You’re new to door to door sales. It’s a career path that is lucrative and rewarding, allowing you to bring awesome products and solutions right to the people who need them most.
You’ve trained yourself on your product. You’ve honed your pitch and You’re ready to get out there, make a difference, and close sales.
There’s just one problem, you’re staring at the door… and you don’t know what to say when your prospective customer opens it.
We get a lot of questions about the best ice breakers for door to door sales. Instead of coming up with a list of canned responses, we thought it best to really look at what an ice breaker is and how to use it effectively in your demonstrations.
Starting A Conversation Means Getting Past The First “No.”
Before we get into our tried-and-trusted ice breaker approach, remember this: the ice breaker is designed to get you to have a conversation past the initial “no.”
Let’s say you’re out shopping. A clerk comes up and asks if you need help.
If you’re like most people, you’ll blurt “I’m just looking, thanks”… whether you actually need help or not.
That’s because we have trained our brains to say no to obvious sales pitches. If you go to a door in full-on-sales mode and ask a closed-ended question like “Are you interested in talking about your cable service?” the chances are you’ll get a quick “No” and you’ll have no grounds to continue your pitch.
That’s why you start with a conversation. A real conversation. Get to know them and give them the opportunity to get to know you… and to decide for themselves whether what you’re offering has value.
Starting A Conversation Means Finding Common Ground
A door to door sales pitch isn’t a formula. It’s a conversation. Click To Tweet
So think about how you start conversations.
Whether you’re meeting someone at a family gathering, networking at a conference, or chatting someone up at the bar, talking to someone you don’t know usually starts with one thing: finding common ground.
As you’re approaching a prospective customer’s house, check out your surroundings and see what that tells you about them. Classic car in the driveway? College sports team flag flying? Kids’ bikes strewn about the yard? All of those things are giving you an insight into your prospect’s life, and each one is a real opportunity to start a meaningful conversation.
Here’s the thing: most people like real people. With real interests and genuine feelings. If you start a conversation about cable service, people are on their guard. If you start a conversation about a classic car, which turns into a conversation about YouTube mechanic tutorial videos, that then turns into a conversation about internet providers… well, you’ve laid the groundwork for the customer to listen to what you have to say.
How do you transition from finding common ground to your sales demo?
Patience.
Seriously. Be patient. If you have a great conversation without trying to shoehorn your pitch in, eventually your customer will ask you why you’re there talking to them. And then your demonstration is invited. You can launch into your pitch knowing that you’ve built up enough rapport that they’ll at least hear you out.
What if you can’t find common ground with your prospect?
First off, you usually can find SOMETHING just by looking around. But some people are naturally guarded. That’s okay. That’s when you make a very quick, clear, and honest introduction about who you are and why you’re there.
No gimmicks. No canned lines. No asking for the sale too early, before you’ve earned it. Just a quick intro and an opportunity to hear your pitch. If they say no, they say no. If they say yes, you’re in.
And that’s breaking the ice. Simple as that.
Starting A Conversation Means Bonding
People like doing business with people they like.
When it comes to ice breakers for door to door sales, it’s not about having enough canned lines to trick people into watching your demo. It’s about finding a way to make a genuine connection.
Nobody wants to talk to a door to door salesman. But everybody wants a “guy.”
You know the type. The person who loves buying a new car because they gave a “car guy” they trust. Your goal is to be someone’s “guy.” (Or “gal,” as the case may be!)
By breaking the ice, getting past the initial “no,” and finding common ground, it helps get you out of sales mode. And that’s where most people fail at this step. They’re so focused on their process, so intent on closing a deal, that they forget they’re dealing with real people.
The best way to close a deal is to listen. So start a conversation to get them talking. You’ll find breaking the ice for door to door sales is much easier than you initially think.
Check out our Ice Breaker Video
If you’re looking to start or further your career in direct sales, Solcomm wants to hear from you. We support and train up direct sales leaders in the Telecom industry. Check out our opportunities today!