New Bedford Door-To-Door Sales Can Be Tough

No matter where you live on the SouthCoast, chances are you've had an encounter with one of them. Door-to-door salespeople used to be even more common in your grandparents' day, but they have started to make a resurgence.

Back in the day, door-to-door sales were used to sell things such as vacuum cleaners, magazine subscriptions and Avon makeup. If we're being accurate, they were mostly called door-to-door salesmen, because in those days it was more common for married women to be housewives than to be in the workforce.  Therefore, the door-to-door salesmen of that era were selling items that specifically targeted housewives.

These days, things like solar panels, lawn care, or gutters and window replacements are the more common items sold door-to-door.

New Bedford Police Requirements

However, it's not supposed to be a free-for-all.  New Bedford Police require that door-to- door salespeople first apply for and be granted a license by the New Bedford City Clerk's Office before going out to sell. CORI checks are done on all applicants. Any resident who encounters an unlicensed door-to-door salesperson is urged to call the New Bedford Police Department.

According to city code, the licensee shall pay $50 per year and that license shall expire one year after the license is first issued.

The world is a much different place than it was generations ago. While your grandmother may have welcomed the Avon lady to show her the latest in makeup, many of us are put off by people invading our space and knocking on our door to sell us something.

Saying No to Door-To-Door Salespeople

Gazelle talked on the air this morning about how he has trouble saying no to salespeople, however, we got a surprising call from a door-to-door solar salesman.

He made us think with this profound statement. "I get paid for the no's," he said. "That's what I get paid for. The yes's are easy."

I got it.

"It takes the right kind of person to get 29 no's before you get the first 'yes,'" I said.

Shockingly, the caller said, "Twenty-nine would be a good number, but it's more like 40 no's most of the time before there's a 'yes.'"

Just something to think about the next time we come in contact with a door-to-door salesperson.  You won't hurt their feelings by telling them "no."