Canvassing to Corporations:

Canvassing to corporations can certainly be effective, but the methods required to make it so are different than canvassing to small businesses or residents. Since corporations are typically flanked with a gatekeeper who is trained to send solicitors away, and since they often have “No Solicitations” signs posted, canvassers need to be more creative in their approach. This shouldn’t be hard for guerrilla marketers, however, since they are always creative with their marketing. Corporate canvasses are typically started over the phone with a cold call. Gatekeepers will often be your first contact on the phone, and you should look at them as your allies. By embracing them as part of your team, making them feel important, and being creative in your approach, they will provide you with more details than they would otherwise. Nowadays, however, many companies are doing away with human phone answering, replacing them with automated systems. These systems can make a canvasser’s life easier because there is no gatekeeper to get through. As long as you know the first and or last name of your contact, you can easily get put right through to their direct line. Finding the names and titles of people in large corporations is easier than ever these days since most of them post a list of their employees on their websites. With some research and creativity, you can get in those corporate doors.
Canvass Outline Example:
Before going out and canvassing, whether it is door-to-door or over the phone, it is best to create an outline to follow. The more prepared you are, the better your canvass will go. Here is a general outline you can use to create your own more specific version:

1. State your name, company and any connection you might have with the prospect.
2. Be courteous by asking them for permission to talk further and include a benefit that would entice them to let you.
3. Provide a very brief summary of the product or service you are offering.
4. Ask a question that will open up a dialog, as well as establish their needs.
5. Reiterate their answer back to them in your own words while adding a benefit to it.
6. Continue steps 4 and 5 until you have proven the value of the product or service you offer.
7. Close by asking a positively framed question that requires an answer other than yes or no and that clarifies that they are ready to purchase.


Canvass Script Example:

Be prepared with a script and memorize it. You can’t walk into a face-to-face meeting with a script in hand. You could wing it and see what comes out of your mouth, but guerrilla marketers know that generally makes your effectiveness go down. To help you create your script, we have supplied the following example from which you can adapt your own:
Hello Mr. Jasper, my name is John Doe with Doe Productivity. Kelly Smith in HR suggested we connect. I help business owners like you increase productivity across the board by applying the use of my patented productivity meter. Do you have a moment to discuss how we can help your team get more done in less time?
Generally employees are left on their own to accomplish their daily tasks and that’s the way they like it. No one likes someone watching over his or her back all day long.

What this device does is discretely watches over and nudges them along in their tasks, without making them feel uncomfortable all while encouraging participation and friendly competition through a reward system. Do you currently have a reward system in place?

By not having a reward system in place, your employees are less motivated to perform at optimal levels. You may be happy with their performance without a reward system, but you will be astonished by what they can do with one. What type of supervision do you have in place to insure your employees are productive?

By not having the means to supervise all of your employees, you could be leaving many dollars on the table. If you could oversee each employees’ work without invading their space and in turn encouraging friendly competition to accomplish their work better and faster, how important would that be to you?

That sounds like it is something that is pretty urgent to you. Do you have some time now for me to demonstrate the product?

Draft several versions of your script so you are prepared for what comes. Make sure you know what you are going to say for each possible answer and objection. Then memorize your script so that you can respond to any answer without any thought needed.

A Creative Use of Canvassing: Canvassing can come in various forms. One of those forms is car billboard canvassing.