Jed
TreeHouser
Good thread idea, Butch.
Ohhh... love the consensus too.
Ohhh... love the consensus too.
Is Door Knocking Professional?
- Thread starter MasterBlaster
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gf beranek
Old Schooler
Butch can come up with some good ones.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #53
Chris E
I'm Not Slash
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #55
I've knocked on many a door, but I never really like it and stopped long ago.
Chris E
I'm Not Slash
Likewise, plus we did it as kids offering to wash cars etc.
Such a huge spectrum of door knockers exists, I have a real distaste for those that persistently target the elderly seeking to rip them off. I was talking to my friends dad yesterday and he said they were getting tree work doorknockers nearly every day lately.
Such a huge spectrum of door knockers exists, I have a real distaste for those that persistently target the elderly seeking to rip them off. I was talking to my friends dad yesterday and he said they were getting tree work doorknockers nearly every day lately.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #57
Those days were in a different time.
No shit!
No shit!
sotc
Dormant hero!!
My knocking is generally to ask a neighbor if I can use their yard or driveway
How about from a devil's advocate perspective?
Turn the question around?
If your experienced trained eye sees a neighbor's tree that's about to fail, an imminent hazard?
Is it professional not to knock on their door, leave a note?
Jomo
Turn the question around?
If your experienced trained eye sees a neighbor's tree that's about to fail, an imminent hazard?
Is it professional not to knock on their door, leave a note?
Jomo
gf beranek
Old Schooler
In the urban settings just working on someone's tree spurs more work. Except during tax time.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #62
Sometimes you get in a neighborhood and you don't get out as fast as you thought you would, but in this case... that's a good thing!
Mick!
TreeHouser
I've had days when, due to the "over the fence enquiry" you pass from one little job to the next in a residential street, small easy stuff of course, lucrative nevertheless.
treetx
Traveler extraordinaire
In residential type work, the issue with door knocking is that you are not putting yourself in a bargaining position. Much better when they knock on YOUR door.
L
Levi
Guest
True. Better have some barrel bottom prices!
When I first started my biz I was just trying to match or slightly beat my average sub rate $300- $400. A small bit of cash compared to the work that could be done in 6-8 hrs. That didn't last long for me, I maybe knocked on 3 dozen doors and got a handful of jobs, most or all of them lead to more jobs. It was enough to make something out of nothing.
When I first started my biz I was just trying to match or slightly beat my average sub rate $300- $400. A small bit of cash compared to the work that could be done in 6-8 hrs. That didn't last long for me, I maybe knocked on 3 dozen doors and got a handful of jobs, most or all of them lead to more jobs. It was enough to make something out of nothing.
SeanKroll
Treehouser
I've thought that starting up a big saw soon after arrival would announce your presence.
If I had a boom truck, I'd set it up from ground controls with a flag (boom already lettered).
Then, let them come to your truck door.
Knocking on the neighbor's door for an obvious issue is different than total cold-calling a neighborhood.
If I had a boom truck, I'd set it up from ground controls with a flag (boom already lettered).
Then, let them come to your truck door.
Knocking on the neighbor's door for an obvious issue is different than total cold-calling a neighborhood.
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
Just a quick note. I will knock on an existing clients door, phone them, text them or e mail them if I see a problem with a tree. We had a good storm blow through. On the eve of the storm as the winds came up and rain started, I saw a tree looking like it was leaning harder than normal on a property we work regular while working next door. When I called the customer he was very grumpy about me asking him to meet him where the tree was located. A 100 year old cabin he just restored. 130 plus footer leaning hard toward the primaries, transformer and service due to wind direction, with a bit of a list toward the cabin. Sits right on a creek so the soils are rocky and wet from all the rain. He kind of blew me off. Next day I got an e mail asking me to remove the tree. He was hella happy I noticed it. Grateful his cabin did not get squished and that we could get it down toot sweet. This would be an example of an exception to my general rule of non-solicitation. Roots and soils were failing. When I got there, soils had lifted and had cracks. Close call for the fella.
2GuysTrees
Treehouser
When I started trees we knocked on doors at first, until we realized they either wanted us to do it for free or ridiculously cheap. They didn't see the problem, that's why they hadn't called somebody, and you don't get paid much to solve something that ain't a problem. When it becomes a problem, they'll call someone, and pay more now that's it's their idea/problem.
These days I think $100 bucks on adwords ads will get you a lot more than the same amount of gas and time driving all over creation looking for dead trees.
These days I think $100 bucks on adwords ads will get you a lot more than the same amount of gas and time driving all over creation looking for dead trees.
woodworkingboy
TreeHouser
So true, when trees become a problem with a capital P, is when a lot of people change their tune and become more reasonable. Even photos of smashed houses and cars can't help much, because it's not their home or car that they can see yet in the pictures.
Chris E
I'm Not Slash
I'll slip a card in the letter box for dead trees but not the fugly ones and I don't mind knocking if one has recently come down sprawled over their yard.
mdvaden
Treehouser
- Joined
- May 4, 2007
- Messages
- 1,470
It probably depends on the area.
Up by Portland's west side suburbs, people trended to not liking others at the door. Part of that evolution was due to scores of religious people going door to door. So up that way, I used to just leave cards.
Down by Medford, Oregon, I found the opposite. A few times it was windy and I knocked so paper would not get left to blow away. After apologizing for ringing, the homeowners mentioned they'd rather that I ring the bell so they can see who was there. Also, there is a higher percentage of retirees down here compared to the part of north Oregon we lived in over a year ago.
After starting to knock or use the bell here, not only did I get some work right away, but it also saved time by not needed to return a 2nd time for the estimate.
I haven't advertised much in Ashland yet, but am curious to learn what it's like there. There's more trees down that way and I should get a strong foothold going this coming September in that town.
Up by Portland's west side suburbs, people trended to not liking others at the door. Part of that evolution was due to scores of religious people going door to door. So up that way, I used to just leave cards.
Down by Medford, Oregon, I found the opposite. A few times it was windy and I knocked so paper would not get left to blow away. After apologizing for ringing, the homeowners mentioned they'd rather that I ring the bell so they can see who was there. Also, there is a higher percentage of retirees down here compared to the part of north Oregon we lived in over a year ago.
After starting to knock or use the bell here, not only did I get some work right away, but it also saved time by not needed to return a 2nd time for the estimate.
I haven't advertised much in Ashland yet, but am curious to learn what it's like there. There's more trees down that way and I should get a strong foothold going this coming September in that town.
Tim_B.
TreeHouser
This might be a slight derail, but were you still able to climb it, or did you have to somehow winch it over and drop it? Thanks in advance. Tim
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
I wish I could find the post and the pictures for you.
Shot a 5/8ths guy line into it. Put a 2:1 on that and cranked the tree back up some. Climbed it. Bombed limbs off it. Topped it. Chunked some 12-15' logs off it. Made it fit. Felled the stem.
Shot a 5/8ths guy line into it. Put a 2:1 on that and cranked the tree back up some. Climbed it. Bombed limbs off it. Topped it. Chunked some 12-15' logs off it. Made it fit. Felled the stem.
Attachments
Back when I was in my early thirties, I knocked for snow removal on roof tops. We had had two back to back storms piling 40 some inches in less than a week. My friend and I went out in my truck with a pair of ladders and shovels. I did all the knocking. Most people were happy to have the service offered and we quickly made some coin. It helped that there was a few structural collapses plastered on the news. In two 8hr days we got about $1600 a piece. It was during the dead of winter when work was slow. The money was needed. Would I do it now .... and for tree work? Only if it was from storm damage and I was already working next door. Then again it seems so often that neighbors come over to my job site looking for an estimate that I really don't have a need to knock.
SeanKroll
Treehouser
https://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?item=1973
A good way to advertise as not being the cheapest, rather more pro, imo. Easily made back in additional bid requests/ business from neighbors and motorists.
A good way to advertise as not being the cheapest, rather more pro, imo. Easily made back in additional bid requests/ business from neighbors and motorists.
