No Soliciting Signs
We recently installed No Soliciting signs in our neighborhood (Noble West in Noblesville). They didn’t ask me, they just did it. I have a problem with those signs for a number of reasons.
1. Who do they mean? I’m not sure who we’re trying to keep out but I just had a girl scout who lives across the street sell me a couple of boxes of cookies yesterday. She’s a neighbor and I’m happy to have her stop by to solicit me. Perhaps we didn’t mean her. My son delivers and sells newspapers. Does it apply to him? Jehovah’s Witnesses stop in from time to time. They’re not selling anything other than the promise of redemption. Are they solicitors?
2. The signs don’t seem to deter salespeople anyway. I presume we’re trying to keep out door to door salespeople who sell magazines, cleaning products, etc. The signs just went up so we’ll have to see if they work but in the past I’ve noted that people ignore them. And, I’m not sure what happens to violators.
3. I don’t like what the signs say about us. They exclude people. At the entrance to our neighborhood we let people know that some people aren’t welcome here. I don’t like that. I prefer to welcome people to our neighborhood.
I understand what our neighborhood association is trying to do but I think its wrong-headed. We need more activity on our streets, not less. We need better communication, more interaction and more openness. Excluding some people, even if they are solicitors, works against that goal.
Hey, I know what it’s like to endure an unwelcome sales pitch from a solicitor. I’ve listened to my share. I’ve bought from some, rejected many more. But my background is sales and I have sold for many years. Door to door is the toughest way to sell. Often these people are doing it because they have no other skills or are earning their way through college or some other worthwhile endeavor. It’s never a career choice. But, this is capitalism at it most basic level and they’re learning valuable lessons (primarily that there are always harder ways to make a living than their current career choice). The least we can do is open our doors and give them five minutes of our time.
Finally, I was passing a Fishers business the other day (a housing developer) and noticed a large “No Soliciting” sign on the door. Talk about hypocrisy! This business wouldn’t exist if it couldn’t solicit business, yet the owners won’t permit others to solicit them. Someone famous once said: “Nothing happens until someone sells something.” It’s absolutely true: sales makes our economy go. It’s a great American tradition. Take down the signs!
Mike
January 14th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
I like the “No Solicitors” sign at the gate to my neighborhood. On the rare occasion a salesperson knocks on my door, I refer them to the sign and then tell them they’re trespassing. I just wish I could legally shoot them BEFORE giving them the verbal warning.