Related to the telemarketing list here. Did the door to door salesman die out because no one bought from him anymore or was it legislated out of existance(Sp?)?
I keep thinking well telemarketers MUST make money or why else would they do it? If no one bought it they would go broke quickly right?
But many communities have no peddling laws.
When I was a kid we had boy scout raffles, girl scout cookies,Fuller Brush Man, now are there even AVON ladies left?
I’ve gotten children selling magazines, people selling beef, people selling pizza (!!), and pretty much all manner of things. Luckily no vacuum salesmen. It’s pretty much come to a stop, though, since I’ve posted “No Solicitors” on the door. We do have a regulation in my particular city that not observing the sign is an infraction. I no longer get as many handbills, either.
Door-to-door sales has been dying out for a variety of reasons.
It’s not all that cost effective. In the time a salesman can go to a dozen doors, and phone solicitor* can call 50 (or more). Unless the success rate is considerably greater for door-to-door, you make more money using the phone (this may change if DNC lists become effective).
Local ordinances. This creates hassles – you need to get licenses (and pay for them).
People are less trusting. Years ago, most people would let a stranger into their houses to demonstrate their wares. Nowadays, very few would.
OTOH, fewer people are comfortable with the idea of knocking on the doors of strangers, either, so it’s hard to get people to work. This is one reason why organizations like the Girl Scouts (sending preteen girls out? Not only wouldn’t their parents like this, but the organization has to worry about liability issues if anything goes wrong) and Avon have found other ways to sell their wares.
*Solicitors, like junk mailers and spammers, work on the assumption that there is a percentage of people who will buy their wares. If it’s only 1% of your calls, if you can make 100 calls an hour, that’s one sale an hour.
The new model is the network marketing model, where people basically sell to their friends at a “party” hosted at someone’s home. I think Avon may have moved to this model. It was made successful by Amway and Mary Kay.
And earlier by Tupperware.
I’ve had two people in the past week try to sell me replacement siding & windows at my door. I got my cable-internet service via a door-to-door flunky. It’s getting sufficiently frequent that I’m about to buy a “No Solicitors” sign for my front door.
I think if the “no call list” is successfully implemented, the door-to-door salesman will be making a comeback.
I am the Loman!
I speak for the Salesmen!
The Truffula Salesmen…