Now before you conjure up negative images of the door-to-door vacuum or encyclopedia salesperson you need to understand the difference between what those salespeople do and what I am suggesting. Unlike the door-to-door salesperson, it is not your goal to try and sell them something — because that may result in an unfavorable response. Your objective is to simply tell them who you are and inform them that you will be working in the neighborhood. You should go on to tell them what you and they should expect from your work crews as it relates to the way they will respect the neighborhood. Assuring the neighbors that the work crews will not start work before 7 a.m. or blast loud music feeds the perception that you are a professional company who looks out for the best interests of their clients. Giving them your card and encouraging them to call you if they have any questions or concerns is a positive way to set your firm apart from the others and leave the homeowner with a positive first impression. Most people are going to expect that the guy knocking on the door is going to tell them how great his company is and try to sell them something. You need to shatter their expectations by doing the complete opposite of what they expect.
If they seem receptive to you, you can then try to offer them a free brochure that will provide them with some information that is beneficial to them. I’m not suggesting you hand them your list of the top 10 reasons why you are the best contractor in the market. Instead, I would encourage you to provide them with a brochure that contains information that is valuable to them. For example, tips on “how to choose a professional roofing contractor,” or “the benefits of a roof inspection,” or “why ice dams may be a symptom of a much bigger problem” is something that will help to position you as the expert and leave the homeowner with a positive first impression.