Don't call in too late, try to avoid arguments and always - always - close the garden gate behind you.
RTÉ's Petula Martin reports for Morning Ireland on the "science" behind canvassing and asks just how effective it is on the run up to an election.
Several politicians, including Willie O'Dea and Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, share their own experiences knocking on doors in their various constituencies.
