KEY POINTS
- The Power of Expectations: Never impose a low performance lid on a new hire; low expectations ruin potential and create lasting mediocrity.
- The Compounding Principle: Financial success is driven by consistency and compounding actions. Small, daily efforts accumulate into exponential growth over time.
- Knock to Sell, Not to Knock: The intention behind every door should be a transaction. Anything less is unproductive "zombie knocking" that wastes time and energy.
Why is the door-to-door industry often treated with the same respect as a “garbage man”, despite its potential to generate millions? For Sam Taggart, CEO of D2D Experts and founder of D2DCon, the mission is clear: to uplevel the industry, remove the stigma, and provide the sophistication and training necessary to establish D2D as a world-class profession.
Sam Taggart’s journey began at 11, painting curbs in Salt Lake City, and progressed through alarms (Platinum/Vivint) and solar, where he earned $1 million by age 23. This success was built on principles of discipline, high expectations, and consistency—lessons he now deploys through his ecosystem of training, consulting, and technology companies (D2D Experts, D2DCon, Home Ready, Vanilla Texting).
In this candid interview, Sam shares the most critical principles he learned in the field—lessons applicable to every rep, manager, and business owner looking to scale their income and their organization.
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The Psychology of High Performance
1. The Danger of Low Expectations
Sam recounts two pivotal moments—one on his mission and one selling alarms—where his success was nearly crippled by low expectations set by veterans.
- The Alarms Story: On his first Saturday selling alarms, Sam closed five deals. When he later asked what was “normal” for a rookie, the veteran manager told him one deal a day was crushing it. Sam immediately saw his own performance drop to five deals the following week.
- The Result: Setting a low bar is the single most destructive thing a leader can do. Sam advocates for “no lids”; let reps find their own limits. You must challenge the self-sabotage that says, “$100,000 is the new $250,000,” forcing reps to adjust their goals to match inflation and real market opportunity.
2. Consistency Over Emotion
Success in D2D is not a matter of luck; it’s a direct result of consistent action, regardless of emotion.
- The Action Habit: Sam teaches that if you let your emotions drive your actions, you will always be inconsistent. If you let your habits and schedule dictate your actions, you will always be consistent.
- The Simple Rule: Don’t let your feelings—whether you sold three accounts or had a “bagel week”—dictate when you start work or how hard you knock. You must maintain the habit, because the opposite could apply: “The problem is we’re letting our emotions dictate the action. Yeah. Right. If we say shut your brain off and just do it…”.
3. Knock to Sell, Not to Knock
Sam’s core mental model, created when he was painting curbs, is that every interaction must be designed to achieve a transaction.
- Intentional Amnesia: Reps often engage in “zombie knocking,” going through the motions because they’re already tired or have sold enough for the day. Sam teaches selective amnesia: approach every door with the fresh intention, “This is my customer, no matter freaking what.”
Leadership & Business Breakthroughs
1. The Manager’s Ego Trap
Sam learned early in his managerial career that the “pull your panties up and sling” attitude was disastrous.
- It’s Not About You: After losing teams twice, Sam realized he was making the performance the star of the show, focusing on his own achievements rather than the rep’s outcome. He learned to step out of the spotlight and ask: “What is his quick chopper? [What is his desired outcome?] … and highlight that right then their outcome and make that the star of the show.”
- The Pay Cut Lesson: Sam credits a pivotal moment when he took a pay cut, giving his overrides to a top manager to shadow him for a year. This humility check accelerated his leadership growth faster than simply breaking off to run his own team.
2. Systems Create All-Stars
Sam emphasizes that top performers are created, not found. Leaders must use replicable systems to scale success.
- Managed Systems, Not People: The key to creating consistent A-players is to have a simple, replicable system. This system must include mandatory mindset training and accountability for hours worked, as “you’re never going to have an all star if the guy only works three hours a day”.
- The Compounding Effect (Financial): Sam highly recommends The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. Rookies fail because they don’t see how consistency will pay off. They must understand that small, daily efforts compound into thousands by week three or four, and millions over a career.
Fewer “try again tomorrow” days
Quick bites, real scripts, instant answers (for free)
The D2D Mission
The underlying mission of D2D Experts and D2DCon is to advocate for and unify the industry. Sam urges professionals to:
- Be Proud: End the stigma that D2D is a temporary or “slum” job. “I want to preach it to the world and say, guys, this is amazing. It’s a profession. And it’s an art and you can be proud of it.”
- Uplevel: Learn the technical tools, sophistication, and best practices from top experts.
- Attend D2DCon: The annual event, featuring marquee speakers like Tim Grover and Ed Mylett, is the premier place to find your tribe and change your paradigm.
Final Takeaway
The core mindset: You must believe you are deserving of the money and the success you seek. You are not defined by the lid someone else set, but by the work ethic you choose to control.
