Is Your Canvasser Training the Best There Is? It hasn’t been uncommon in canvassing to operate on a sink or swim mentality, which is to say we give canvassers the training we think they need and then send them out into the neighborhoods to perform on their own. Unfortunately, as I’m sure you’ve experienced, this is not an ideal way to create successful canvassers, let alone grow a department. However, this is the only method most canvass managers have at their disposal to be able to operate and retain some sanity. Cultivating canvassers with success qualities is an investment of time and resources that may not bear fruit immediately. My experience is that the typical canvass manager or owner (running the department) doesn’t have the time to devote to a new canvasser training. A private client of mine is a highly skilled and experienced canvasser yet like a lot of canvassing managers he is weighed down with training new canvassers as well as all the other aspects of running the department. The training aspect is the most consuming. Often times starting out you’re the manager and the trainee at the same time. You’re turning yourself into a field trainer. For my clients it can occupy as much as 3-4 months. In addition to running the daily operations of the department, advertising for and recruiting canvassers, training, motivating, reporting and keeping your eye on production. How can you do all this and dedicate 3-4 months in training on each canvasser? It’s an impossible task. It is one-reason canvass managers get burned out fast. Throwing Money Away on Recruiting Canvassers It would seem to me that having a high attrition rate of canvassers would be unacceptable yet I know of a lot of companies that continue to operate on this churn and burn model. They continue to recruit, hire, train and lose too many canvassers. I know this all too well having felt the same frustration running my own company having relied predominately on canvassed leads. I’ve seen the training of new recruits falling on the canvass manager, owner or worse yet, other inexperienced canvassers. Canvassing is not a profession where you can toss a highly motivated recruit into a neighborhood, give them the thumbs up and say, “Hang in there… you’ll figure it out,” and expect them to be highly successful. New recruits are often starting from scratch. They may have selling experience, but no canvassing experience. It’s important new canvassers experience mini success. If they don’t the drop off is significant. If you’re not taking people and getting them prepared to have success within the first week you’re destined for failure. The first week with a new canvasser has to be one on one training and guidance. If a canvasser doesn’t experience success early and figure out how to be successful, the odds of them sticking around are very low. You spend too much money on recruiting and hiring to overlook how you’re administering your training. And you can’t allow excuses and obstacles to get in the way of providing that training. You really have to look to yourself and ask if you’re actually giving them the tools to be successful. There’s no getting around it, without the correct training a canvasser is doomed to fail from the start, the minute you hire them. Your canvassing department’s objective is to produce leads for the sales team, not to be a revolving door for canvassing recruits. I had this same problem. When I ran my own home improvement company I relied predominately on canvassing leads. When I worked with my own canvassers one on one they were successful, but it became impossible for me to do it with every new canvasser. I needed a better way. That’s when I created the field trainer position. I had canvassers who were trained on and successful with my system. All I had to do was teach them how to train other canvassers. However, canvassing and coaching canvassing are two different skill sets, but they’re both teachable and my methods are duplicable. My field managers provided canvassers the training they needed, both in the office and in the field. You see, field trainers are canvassers, but they’re also trainers. They’re still producing leads and appointments, but they have the added responsibility to train other canvassers. It’s a very effective model. Field trainers are able to teach and lead by example, everyday, while still being productive. You’re Out of the Day-to-Day Canvasser Training Having a field manager in place will help you accomplish what you’re not able to accomplish on your own, and the field manager continues to produce for you while teaching, guiding and coaching canvassers under his or her tutelage. In addition to your challenges of training canvassers there’s another aspect that cripples your ability to nurture successful canvassers. Many of them are terrible. Most are terrible because they don’t follow your system. You can fix the problem. Here’s proof. Why can the fast food restaurant chain McDonalds be more successful than it’s Burger King or Wendy’s counterparts? They have the right system. Burger King and Wendy’s both have systems, but they don’t operate as efficiently or profitably as McDonalds. McDonalds operates thousands of chain restaurants successfully with pimply-faced teenagers. They didn’t start out with the right system, but Ray Crock, the man responsible for growing McDonalds to what it has become recognized there was a system and continued to develop that system into what it is today. You may not think you have the right system, but I assure you that you do have a system and your canvassers can be developed on that system. As canvassers develop through the system the system will improve, as did McDonalds’. It requires working the system though. I can bet a large part of your struggles is in keeping people held accountable to your system. Most people try to out think your system, finding ways (excuses) why it doesn’t or won’t work, when in fact it will. I personally prove this weekly when I’m onsite with a private client’s canvassing team. Every client I work with has a system and I help their departments recognize the system and teach the methodology and psychology behind it, what makes it tic, and work. Once they understand and recognize their system they can immediately become more successful generating leads and appointments. Once they understand the ‘why’ behind the system they can stop questioning it and put it to work for them… and you. In my company I created the Field Trainer position and today I teach it to my private clients. It’s a fraction of my onsite private training program, but I’m now expanding it to a multi-day training. For the first time, I mean the first time in the canvassing industry; I’ve created a curriculum-based field trainer certification academy where I’ll transform your successful canvassers into field trainers. I’ll turn your top performers into top trainers and coaches. They’ll take your new recruits (even veteran canvassers) and turn them into top performers fast… within the first week in the neighborhoods. To register click the Register Me Now button below Creating Field Managers within your Company Culture You may not have this position within your company right now and that’s OK. It doesn’t take any effort to create the position, In fact, that’s part of what my Train the Trainer Certification Academy will be, creating the culture within your company. Here’s how having field trainers will impact your business. Leading the rank and file A field trainer is not an imposter. They’re a canvasser who’s proven themselves through your canvassing system and consistently hit production benchmarks and therefore is highly qualified to train other canvassers. It’s the person who can take on a leadership role in the field to relieve management of the critical training functions. When I’m on site training a private client’s canvassers in the field I become the surrogate field trainer. I’m able to walk the walk and talk the talk and work with canvassers between doors giving them guidance. This person’s ability to inspire and direct will bring credibility to the company’s goals and production objectives because they themselves can perform. Create a corporate culture that exalts the workforce The challenge of training a canvasser in the field requires a lot of time and care; often more than a middle or upper manager has time for. In the Marines the instructor lives and trains with recruits in the field. It’s that important upon their success and the same is true for your canvassers. You will see a significant difference in the production when you make the commitment and put the system together and follow it. A field trainer will be the backbone of your canvassing department. The field trainer exists for the recruits and other canvassers. His or her role is to provide
Promote from within Promoting a canvasser to a field trainer is promoting from within. This corporate practice will create a culture of commitment within the rank and file. From their own experience they know their efforts for the company are rewarded by the company. It also can be a huge differentiator for you amongst candidate who are being recruited by other employers. Promoting from within demonstrates your company plays no favoritism or nepotism, but rewards entirely on performance. As I’ve discussed in previous articles and Silver Level calls, the ideal type of canvasser you want in the position will be reassured and motivated by this culture. It gives the individual control over their destiny Lead by example In today’s corporate culture a majority of the workforce doesn’t do much outside what they are paid for. They could be considered part of the entitlement society, not doing things beyond what’s asked without compensation. It’s a give me first, then I’ll go do it mentality. The drill sergeant is a NCO (Non commissioned officer). He or she graduated as trainer because of the training system and how it is set up. With little effort they are successful in the field and it makes them an ideal trainer. Not only can they train the recruits, but demonstrate what they’re teaching. The Hollywood image of a drill sergeant is vastly over exaggerated because it lends for more dramatic television or film, but a real drill sergeant can get rough and tough right alongside their recruits. When I’m in the field with canvassers and I see they’re having trouble with a particular area of the system I can have them watch me perform the system on actual homeowners under real conditions, not training room role play where all the circumstances are controlled. This type of “on the job training” is very valuable because the canvasser can apply the lesson immediately on the next door and get immediate feedback. What motivates the field trainer? How often have you heard an employee exclaim, “This is my company, I love this company!” Probably not too often. If you were in the Marine Corp you’d regularly hear, “This is my Corp, I love my Corp” from a drill sergeant. I can assure you no one in the Marines will laugh at or ridicule a D.S. for saying it. Why? Because the culture breads this kind of mind set and the recruiting process attracts and identifies this type of attitude. This usually isn’t an attitude you can teach, it’s usually ingrained in a person; they either have it or they don’t. What most employees want from their jobs, aside from money, is recognition. They want people to recognize their value. A successful field trainer will take great pride in seeing the recruits under them succeed. A stern, but loving parent In addition to being recognized an employee wants to feel cared about. They want someone to lead them; someone they have confidence in for their ability and caring. The stereotypically drill sergeant of Hollywood is a grizzled veteran with a cigar clinched between his teeth yelling orders to recruits as they crawl through the mud. Yet at the same time the recruits know the DS is doing it because he cares about what type of Marine they will become. A field trainer should take on the same role; that of a stern but caring leader. He or she knows when to be tough and when to be encouraging. You’re not in business to build a fraternity where everybody loves each other, rather a profitable organization where everyone is committed to the same goal and cares about his or her fellow canvassers. Creating this culture will repay you huge dividends. Enthusiasm is contagious. Hands-off managing In addition to being able to facilitate hands-on training a field trainer gives management a buffer in directly managing canvassers. Field trainers can handle the daily issues with canvassers. If a canvasser continually shows up late for work, it’s the field trainer’s responsibly to reign in his trainee. Field trainers give you a buffer allowing you to manage many people through a few, without having to directly handle the issues. They also act as the liaison between upper management and the rank and file, which is exactly what he or she is. At the start of this article I mentioned how so many managers I encounter don’t have the time to properly train their canvassers. One of the problems is having your hands in too many of the details. When you promote a qualified canvasser to a field trainer you should let them do their job. You cannot do everything. Let field managers directly manage the canvassers. Give them the responsibility and authority to do so and then let them manage their people and you manage the direction. Cliques within the ranks When you put a group of people together cliques are inevitable. We experienced them in school. You’re either in the in crowd or you’re not. As a manager you shouldn’t look to combat clicks, rather encourage the building of new friendships and alliances within the department. Field trainers will help you facilitate this. They’ll have their hand on the pulse of the “communities” forming within the company and department. They can be your tool to mix things up and create a sense of fun along the way. Your objective as an owner or upper management is to create a culture of unity amongst your canvassing team. A field trainer will also be your eyes and ears on the ground to keep you informed of what’s going on amongst the team giving you the “intelligence” you need in order to effectively manage. To register click the Register Me Now button below The Results Are Replicable This is what I create for my private clients; clients that pay me thousands of dollars a day to trek out to their locations and spend time with their managers and canvassers; in the office and field. And now I’m making it available to more people at a much more affordable fee. I have created a comprehensive multi-day training that will take place here in Cleveland, Ohio May 21-23, 2013 (Tuesday-Thursday). The sessions will go from early morning on the 21st to the evenings each day and we’ll conclude the evening of the 23rd with a nice dinner for everyone where they’ll receive their field trainer certification. This will allow you to travel on Monday and Friday. Be sure to bring comfortable shoes and appropriate clothes as we’ll actually be canvassing as part of your training. If the weather is severe and prevents it, we won’t canvass. This will not be a large seminar, in fact, I’m keeping it small so the canvasser or canvassers you send to the training will get all the attention they’ll need to transform into canvass trainers for you. I’m limiting the attendance to 10 primary companies in the session. That means if each company sends only 1 manager or canvasser that you want to become a field trainer then we’ll have only 10 people in the room. This will not be a huge conference. I’m going to get into the DNA of your canvassing system and teach it to your people. Here’s a glance of what I’m going to cover
A major part of this training will be actually going out into the field and canvassing. You have a specific products or services you canvass for and the people you’ll send to me are familiar with canvassing for those products or services and I’m going to take them into the field, during the training, and we’re going to actually canvass for leads for your products or services. Though we’re going to canvass for actual leads my focus will be on giving them the skills on how to coach canvassers in the field. They’re going to walk away on a very clear and specific system on how to coach and train a canvasser around your system. I said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m keeping this training to a small group so I can cover the specifics on how to transform you canvassers into leaders. They’ll come as successful proven canvassers and they’ll return to you as skilled canvassing coaches and even better canvassers. I know that’s a pretty ballsy statement, but I’m that confident in my ability to transform your people. It doesn’t take a lot, just know how to train on your system. I had it happen within the last few weeks. While on site with a private client I was knocking doors with a brand new canvasser (only a few days on the job). We were out canvassing for about a half hour and within that time with me he set an appointment for the next day and the sales person closed the sale for a high 5-figure sale. That happens to me all the time and now I want to bring it to your people. To register click the Register Me Now button below
Why Am I Offering This Training Certification Academy Now? At the beginning of 2013 I published a letter to all my existing members and private clients that I would be creating curriculum based programs this year. I’m doing this for several reasons. First, I’ve been traveling to more locations lately (often on consecutive weeks) and doing this limits the number of companies I can bring the training to. The more that I travel and the more others hear of the successes it’s bringing the more demand of my time I get. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a bad thing, but unfortunately I can only be in 1 city with 1 team at a time following my existing business model. So, rather than me training 1 team at a time, I can be more effective, and more affordable, to more companies canvassing if I hold the training hear in Cleveland and have multiple companies attend. There’s greater synergy and benefit in bringing other, non competitive companies together. Additionally, my 2 young children and wife would like to see more of me, and that’s hard to do when I’m on the road 20 days a month. Also our industry needs a better way of standardizing canvasser training, a sort of apprenticeship program. Plus, canvassing needs a better reputation. When I’m onsite with private clients I spend a portion of 1 day on the training the trainers, but in my Train the Trainer Certification Academy I’ve expanded that portion of my training into a much more comprehensive training that will transform your canvassers into trainers in 3 days. “I was a little leery coming into it, but Chris has a system that works and can reproduce results consistently. It’s clear to me that Chris could make a great living canvassing for anything if he wanted to, and he has the ability to engage the canvassers, which is sometimes hard to do.” Howard Lawson - SCI Phoenix, AZ “Thank you for helping put hundreds more dollars in my employees pockets and thousands more in mine.” Bailey Cooper-Austin, TX “By being able to break down our system into a coachable system was a big help in teaching my people how to help other canvassers.” Daren DiGuardi – Manager SCI Phoenix, AZ “Being willing to change old ideas and try new ones is the only way to improve our situation. In just a few days time we have seen a dramatic change. It looks like we may better than double our lead generation with your system. Thank you Chris!” David Stone – Universal Windows Direct – Louisville, KY “We’re imperfect people looking for the perfect system and really it’s not attainable. Chris’ system is good, it’s solid and we can build upon it.” John Short – SCI Ontario, CA Do you have a system? If no or you don’t know, not a problem. Address that later here. Who Should Attend? This is going to be a pretty robust training on how to become a trainer, specifically for managers and canvassers. I’m going to cover some canvassing materials, but only to focus on how to train others on your canvassing system. So don’t think this is about training new canvassers on how to canvass, that’ll be offered later in another specialized training. Therefore, the people that will get the most out of this training will be your manager or managers who you want to learn advanced coaching and leadership skills and/or canvassers who are your proven producers. Those people, who’ve demonstrated they can knock on doors, follow your system and consistently generate leads. You should be able to identify them as the canvassers you don’t have to spend a lot of time coaching and retraining. These are the canvassers who are ready to become your field trainers, but they need the direction and coaching on how to teach and coach other canvassers on your system. This entire training program is about giving your people the vital components of what it takes to be a coach. I’ll transform your managers and canvassers you’re ready to promote to field trainer into leaders. People crave recognition above money. Promoting a canvasser to a field trainer will be huge recognition for them. You don’t necessarily have to pay them any more money you simply need to promote them. Don’t think this is something you can implement by just promoting a top-level canvasser into a teaching role. I mentioned earlier, there is a separate skill set between canvassing and coaching. This certification academy will be focused on transforming canvassers into coaches. There’s not an athletic coach at the professional level that hasn’t gone through lower level coaching positions. Mike Ditka (coach of the Super Bowl Chicago Bears) once sat in on a training with Vince Lombardi and didn’t think there was anything more he could learn as a coach. Later in his career, he was quoted, “I wished I’d paid more attention and learned from Mr. Lombardi’s experience. It would have been helpful in my later years.” Throwing a top producing canvasser into a coaching role without the proper training is the quickest way to lose that canvasser. Just as new recruits struggle to be successful at canvassing without training, your experienced canvasser will find their new responsibility more than they can handle and they’ll be out the door with your failed canvassers and you’ll be worse off than if you hadn’t done anything at all. Who Should Not Attend? If you don’t feel that training is the most vital part of your program then this is not the place for you. If you’re happy with churning and burning canvassers one after another then this is not the program for you. If you enjoy continually throwing money away on recruiting and training then I can’t help you here. Or if you feel you already have the best training program of any competitor in your area and your canvassers are already producing at their maximum capacity then this will be of no help to you. However, if you want the best canvass training program, one that will create one successful canvasser after another, one that will cause canvassers to leave competitors begging you to hire them then I can help you. You may be thinking, “We don’t have a field trainer position in our department.” That’s OK, I’m not asking you to make a massive change in your company structure or culture. The field trainer is nothing more than a successful canvasser. They’ll help other canvassers within your company become more successful faster. More canvassers becoming successful faster means fewer personnel turnover, reduced advertising and recruiting costs, increased lead production, more qualified leads better prepared and predisposed to buy. MORE MONEY TO THE BOTTOM LINE. I’m not asking you to make a massive change, but I am asking you to take massive action. The Train the Trainer Certification Academy will be held May 21-23, 2013 here in beautiful Cleveland, Ohio. Right now, you have plenty of time to make travel arrangements for your people and consider the time of the year I’m holding this training; it’s by design, not accident. We’re at the start of the canvassing season. Imagine what it would be like to have a more productive canvassing force than you’ve ever had before; a more productive canvassing force than your competitors have ever had. I can’t guarantee that your competitors aren’t also receiving this information… they probably are. I know however that only the top 5%’ers will take action. Are you one of those top 5%’ers? If the answer is no, then your competitor likely is. So again, I’m asking you to take massive action. I’m limiting the number of people who can attend this (Certification-Training Academy). Yes, I forgot to mention, this is a certification program. I will certify, and they’ll receive certificates stating such, that they are certified field trainers. And that certification comes with a guarantee. If after your canvasser returns he or she doesn’t posses the ability to train your other canvassers and make them more productive within the first 3 months of their return from the certification academy, I’ll refund your money from the registration tuition. I’m taking all the risk and worry out of it for you. If you’re not completely satisfied with your transformed canvasser then I’ll refund your money for tuition to attend. How Do You Get Started? First register at least 1 person in the company for the certification academy. You can send as many as you’d like. The registration tuition is based on a single being $2997.00 and all additional canvassers or attendees being a flat $149.00 each to register; this really only covers the cost of food, transportation and training materials. You may think $2997 is expensive, however, consider that the tuition to attend will be free with the addition of only 1 more sale as a direct result in a production increase. I told you of the story earlier where I was able to show a newby canvasser how to redirect his presentation (a small tweak) and it produced a high 5-figure sale within 24 hours. That one sale more than paid my fee and travel expenses to be onsite with them. Registration for this certification academy is less than 80% what it would be to bring me onsite with your team. You do receive more with your $2997 registration. As soon as you register you’ll get a one on one call with me. On your first call we’ll discuss your scripts and presentation so I can clarify incorporating your system into the training for the person or people you send to the certification academy. As soon as you register your first call will be scheduled, so the sooner you register the sooner we can talk and the more time I have to prepare your system and presentation into my certification academy curriculum. If you don’t have a structured system, or think you don’t in your canvassing department, I know I’m asking you to stretch, to take a leap of faith. You have a choice. Keep doing things the way you have been and get the same results (the definition of insanity). Continue throwing good money after bad, or do different things differently. My way is different, however my way works. To register click the Register Me Now button below
Success Leaves Footprints I have many private clients who have already registered canvassers for this first certification academy so 4 of the 10 seats at the certification academy are already claimed; only 6 remain. There are other private clients I’ve told of this certification academy and expressed their interest in sending people, but have not yet taken action. If you think this is right for you, then you need to take action right now before you’re closed out of this training. I can’t stress enough what an impact this certification academy will have on the success of your business. If you’re just not happy with the results you’ve been getting from your canvassing team as a whole, but have a shining star or two in the department then you have all you need to explode your production. One good canvasser is all I need to be able to multiply their results throughout the rest of your department. This is your opportunity to turn a few people’s good production into consistent production across your department. Why Do Companies Fail At Canvassing
All you need is one productive canvasser, it could even be the canvass manager, but he or she just isn’t trained on how to coach and lead. They only need the coaching skills to teach and hold people’s feet to the fire. How to role-play in the office, demonstrate perfect practice in the field, observing canvassers in the field and how then to coach between doors; talking to canvassers to redirect or retrain them. This is why canvassing departments struggle, why canvassers fail, why they throw their hands up in frustration and quit. I described it earlier as a lifeboat management style: advertise, interview, recruit, train, fire/quit and restart the process all over again. It’s the Cycle of Failure. My train the trainer’s certification academy is your chance to break that cycle of failure. Your new field managers will understand:
Breaking down the presentation
Numbers of canvassing
I’ve laid out a plan for immediately fixing 5 of your problems:
I mentioned it earlier; the registration for this certification academy can be free to you. Recently I was in Phoenix working with a private client’s canvassing team. A new canvasser I was working with in a neighborhood struggled a bit with his presentation and with a minor tweak, at the door, resulted in an appointment for the next day. The prospect bought on that appointment, scoring my client a high 5-figure sale, returning a multiple of my fee to be on site with them. Let’s be clear here. It won’t take very much for your canvassing department to be more successful than it is right now, but it will require you to be a visionary, to be willing to take the next step and commit to the plan. I’m asking you to take a leap of faith with me. I’m that confident in my ability to get your canvassing department to the next level. I will guarantee you one thing; every person that leaves training with me will leave without their old habits and belief systems. You don’t need the best system, you don’t even need the best people, but when you put the 2 together your system and the people will increase productivity, production and morale. I don’t consider myself the most talented canvasser, but what’s made me successful, and allowed me to help others be successful, is to learn how to follow the system and hold accountable to that system. Most people try to out-think the system in place, but the key to success is to get on the system. The system will fix itself when it’s getting used. Taking part in this certification academy will help clarify your system to your people. I’ll put the 2 together for you. I’ll transform your canvassers or current manager into successful trainers for you. I will create leaders for you. Are you ready? If yes, then register right now. The full registration tuition for this certification academy is $2997 for the first person in your company (manager or canvasser). You can register additional people at a very significant discount (see the registration form for details). If you register before April 30, 2013 the initial registration tuition is below. You may upgrade your membership to take advantage of the early registration discount. Early registration tuition: To register click the Register Me Now button below
The training will be held at the Crowne Plaza-Cleveland South. The hotel provides free shuttle service from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and we’ve arranged a special event room rate. You’ll receive hotel reservation information after you register. I would not ordinarily personally field questions about an event, however, because this will be a small, specialized training, if you do have questions you can contact me directly at (216) 374-7705. If you do get my voice mail, leave me a detailed message and I will return your call. I have 4 companies registered for this event; there are only 6 more spots available. I have a very extensive mailing list that is also receiving notification of this event and likely reading this page at the exact same time you are. Don’t hesitate to register. You can register immediately below by selecting if you’re a member or not; if you are, what level a member you presently are and the registration tuition will be adjusted accordingly. Also be sure to register additional people you want to attend, providing their complete names so we can account for them when they arrive. We will confirm your membership level to insure you receive the proper registration tuition. If you’d like to upgrade your membership or become a member in order to receive the discounted tuition, email me at cthompson@canvassingking.com. Nobody ever plans to fail they only fail to plan. Plan on attending this training certification academy. Register right now. To register click the Register Me Now button below
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