Facebook is fantastic, Instagram is interesting, and Twitter is terrific, but nothing – and I mean nothing – beats good old fashioned door knocking for growing your real estate business. Being able to meet a homeowner face-to-face, and to create a good first impression, is something that social media can’t duplicate. Even Benutech’s CEO started his real estate career as a door-knocker (and keeps a worn-out shoe in his office as a reminder of those days), and he built ReboGateway around the goal of making door-knocking more efficient, by sending agents to the homes most likely to sell.
However, many real estate agents avoid door knocking. They’re worried about bothering people. They’ve been sold on the latest and greatest technology and spend all their days behind a computer screen waiting to be retweeted. Or they’re simply just not sure where to start.
In this video, Tom Iovenitti guides you through the fundamentals of how to knock on doors. He discusses the best times of day, how often you should knock, and how to keep from getting discouraged when you get turned away from a door. Got any more tips not covered here? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Patience and Time of Day
Most door-to-door marketers thrive in the early afternoon. Many homeowners stick to nine-to-five business day schedules, but early and late calls may be met with disapproval, or even annoyance. If a homeowner is getting ready for work, they may be too busy to participate.
Similarly, if they’ve just returned from a long day, they’ll likely avoid contact. Succeeding in door-to-door campaigns is about the homeowner. They should always be put first.
When considering time of day, early afternoon hours normally give flexibility. Homeowners are likely comfortable, as they’ve just had lunch. While some may have work, early afternoon gives flexible room, and lunch breaks may boost response rates.
Persistence and Frequency
Of course, nobody likes an annoying door-to-door salesman. Frequency is all about efficiency. If a marketer knocks, and if nobody’s answered, they shouldn’t pester the home. Waiting a day, or even a week, is important when a homeowner doesn’t answer the door.
Think about it: Outreach requires both frequency and compliance in promotional campaigns. For real estate agents, think of each house as a seed. Watering seeds requires high spread, not a focus on a single seed. It’s not about smothering a homeowner—it’s about spreading services far and wide, benefiting the community at large.
Promotional efforts may be turned away—but confidence, and a positive attitude, shape an outreach campaign more than a focus on a single home. When implementing powerful campaigns, successful door-to-door marketers replace over-knocking with well-timed knocking; they replace repetition with effective access.
Outreach requires accuracy. Where door-to-door tactics are concerned—having better spread is better than having better aim. Once-per-week frequency, for most, keeps homeowners informed, promotes business ideals and spreads messages effectively.
Source
http://www.businessknowhow.com/directmail/response/reach.htm, http://howtosellpreneed.com/prospecting/door-knocking-vs-door-hangers, http://ezinearticles.com/?Knocking-On-Doors-Persistently-Pays-Off—5-Things-Successful-People-Do-To-Attain-Success&id=6286672