Canvasser Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a canvasser. Feel free to use our canvasser job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a canvasser.
Who is a Canvasser?
Describing who a canvasser without explaining the process of canvassing will be incomplete. This is because the individual cannot be separated from the occupation, profession, or endeavor. Several notable and relatively unknown people have succeeded in the art of canvassing; they’ve canvass support for their clients, marketed their organizational products, and boosted the outcome of events both politically and otherwise. To canvass or canvassing can mean different things to different people in different settings; however, the core and basics of the process are the same across all endeavors. Without further ado, what is canvassing all about?
According to several definitions from researchers and philosophers, canvassing is the systematic initiation of direct contact with individuals, commonly used during political campaigns, marketing, and/or sales. Canvassing is used for other reasons such as grassroots fundraising, political campaigning, community awareness, and membership drives. Politically, canvassing is used by political parties and issue groups to identify supporters, persuade undecided voters, and add voters to the voters’ list through voter registration. Canvassing is the core element of what marketing campaigns call the ground game or field. It can also be referred to as a neighborhood canvass performed by law enforcement in the course of an investigation. The general process may involve interviewing residents, merchants, and others who are near a crime and may have useful information.
A canvasser is an individual or person responsible for visiting neighborhoods or public areas to gather or accumulate information about the public’s perception of a topic. They pass out fliers, ask members of the society to fill out surveys or provide signatures, and persuade people to adopt their perspectives, products, and services. Additionally, a canvasser is sales-oriented personnel who approach the public to retrieve information, make sales, and influence actions for an organization or company. Canvassers mainly work door-to-door or in malls, talking to people about the company’s ideals or the organization’s services and products. They do their utmost best to sway opinions and obtain signatures from members of the public. They are employed by various firms, enterprises, and clients to disseminate information and solicit support for non-profit causes amongst others. Typically, a canvasser can ask for a donation, present merchandise, prospect individuals in the organization’s target market, and approach people in a particular neighborhood or clime.
Furthermore, the best canvassers have been reported to possess unmatched persuasion skills, excellent communication skills, proficient listening abilities, voracious public speaking prowess, organization skills, physical stamina, and insatiable results orientation qualities. The most successful canvassers often complete an education regardless of the qualification requirements of the role. Although most canvassers are paid, few canvasses voluntarily based on their relationship with the client. He or she is mostly given a list known as a canvass sheet. The list encompasses households to be contacted generated from a voter or customer database. Nowadays, canvassers are provided with computerized devices and equipment to perform their duties; this has replaced the traditional paper sheets used in medieval times. Relatively, the canvasser is expected to contact the entire household on his or her list as well as deliver a script containing questions and persuasive messages provided by the campaign and/or the organization. Almost all canvassing activities involve asking how a person plans to invest or vote for example. A good canvasser normally has a passion for the cause he or she works for. They possess a personable nature that allows them to connect with most people they encounter.
Similarly, an excellent canvasser encourages members of the society or public to listen to whatever they have to say; they enjoy being physically active as the job requires them to walk or stand for multiple hours. In addition, a great canvasser remains courteous and positive throughout, even when they experience negative interactions and responses from customers and the public. The working day of a canvasser begins with a series of meetings and consultations about the goals and targets of the day, the specific tasks to complete, and the assignment location. Next, they work in teams or groups or individually walk through neighborhoods to leave fliers and talk with the residents. Then, they return to the office once they’ve achieved, meet, or exceeded their quota for the day or task. Depending on the employer or project, a canvasser can complete cold calls in the office to help obtain further information from the constituents. They may also enter data into spreadsheets for the managers to use in future research accordingly.
A canvasser works directly under the canvassing manager; these professionals work as part of political campaigns, sales teams, and corporations to oversee canvassing initiatives. They are trained by experienced canvassing managers and imbibed with sales tactics and scripts to use. Some canvassers can be assigned to residential areas or public spaces and are held accountable for meeting specific allocations or quotas including reaching a certain number of signatures, donations, or sales. As a canvasser, you need to present your employer’s products, services, and ideas to the widest number of people. Relatively, you must love traveling, have in-depth knowledge of the offer, and be detail-oriented.
Canvasser Job Description
Below are the canvasser job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a canvasser job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a canvasser include the following:
- Talk to people knowledgeably: A canvasser must talk to all sorts of people daily and must display a breadth of knowledge about political parties, services offered, or products available for purchase depending on the industry they work in. Due to the growing competition, a canvasser should have first-hand information about the client he or she is representing.
- Understand and recite sales scripts: Every sales or marketing campaign comes with a script. It is the responsibility of the canvasser to understand or decipher these scripts. He or she must memorize and recite the prepared sales scripts and statements which are mostly drafted and provided by the employers.
- Obtain signatures and relevant information: Arguably, canvassing can be a form of a survey, Hence, the canvassers must obtain signatures and other information from potential voters, clients, and customers such as their names, addresses, email, and phone numbers.
- Respond to questions: A canvasser should be an active listener and a problem solver. Often, questions arise during campaigns and other exercises. The canvasser should be able to answer or respond to questions posed by potential customers and voters. They must also learn how to rebuff excuses to get the desired result.
- Make cold calls: The duties of a canvasser are not restricted to the field alone; they perform other administrative and customer service-related tasks in the office as well. In addition to knocking door-to-door, a canvasser should be able to make cold calls using provided directories to make pitches over the phone.
- Attend industry-specific events: Based on the industry or employer, a canvasser might be required to participate in several paid or free workshops, seminars, and other events organized by the industry or sector. Also, some organizations expect or mandate canvassers to attend fairs, shows, and rallies.
- Meet quotas, recruit, and train new employers: Although not prominent, some canvassers participate in the recruitment and training of new canvassers to join the team. This is especially common with canvassers that stand out among the bunch. Similarly, a canvasser is required to meet daily, weekly, or monthly quotas for obtaining signatures and client information. If he or she consistently does not meet these quotas, they might face punitive actions.
- Maintain professional appearance: Because canvassers primarily talk to people face-to-face, they should keep their appearance neat and professional always. Professional appearance is often emphasized during orientation and training for new hires.
Qualifications
- A canvasser is expected to consistently deliver on the signature acquisition and client details. This requires sales experience including the ability to learn about multiple products and sell without being aggressive. Employers and companies consider this a bonus when recruiting canvassers.
- Ideally, having an impeccable marketing experience is a bonus; hiring managers often favor candidates that are good at starting and maintaining meaningful conversations with strangers. The best candidate should demonstrate experience working with difficult individuals as well.
- Sometimes, organizations and employers prefer candidates with a valid driver’s license. Remember, the role requires traveling extensively to several locations.
- Some employers seeking canvassers require candidates to possess a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent. They must be 18 years of age and pass a full background check. Except for a political canvasser that must be a registered voter, most canvassers require no previous experience.
- Most canvassers receive extensive on-the-job training under the instruction and supervision of a veteran canvasser. The training period may span one to three weeks during which the new canvasser learns various sales pitches and methods of persuading people. The aspiring candidate must be willing to undertake such training completely.
- A canvasser requires adequate knowledge of GPS, software, and other navigational tools to successfully drive, walk, or stand for long periods and routinely talk to members of the public about their clients, products, and services. Also, they must be able to use paper tools such as coupons, flyers, and clipboards. They should have a good memory, be able to create sales scripts and be adept at persuading people with their personalities.
- Proficiency in spreadsheets and other computer packages is an added advantage and is often mandated by some employers.
Essential Skills
A canvasser should have good people skills and the ability to relay information persuasively. Most canvassers seeking employment are likely to find work if they can display the following skills desired by employers;
- Salesmanship or sales skills: A canvasser primarily attempts to promote an individual, business, product, or service; this requires salesmanship and strong sales skills. He or she must harness the ability to pitch ideas to effectively sell or market products and a candidate.
- Conversation skills: Canvassers must come across as friendly, trustworthy, and highly knowledgeable individuals. They must know how to talk to everyone; hence, being a good conversationalist is an essential element and skill for the role.
- Physical stamina: The position of a canvasser requires standing, talking, and walking for long hours. Anyone seeking this role must have the physical ability to do this. Physical strength or stamina has been shown to impact the activities of most careers; therefore, an aspiring canvasser should develop such stamina via regular exercises and healthy nutrition.
- Adaptability: As a canvasser, you will work both as part of a team and independently. Therefore, you must be adaptable to different working conditions and must be able to work well with others.
- Time management: Time management is another important skill for canvassers. Since a canvasser must fill quotas and allocations, he or she needs to know how to manage their time well to talk to as many people as possible in a single day.
How to Become a Canvasser
The road to becoming a canvasser is similar to some careers and professions; if you have a passion for convincing and persuading people, then a career in canvassing might be right for you. Thus, follow the tips below to begin a career as a canvasser;
- Obtain a minimum of a high school diploma to cover the education requirements. Some employers demand such certificates while others do not.
- Participate in canvassing campaigns or seminars to develop the needed skills for the profession.
- Gain experience by completing entry-level or assistant canvasser roles for individuals, sales firms, or other corporations.
- Update your resume and apply for advertised canvasser positions in your preferred industry or sector.
Where Can a Canvasser Work?
A canvasser typically works for political campaigns to gauge the public’s perception of a politician. Also, a canvasser can work for a construction company or marketing firm to spread awareness about a project or product. They visit neighborhoods, public parks, or shopping malls and ask members of the public to share their opinion or sign a petition. They can also gather information for non-profit organizations by making phone calls and going door-to-door.
Canvasser Salary Scale
According to recent reports and estimations, a canvasser earns an average salary of $17.12 per hour. Many canvassers do not earn employment benefits but employers and organizations offer bonuses and other incentives if they meet or exceed quotas.