Door-to-door sales in 2026 — still works for home services, here's my approach

I know everyone thinks door-to-door is dead. It's not. We added a d2d component to our garage door business 6 months ago and it's generating about $12K/month in new revenue. Here's how we do it: - We don't cold knock. After every service call, the tech knocks on 3-5 neighboring doors. - Script is simple: "Hi, we just serviced your neighbor's garage door at [address]. While we're in the area, we're offering free safety inspections. Takes about 10 minutes." - Free inspection leads to a written report. Report highlights any issues with springs, cables, rollers, etc. - Close rate on inspections is about 35%. Average ticket is $380. Why it works: - It's warm. You're not a random stranger — you just helped their neighbor. - The social proof is built in. They can literally look over and see the truck. - Garage doors are a "I know I should deal with that" item. The inspection gives them a reason to act now. My techs were resistant at first. Started by offering a $25 spiff per inspection completed (not per close — I don't want pressure sales). After they saw the commissions rolling in they got on board. Not for every business type but for anything visible from the street (roofing, exterior painting, landscaping, garage doors, gutters), some version of this works.