Selling door to door isn’t an exact science but it is a science nonetheless. There are certain techniques and skills that work better than others and guarantee a greater probability of success.
Beyond what you say, there are other factors that lead to being successful. One of these factors includes how you work at certain times of the day.
For example, knocking doors after 9:00pm might not lead to many warm responses especially if you happen to wake a sleeping child after ringing a doorbell. However, being able to extend your selling day by closing deals after dark is a vital trait of successful door-to-door salespeople.
At dusk it’s important to only knock doors of homes that show signs of life. Open front doors and/or garage doors, lit porch lights and/or house lights, all give indications that the home owners could be approached. You might even consider knocking doors a bit more softly in the evening than you otherwise would.
It’s also appropriate to acknowledge the time of day when approaching people later in the evening. When the potential customer opens the door you might say, “I know it’s getting late, but I just finished talking with the Smith family and I wanted to make sure you knew what was going on in the neighborhood tomorrow….”
In the morning and afternoon it’s important to talk with as many people as possible. Door-to-door sales is unproductive and boring if you aren’t having conversations with potential buyers. Therefore, the best types of neighborhoods to knock during the morning and afternoon are areas where there are signs of life. Car(s) in the driveway, kids playing in the yard, open front doors are all good indicators that a homeowner is home.
Whatever the time of day, as a door-to-door salesperson you only make sales if you are talking with potential customers. Make an effort to manage the various times of your day to be doing that which will give you the best opportunity to put yourself in front of potential buyers whether it’s first thing in the morning or later into the evening.