Door-to-Door Pest Control Sales

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Drew Lund

Customer Success Manager at Cedar Systems. Industry expert with experience in multiple sectors across pest control. Executed successful programs in customer success, operations strategy, business and franchise development, and technical project management.

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Door-to-Door Pest Control Sales: How To Be Successful Selling Pest Control Services

Pest control is a future-proof industry — as bugs are going nowhere. But clients, however, can be more difficult to find with more and more new pest control companies popping up overnight. 

Could the old-fashioned way of door-to-door pest control sales be the answer? 

When done right, door-to-door pest control sales can be an incredible growth vehicle. But when done wrong, it can turn into a sinkhole. 

Read to learn if pest control door-to-door sales is right for your business and how to do it right for the best results.

Is Selling Pest Control Door-to-Door Worthwhile for Your Pest Control Business?

It can be. Learn how your pest control business could benefit from selling pest control door-to-door and possible downfalls to consider.

3 Ways To Maximize Your Growth With Door-to-Door Pest Control Sales

 #1: Minimize Digital Advertising

Many digital marketing experts estimate that most Americans are exposed to around 4,000 to 10,000 ads each day. To help keep our sanity, our brains filter out most of them. 

So, how many ads are people actually remembering? 

Someone can only remember about 100 out of 4,000 or more ads — so digital ads can potentially lead to a lot of missed business. A potential customer is more likely to remember the person standing at their front door than an ad that came through an email or one they glanced at while driving to work.

#2: Makes Room for Opportunity

Not only is having someone at your front door harder to ignore than digital advertising — it’s also more engaging. 

Your smile is the first step to building rapport with a potential customer. When someone feels comfortable, they are more likely to stand and talk with you. 

And now you’ve gone further than the email ad that was instantly deleted or filtered into the junk pile. This has opened the door for opportunity. 

Your potential customer can now …

  • Respond to your questions
  • Ask you questions; and
  • Voice concerns  

… that you can address in real-time, allowing you to potentially pitch your pest control services.

#3: Puts a Face to a Business Name

Being able to put a face to a business can help ease a potential customer’s feelings or concerns about your company. 

They don’t just have a new pest control company; they have a specific name to use to say, “Brandon, my bug guy …” or  “When Sam came to my door …” 

Your presence also makes it easier for a …

  • Homeowner
  • Renter
  • Landlord; or
  • Business owner

… to begin a new pest control service or switch companies. 

People love simplicity and value their time. Having your company at their front door makes it easier for the customer. If choosing between a technician at their door versus having to call a company themselves (hoping they get an answer)they will usually prefer the faster option.

2 Possible Downfalls of Door-to-Door Pest Control Sales

#1: Has a Bad Rap

You’ve probably done it yourself. You hear the doorbell ring. “Nobody make a sound!” 

People tend to view door-to-door salespeople in a negative light, and sometimes for good reason. Unfortunately, there are a lot of scammers out there and salespeople who have given a bad name to the tactic. 

This can make it difficult for legitimate business owners to gain the confidence of prospective customers.

#2: Comes With a Lot of Rejection

Rejection is hard. It can wreak havoc on a salesman’s confidence and negatively impact their performance. 

But no matter how hard your team works, how well you train, or how great your company is, rejection is a guarantee when selling pest control door-to-door. “No” is heard far more often than “Yes.” 

It will be important to properly prepare your team for how to professionally and emotionally handle rejection.

7 Steps for Successful Door-to-Door Pest Control Sales

#1: Get Informed

Learn if your local competitors are selling pest control door-to-door.

If so, are they successful at it? It might be something you should consider. 

Are they not utilizing door-to-door tactics? There could be a reason why it doesn’t work in your market, or it could be a huge opportunity for your company. 

Being informed on the state of sales in your area and what’s going on in your market will help you better decide if door-to-door pest control sales is something you should consider.

#2: Contact Necessary Local Governments

There’s no use in hiring salespeople and training them if you later learn it’s illegal to sell door-to-door. 

You need to contact your local governments to find out the legalities of door-to-door sales:

  • One town may allow door-to-door sales without needing any permission or hoops to jump through. 
  • The next town over may require a permit with additional requirements such as a background check and wearing a badge with clear identification. 
  • Still, the next town may have made door-to-door sales illegal. 

Learning the legalities of any town you want to sell services in is crucial before you can begin sending out a sales team.

#3: Identify Your Target Audience and Create a Plan

Determine what you want your approach to be. Who’s your target audience? 

Do you want to target shops, residential, or both? 

Once you have your target audience, you’ll need to plan how to best reach them using your door-to-door pest control sales team. 

Proper training, tools for accountability, and incentives are key.

#4: Prove Legitimacy

Many people are worried about door-to-door salesmen being scammers — and some have been victims of scammers using false claims. 

Have processes in place that help prove the legitimacy of your company: 

  • Provide a uniform or shirt with a logo.
  • Have your salesmen carry and show identification.
  • Follow all federal, state, and local laws.
  • Provide business cards or other material. 
  • Use a company car or use vehicle logo magnets. 
  • Train your team on proper code of conduct.

#5: Create a Plan for Salesmen Accountability

Come up with a game plan for accountability for salesmen. 

As a potential customer’s first encounter with your company, you want to be represented well with a positive interaction. 

You also want to ensure your team is doing what they say they’re doing. Are they using their time effectively, or are they sitting in their car texting? 

There are many tools out there you can utilize to help with accountability for door-to-door pest control sales:

  • Use apps to help with time management and sales success.  
  • Create a script so your salespeople know what they’re expected to say and how to say it. 
  • Train them to offer free inspections.
  • Train them how to educate the potential customer on what they find, how to fix the issue, and how your company can help.

#6: Offer Salesman Incentives

Offer good incentives for your team. 

Some pest control companies offer an hourly wage — but that doesn’t always work best for door-to-door pest control sales. 

Many find better success relying heavily on commission. That often is a payment per door knock ($1-$2 per door, for example) plus additional commission on successful contracts.

#7: Reward Successful Salesmen

Celebrate salesmen who are doing well with leaderboards. They provide a visual for healthy competition.  

You could offer a weekly prize or gift card for who sells the most contracts per week, for example. 

Capitalize on the wins! 

In the often grueling world of door-to-door sales, it’s important to be intentional about cultivating the positive side of things and building excitement for your team.

Selling Pest Control Door-to-Door: How Do I Find Eager Salesmen?

Advertise on College Campuses

Advertising on local college campuses is often the way to go to find eager and energetic door-to-door pest control salespeople.

College students often browse the college’s digital job board for ways to make good money while on their summer break — so it’s the perfect time of the year to get feet to the pavement as potential customers are often already outside. 

Selling pest control door-to-door is perfect for college students:

  • They are out of school for summer. 
  • They have the potential to make good money in a short amount of time. 
  • They can have their evenings and weekends free. 
  • They have the end of summer as a finish line (which helps with perseverance).

Have a Good Training Program

People tend to be hesitant of the door-to-door salesmen gig because they’re unsure if they can make any money or be good at it. 

By offering a good training program, you can help set them up with everything they need to succeed personally and for your company.

Cedar Pest Software: Supporting the Needs of the Pest Control Industry

Whether you choose door-to-door pest control sales or another tactic, the right pest control software helps you serve more customers with better results. 

Cedar Pest Software allows you to:

  • Track door-to-door sales.
  • Automate customer billing.
  • Track your pesticide use per customer.
  • Quickly view client history.
  • Send the right tech for the job.
  • Create the most fuel-efficient routes for your techs.
  • Make strategic decisions regarding the future of your business.
  • And so much more

Have a leg up on the competition with Cedar's modern interface, seamless features, and powerful tools.

Our team is ready to help you prepare your pest control company for the future.

Contact us today for your free demo.

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