Why Flyer Distribution Work Isn’t Always A Piece Of Cake
by Admin Joe
published – Mar 29th 2019
Many people falsely assume that flyer, leaflet or poster distribution work is easy. I did at first so I’m just as guilty. You may even think you could one day do it this as a job if you really wanted to.
You might even be brazen enough to think you can distribute flyers with both hands tied behind your back while walking on broken glass, bare foot with a bowling ball balanced on your head. Yes, I’m being deliberately silly but you get my point.
From the outside looking in, you might believe it to be a simple, entry-level job that any snot-nosed kid can do. That might be true with some of the easier distribution jobs. On the other hand, it can be more challenging depending on what exactly you are distributing. Your specific role and responsibilities as a distributor are also a factor.
I have done flyer distribution work before in the past. For this reason, I know that there is more to this just than just the generalized surface level that most people see. There are intricacies that the majority of people don’t understand. This is especially true when it comes down to sales and winning people over.
You can educate yourself about almost anything in life. When you do, it usually turns out that there is a lot more to that subject than meets the eye. By default, people are usually ignorant of what they don’t understand (no offense).
Let’s take a brief look at a typical day for a flyer distributor. We can then see how easy or hard some of the tasks are for them to complete.
How difficult is flyer distribution work?
Is flyer distribution work easy? Clearly, some jobs in this industry are more complicated than others. They will have different levels of difficulty depending on the tasks you have to perform during the working day.
You can always do what I did and start with a very simple distribution job. After that you can then work up to something more difficult but more rewarding in the end.
Do flyer distributors need any qualifications or experience?
Who can be a flyer distributor? Flyer distribution jobs welcome both beginners and veterans alike. Of course, like any job it helps to have previous experience. Although, it’s not necessary as you will be given all the proper training.
If you are doing this freelance then you won’t get any training. You will need to have some basic idea of what is expected of you, in this case. I find that you can learn everything you need to know on the job anyway. It will just take time.
If you are interested in freelance flyer distribution work then Fiverr is a great place to start. Here you can advertise your services as a flyer distributor to thousands of customers around the globe. I highly recommend it.
How difficult is flyer distribution work? You don’t even need to have any academic qualifications in order to do distribution work. It is open to almost anyone, no matter their skill set.
Does it help to have at least some knowledge of flyer distribution?
Having some experience and qualifications will obviously help you in the application process for a flyer distribution job. It will also give you a head start against novice distributors when you first begin working. Keep in mind that these skills are desirable but not absolutely mandatory.
However, it does help to have some experience in communicating with people and sales. This is relevant if your particular distribution job mainly involves you having to obtain leads and sales. Distribution is a more people-focused job than most folk realize.
How many distributions should I be making per hour?
If you are distributing flyers or leaflets to homes then you should aim to deliver to 100-300 households per hour. You will make good ground if you can land somewhere in this ballpark.
Of course, if you can make your goal even bigger then that’s always a plus. As you get better and more experienced, you should improve your speed. You will be able to shave a lot more time off how fast you can distribute x amount of flyers.
Although, it can be entirely different if you aren’t delivering to houses. If you are distributing posters and the like then your work might be stunted for whatever reason. It might be because you can’t find an appropriate place to slap your poster on, for instance.
The general public can also dictate how fast you can work. If they don’t want what you have to give them then clearly that’s going to slow you down. It will limit how many units you can distribute to them in a specific window of time. There are various things that will get in the way through no fault of your own.
[bctt tweet=”Having experience and qualifications will help you in flyer distribution work. However, it’s not mandatory as you can learn on the job.” username=”@athomegrind”]
Do flyer distributors have to work towards targets?
Flyer distribution companies will sometimes set targets for their workers in order to boost productivity. Of course, this isn’t exclusive to distribution employers, lots of business commonly do this.
One example of a target might be that your goal will be to complete 100 door-drops in an hour. The general idea of these targets is to ensure that nobody is slacking off. It helps to make sure that everyone is putting in an equal work ethic.
Catalog distribution companies might set other targets for distributors. These can be goals such as achieving however many sales or deliver and collect x amount of catalogs. This is all in order to push workers forwards.
Why do flyer distributors need to work towards targets?
Targets exist so that employers can get the most out of their workers. They might be there so that it forces you to pick up the pace of your work. If you succeed in meeting a target then a new, more challenging target will probably be set for you afterwards. Hooray! … I guess.
This will ultimately help you grow and improve in your distribution work. Your employer may even reward you with bonuses and other rewards. This is used as an incentive if you smash your targets. Targets add that extra bit of pressure on to the shoulders of distributors. This is especially relevant if you work a sales-based distribution job.
If you don’t consistently meet your targets then your employer might take disciplinary action against you. In very serious cases, they may then suspend or terminate you from your job. They sure like to keep you on your toes *nervous laughter*.
Does the hard work really pay off?
If your distribution work hinges on payment for how much work you can complete in a single period of time, then yes. Although, some distribution jobs have a fixed pay per hour policy so it doesn’t apply there specifically. This is unless your employer gives you bonuses for going beyond the call of duty (which can happen).
At the same time, it doesn’t mean you can slack off. Flyer distribution employers still want reliable and hard-working distributors. This is true no matter what the motivator is whether it be money or otherwise.
I find that your own work ethic will determine your salary when it comes to many freelance and commission-based distribution jobs. If you can work hard and fast while working on commission then you will do well. You will make twice as much money as someone else who is putting in half the effort for the same amount of time spent working.
Can I improve my flyer distribution work through learning?
Having some sales skills and knowledge of the product or service doesn’t hurt, in my view. You might as well learn as much as you can if it means you will be making more money for your time spent working. Try to read some books about flyer distribution
Maybe you can combine all of this in order to focus on working both smarter and harder. Like anything, nobody is a success on day one, so you need to be:
- persistent
- resilient
- patient
I believe there will always be setbacks. Conversely, if you push forward and keep working hard then the results will eventually come.
Will I experience any rude people while distributing?
Occasionally, you will experience rudeness in life, a flyer distribution job is no exception. I know from experience that some people aren’t very kind to flyer and catalog distributors. A lot of the time you will be giving them something that they don’t want. “God damn junk mail!”
If you are doing door-drops or poster distributions then that in itself kind of eliminates rudeness. This is because of the fact that this sort of distribution work removes people from the equation altogether. It’s the person-to-person distributions that will cause the most irritation from people.
The sales aspect of distribution is probably the thing that people hate most. Prepare yourself for friction if you are doing something like catalog distribution work.
There are some great benefits to distributing catalogs. On the contrary, if you can’t handle this sort of rejection, harassment and aggravation then maybe it just isn’t for you. However, there are many other employment options to choose from in terms of distribution jobs.
In my opinion, it’s quite rare but there can be:
- shouting
- rudeness
- confrontation
Most people are decent and pleasant the vast majority of the time. It really is only a sporadic concern that will crop up from time to time. Don’t let it put you off trying this sort of work.
Obviously, rude people aren’t specific solely to the flyer distribution industry. I’ve worked at call centers, specifically telesales before. Additionally, I completely understand what it’s like to have someone call you every name in the book.
It’s clear that distribution work isn’t a walk in the park … unless of course you are literally distributing flyers in a park. How do you like my corny jokes? I’ll be the next Kevin Hart, mark my words.
Anyway, let’s not get sidetracked. What you’ve just read should allow you to work out if you can hack it as a distributor of any kind. It should also show you if you potentially see it as a future line of work for yourself.
It can be really tough when you think about the sometimes negative attitudes normal people have towards flyer distributors. We can also see how much pressure there is to do x amount of work in x amount of time.
We can learn a few things from this. One is how complex some of the tasks are that a distributor has to perform. I’m mostly talking about the selling and communication aspects here. Some of these duties will even require certain qualifications from you.
I suggest your next move should be to study up on the skills you will need to do well at flyer and catalog distribution jobs. You can read articles like this one and generally fill your head with as much information as possible. This way you will find this work a lot easier than if you hadn’t.
This should give you an insight into how difficult this gig is. Follow me now and let’s find out What Are The Duties & Responsibilities Of A Flyer Distributor? to see exactly what this job entails.
How easy or hard do you or would you find a flyer distribution job? In your opinion, what is the most difficult aspect of flyer distribution work? Please don’t forget to share this with your friends and comment below. Thanks for reading!
Related Posts:
Earn £12 Per Hour (+ Bonus) Distributing Flyers, Leaflets & Catalogs
How Driven Flyer Distributors Earn Bonuses, Commission & Freebies
Which Are The Best Flyer Distribution Employers To Work For?
Do Flyer Distributors Earn More Money Going Freelance?
5 Catalog & Flyer Distributor Tips To Boost Your Success
4 Flyer Distributor Mistakes That Drain Earnings & Productivity
Why Poster & Flyer Distributors Will Never Run Out Of Work
5 Important Items That Flyer Distributors Can’t Live Without
Why Budding Entrepreneurs Can Thrive From Catalog Distribution Jobs
