often worth it when that customer keeps returning to you. As more and more people find ways to block impersonal calls, emails and online advertising, more companies are turning to door-to-door canvassing as a way of connecting with their customers.
At Smart Circle, door-to-door canvassing is one of the ways we have been able to help our clients grow their businesses, while simultaneously creating opportunities for our our independent corporate distributors. If you’re interested in how we use door-to-door marketing to create success, learn more here.
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