Why We Don't Cold Call or Door Knock

Sitting in my favorite chair with my oldest two daughters, my phone begins to ring. I dig it out of my pocket and glance at the screen. It's from a number that has called me every day for two weeks. Oh, if it was only a lawyer frantically trying to get in touch to let me know I inherited a fortune.

When I answer, the guy mentions something about veterans this or that and I tell him that I'm on the Do Not Call List. He is obligated to know that and not call me unless we've done business in the last 18 months. He argues that, "I'm not on HIS do not call list". This is a common response that shows either complete ignorance for the law or it's a blatant lie.  

Does It Even Work?

I can't imagine why people respond to this kind of badgering. Much to our dismay, it must work or it wouldn't still be a tactic.

We've all encountered the salesperson that takes advantage of politeness. They won't quit until you slam the door in their face or hang up on them. And, this - THIS is what motivates us not to cold-call or door-knock. We don't ever want to put a person in an uncomfortable situation - feeling forced to work with us or get hounded for the rest of their life.

There has to be a relationship, respect, trust - not hammering on a person's willpower until they give in. Like a coerced confession - you'll say anything to make the interrogation stop - but then you realize you're going to jail.

Not all salespeople are the same. We don't mind if someone calls us or knocks on our door to sell something - as long as they're capable of saying, "OK, thanks for your time" and walk away, if we're not interested.

Some have success with high-pressure, put-you-on-the-spot marketing, but we refuse to treat people that way.

Bad Reputation Earned Honestly

This brings up an interesting story - when Samantha and I bought our current house, Samantha was our Realtor.  She was home alone with the kids one day shortly after we moved in.  A security alarm salesperson knocked on the door and said, “Hi, I’m “so-and-so”, did your Realtor tell you they asked me to stop by?”  Obviously, Samantha did not ask this lady to stop by and talk to.....us. Lies and disrespect are terrible tactics.

Marketing is interruption-based. You can't reach out to new people with information about your business unless you interrupt their day in some way. If they don't know you - they aren't looking for you. And, if they aren't looking for you - they'll never find you - unless you interrupt their attention and make them aware of your product or service.

We try to earn you business by bringing you into our orbit - by building an audience. We are creating content that is meant to engage with you and not just talk at you - content that you find meaningful and helpful - not an annoying nuisance.

You may see an ad popup in your social feed, receive a handwritten note or our monthly letter, or get an email from us - but they can all be easily dismissed if you aren't interested.

Obviously, we hope that you engage with those things, but, if not, that's okay, too! We reach out to keep you up to date with all the fun we're having, teach you to build an easy home project or two, win a cool prize, or learn something in another area you may be interested in.

We want people to choose us because they know, like, and trust us - only after a referral from a trusted friend, after we've established a relationship that builds some amount of trust, or after watching and reading our content until they feel like they know us. Or all three!

So, we don't go door-to-door or call strangers out of nowhere. There's nothing inherently wrong with doing those things, but it's not for us and doesn't fit within our business values.

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