What I Learned from Door-to-Door Sales
April 13, 2008 by Lillie
This month, the topic for the What I Learned From … Group Writing Project at Middle Zone Musings is What I Learned from Odd Jobs.
This project is a two-for-one: High Callings Blogs is also hosting a similar group writing project, and this post is an entry in it as well.
Today is the deadline for Middle Zone Musings, but there isn’t a deadline for High Callings. If you’d like to write a post for this group writing project, read the instructions in the post on The High Callling of Our Daily Work.
My strangest – and shortest-lived – job was selling magazines door-to-door during a summer break from college. It was the only job I could find when the semester ended, but, fortunately, I got another job after a few weeks. I don’t think I couldn’t have sold magazines door-to-door all summer!
Our crew were all college students working under the supervision of one manager. He dropped us off in a neighborhood at the beginning of the day and picked us up when the day was over. The details about lunch escape me – perhaps he picked us up at lunch, too, but I just don’t remember.
This was back in the mid-60s, and many women were at home during the day. I doubt this kind of operation could succeed today – the salespersons could probably go around the entire block without anyone answering the door.
Folks did answer the door back then, but they often slammed it shut faster than they opened it.
On one occasion, a lady answered the door and said, “Quit ringing the doorbell. My son just got to sleep, and you’re going to wake him up.”
Thinking I had come up with the perfect opportunity to make a sale, I answered, “Oh, if you have a son, you need to look at our children’s magazines. How about Highlights for Children?”
“My son,” the woman replied in a huff, “is 43 years old! I’m going to call the police on you!”
And call the police she did. By the time they arrived, I was several houses down the street. The officer called me over to the squad car and asked me a lot of questions.
It seems our manager drove around the neighborhood checking on us while we were out selling. He arrived shortly after the policeman did. He answered questions and showed the officer the company’s soliciting permit. The policeman left, satisfied that I was not harassing anyone and that our crew had the legal right to solicit in the neighborhood.
We were paid $5.00 per subscription, and my goal was to sell one subscription per day – a goal that I seldom met. I learned that on the rare occasions that a man answered the door, I was likely to make a sale. When a woman answered the door, the odds went down considerably.
Was I ever glad when I got the call that I was hired for the government job I’d applied for earlier!
I certainly didn’t earn much money on this job, but I did learn a few valuable lessons:
- Making assumptions can be dangerous. Just because the woman’s son was sleeping and she didn’t want the doorbell to wake him didn’t mean he was a small child.
- It’s important to following all laws and regulations, even if they seem silly. If the company had not obtained the soliciting permit from the suburb we were working, we could have penalized (probably fined) when the angry woman called the police.
- One “YES” can make up for a lot of “NOs.” One week my total income was $20 – all from one sale.
- People buy for reasons that have nothing to do with the product. The $20 sale was to a man who spent a lot of time talking to me and asking me questions about the job. Later, I realized he probably had no interest in magazines. Either he just liked talking to an impressionable young girl or he was doing his good deed for the day.
- Direct sales is NOT the way I want to make a living!
You can learn a lot in three weeks that seem like a lifetime.
[tags]lessons from odd jobs[/tags]
Lillie, looks like you had the joy/privilege of door-to-door like I did! Great lessons, too, by the way. Thanks for joining us this month!
Cheers!
Yeah, it looks like I stole your idea! But I guess any of us who had the “joy/privilege” of door-to-door are bound to rank it as “odd job.”
[...] What I Learned From Door-to-Door Sales, by Lillie Ammann at A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye [...]
Great post, Lillie! I don’t think I’ve ever done door-to-door sales, thought I’ve done door-to-door surveys with similar experiences!
In the small town where I live, they still hire kids to do this. And it’s true what you said about guys. Whenever I open the door to these kids, their chance for a sale goes up dramatically. Thanks for participating!
Renae,
I guess anytime we approach people in their homes we run into resistance.
Mark,
We get kids that come through every once in a while – more often on weekends, though, than during the work week. Thanks for the group writing project.
I was talking about this to a co-worker the other day after an insurance salesman rang our company bell. He was pleasant enough but still, an interruption and an inconvenience. I was polite when I turned him away, and sympathized with his need to make a living, but my co-worker and I agreed that that has to be one of the WORST ways to make a living! Door-to-door sales. Ugh. The fact that you did it at all? Congratulations–it’s something I couldn’t do!
Deb,
I’m just thankful the other job came through. I doubt I could have lasted all summer – and if I had, I wouldn’t have made enough money.
Fun story, Lillie. We rarely see door to door salesmen. Telemarketers seem to have taken their place.
Yvonne,
I think you’re right about telemarketers. It is much more efficient to have a machine dial numbers until someone answers … then put a live person on to make the solicitation. Also, as I mentioned, fewer people are home these days (something those of us fortunate enough to work from home may forget since we’re not among the masses that leave home at the beginning of the day and don’t come home again until late).
Seeing a news article today about the upcoming US census, I was reminded that I’d also gone door-to-door as a census taker in the last census. If people don’t like being bothered by someone trying to sell them somthing, imagine how they react to someone asking personal information to report to the government!
From door to door sale is a very hard job, i konw this. I have done such a job last year. Its very hard but also interesting, you can learn many things.
Lilly,
Yes, door to door sales is hard, and, yes, you can learn many things. I’m not eager to learn many more things that hard way, though.
Ahh the Door to Door magazine salesman. I know someone from Arkansas that did this as well. They would all get on a bus and drive to the cities near by, and then they would drive to different neighborhoods to try to sell magazines. This was very short lived for him as well, but he actually met some cool people.
Good article, Lillie! I did solicitations as a teen myself for a newspaper during the early 1970s. It helped me to get out of my shell. I actually won a contest by selling the most newspapers, getting enough money to buy a new bike. Awesome!
I stumbled this page too, by the way.
I think door-to-door sales is probably short-lived for most people who try it, but I’ve heard of some people who have been very successful at it.
Matt,
Thanks for the stumble!
We have a copy of a newspaper article from the early 20th century when Jack’s mother, who died several years ago in her 80s, won a bicycle as a young girl in a contest selling newspaper subscriptions. There is a picture of her with the bicycle. She actually won the bike and not money to buy it, and she did it about 50 years before you did, but your story reminded me of that.
[...] What I Learned from Door to Door Sales by Lillie Ammann who was questioned by the police for trying to sell Highlights magazine to a 43 year old man. [...]
Door-to-door has been outlawed in many areas, including mine. Doesn’t stop it though.
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As far as I know, door-to-door sales is legal here, but we don’t see much of it anymore. I think it’s a combination of a changing culture where fewer people are home during the day as well as the increase in telemarketing, which is cheaper and more efficient.
That’s amazing, Lillie. I actually won trading stamps which I used to purchase a slightly used bike for about $42. I was 14 and the year was 1972.
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Matt,
Jack’s mother was nine years old, and she won a “$65 Black Beauty bicycle” according to the newspaper clipping. She sold 52 subscriptions to the paper in three days in 1927, and she was quoted in the article as saying, “It wasn’t a bit of trouble.”
[...] What I Learned From Door-to-Door Sales, by Lillie Ammann at A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye [...]
It´s a good job for students! I´m Pro, but as a citizen I´m CONTR. It´s very awful, when somebody knocks at the door always when I want to be silent.
Natasha,
I understand your ambivalence. It is annoying to be disturbed when you want some peace and quiet … but people needs jobs, too.
oh yeah, the door to door sale is very hard. you always have to be friendly to everyone although you feel bad. thats why i don´t do that kind of job anymore!!!
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Samantha,
In most businesses you have to be friendly and enthusiastic no matter how you feel. It may be harder to do in door-to-door sales, though, because people generally aren’t happy to see you.
I stumbled your page as well. I had a friend that just went out to Vegas to sell Alarm Systems door-to-door. He said they get good money for every sale, but I told him he’d make more with the old 9 to 5!
Thanks for the stumble! Getting good money for every sale is great … but making those sales is mighty hard.
I cannot imagine working door to door. I would be too paranoid thinking that someone will do me something…lol. Especially if i’m trying to sell electronics.
My door-to-door sales experience was more than 40 years ago. Although I wasn’t worried about safety, I would be now. The world has become more dangerous since then.
yea especially being a female and selling things of value like electronics. no thanx!
Trucker Mary,
The world is a more dangerous place than it was 40 years ago. Looking back, it’s amazing that we never had any concerns for safety at that time.
I made door-to-door sales some years ago and I can really understand what you are writing about.
I dont want to make this job again.
And I hope that I wont have to!
Gina,
I hope you don’t have to work in door-to-door sales again, either. It’s tough.
i was working as door to door seller long time. it is really hard. but you also know a lot of people after that. but i did not get much moiney from it
I have done door-to-door sales for 3 years now. selling pest control. it is a hit or miss job. if you’re good than you make tons of money. if you suck, you might as well work at McDonalds. I have been lucky and it has put me through college and built my wife and I house to live in with our little kid that is coming in a month. I make a lot more than my professors at college and i only work 3 1/2 months out of the year and it has taught me tons. so i am really grateful for the opportunity i have had to do door-to-door sales. I am tired of it though. but the money keeps sucking me back. well take care and good article it is not for everyone!!!!!!!!!
knight23,
You are obviously very good at door-to-door sales. Congratulations on your success and on the soon-to-be baby.
Great experience you have there. The sales people truly are the striking force of an organization. Having a group of skilled sales force is like winning every bids.
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Naomi,
My experience certainly wasn’t great, but the lessons were. I agree that good salespeople are valauble; I’m not cut out to be one of them.
Wat really worked for me when I did sales, was to send a letter 2 weeks in advance. Then I called about the letter and find out if they had any interrest, then make an appointment if they were.
Chris,
That’s a great idea. However, I was a college student working a summer job in which we were driven to a neighborhood and dropped off to knock on doors.
frikass,
I admire your tenacity to stick with door to door sales a long time because it is so hard.