What are my duties?

Answer: When you are canvassing a neighborhood, you can just go from house to house without regard for whether or not they have a deck because you are offering not only decks, but screen porches, front porches, gazebos, sunrooms, basement finishing, and stamped concrete. We can even help them if they want to sell their house or buy another house or even BUILD a house! The important thing is to be in a neighborhood of EXPENSIVE houses. Here are some tips:

• Do not go too early or too late. Best hours are 9AM-noon on Saturday and 6PM-8PM weekdays.
• Dress sharply. Not a tuxedo or formal dress... but in a dress shirt and tie and dress pants if you're a guy, or a business suit if you are a girl. Look the part. You are representing the BEST deck company in the state. Look like it.
• Use the sidewalk. Do not cut across their yard. They don't like it and they or their neighbors may see you do it.
• Ring the doorbell. If no one answers, knock on the door loudly.
• When they open the door, take a step back, smile and hand them a flyer (see below for link to download the flyer).
• Tell them, "Good morning (or whatever). My name is _________. I represent Virginia Decking & Remodeling. This is a local Class A Licensed company owned by Mike French for 25 years. We are building decks, porches, sunrooms and gazebos all through this area and wanted to check and see if you will be doing any home improvements in the next few months ("next few months" is essential wording to use)." If they say yes, or hesitate, just hand them the clipboard and ask them if they would like to check off what they are interested in. Then have them fill in the other contact information. Viola! $10. Cha Ching.
• That's it. You are NOT there to sell them anything. You just harvest leads of folks who are interested in something we have.

How much will you pay me?

Answer: We will pay $10 per lead for decks, porches, sunrooms, and gazebos. I will pay $10 for each lead (minimum of 10 leads). If your leads generate 2 sales from a previous week's Canvasser Lead Sheet, I will give you $15 a lead for the next 10. If I sell 3 or more from any Canvasser Lead Sheet, I will give you $20 a lead for the next Canvasser Lead Sheet. Why would I do this? An incentive to go after GOOD leads.

So... like what are GOOD leads?

Answer: First of all, it is from a good neighborhood... a subdivision of EXPENSIVE homes that are newly built... most of which do not have a deck yet. This is the absolute BEST subdivision to canvass. Do NOT go into subdivisions where the houses are small or run down. I will not accept leads from these areas. You will have worked for nothing. Reason? People typically do not have the money to afford a home improvement in this type area. Yes, some do... but most do not.

What do I write the leads on?

Answer: You can download a "Canvasser Lead Sheet" from this page (see below), print out several and use it to write your leads on. You will want to put a couple sheets on a clipboard and take it with you when you are canvassing door to door.

When do you pay?

Answer: I will pay you when you drop off the Canvasser Lead Sheet to me... normally Friday evening or Saturday morning. We will use that time to go over what you did that week, how things are working for you, questions you were asked, and anything that you would like to discuss that will help you the next week. We'll have a cup of coffee and have a good time. I might even cook you breakfast, you never know. Also, I always pay in check.

Do you have a minimum number of leads I should canvass up?

Answer: Do not bring in less than 10 leads. 9 leads? I won't pay. 10 is the minimum so please be sure to fill a sheet before bringing them in to me.

Another thing: The leads MUST be fresh. Otherwise I cannot pay for them. By that I mean you cannot canvass up 3 leads this week and 3 leads next week and 3 leads the 3rd week and one more lead the 4th week and then hand them in to me on the 5th week and expect to get paid. Why? The leads are stale. I need them handed in the SAME WEEK they were canvassed up.

What should I tell them to expect and is there anything they should do?

Answer: When you are at the door talking to the homeowner, tell them that "Mr. French, the owner of Virginia Decking, will be in touch NEXT WEEK to set up an appointment to help you with your _________ (deck, porch, gazebo, sunroom). Please be sure to see his website (www.vadeck.com) also. This is the FIRST deck website in the nation and it is FULL of cool stuff to help you. You can even price out a deck, porch or sunroom right now from your own computer. It will tell you how you can act as your own General Contractor and save 25% off retail... or even put in some sweat equity and save HALF! It's all there. Take a look!"

Download your Flyer and Canvasser Lead Sheet PDF files from here. Just right click a link below and then choose "save target as". Then select your desktop. Then go to your desktop and double click the file. If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer, the file will open right up. If not, you can download that free program. Use your printer to print off as many Flyers and Canvasser Lead Sheets that you need.

• Flyer
• Canvasser Lead Sheet

Thanks!

Mike French/owner
540 840-7243 (cell)