Overview
Arriving in British Columbia in 2018 with student-visa restrictions and zero sales background, Minhaj discovered door-to-door in summer 2021. One season of knocking telecom deals 10-X’d his income and lit a vision to help other immigrants escape the 9-to-5 treadmill.
In 24 months he:
- Opened Nanaimo (2022) and Victoria (2023) branches—both now top-five RGU offices in Telus’ channel
- Personally recruited and trained 100+ representatives with year-round retention above 70 % (35 points higher than the Canadian field-sales norm)
- Transitioned to solar in 2024, self-genning six contracts his first week while building a new solar division.
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Key Outcomes
| Metric | Start (2021) | Mid-2023 | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Reps | 0 | 60 | 100 + |
| Locations | 0 | 1 (Nanaimo) | 2 (Nanaimo & Victoria) |
| Average Weekly Production / rep | N/A | 7 RGUs | 11 RGUs |
| Year-round Retention | N/A | 58 % | 72 % |
| Awards | — | Top Recruiter, Perseverance Award | Top Leadership, Top RGU Office |
Professional Profile
| Name | Minhajul Islam |
| Role | VP Talent Acquisition, NOC / North Energy Solar |
| Industry | Telecom → Solar Door-to-Door |
| HQ | British Columbia, Canada |
| Years in D2D | 3 |
| Previous Life | International student working three hourly jobs |
Challenges Faced
Initial Situation
- Student-visa = 20 hr/week cap, three survival jobs, limited credit.
- Canadian D2D viewed as seasonal; few systems for winter selling.Canadian Renewable Energy Association
Impact
- High churn: reps quit after “summer blitz”.
- No repeatable onboarding; rookie ramp-time > 5 weeks.
- Recruiting seen as “transactional”—incentive-first, intention-last.
Objectives & Goals
| Short-Term | Long-Term |
|---|---|
| Close personal deals to fund tuition | Build year-round Canadian D2D powerhouse |
| Design 3-day onboarding that creates first-week production | Maintain 100-rep org with ≥ 65 % annual retention |
| Replace survival jobs & get PR status | Expand into solar; impact immigrant community |
Strategy Implementation
Phase 1 – Proof of Concept (Summer 2021)
- Shadow → Reverse Shadow: Watch a top rep 3 hr, get critiqued 3 hr on same doors.
- Evening retro: Identify one skill-gap/night; fix that day.
Phase 2 – Team of Ten (2021 Q4)
- “Bagel-3” Policy: Three zero-sale days triggers coach-shadow-coach loop, not firing.
- Culture Hooks: Sunday family dinners; customised micro-incentives (gift-cards for snowboard gear, PR-application fees, etc.)—beats generic Mexico trips.
Phase 3 – Two-Office Expansion (2022-23)
- 3-Day Onboarding Sprint
- Day 1: Product & pitch micro-modules + field ride-along.
- Day 2: 20 live doors + peer debrief.
- Day 3: Solo turf; leader meets rep at lunch & last hour.
- Quarterly One-on-Ones: Personal “Impact Plans” aligned to each rep’s WHY (e.g., paying OSAP loans, sending remittances).
Phase 4 – Solar Pivot (2024)
- Leverages D2D University & D2D-Experts Canada events for cross-training.
Resources Utilised
- D2D University modules for Canadian compliance + winter scripting.
- Mentorship from two-time Golden Door winners within NOC network.
- Immigration-specific content on financial literacy for newcomers.
Results Achieved
Quantitative
- 100 + reps trained; average rookies hit first sale on day 5 (vs. BC average day 14)
- Double-digit RGU per-rep average sustained through December snow months.
- 72 % annual retention → saves ≈ $180k recruiting cost/year (based on $2.5k cost/rep)
Qualitative
- Immigrant reps report 3-4× income jump, many funding permanent-residence applications sooner.
- Offices adopted as pilot sites for Telus year-round D2D program.
Final Analysis
Success Factors
- Intention-First Recruiting – hires for coachability & purpose, not just commission.
- Micro-iteration Loop – every zero day triggers immediate field feedback.
- Culture Over Climate – weekly social glue counters harsh Canadian winters.The Center for Sales Strategy
Lessons Learned
- Execution beats information: daily action on one improvement outperforms marathon training decks.
- Custom incentives retain: reps chase what matters to them, not generic swag.
- Mindset is skill-force multiplier: teach rookies to expect valleys and they climb faster.
Minhajul Islam’s Testimonial
“Every immigrant thinks 9-to-5 is the only safe road. One summer on the doors showed me we can build careers in D2D—then help others do the same. My job now is proving that path, one rep at a time.”
Conclusion
Minhaj’s story proves Canadian door-to-door is no longer a four-month side-hustle. With intentional leadership, a three-day onboarding sprint, and culture that survives sub-zero turf, he transformed two start-up offices into a 100-rep powerhouse and ignited a wave of immigrant success stories. Copy the playbook above to shorten your own path from lone knocker to year-round D2D leader.
Ready to Scale Your Canadian D2D Team?
Join the D2D-Experts Canada Mastermind or grab a seat at D2DCon Canada (Sept) to learn directly from Minhaj and other top leaders.
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