When it comes to marketing, canvassing is about as old school as you can get. While some contractors still swear by the low-tech approach to lead generation, new technology is breathing new life into canvassing — and making it worth a second look.
Although social media and digital marketing are the focus of many lead generation efforts, canvassing is far from dead. In fact, direct retail sales are still a $36 billion business, according to the Direct Selling Association.
Now canvassers can take advantage of new technology that comes from a unlikely place: politics. Given the similarities between political canvassing and door-to-door sales, it was only a matter of time before technology disrupted the oldest pitch in the books. A number of apps that use this borrowed tech are already on the market including SalesRabbit, Polis and Spotio.
Contractors who have tried this new technology are singing its praises. “It increased our marketing leads tremendously,” said Gary Delia, president and CEO of Home Performance Alliance, which specializes in replacement windows and doors. “I’d say it doubled the amount of leads. Right now we have more leads than we know what do with.”
Delia is using SalesRabbit, which like other canvassing apps, use GPS and other mobile technology to give door-to-door sales a power it never had before. Using the app, canvassers can:
· Capture a lead’s information (name, phone number, email, address, etc.)
· Rank each lead based on their level of interest
· Drop pins on houses/businesses to track lead status
· Call, text, or email leads directly from the app
· Auto-populate local addresses using GPS, and quickly access turn-by-turn directions to your appointment
· Track current location
· View lead lists
· Filter all leads
· Receive notifications of appointments
“We’re not missing anyone this way. We’ve got all the data in there. It’s like telemarketing but it’s face-to-face,” Delia said. “No one can tell you they don’t need the product if it’s staring you right in the face.”
Using the app on a tablet, canvassers can also show prospective buyers who in their neighborhood has signed on to have work done. The app creates a Google map that drops pins to show which neighbors have had work done or plan to have work done. Delia said this feature alone has really changed the nature of his sales.
“We’re getting jobs on the same block, which was really never done before in the 30 years I’ve been doing this,” he said. “We have quite a few people in the neighborhood getting on board with us and I really believe it’s because of the canvassing program we have.”
Delia can even listen in on canvassers as they make the pitch and coach them while their in the field. Once a customer shows interest, he can immediately dispatch a sales person to close the deal. “It’s like a warm lead. It makes sales a lot easier,” he said. “The stage has already been set when we arrive for a presentation.”
So how much does this technology cost? It depends on the service. SalesRabbit, for instance, charges by the user. For his team of 50 to 60 canvassers, Delia said he had to make an initial investment of $30,000 to $40,000. “It’s an investment,” he said. “But it’s more predictable than anything I’ve ever done.”
