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!
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!
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!
Fun story, Lillie. We rarely see door to door salesmen. Telemarketers seem to have taken their place.
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.
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.
Door-to-door has been outlawed in many areas, including mine. Doesn’t stop it though.
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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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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.
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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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!
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.
yea especially being a female and selling things of value like electronics. no thanx!
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!
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.
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