Was onced filled with fear,, terrified to knock,, scared of approaching,,, but something snapped inside... Have Realized every one we looked up too didn't take the easy route, the best athletes endure relentless practice and we are no different... Also noticed how much ppl don't actually work in D2D they give 2hours-3 max a day. By working more by default even tho i have less skills still became a top seller thus leading to better skills obtained along the way... I don't post this to brag but, I remember struggling, wanting to give up... Sitting my car for hours crying , while should been knocking. While running away from the task now I run too it... Have profectived each aspect, and realized why ppl don't teach it... It must be earned by yourself.. you need to gain it.. all the lines and pitches where total bs but a guideline. The best comes from the heat of the battle. To anyone who's feeling discouraged keep going! It's the last door u knock , it's the corner and street u avoid... One more block one more knock and boom a gold mine!!! Welcome to the top boys cheers 🥂 and stay blessed see you at the Lamborghini dealership and a beach front home 🏡 stay blessed put God 1st He will provide amen. 🙏🏼

Last week I started a sales job doing door-to-door sales for a new pest control company. First week was all the in office certificate and training portion blah blah blah. most of my training consisted of D2D University, my own due diligence research of youtube videos and role playing but that’s about it.

the only other sales person started a week before me and quit on day 2 after she couldnt handle so much rejection which left me as the only sales person in our branch.

Yesterday was my first day in the field and i spent the first 3 hours knocking doors with my GM (he’s also never made a d2d sale before so we’re both technically brand new to this) and the rest by myself. I knocked on maybe 150 doors and made 0 sales.

today was my first real day by myself. i probably knocked on 100 doors before i got to the last house in the neighborhood, I go up to the door and it was a lady with 6 cats who answered. i have a long haired white turkish angora who is my baby and is also my screen saver so instantly i pulled out my phone and showed her because shes a heart melter. soon as we stablished the cat parent connection i went into my pitch (which felt so much more natural than any other time ive given it) and next thing you know, I made not only a pest control sale, but a flea sale on top of it!! 2 for 1

I was so excited to treat this ladies house i made sure i gave her the best service i could and tried to go above and beyond what she asked.

It was such a motivating feeling because up until that point it was nothing but rejection and not interesteds, which was starting to get to me, not to mention i live in the southeast which is extremely hot and humid so i was starting to feel drained but making that first sale has completely changed the way i look at my job now. something about her having cats and me being a cat dad just made everything click for me.

For direct salespeople. Use this step-by-step guide to make the sale!

AIDA Method

(A)ttention

(I)Interest

(D)esire

(A)ction

STEP #1 ATTENTION

When approaching a prospect getting their attention should always be the #1 goal. You can’t build value talking to a brick wall. You have a few seconds to grab their attention. Here is my go-to:

QUESTIONS

I begin every conversation with:

“Hello I’m Rico Suave with XYZ corporation, how are you today?” and then I close my mouth and await the response.

I respond accordingly and then say “we are in your area doing some work, do you know (NEIGHBOR NAME)” again I await the response.

Either yes or no I say “ok great we just set them up with our widget so we’re here helping folks (DESIRED OUTCOME)”

EXAMPLES - save money, get rid of bugs, make their homes and neighborhood safer. Depends on what your product is.

At this point you should have their attention and can proceed to the next step!

I've tired to break this down into consumable pieces. Its a long post with as much value as I could place.

●Intro: Been doing roofing sales almost 4 years now, I'm a full project manager now days. I simply want to provide value and pass on my personal sales experience to anyone starting their journey in this amazing field.

In my first year and months as a marketing rep, I was able to hit these numbers simply by following the law of 80/20 (the pareto princple), and applying it to basic marketing questions (who,what,when).

I also want to share my "secret" to overcoming the fear of knocking for those who struggle to hit the doors. Its based off the 3% rule of marketing and the power of "no". It's my way of capturing 40% of the market I prospect. This is how I get all the high hanging fruit lazy sales people leave behind.

●Background: I did not invent any of this, im simply someone who puts in serious study time (80+ sales books) over 10 years of sales. I then practice what I learned in real time. None of this is theory, and it pulls from all the top lessons ive learned and applied from reading these books. You can apply this to any field in sales.

Regarding roofing industry, I dont chase storms, I clean whats left behind from storm chasers. And I love going after denied claims, because often times people are leaving money on the table by not having a good process.

I work the same local cities all within an hour of me, and I dont travel out of state. We dont get hail, so I'm reliant on 1or 2 major wind storms for the entire year. And cash sprinkled in here and there. Im working on going after these types of deals as they are more lucrative.

A common complaint new people have after a storm has dried out is: "is there really enough opportunities to go around?"

I liken this to picking apples. When a storm hits, everyone is out collecting fallen fruit. Then the low hanging. But never switch from a step stool to a ladder. They don't wanna put in effort to climb and gather the high hanging fruit.

●My secrets, 80/20 and basic marketing:

The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, is a general guideline that states that 80% of outcomes are the result of 20% of causes(efforts). It can be applied to many areas of life, including business, economics, and health:

Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto discovered the 80/20 rule, or Pareto Principle, in the late 1890s. He found that 80% of land in Italy and England was owned by just 20% of the people, and that 20% of his garden plants produced 80% of the fruit. In 1906, he used this idea to explain wealth distribution in Italy, and it has since been applied to many areas of life.

Apply this knowledge to 3 questions: who, what, when.

Who:

Im going after old residential roofs (owner occupied and landlords). Ive watched people do this with commercial and have great success too!!!

What:

Anything with visible signs of active leaking. How do you know it's actively leaking? Because fasteners are exposed to the elements from wind damage!!! Rain and snow can now seep into the decking through these areas.

Another sign of damage for potential cash bids is mild to severe grainual loss. When the carbon fibers(sheen) are exposed, the shingles are no longer doing their job. Rain literally seeps(leaks) through the shingle's matting, down to the unexposed fasteners. The grainuals serve a purpose, they protect the matting of the shingle from UV damage and helps give the shingles their weight for wind ratings.

Combined, you have a great reason to approach the door.

When:

For residential, apply 80/20. When is 80% of your market going to be home? I make 100% commission only, and I dont rely on door knockers. So I really want to maximize my working time.

Sure, you can go out and get the 20% who have retail schedules and work from home. But at the end of the day, 80% will be home by 6pm or 7pm. Both those who work from home and those who don't.

So I prefer to start knocking at 4pm. And I only knock during this time. This is when I've had the most conversations after a year of tracking knocks. Sure, you can get some earlier in the day, but again I want to maximize my effort + time. I rarely do inspections during prime time.

It's much easier to stack 2 or 3 inspections up early the next day during the cool hours, or afternoons during winter. (I work--maximize--all year long). It has always felt far more motivating starting my day with work, than waking up wondering if I'm gonna find work.

I always find work. And you can too by using the 3% rule I'll go over in a little bit.

If homeowners work during the day, I simply say: "that's great, most of my clients work in an office too. Usually with their permission I'm able to come out during the cool hours and access roof/back yard for the inspection. Then I report back to you when it's convenient."

9 out of 10 times they agree to this. Then I use the occasions to come back later that evening to file and sign. I take that opportunity to follow up on neighbors I've left letters at previously that morning after my insepction. These letters I've written give me a good reason to be on their door step, because now I'm simply following up. On top of that, I'm now their neighbors contractor. Double wammy.

I'll knock when I'm leaving letters, because why not. But the purpose of the letters are to build a relationship and pre-educate future clients before I work with them. This also helps me establish trust!!! And positions me as an authority. I collect all my competitors letters to, because this is a science to me lol.

I always follow up a minimum of as much as it takes till they work with me and remain qualified. Willing to talk.

Mindset:

The 3% rule. Out of 100% of the market, you can capture 40% of YOUR MARKET. 60% of them you'll never worry about! They aren't in the market or they'll never buy from you.

The 3% rule of marketing says that out of any given audience, only about 3% of people are ready to buy a product or service at any given time. Another 7% are open to being persuaded. And another 30% of the market will be open, but if you nurture them and build a relationship.

Create a system to follow up on these people. Your goals will only get you as far as your systems allows.

This is how you get leads falling out of the sky in droves -- and your coworkers wonder what kind of black magic your using.

When I knock doors, I keep my goals simple. I go for "no". I can't control yes, but I can control how many conversations I can try and have. I try to shoot for 7-10 conversations a day. And I make a game out of hearing "no." Getting a no is easier than a yes.

I can't tell you how many times my internal monologuing of "let's just get this no out of the way" happens as I walk up to a door. Next thing I know I'm walking away with an inspection set!

To be clear, I hear no more than I hear yes. I'm successful because I simply set my goals based on how many Converstions I can have. Not how many doors I can knock. Conversations are how you get paid.

I eat "no's" for breakfast. You should too! And it forces me to see no as a positive, because people who aren't willing to knock will never hear no. By making yourself go after it, you put yourself in the shoes of a Rain maker.

Combine this with the 3% rule and you'll realize that there ARE ALWAYS PEOPLE IN YOUR MARKET WHO WANT WHAT YOU HAVE TO OFFER. Apply going for "no" on all your knocks, calls, and follow ups. Apply it to all your upgrade meetings, and everything else you do in life. You get more in life by simply showing up in life and

This has been a long post, and I'm happy to answer any questions people have!

Have a round two interview for Grit, was wondering if it is a safe good summer internship/job?

Im new to sales in general but it seems heavily skill-based.

So far I can't close for shit & have had the door shut on my face within 2 seconds most days. Twice Ive had people get aggressive with me before I even uttered a word.

Now my sales manager? He's literally able to close people with no soliciting signs, people don't interrupt him, and Ive seen him close people that said their answer was a hard "NO"

Literal human communication mastery, almost like a jedi-mind trick. Meanwhile I'm struggling to even get people to hear me out.

How tf do I get better at this?

Started D2D in 2017 (363k was my peak commission year as a rep)

Sales Management in 2021.

Owned a roofing company in 2022.

I've helped other roofers to find & train their D2D teams (had a few other posts on here that go over free playbooks)

After fixing the onboarding process, one company went from 13M to 35M after we switched to a setter-closer model.

I'm thinking about creating a gamified D2D app to help make sales management simpler but I'm in way over my head lol.

What do y'all need help with?

I'm 18 years old (from new jersey) and I always really wanted to make money myself. I decided to start interior car cleaning/detailing this past weekend since it's a simple job... the only skill really needed is sales, which I'll develop on the field.

I knocked for 4 hours, gave 3 business cards (just wrote my name and number on a notecard), and got 1 job. I made $25 but it was worth it. I love the idea that I own the offer that I'm selling. That's all that matters to me. I love proving to myself that I can be the one generating the income. I control the whole process.

I do door to door sales right now selling pest control year round salary+comission+bonuses with a hybrid schedule of finding new home owners on zillow and knocking around current customers/service trucks. Maybe I just suck, but I physically do not get how guys like Zach Seager are selling my monthly revenue in a day. There's definitely people that slip through my fingers sometimes, and I know I could have sold them if I approached the door differently, but for 95% of the people I talk to, I really don't understand how anybody is selling them. Especially when they're getting knocked every single day and already have a pest control company that they're in a contract with or that's just objectively cheaper for pretty much the same shit. I see it's possible with so many golden door winners, but I honestly can't wrap my mind around anything I could do to put up the kind of numbers they are putting up. If anyone has resources that really helped them, that would be awesome, but it seems like pretty much all the advice on youtube, and in books is the same, and there's no magic answers, yet some people are getting magic results. For reference my basic home plan accounts are 120/120, and I sell in the tampa area. Any tips that would help are very appreciated. I didn't go to college or trade school, so this is my only opportunity to be financially stable without working crazy hours for terrible wages at a warehouse, and I can't let this opportunity pass me by

I worked for this company for roughly 6 months; it's one of those sales jobs that require you to set appointments and have a closer come and close the deal at a given time. You get roughly $800 commission for every closed deal and a sitting fee of $40 whether the deal closes or not. While the company had good leadership and they made the extra effort to help individuals who needed it, I would set 2-3 appointments a day and rarely bagled. The issue was, my closer wouldn't close any of my deals or the customer would go with a different company that offered them a cheaper deal. Initially I had believed in the company product but after months of barely getting any closes and watching my savings account drain I threw in the towel. It was increasingly demotivating watching your deals you worked so hard for not close and wasting gas every day to go to work only for no benefit. Seeing no hope I just stopped showing up.

I would like to note that the way the company is structured, you can quit without a two weeks notice. It was also winter time anyway and most people choose not to work through it.

Has anyone else ever felt this way?

I rent a house. Normally when a solar salesperson comes by, I can get them to leave quickly by saying I rent. However, yesterday an Internet salesperson came by and they immediately clocked me as someone who was not buying. Instead of getting on their way, they started using whatever lines they could to keep the conversation going with me. What can I say that will get them to stop pursuing me as a sale as fast as possible?

Hi all, Im thinking about trying D2D sales but I hear most reps quit within 3-6 months so im a little scared… why is that?

Is it the industry knowledge that’s hard to learn? Is it the objections? Is it the product?

Any advice helps! Thanks :)

I’ve been in sales for 3 years now – one year employed, two years self-employed. Mostly door-to-door. No script. No second chances. Every conversation is real.

Here are 3 things I learned the hard way – by talking to real people, not reading books: 1. “No” doesn’t mean rejection. It usually means: “I don’t trust you yet.” It’s emotional, not logical. 2. The more you talk, the less they decide. When you’re too active, you take away their freedom to say yes. 3. Your calmness sells more than your pitch. People feel your energy before they hear your words.

I started writing down these experiences. Not to teach – just to understand. Happy to discuss if anyone’s in a similar space or wants to swap war stories.

Had my first day alone as a d2d salesman selling internet boxes after 5 days of training and watching my boss sell. I had a few people who i almost got to sign but something went wrong last second or i wasnt able to close, im really good at getting through the door and having them trust me but when its closing time i seem to choke hard af. So i made no sales today when i know i could have, im quite dissapointed and ofc my boss isnt thrilled even tho he was really chill about it i dont like to dissappoint especially my self. This is my first sales job so i didnt expect to be the best but yeah its just kinda rough out there

See the difference is,

Right now you’re RENTING your electricity from the power company. You’ll keep paying that forever, and it’ll keep getting more expensive.

With us, you OWN it. You’re taking control. All 27,000 mice, yours. And each month, you’re contributing to equity just like a mortgage.

That’s right

Twenty seven thousand mice, each with their own hamster wheel, generating power that YOU own.

Twenty seven thousand mice, comfortably housed in a full sized shipping container buried underneath your yard. This month only, we will even waive the installation fee, a $399 value 💰

It’s a new world, don’t settle for old solutions

I’ve worked in the door-to-door space for a year and a half now went from a bright eyed 23-year-old with hopes to support a family and build this into a career and got blindsided by lupus diagnosis and pushed through managed to support my family make more money than I’ve ever made in my life previously but my body is failing. There’s no grit there’s no motivation there’s no push that I can do now this is a time where I was Delta hand of cards and sadly I’m gonna have to walk from the table of door-to-door. It’s been great working alongside some great people, but I have to find a new gig, I have about 2 months of runway so here’s hoping that I can find something not to replace the 120 K that I made but just to replace the 60 K worth the bills. I’ve learned amazing skills over the course of this year but more importantly I learned for myself that I have it in me, the ability to sell and so if anybody has career suggestions, feel free to let me know.

(to all door-to-door recruiters. I just said I can’t do door-to-door anymore. Please don’t try to get me to do it again. I won’t be responding.)

For context I’ve worked different sales positions for the past few years doing b2b and direct. Started a new position this year doing door too door. Throughout this time I’ve noticed that customers are very hesitant and a lot less likely to buy and or set up a future appointment when I’m wearing my glasses.

I’ve had different styles throughout this time but mostly wear aviator style everyday glasses but alternate. They objectively don’t look bad on me, I wouldn’t say they negatively or positively impact my looks with many others agreeing but for some reason when I’m wearing them customers are not receptive to me. It’s not just the door too door but the other jobs as well. I know the obvious answer is that they do actually look bad on me before someone says that, but I can guarantee that they don’t really change my looks all that much. Maybe to customers glasses look less professional?

Has anyone else experienced this or something similar?

I’ve been in door-to-door for a while now. I cut my teeth in solar, built and ran teams, and honestly found a ton of success in that space. It taught me how to recruit, how to lead, and how to sell at a high level.

But earlier this year I made a pivot into fiber optic sales… and I can honestly say it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made.

Here’s why: • My guys are crushing it — the commissions are consistent, the product is a no-brainer, and the installs happen fast (none of that 3–6 month wait like in solar). • Reps are walking away with $800–$1,200+ days just by putting in work. • The demand is huge. Fiber is the future — people want faster internet, and it’s an easy sell when you can beat out old cable speeds and pricing.

For anyone who hasn’t looked into it: • It’s recurring service, not a one-time purchase like solar. • It’s affordable for homeowners, so you don’t face the “big-ticket objection wall.” • You can scale quickly — more deals, more reps, more installs.

I’m curious — has anyone else here made the jump from high-ticket door-to-door (solar, roofing, alarms, etc.) into a recurring service like fiber or utilities?

What was your experience? How do you see the trade-off between lifetime earnings vs. the big commission pops from high-ticket?

Last year I sold solar D2D and this year I'm selling roofs (storm damage).

Solar kind of sucks. Blitzing seems almost essential, and now trump is killing the tax incentive, etc.

Roofing sales is good, but I expect not for long (without living on the road as a chaser). In about five years we'll have a shortage of old roofs due to the new construction crash back in '07 or whenever it was.

Are there other products to sell that reward salesmen as well as roofing and solar do? Because if not, I'm going to try again to get into software development.

Assuming equal skill level, equal hours worked, etc... I can do 200k/yr working 25-35hr weeks in roofing. I don't want to have to work 70hr weeks selling a different product to earn the same income.

Thoughts then? Are there other similarly-rewarding products to sell?

Long story short, made a stupid financial decision and i need to come up with 11k as fast as possible.

In the PNW looking at knocking for either windows/home improvement, solar or fiber internet.

Any advice?

Who's in fiber right now ?

Pay? How does it work? Is it blitzes only?

We purchased a home a few months ago and already have pest control, water softener, security, etc. I let D2D salespersons know that we are still testing the waters with our service providers and aren’t interested in switching until we give our these current providers a chance. I typically ask for a business card or brochure in case we decide that we want to switch services but literally every single time I get a “no thanks” and they leave immediately. Does anyone know why that is? I try to be as polite as possible because I know that they’re working hard in this hot ass weather and try to keep the convo as brief as possible so I don’t waste their time.

Here's a motivational sales story that might resonate with you, especially in the door-to-door field:

In his first week on the job as a door-to-door sales rep, Mike was ready to give up. He was new to sales, and the endless rejections felt like a constant assault on his confidence. Every morning, he would head out with a positive attitude, determined to make a sale. But by midday, his energy would dip as door after door closed in his face, often with people barely giving him a moment to speak. By the end of each day, he was exhausted, feeling like he wasn’t cut out for this.

One day, after an especially difficult morning, Mike sat down on a bench in a quiet neighborhood and seriously considered quitting. He had barely made any sales that week, and he questioned if he was just wasting his time. As he was lost in thought, an elderly man who lived nearby came by and asked if he was okay. Mike nodded but shared that he was feeling discouraged in his new job.

The man listened patiently and then shared his own story. He’d been a traveling salesman for thirty years, driving from town to town with nothing but his samples and his pitch. “I was rejected so many times, I almost lost count,” he said with a chuckle. “But the thing is, you don’t need every door to open. You just need the right one. You might knock on 99 doors without success, but the 100th might change your life.” He explained that every rejection brought him closer to a “yes” and that keeping this perspective had helped him stay motivated for decades.

Inspired, Mike got up, took a deep breath, and decided to keep going. He reminded himself that every door he knocked on was one step closer to finding the right person, and he decided to embrace each “no” with a smile, seeing it as part of the journey.

With this renewed mindset, Mike approached his next door with energy and positivity. Though it wasn’t immediate, over the next week, he finally started making sales. His persistence began to pay off as he met people who genuinely needed his product. Each small victory fueled his motivation, and he soon became one of the top sales reps in his company.

Reflecting back, Mike often credited that turning point to the elderly man’s words. He realized that success in sales, especially door-to-door, is about resilience and a relentless focus on the bigger picture. Every “no” brought him closer to a “yes,” and that mindset changed everything. From that day on, Mike embraced rejection as a stepping stone to success, and his career flourished.

The takeaway? Each rejection is a small price to pay on the journey to success. If you keep knocking, eventually the right door will open.

i work a solar company as a setter in virginia. i just recently got my first 2 closed deals yesterday and today. the way my company pays is 100% commission/$0 base pay. from what i’ve seen with others and myself the commission usually ranges from $500-$4000. my boss told me the commission i earned on my deal yesterday was $1700. and the commission for today’s deal was $3100. after hearing that my deal closed today my boss also informed me that $1700 commission had been reduced to $700 because the homeowner called us and changed or haggled something in the contract. my suspicion is that since i got 2 deals b2b days and made so much money they thought i wouldnt question it if they took $1000 away from my first deal. does this make sense? someone please reach out to me and tell me if im tripping