Door Knocking and Canvassing Best Practices for Home Improvement Contractors

Door knocking and neighborhood canvassing are some of the best ways to make high quality connections with homeowners and grow your business.

You don’t have to cover thousands of homes when door knocking with Lead Scout. Just visit 6-10 neighbors around every single appointment you run to start seeing results.

Here are five best practices for home improvement contractors to keep in mind when scouting, door knocking and canvassing with Lead Scout:

1) Respect the homeowner’s privacy

Make sure to knock or ring the doorbell before entering a property, and always ask permission before entering a home or speaking with a homeowner.

2) Represent your business professionally

Dress and act professionally, and be prepared to clearly explain your services and how you can help the homeowner with their home improvement needs.

“When I was door knocking I wanted to talk to and get in front of people, but at the very least I was going to leave them with some information so they could get a hold of me. I’m a big fan of door to door brochures, hangers and folders.” ~Ben Menchaca, D2D Sales Consultant

3) Be a prepared sales representative

Have sales materials such as brochures, business cards, and a list of references on hand, and be ready to answer any questions the homeowner may have. Be prepared if no one is home by having sticky notes handy to leave on the door for the homeowner with a short message and your contact information. You can grab some from the store or order branded sticky notes from Lead Scout!

4) Have patience while door knocking

Some homeowners may not be interested in talking to you or hearing about your services. In these cases, it’s important to be respectful and move on to the next home. Don’t be discouraged, and don’t bring your baggage from the last home to your next home. Keep going until you get your first yes! Listen the D2D Experts podcast with Sam Taggert for some pro doorknocking tips.

5) Follow up with the homeowner

If a homeowner expresses interest in your services, make sure to follow up with them after your initial visit to provide more information and answer any additional questions they may have. Providing information of value will help you gain trust with the homeowner and give you an opportunity to reconnect. For example if you are a roofing contractor, follow up with an estimate (Hover or Eagleview are great) by revisiting them to drop it off in person – or give them materials that allows them to do an estimate on their time (we recommend Roofr’s Instant Estimator, the Roofle Instant Estimator, or to send one digitally!

It’s also important to be mindful of any local laws or regulations that may apply to door-to-door sales and canvassing in your area. Make sure to comply with these rules to avoid any legal issues.