Door-to-door

Last updated
Members of the Dutch political party GroenLinks canvassing door-to-door in Groningen GroenLinks members going door-to-door, Groningen (2018).jpg
Members of the Dutch political party GroenLinks canvassing door-to-door in Groningen

Door-to-door is a canvassing technique that is generally used for sales, marketing, advertising, evangelism or campaigning, in which the person or persons walk from the door of one house to the door of another, trying to sell or advertise a product or service to the general public or gather information. People who use this sales approach are often known as traveling salesmen, or by the archaic name drummer (someone who "drums up" business), and the technique is also sometimes called direct sales . A variant of this involves cold calling first, when another sales representative attempts to gain agreement that a salesperson should visit.

Contents

Historically, this was a major method of distributing goods outside large towns, with the salesmen, often self-employed known as pedlars or peddlers, also hawkers. With the huge growth of retail shops in the 19th century, it became less important, and the development of mail order and finally sales via the internet gradually reduced its significance in advanced economies except in a few fields, such as repairs and improvements to homes.

Model

Products or services sold door-to-door are generally in one of seven industries: cable, telecommunications, solar, energy, security, landscaping and construction. [1] There are also many multi-level marketing products sold door-to-door. [2] The industries accounting for the largest share of direct-sales revenue include construction and telecommunications. [3] The largest subset of these would be the home improvement products/services where items sold could be new or repaired roofs, siding, new replacement windows, and decorative stone. As of 2008 the business model of many companies that participate in this type of direct marketing has changed with the growth of the Information Age. Products sold door-to-door are now more likely to be more subtle in nature: such as sheets of coupons to events or local businesses, season tickets to local professional sports teams (both of these are known in the industry as "Cert [or certificate] Sales", or subscriptions to home television services or broadband internet services. Telecommunications companies like Verizon Communications (Fios), Comcast (cable television and internet) and AT&T (U-verse TV) all contract with various marketing companies for nationwide sales fulfillment at the residential level. While the practice of the salesman carrying a bag of goods on his shoulder to sell to the public declined with advances made in technology and internet selling, there has been a resurgence of door-to-door selling in recent years, especially in the energy and solar industries, such as SolarCity and Vivint Solar). [4] [5] [6]

History

Door to door sales likely have their root in peddling.

Banning and regulation

In the United States, some communities attempted to criminalize this form of selling by passing what is known as a Green River Ordinance which bans all door-to-door sales. In 1933, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit upheld such a law valid [7] but in 1976 the Supreme Court extended the First Amendment to commercial speech [8] and in 1980 set forth a four-pronged test regarding the regulation of door-to-door selling: [9]

  1. The pitch itself must not regard things that are in themselves illegal and must be truthful to be protected by the First Amendment. [10]
  2. Assertive governmental interest is substantial.
  3. The regulation directly advances point 2.
  4. If the regulation is necessary to serve that interest (i.e. demonstrating “no solicitation” signs and already existing trespass laws are not sufficient).

If a regulation meets these criteria, it is most likely legal.

Revival

In 2011, door-to-door sales was named one of the top 10 dead or dying career paths with an 18 percent decline in positions expected by 2018. [11] Instead, between 2012 and 2013, door-to-door sales positions started growing 34% year-over-year. [1] In 2017 the market is believed to be worth $36 billion, an increase of $7.7 billion since 2009 (or $4 billion if adjusted for inflation). [12] [13] As of 2017, the research shows that 20.5 million people in the United States have signed agreements with direct selling companies making them eligible to purchase discounted products and resell them that at a profit, and to sponsor others individuals who also can sell the products. [13]

New technologies have also changed door-to-door sales' efficacy and appeal for organizations. Expansive databases of American households pull together demographic information, consumer data, and past-canvassing profiles to allow precise targeting of potential buyers. Corporations no longer knock on all the doors in an area, instead they focus on people most likely to buy their products or services. [14]

Law enforcement and detective work

Police detectives many times will go door-to-door at residences that exist nearby a crime scene, to see if the victim or suspect may have known (or may have been known by) any of the residents in the general vicinity, or to gather information from potential witnesses. [15]

Religious work

The Bible records that Jesus sent out his disciples to evangelize by visiting peoples homes in pairs of two believers (cf. Luke 10:1–12). [16]

Accordingly, in Christianity, Methodist churches aligned with the holiness movement engage in door-to-door evangelism; in this tradition, it is frequently referred to as "calling". [17] Baptist congregations are known for door-to-door evangelism as well. In both the Holiness Methodist and Baptist Christian traditions, those visiting people's homes commonly distribute gospel tracts to residents. [18]

Restorationist groups, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are known for door-to-door evangelizing and proselytizing.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snake oil</span> Euphemism for false advertising

Snake oil is a term used to describe deceptive marketing, health care fraud, or a scam. Similarly, snake oil salesman is a common label used to describe someone who sells, promotes, or is a general proponent of some valueless or fraudulent cure, remedy, or solution. The term comes from the "snake oil" that used to be sold as a cure-all elixir for many kinds of physiological problems. Many 19th-century United States and 18th-century European entrepreneurs advertised and sold mineral oil as "snake oil liniment", making claims about its efficacy as a panacea. Patent medicines that claimed to be a panacea were extremely common from the 18th century until the 20th, particularly among vendors masking addictive drugs such as cocaine, amphetamine, alcohol, and opium-based concoctions or elixirs, to be sold at medicine shows as medication or products promoting health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marketing</span> Study and process of exploring, creating, and delivering value to customers

Marketing is the act of satisfying and retaining customers. It is one of the primary components of business management and commerce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evangelism</span> Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ

In Christianity, evangelism or witnessing is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is sometimes associated with Christian missions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sales</span> Activities related to the exchange of goods

Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also considered a sale. A period during which goods are sold for a reduced price may also be referred to as a "sale".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telemarketing</span> Method of direct marketing

Telemarketing is a method of direct marketing in which a salesperson solicits prospective customers to buy products, subscriptions or services, either over the phone or through a subsequent face to face or web conferencing appointment scheduled during the call. Telemarketing can also include recorded sales pitches programmed to be played over the phone via automatic dialing.

In marketing, product bundling is offering several products or services for sale as one combined product or service package. It is a common feature in many imperfectly competitive product and service markets. Industries engaged in the practice include telecommunications services, financial services, health care, information, and consumer electronics. A software bundle might include a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation program into a single office suite. The cable television industry often bundles many TV and movie channels into a single tier or package. The fast food industry combines separate food items into a "meal deal" or "value meal".

Bait-and-switch is a form of fraud used in retail sales but also employed in other contexts. First, customers are "baited" by merchants' advertising products or services at a low price, but then, when they visit the store, those customers discover that the advertised goods are not available and are pressured by salespeople to purchase similar but higher-priced ones ("switching").

Tupperware is an American company that manufactures, and internationally distributes preparation, storage, and serving containers for the kitchen and home. It was founded in 1942 by Earl Tupper, who developed his first bell-shaped container and introduced the products to the public in 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Direct marketing</span> Model of communicating discounts and other sales offers

Direct marketing is a form of communicating an offer, where organizations communicate directly to a pre-selected customer and supply a method for a direct response. Among practitioners, it is also known as direct response marketing. In contrast to direct marketing, advertising is more of a mass-message nature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Personal selling</span> When a sales representative meets with a potential client for the purpose of transacting a sale

Personal selling occurs when a sales representative meets with a potential client for the purpose of transacting a sale. Many sales representatives rely on a sequential sales process that typically includes nine steps. Some sales representatives develop scripts for all or part of the sales process. The sales process can be used in face-to-face encounters and in telemarketing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debitel</span> German telecommunications company

Debitel AG was one of the largest mobile telephone services providers in Europe, offering a wide range of telecommunication products – mobile and land-line telephony as well internet services. At its peak, the business commanded a 47% market share of the mobile service provider market in Germany with 12.4% of the overall mobile telephone market as of 2004. The company boasted over 10.2 million customers of which 8.3 million were resident in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cold calling</span> Form of business solicitation

Cold calling is the solicitation of business from potential customers who have had no prior contact with the salesperson conducting the call. It is an attempt to convince potential customers to purchase either the salesperson's product or service. Generally, it is referred as an over-the-phone process, making it a source of telemarketing, but can also be done in-person by door-to-door salespeople. Though cold calling can be used as a legitimate business tool, scammers can use cold calling as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ETECSA</span> Cuban Telecommunication Company S.A

Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A. is the Cuban state company that provides telephony and communications services in Cuba. It is the sole lawful provider of telephony and telecommunications permitted by the Cuban penal code, constituting a communications state monopoly that has 8 million clients, both national and foreign.

Christians have used many different approaches to spread Christianity via the practice of evangelism. Christianity began with only a few different evangelistic approaches, but over the years, many different forms of evangelism have been employed by various groups to spread their faith. Many of these forms of evangelism are often employed in only certain parts of the world by Christians in different geographical areas. In particular, most new approaches to evangelism today have arisen out of Europe or the United States, especially when new technologies are used for the effort of evangelism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Direct Selling Association</span> U.S.-based national trade association

The Direct Selling Association (DSA) is a trade association in the United States that represents direct selling companies, primarily those that use multi-level marketing compensation plans. On behalf of its members' companies, the DSA engages in public relations and lobbying efforts against regulation of the multi-level marketing industry, and it funds political candidates through a political action committee.

Multi-level marketing (MLM), also called network marketing or pyramid selling, is a controversial marketing strategy for the sale of products or services in which the revenue of the MLM company is derived from a non-salaried workforce selling the company's products or services, while the earnings of the participants are derived from a pyramid-shaped or binary compensation commission system.

Cutco Corporation, formerly Alcas Corporation, is an American company that sells knives, predominantly through direct sales or single-level marketing. It is the parent company of CUTCO Cutlery Corp., Vector Marketing, Ka-Bar Knives, and Schilling Forge. Its primary brand is named Cutco.

Euphony Communications Ltd was a privately owned direct marketing company based in High Wycombe and then Reading, UK. It originally sold products and services in the communications market of the UK and Belgium.

Vivint Smart Home, Inc. is a United States-based smart home company. A subsidiary of NRG Energy, it was founded by Keith Nellesen and Todd Pedersen in 1999. Its products provide a unified access point to manage all smart home features.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flyer (pamphlet)</span> Form of paper advertisement intended for wide distribution

A flyer is a form of paper advertisement intended for wide distribution and typically posted or distributed in a public place, handed out to individuals or sent through the mail. Today, flyers range from inexpensively photocopied leaflets to expensive, glossy, full-color circulars. Flyers in a digital format can be shared on the internet.

References

  1. 1 2 "Door-to-door solar sales is back—but why?". Solar Power World. 2016-10-04. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  2. ↑ "MLM Law - Door-to-Door Sales- Attorney Specializing in Multilevel Marketing and Direct Selling Reese, Poyfair, Richards". www.mlmlaw.com. Archived from the original on 2017-11-08. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  3. ↑ "A revival for door-to-door marketing". msnbc.com. 2003-11-12. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  4. ↑ Sweet, Cassandra (22 September 2016). "SolarCity Aims to Cut Marketing Costs as Competition Heats Up". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  5. ↑ "Main Street Home Repairs" . Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  6. ↑ "Door-todoor Sales: The Forgotten Channel". Boston Consulting Group.
  7. ↑ Town of Green River v. Fuller Brush Co. (1933) 65 F.2d 112
  8. ↑ Virginia State Board of Pharmacy v. Virginia Citizens Consumer Council, Inc. (1976) 425 U.S. 748 (96 S.Ct. 1817)
  9. ↑ Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp v. Public Service Comm. (1980) 447 U.S. 557, (100 S.Ct. 2343)
  10. ↑ Edenfield v. Fane: Project 80’s Inc. v. Cit of Pocatello (1988) 876 F.2d 711.
  11. ↑ Goudreau, Jenna (2011-01-18). "In Pictures: 10 Top Dead Or Dying Career Paths". Forbes. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  12. ↑ "Does Door-to-Door Selling Still Work? - SafeWise". www.safewise.com. Archived from the original on 2017-05-03. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  13. 1 2 Foit, Michael. "Direct Selling Comes Into a New Age" . Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  14. ↑ "DataGrid AI - Sales Intelligence & Homeowner Information". Salesrabbit.com. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  15. ↑ Nyberg, Ramesh - Cover Story - Going Door to Door - Police Patrol - The Law Enforcement Magazine. policemag.com. July 1, 2006. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  16. ↑ Rainer, Thom S. (1989). Evangelism in the twenty-first century: the critical issues. H. Shaw Publishers. p. 148. ISBN   978-0-87788-238-1.
  17. ↑ Logan, J. S. (1957). White, Stephen S. (ed.). "Prayer: the greatest spiritual power". Herald of Holiness. 45 (44). Nazarene Publishing House: 5.
  18. ↑ Maynard, Mark (8 August 2019). "Pastor finds door-to-door evangelism still cool - Baptist Press". Baptist Press . Retrieved 8 February 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.