What makes the difference between a good roofing company and a great roofing company?
Great roofers see more success because they use effective roofing sales techniques to bring in more customers.
Table of Contents
Today we will review some of the most successful roofing sales strategies to help you level up your roofing sales skills.
Simple & Effective Roofing Sales Strategies Not to Overlook
Roofing Sales Tips: Prep for the Pitch
Learn Closing Techniques
You must learn how to properly close a deal. There are several effective strategies, so pick one that works with your personality and the buyers’ interests. Here are a few closing strategies you can use:
Make a time-sensitive offer
Ex. “I can give you 10% off your service if you sign today.”
Summarize the benefits of the product/service
Ex. “This product lasts 5 years longer and provides better insulation.”
Offer a free add-on with no strings attached
Show your prospect a visual of what you offer
Ask a question that assumes the deal is done
Suggest a day to finalize the deal
Cover (several) pros and (a few) cons to choosing your services
Ask them to rank how likely they are to use your services
Get to Know Your Roofing Business
The more you know about your roofing company, the better you can sell.
Make sure you do an in-depth analysis of the roofing business you work for. Take a look at your company’s expertise, awards or certifications, and any other factors that make you stand out from the rest of your competition.
Some of the things that you might want to know include:
- How long your roofing company has been in business
- If your company is licensed and insured
- How your business handles problems/changes in the plan
- If your company is an authorized installer/partner with a manufacturer
Gain Roofing Product Knowledge
Studying your roof product is a surefire way to successfully close more sales. Have answers to questions that people might ask about your product. The key is to be fluent in your field.
Take the time to learn more about your roofing product. Consider:
- How does it stand out from your competitors?
- What details make a huge difference?
- Get hands-on experience with your product or watch someone perform the service.
- Talk to your coworkers about what your product has to offer.
- Research the roofing industry to see how your products fit into the bigger picture. According to a survey by IRC Sales Solutions, most sales reps average about 11% of their time reading industry news.
Research Your Buyer
Researching your buyer will give you unbeatable insights into their roofing needs.
Look at customer:
- Demographics
- Motivations
- Goals
- Problems
If you don’t have buyer information, consider making a survey or doing interviews with past customers.
What is your buyer looking for? What solution do you provide to their roof problem?
Tailor your product to your potential customers, and they’ll understand exactly what you offer.
Get Organized
Do you ever feel like you’re asking homeowners the same questions about their roof over and over? Have you ever called up your customer to ask them if they have a copy of their roofing contract?
Whether you’re dialing for dollars or walking the soles off your shoes going door to door, you need to be organized.
That’s where roofing software comes in.
A software keeps an active database of potential customers and helps you navigate relevant information. You can connect all the roof job, payment, and material order information to individual customer files. Then your customer files are in one easy-to-access place.
For example, JobNimbus has a form builder you can use to make consistent forms. Create a proposal inspection form with checklists and dropdowns for your team to add a photo, damage type and notes, date of loss, shingle type, roof measurements, and how the customer will pay. Once you have your form ready, your field team can fill it out and get all the information you need on the first trip to the site.
The right customer relationship manager (CRM) makes you infinitely more effective and can improve sales in four key ways.
Roofing Sales Tips: During the Pitch
Sell When People Are Home
If people are all at work, then there’s no sense in beating down doors. Unless, of course, you’re into low margins.
Not that knocking on doors during the day is a complete waste of your time; you can find some people at home. But, you do have a greater chance of finding decision-makers at home in the afternoon and evening.
Clean Up Your Act
What separates the sales newbies from the experts is the first impression: your professional image.
Everything from your clothes to your behavior and the music coming from your work truck immediately sets the foundation for your interaction. Make sure you smell good, look good, and keep an eye on your language.
Be Genuine
Although you do want to be on good behavior, be real. In essence, you truly are selling yourself and not just the product.
Reveal a little background about yourself, like how long you’ve been working in the roofing industry. Don’t be afraid to talk about your hobbies and history with the company.
Be Confident
Show up with confidence. No one wants to buy from someone who seems unsure of the product or themselves. If you’re looking to boost your confidence, try some of these tips:
- Watch your body language
- Speak with authority
- Be prepared
- Remind yourself of past successes
- Cut out negative self-talk
Educate, but Don’t Hard Sell
Chances are, your customer doesn’t know as much about roofing as you do. Your job is to display the reasons they could benefit from your service, not the product itself.
Focus on why a new or repaired roof is vital to the customer. Help them see how it affects their home value and safety.
Don’t forget to explain how the roofing replacement process works.
But don’t push the customer. Remember, about 56% of your market just isn’t ready to buy yet. Give them time to warm up to what you’re offering.
Listen to Your Client’s Needs
You don’t want to do all the talking. Spend time listening and getting the customer to share their concerns.
Only then you can solve their problems and explain how your services can help.
Your customers will tell you what they need, and it is your job to customize your sales pitch to match them.
When they vocalize a problem they’ve been facing, offer an effective solution. Even if you’ve heard the same problems before, every customer is different and requires individual help.
Remember, this is their home you’re talking about. This is the single largest investment they have made. Take interest in them and their home. It will go a long way for you.
Explain How Your Products Are Different
One of the most effective ways to close your sale is to prove why you are better than your competitors.
According to a survey by several roofing contractors, 76% of homeowners chose the salesperson who discussed how their products and services compare to their competitors’.
Everyone is looking for the highest quality products; your job is to use this time to prove why customers should hire you and not another roofing business.
Bring Several Roofing Options
It’s a proven fact: customers are more interested in buying from salespeople if they can see the products live.
Bring multiple roofing shingle options to help your potential customers see what you’re talking about. The more options you bring, the more likely you are to close on the sale.
How to Sell Roof Maintenance Checks
Selling roof maintenance checks can be a little more complicated than selling a new roof. But maintenance checks can increase profit, improve your bottom line, build customer relations, and eliminate competition.
As every roofing salesperson knows, selling a service is hard. So how do you sell roof maintenance checks specifically?
The key is to explain the value and help your customers understand the service.
Let’s break it down.
Highlight Value
Roofing can be expensive, but explaining the value to a customer helps them see why it’s worth it. To demonstrate the value of your service, mention that:
- Small fixes in maintenance checks cost less than fixing big damages later on
- Available warranties will protect their investment
- Financing helps break up the cost of the roof check
- Proactively maintained roofs last an average of eight years longer than those that aren’t
Provide Insights
Roofing maintenance checks will make more sense to customers once they know the purpose.
During your sales pitch, take the opportunity to point out what you look for in a roof maintenance check. Explain some causes of common types of damage and point out signs the customer should look for in the future.
Customers appreciate the information, and the more they understand, the more they’ll know why they need you to fix it.
Lead Your Roofing Company to Success with a Solid Roofing Sales Process
Sales is a tough profession. It takes a lot of effort and time to learn, but it gets easier when you focus on helping your client and responding to their needs.
Whether you’re selling new roofs or roofing maintenance checks, taking the right steps will help you close more sales.
How are you going to try out these roofing sales techniques? What other roofing sales strategies do you use? Let us know below in the comments!
