Solicitors seem to come knocking at the worst of times. During dinner, when you’re on the phone, hanging out with friends – it never fails. They’re almost always looking to sell you something or trying to get you to sign up/join some sort of cause. Nowadays, solicitors are typically trying to sell you magazine/newspaper subscriptions or some sort of “as seen on tv” or fad product. With the advent of the internet, the heyday of the traveling salesman has all but passed, but that doesn’t mean the occasional solicitation won’t pop up to ruin your day! Here are 2 simple and effective ways to prevent and get rid of solicitors for good:

Use a Sign

Hanging some sort of sign in front of your door or property can do wonders to turn solicitors right back where they came from. This can be something as simple as “No Solicitors Allowed” or can be something more witty like “If you try to sell me something, my dog will kill you”. You can even go with something like “Warning: All Solicitors Will Be Shot”. That may be a little over the top, but who can be bothered by these pesky solicitors, anyway? After all, it’s your property and you’re entitled to your privacy.

Talk to Them

Without a sign, there’s really no way you’re going to stop a solicitor from knocking on your door. They come in all shapes and sizes, so don’t be caught off guard. You’ll need to take the same stance with a child selling girl scout cookies as with a pushy, balding salesman trying to sell you a vacuum cleaner.

Don’t get into exchanging pleasantries with the solicitor. They’ll often greet you with a typical “Hi, how are you today?” Don’t answer them. This is their first step to try and build rapport and get some sort of connection going between the two of you. Firmly tell them you’re not interested in whatever they’re selling and that you don’t like to have solicitors on your property. Of course, if this is a little girl selling girl scout cookies, you may need to use a bit simpler of language, but keep a firm tone and make it short and sweet. They’ll likely come back at you with some sort of rebuttal, as no salesman should take no for an answer the first time. Tell them you’re not interested one more time, then shut the door in their face – they’ll get the point.

This solution seems simple enough, but all too often people make the mistake of hearing the solicitor out. By allowing them to tell you their story and about their product(s) or whatever they’re selling, you’re allowing yourself to be sold. Don’t go down this path, just get rid of them promptly.