Canvassing is a marketing technique to increase sales. There are various methods of canvassing to consider. The sales team needs to opt for the best one in accordance to its needs.
Sales canvassing is the effort to build contact with prospective consumer candidates who do not have previous history of interaction with the brand. These potential consumers can be individuals or institutions, depending on the field of business. To determine who these candidates for consumers are, research and targeting is needed. Marketers cannot target new contacts at random, but rather approach prospective consumers based on an established selection process.
Sales canvassing methods vary, and below are some to consider from.
1. Cold Call
Cold call is one of the most common sales canvassing methods. The sales team will contact potential consumers and offer its products or services. No previous communication precedes the call, so the sales team has the responsibility to actively elaborate on the call’s purpose.
The cold call method usually has the objective of acquiring sales or leading potential consumers to the sales funnel. Even if a sales transaction cannot be achieved on the first call, the sales team can persuade potential consumers to subscribe to the company’s email, or to agree on a follow-up meeting/arrangement.
To ensure a cold call’s effectiveness, the marketer needs to be ready with a comprehensive explanation. Marketers need to convince that the products or services offered can be a solution to the potential consumer’s problems. The style of speech must be persuasive and compelling enough that prospective consumers become interested.
2. Emails and Letters
This method of sales canvassing is done across many businesses. Marketers will send letters – either via email or postal mail – to targeted potential consumers. Contents of the email or letter may vary. However, as these letters are targeted towards prospective consumers, elaboration on the products or services is most needed. The letter should describe the merits and benefits of the product/service.
Sending emails or letters is fitting for potential consumers who may dislike being pressured to give immediate response. They can open the letter or email at their own time and convenience, when they are at leisure to read the offer. However, there is a probability that the email or letter will be ignored. Hence, the contents must be made as interesting as possible to attract potential consumer’s attention.
3. Networking
Networking is a sales canvassing method that is done by visiting candidates of potential consumers at certain events or public occasions. Usually marketers will visit events with a high chance of prospective consumers attending.
Take the example of a sales team for car glass tinting. They can do networking by visiting an annual community meeting of car owners of a certain brand. There, they can interact with various parties deemed to be potential consumers.
However, when engaging in the networking method, a sales team’s main goal cannot be direct sales. This method is more appropriately seen as long term investment through building future relations. As such, sales teams should interact with as many potential consumers as possible, then collect their contacts.
4. Door to Door
Door to door is a sales canvassing method that visits candidates of potential consumers at their homes, offices, or wherever they currently are. Marketers visit houses and offices with the goal of acquiring sales transactions, or at least the potential consumer’s commitment to do purchase.
Similar to cold call, there is no previous agreement to meet between marketer and potential consumer. As such, to execute this method more effectively, a strategy in choosing which parties to visit is needed. Marketers need to target visits to potential consumers that fit its existing consumer profiles.
Additionally, marketers must ensure that their offer can actually be a solution to potential consumer’s problems. This can be the best way to create opportunity for sales transactions.
Sales canvassing is one of the most effective marketing methods. This method will demand sales teams to step out of their comfort zone. But if they are willing to execute it in the right way, businesses can acquire a large number of candidates for potential consumers; prospective consumers that are previously unrecorded and unlisted.
From there, sales teams can do a variety of follow-up activities so that the expected sales transaction can happen. Do consider the above methods, and good luck on your sales canvassing.
