Door knock on private drive?

[shonceman]

I knock every door. Gates only stop me if I can't talk the guard into lettting me in or if no guard I wait until another driver enters and I follow them in. Something else I see frequently, No Soliciting. If I have a lead card I don't pay any attention to that.

Knock the door. The secret to avoid looking like a trespasser is to not act like a trespasser! Act like you belong there. The worst that's ever happened to me is having a security patrol ask me to leave, and that's only happened once. (Well, that's the worst if I don't count having a gate arm slam down & dent my roof. The sign said only one car could get through at a time, but that's the first time I ever found that to be actually true!)

 

[vic120]

How can I put this delicately?

Unless there is an insurmountable, impenetrable barrier between you and the door, knock the fvckin' door.

You obviously have not watched my National Trainer Carl's instructional videos:

Wow Daytimer You are the real deal

 

[DayTimer]

Wow Daytimer You are the real deal

I wouldn't be anything without Carl. He's a door knockers door knocker

 

[theleadingagent]

The secret to avoid looking like a trespasser is to not act like a trespasser! Act like you belong there.

With regards to looking like you belong, Are you referring to clothing or demeanor? Or both?

......(Well, that's the worst if I don't count having a gate arm slam down & dent my roof. The sign said only one car could get through at a time, but that's the first time I ever found that to be actually true!)

I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time but reading this gave me a chuckle....

 

[theleadingagent]

I knock every door. Gates only stop me if I can't talk the guard into lettting me in or if no guard I wait until another driver enters and I follow them in. Something else I see frequently, No Soliciting. If I have a lead card I don't pay any attention to that.

So this means you do a combo of cold knocking AND knocking with lead cards/homeowners who previously requested info?

 

[LostDollar]

Knock the door. The secret to avoid looking like a trespasser is to not act like a trespasser! Act like you belong there. The worst that's ever happened to me is having a security patrol ask me to leave, and that's only happened once. (Well, that's the worst if I don't count having a gate arm slam down & dent my roof. The sign said only one car could get through at a time, but that's the first time I ever found that to be actually true!)

So there are a string of interesting claims that pop up in the auto section. Did you file under your comprehensive for that damage?

 

[DonP]

This career isn't about Bravado. Were dealing with a lot of mentally ill people who will shoot you. The scariest situation i had was one i was selling somebody i walked out to my car for an app. It was a neighborhood with houses close to each other. I had my head down and walked to the house. I entered and a big dude was standing on the stairs above who the f*** are you. I walked in the wrong house . He could have legally shot me . The problem with the gated apt complexes is many have the 2 gate system now to prevent somebody from falling right behind and getting in .Also assisted living is tough as they have to call the room and many will decline letting you go up. Be safe first is my motto. Think how many door knocks you get a yr? I bet i haven't had a door knock in 5 yrs. So think when a stranger appears. You'll think the worst

 

[goillini52]

This career isn't about Bravado. Were dealing with a lot of mentally ill people who will shoot you. The scariest situation i had was one i was selling somebody i walked out to my car for an app. It was a neighborhood with houses close to each other. I had my head down and walked to the house. I entered and a big dude was standing on the stairs above who the f*** are you. I walked in the wrong house . He could have legally shot me . The problem with the gated apt complexes is many have the 2 gate system now to prevent somebody from falling right behind and getting in .Also assisted living is tough as they have to call the room and many will decline letting you go up. Be safe first is my motto. Think how many door knocks you get a yr? I bet i haven't had a door knock in 5 yrs. So think when a stranger appears. You'll think the worst

Unless you're trying not to step in dog sh*t, you should always walk with your head up in those areas.

 

[dbab]

But if a person was cold knocking in these areas that could be grounds for trespassing?

I would be sure to check your city's solicitation laws. Some require an actual solicitor's permit.

 

[shonceman]

With regards to looking like you belong, Are you referring to clothing or demeanor? Or both?



I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time but reading this gave me a chuckle....

Mainly demeanor, but appearance, too, to some extent. As a young agent I would get nervous if I saw a no soliciting sign on the wall at an apartment complex. But I quickly figured out that most of the residents didn't care who you were, and assumed you belonged there somehow, even if you don't look like you live there. Your visual appearance doesn't have to be any different than your normal professional appearance. But you carry yourself like you're there with a purpose, at someone's invitation.

So, for example, a youngish agent can go into a gated senior complex. He obviously doesn't live there. But most assume that a professional looking young man has a good reason for being there. Maybe he's visiting his grandma. Maybe he's a doctor. I'm old enough now that I might well be a resident of any senior complex. But in some high crime areas I go into, I stick out like a sore thumb. I obviously don't live there. But I still belong there, because I'm there for a good purpose at someone's invitation, even if that invitation is nothing more than a 10 year old aged lead.

I learned something from a couple guys I used to work with before getting into insurance. One had been a detective for many years, and explained the psychology behind the ability of a 5'2" female police officer to take command of a situation. She has a gun and a badge, so she has implied as well as assumed authority. But if she acts nervous at all, the gun and badge won't matter. She has to assume authority for herself, believe she has it, and carry herself accordingly. That's what he called presence.

The other friend had worked security several times for the Phoenix Open. People came through his gate with different types of passes that allowed varying levels of access into different areas of the tourney. But he never worried about somebody who seemed to know where they were going and didn't stop them to make sure they had the right ticket (of course those were the days before mass shootings etc). He said that if they just acted like they belonged there, he never thought to question them.

I remembered his story a couple of years later when I went to the Phoenix Open myself. I took my young sons with me and knew I was going to want to get some autographs for them. I happened to own a golf hat with the CBS Sports logo, so I wore that to the event. At the end of that day's event, Joe Garagiola was doing interviews with some of the golfers inside of a roped off area. My sons and I stepped over the ropes and joined the small group of onlookers who were supposed to be there. As soon as they turned the cameras off, I quickly got a couple of autographs, including Garagiola's. Not one person asked to see my "All Access" pass. (I didn't even have a "Some Access" pass - just General Admission!) So I definitely didn't belong in that group. But because I acted like I did, nobody questioned me.

Definition of presence
(From Merriam-Webster dictionary)
...............
5a: the bearing, carriage, or air of a person especially : stately or distinguished bearing
b: a noteworthy quality of poise and effectiveness - "the actor's commanding presence"