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That Time I Did Door-to-Door Sales
And how you can master your writing business.
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Have you ever had a stranger show up at your front door?
Well, that was me.
I used to do door-to-door sales.
The product? Internet services.
For 6 weeks, I trained with a group of 20 other new salespeople.
Once our training was over, we were thrown out onto the streets.
It was terrifying.
Not just the sales aspect.
We also met some scary people (one time a random stranger pulled a screwdriver out of his pocket and almost attacked my wife — who did D2D sales with me — but that’s a story for another email).
My wife, Jenny, and I trying on some high-vis gear so people don’t think we’re robbing them as we walk up to their front door at night...
Anyways, that first week was definitely memorable in more ways than one.
But, something happened in those first seven days that completely shocked me.
Not only did I make the most sales in my training group…
I outsold the entire company.
I got 21 “RGUs.”
And RGU is a “Revenue Generating Unit.“
I did this by getting 7 “Triple Win-Backs” that week.
I know, I know… a lot of new terms that will mean nothing to you tomorrow…
But, a triple win-back was anytime a salesperson sold the triple combo of internet, TV, and telephone services to a customer all at once.
I couldn’t believe it.
I got the top spot in the company.
The sales company’s management even did a YouTube video that was sent out to the entire sales company congratulating me on my performance.
My door-to-door sales era was wild, but nerve-wracking. Scary, but exciting.
Thankfully, I've moved on from door-to-door sales (and have been a full-time writer for 5 years).
But... I look back at those sales days and can see the massive impact they had on my life as a writer.
Here are 3 reasons why my first week of sales was a success...
...and how you can apply these insights to your digital writing business:
1. I read sales books day and night.
When I woke up every morning, I would read as much as I could. My favorite was “The Little Red Book of Selling.”
At night, when my co-workers were playing video games and at the bar, I’d be at home reading more sales books (or watching Grant Cardone YouTube videos).
ACTION: Consume as much copywriting and marketing information as you can every day. Books, videos, podcasts, courses, mentors, anything. Eventually, it’ll become part of you.
2. I practiced with my wife every day (we both got hired doing sales).
We would practice pitching each other after work every day during training.
ACTION: Find a motivated writer to sharpen up your skills with, bounce ideas off of, and accelerate your skill mastery. As a bonus, get your friend to leave you feedback on all of your writing. And, do the same for them. You’ll both grow way faster.
3. I set clear goals (and broke them down into smaller goals).
My goal was to get 5 triple win-backs that week. I set a daily goal to knock on a specific number of doors in the neighborhood to make it happen (~50).
ACTION: Set an income goal (either 3, 6, or 9 months). Break it down into a smaller, daily output goal and focus 99% of your effort on the action (not the end goal).
I exceeded my sales goal in my first week of door-to-door sales.
It was the best feeling ever (after a scary start).
But…
It didn’t come easy.
Claiming the top spot came at a price, just as building up a successful writing business will require certain sacrifices or trade-offs.
If you want to coast your way to six figures by working on it an hour or two every week, good luck.
But, if you’re serious about quitting your 9 to 5 and building up a freelance writing business, then you can make this happen in a few months:
Know exactly what you want and why you’re doing it
Set a SMART goal that’s easy to track
Take action every single day
And don’t compromise.
Eventually, your work will pay off.
By committing even one year to growing your writing (and business) skills, you’ll be able to take full control of your life, travel the world, set your own hours, and even experience financial freedom.
So, what are you waiting for?
-Brandon “your favorite door-to-door salesman” Storey
P.S. Want some extra help to reach a full-time income with writing?
This July, I’m taking 4 writers under my wing to kickstart their digital writing business.
If you’re a new copywriter or ghostwriter trying to land your first client…
Or you’ve landed a few here and there and want extra help scaling to $5k+/month…
Then you might be interested in my 1:1 mentorship where I work side-by-side with you to fast-track you to full-time.
In it, you’ll get:
4 x 1:1 Calls With Me (1-Hour Every Week)
Unlimited Copy Audits
24/7 VIP Access in the DMs
4 × 15 Minute Checkup Calls
Access to Mentorship Headquarters in Notion
All to help you fast-track to $5-10k/month.
I’m now accepting applications to my waitlist for July.
Interested?
Reply to this email with subject line “July” now.
One of the four spots is already filled.
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