A Guide to Roofing Sales

An important piece of the roofing industry is the salespeople. They generate leads and convert them into customers. As a person in sales, you must build your familiarity with roofing products and the various kinds of sales strategies to better serve your company. Starting your journey into sales may be a little intimidating. The process of becoming a better salesperson consists of constant rejections from potential customers. In time, you will successfully be able to sell more roofs. To do this you will need education, strategies, and the right mindset. Before you come face to face with prospects this guide will take you through the entire sales process to help you learn and improve.

Before You Begin:

Don’t make the mistake of trying to earn a sale before you prepare. Typically, companies will provide training so that you’re not entering the workforce blind. They may inform you about their branding and any specific sales techniques that they employ for their various kinds of customers. A salesperson will ideally be equipped with training in both sales and roofing. At the very least the training you take should touch on these essential elements:

Estimates: You may be the one responsible for providing estimates or bidding for roofing work. The job here would be to know the cost of the materials and measure the roof itself. Each company may have a different procedure for estimates, so ensure you’re aware of it.

Products: Understanding the products you sell, and their benefits are necessary.

Insurance Process: The insurance claim process may be daunting to the homeowner. Help ease their minds by explaining how you can offer support during the process.

The value of repairs or a new roof: You’ll be spending a lot of time listening to homeowners’ pain points. It’s important to understand the value of a roof beyond the cost of the job so that you can communicate how your company can help relieve those pain points.

There are a few more things to think of that may not fall under your company’s training; mindset, honesty, and care.

Mindset: Receiving a lot of rejection from the people you reach out to can be damaging to your self-worth. To maintain a healthy mindset, it is beneficial to know that their rejection does not reflect your personal character. Discovering a “no” faster is best, so that you can spend more time on the people who will say “yes”.

Honesty: As they say, honesty is the best policy. Beware of potentially losing a customer’s trust by making a promise that your team cannot keep. Be open about what you are capable of.

Care: Put some care into what their needs are and how you can take that weight off their shoulders.

The Sales Process:

Prospecting, qualifying, pitching, closing, and following up are the five key steps that make up the roofing sales process. We will take you through these steps.

Prospecting: This could involve cold calling, following up on leads from marketing initiatives, or canvassing door to door in neighbourhoods that need roofing work or other targeted areas by your company.

Qualifying: Identify if the customer you have approached is a good fit for the products you are selling. In the industry, three main points apply when qualifying; pain, budget, and authority.

Pain: Find out where their issues lie and the pain points that affect them.
Budget: Can they afford what you are selling? Does your company offer financing options?
Authority: You should be speaking to the person who makes the decisions for the household or the owners of the property.

To make these assessments and learn if they have the right qualities, ask open-ended questions, to avoid direct uncomfortable questions.

Pitching: This stage is where you are offering your services. What you say may change based on what you learned during the qualifying stage. Here are five common strategies people have employed to make a sale.

The Zig Ziglar: Based on a famous salesperson – This method balances information and emotion. Information or logic informs the value the product has to them, and emotion greatly affects action. Too much of either side may be detrimental.
LAER: “Listen, Acknowledge, Explore and Respond” is another effective pitching strategy. Take time to hear what they are saying, acknowledge concerns, explore opportunities, and make the appropriate response.
Friendship: This option takes a different approach by engaging with them like potential friends. Be genuine and ask them how they are doing. If you have that charisma to build off an authentic friendship, you’ll be able to naturally transition to the topic of the sale.
Education: Weighs the pros and cons of the prospect’s options. You should not regurgitate what they have already found online but offer information that showcases your company’s expertise.
Buyer-Seller Agreements: The last method for pitching is the buyer-seller agreements. Include the homeowner within your pitch with questions to give them a choice about what happens next within the conversation.

Closing: We are reaching the end of the sales process. Now it is time to make things official and ask the prospect if they are ready to make a purchase, put pen to paper to sign the contract, or mark the calendar for their roofing work. Many people and companies have their version of closing, the best strategy is the one that is unique to you.

Body Language: Pay attention to body language for closing cues. The CHEF strategy can reveal signals that give people away. They can indicate if a person is ready to close a deal. CHEF stands for “chin or cheek,” “hands”, “eyes”, and “friendly.” Being friendly, making eye contact, and touching their hands, chin or cheeks are good signs for your closing line.
Handling Objections: Of course, when you are pitching, prospects are going to have their objections. Keep LAER in mind when this happens. Also, remember to plan ahead. There are common objections your prospects will have, and you should be mindful of how to handle them. The common objections include: insufficient finances, having to confirm with their partner, not having time, and needing multiple quotes from other companies.
Follow Up: When the work is complete, ensure that they were satisfied with the work. Having a chat via call, email or text may result in a positive review and referrals.

For the full in-depth guide on roofing sales, read more: The Complete Guide to Roofing Sales