“Not interested”: what to say at the door
They said it before you finished your name. Agree with them, then ask one question that is about their house, not your product.
The situation
It comes in the first five seconds, often before the rep has said their name. The homeowner has had reps at the door before, and they are answering those reps, not this one.
The door is already moving. Whatever the rep says next has to be short enough to finish before it closes.
Not interested, thanks.
The buyer
We’re good.
The buyer
What it can mean
- I have heard this pitch before and it wasted my time.
- I don’t know what you are offering yet, and I am not going to wait to find out.
- I am in the middle of something.
What a good answer covers
Agree that they probably aren’t, before anything else
Arguing with “not interested” proves them right.
Ask one question about their home or their bill
A question about their money is different from a pitch, and it is easy to answer.
Stay relaxed, and keep it to two sentences
A rep who speeds up sounds exactly like the last rep they closed the door on.
A strong answer
Totally fair, most people on this street weren’t either. Quick one before I go: has your power bill gone up this summer?
The rep
Why it works
- It agrees first, so there is nothing to push back on.
- “Before I go” tells them the rep is leaving, which is why they let the question in.
- The question is about their bill, which they know, and it is not a yes-or-no about buying anything.
What not to say
- “I totally understand, but…” The “but” cancels the agreement.
- “It’ll only take two minutes.” Nobody believes the two minutes.
- Talking faster as the door closes.
- Asking “Do you own the home?” as the first question. Every rep before you asked it.
How to practice it
Five minutes, before the shift. Any manager can run it.
Say the line
A manager or another rep plays the homeowner and says “Not interested, thanks,” already turning away.
Answer in two sentences
Agree, then ask one question about their home or bill. No product names.
Listen for the pace
Was it relaxed? Did the agreement come first? Did the question invite an answer longer than “no”?
Run it three times
Change the line each time: “We’re good,” “Not today,” “We already have one.” Keep the take that sounds most like a person.
Shadowpitch puts this drill in every rep’s pocket. A voiced buyer says the line, the rep answers out loud and keeps the take worth hearing, and a manager hears it before the rep says it at a real door.
Questions
Is “not interested” a real no?
Usually it is a no to the pitch they expect, not to anything you have said. If they answer your question and still say no, it is a real no: thank them and go to the next door.
How many times should a rep push past it?
Once. One agreement and one question. A second attempt turns a polite no into a story they tell the neighbors.
Does this work on a cold call too?
Yes, with the same shape: agree, then one question about their world. On the phone, ask about a problem their role owns rather than their house.