Top 21 Door-to-Door Salesperson Tips 2022

"Once you've gotten your foot in the door with a potential buyer, the conversation can go in any direction. Prepare responses to as many questions as possible in order to lead the discussion towards your sales objectives. Spend a few hours reviewing your product literature or your company's website so that you can confidently answer practically every imaginable inquiry."

— Jason McMahon, Digital Strategist, Bambrick

"Do your homework. Understand the priorities of your lead. Use all resources to gather info on strategies, objectives, and challenges. Understand how your solution aligns with one or more of the top three priorities of your potential customer persona. If it doesn’t, rethink your value proposition."

— Stephen Bumb, VP of Marketing, American Medical Technologies

"Do not put on a suit and tie just because your boss instructs you to. Casual jeans and a shirt will suffice. However, whatever you wear should be professional enough to counteract any negative feelings the prospects may have about a stranger knocking on their door. Of course, you must dress appropriately for the weather and choose comfortable shoes that will allow you to walk for miles."

— Tyler Martin, Founder & Certified Business Coach, ThinkTyler

"The weather, the time of day, and the day of the week are just a few examples of how the environment can help your sale. Choosing a warm-weather day, rather than a hot or rainy day, may encourage someone to walk outside on the front doorstep to hear more of your pitch."

— Gerrid Smith, Chief Marketing Officer, Joy Organics

"Salespeople used to haul their vacuum from one neighbor to the next, ring doorbells, and ask for a demonstration of how well their vacuum worked. If one sale didn't work out, they moved on to the next. But, happily, thanks to technological advancements, you no longer have to throw spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. Instead, prospect intelligently and only go to doors where you have a good possibility of making a sale."

— Sarah Jameson, Marketing Director, Green Building Elements

"Some body postures are more aggressive than others. When we're looking to confront someone, we face them directly. When we want to ignore them, we turn to the side at a perfect 90-degree angle. The ideal body angle for a sales situation is right in the middle: about 30-45 degrees. This 'off-angle' says 'I'm not a threat' while still conveying attentiveness. This posture helps the lead relax, which puts them in a more malleable state of mind."

— Mitchell Stern, Owner, SideHustle.Tips

"Introduce yourself and don't say 'Did I catch you at a bad time?' The immediate answer to that question is 'yes.' Say this instead: 'Did I catch you at a half-way decent time?' Most of the time, you'll get a laugh, and then you'll be able to start your pitch."

— Andy LaPointe, National Sales Manager & Sales Trainer

"Know the common objections and answer as many of them as possible in your opening statement. The two most common objections are usually time and money, so make it your goal to alleviate those two objections right off the bat. Doing this will have the customer standing there dumbfounded trying to flip through their list of excuses. So while they are trying to think, you can move on to the next step in the sale or the next question. Something like, 'This will take only two minutes of your time and costs you absolutely nothing.' "

— Sabrina Victoria, Creator & CEO, Human Better 365

"Confidence is an important sales tool. You'll pitch differently if you know that you're aware of what you're offering. You'll be able to adjust to this prospect's individual demands, you won't be scared to explore the parts of your offering that are most relevant to the prospect, and you'll be able to negotiate fluidly before the prospect even realizes you're negotiating."

— Tanner Arnold, President & CEO, Revelation Machinery

"While a salesman's purpose is to sell and offload products to new clients, interacting with individuals during each sales interaction is critical for the sale and the company's reputation. Simply remembering a buyer's name and inquiring how their day went might create the tone for a more successful and trustworthy encounter. People appreciate talking about the things and people they care about, so establish a personal connection to aid in the sale. People will want to collaborate with you if you build a trusting relationship with them."

— Lauren Cook-McKay, Director of Marketing & Content, Divorce Answers

"Be polite, but get to the point. Be clear and concise — remember, you stopped in without an appointment. After pleasantries, it's time for who you are, why you are there, and how you can bring value to this person's life. Getting to this quickly helps to qualify the prospect so you're not wasting your time or theirs."

— Chris Kille, President & CEO, Capital Bankcard South

"A common mistake made by sales professionals is that they 'pitch' their products or services straight away, with the hope that something will catch their potential client's interests. This positions you as someone who is there purely with the intent of making a sale, rather than helping the person answering the door with their problem or issue. Instead, ask questions that uncover a person's pain points in regards to the niche you serve, and only then ask for permission to demonstrate how you can help them solve these issues."

— Khabeer Rockley, Director, The 5% Institute

"Imagine walking up to a stranger's house, knocking on their door, and convincing them to do something. It sounds odd. People must be spoken to from a serving approach, not a sales approach. In real estate, we call it 'commission breath' because people can feel when a salesperson is thirsty for a sale, which can be off-putting. Maintain a confident energy coming from a service perspective."

— Theo Saker, Real Estate Professional & Home Buying Specialist, Buying Casas

"When performing a product demo, it's important to allow the customer to have a voice. When you speak too much, you don't allow the customer to explain their needs. If you don't understand the customer's needs, then how do you expect them to say yes when you ask for the close? By taking a slower approach, asking questions, and being an active listener, you'll control the conversation and tailor the pitch to make the customer feel heard and increase your closing rates at the same time."

— Sean Huckstep, VP of Sales, SalesRabbit

"Don’t talk too much. You want to find a way to ask good questions, and get the other person talking. They don’t care nearly so much about what you’re saying as how they feel about you, and a lot of that comes back to how good of a listener you are to what they’re saying."

— Chandler David Smith, Content Creator & RSM, Aptive Pest Control

"One of the reasons why people are less likely to buy from a salesperson is because they have too much pressure to make quick decisions about buying something. If you want them to open up their wallet, you need to give them time and let them know that you're not going anywhere for a while."

— Max Benz, Founder & CEO, remote-job.net

"Knowing how to tell the difference between a 'maybe' and a 'no' is a crucial ability for any effective salesperson. Buyers will almost always have reservations or inquiries about the product in front of them. Listen carefully to the client's concerns, ask follow-up questions, and respond in a way that accounts for their feelings while immediately answering their query. At best, a salesperson can use the questions to close the deal; at worst, they can request the buyer's contact information and follow up with more materials and info directly related to the customer's objections."

— Dan Close, Founder & CEO, We Buy Houses in Kentucky

"Remember that hearing a 'no' from a potential buyer is not a personal attack and to keep your spirits up. There could be a variety of reasons why buyers reject your offer, even if they are interested. Attempting to meet people where they are and providing options via pivots can assist in closing the deal. Whatever the reason, always try to get contact information from people you speak with so that you can follow up later. Even if you don't close the sale, learning from every interaction with a buyer can help you become a better door-to-door salesperson."

— Michael Robinson, Security Expert, Cheap SSL Security

"Asking delighted clients for references can make the most of your time going door to door. Meeting new potential clients through an introduction can give you instant credibility and help you succeed."

— Rameez Usmani, Tech & Security Expert, Code Signing Store

"Unless you're knocking on doors early in the mornings or late at night, you'll most likely find many closed doors. Take advantage of the prospects' absence to communicate printed information to them. For example, while going door-to-door, have business cards, fliers, doorknob hooks, postcards, or little tokens ready to place at people's doors so they may contact you if they desire your product or service or if they can suggest someone."

— Tyson Stevens, Founder, EduRef

"Doorknocking is a numbers game, so track your numbers! How many doorknocks to get a lead? How many leads to get a sale? And so on. Nailing down your metrics will allow you to plan out how much time you need to invest. Plus, it will allow you to test out different doorknocking strategies to see what boosts your conversion rates and what doesn't."

— Andrew Spearing, Co-Founder, homevisor.com