Roofing Sales Training – Making the Right 1^st Impression

There’s a psychology to roofing sales. People react a certain way depending upon subconscious cues they receive from their surroundings. There are numerous things you can do – or not do – to make your job easier, and earn you more money.

1. Dress and Hygiene. We’ve all heard to dress for success right? So how do you dress when doing a roof inspection? Does it matter? Absolutely. Like it or not we make assumptions about people by the way they are dressed. There’s a reason a police officer dresses the way they do. It’s to convey authority. And it works. You should dress the part too. Do you need to look like a “roofer”? Well I’m not sure what a roofer is supposed to look like, but you certainly don’t need to look like you just came off a job. Nor do you want to look like some slick used car salesman. You should shoot for something in between. Generally a nice clean polo shirt with your company logo, and either blue jeans (no rips, stains, decorative stitching, etc) or clean carpenter pants work fine. Sorry, but no matter how hot it is, don’t wear shorts. It’s not professional, not to mention it’s hot on those roofs when you kneel down. Cologne is for a date, not to sell a roof. Just use deodorant. Make sure you have fresh breath, especially if you smoke or just ate. Your finger nails should be clean. I know it sounds crazy, but you do a lot of pointing in sales. Let’s say you’re pointing at a contract. The person is going to look where you’re pointing. If you’re pointing with a dirty finger or nasty fingernails, people are going to notice.
2. Nothing will make a homeowner angrier than a truck that leaks oil in their driveway. If you drive an older vehicle and there’s any chance at all it will leak, then park on the street. If you have a long walk and want to park closer to the house, then carry a small piece of cardboard and throw it underneath your truck. That scores major points that you’re someone that cares, and you’re not going to leave their yard a mess when the job is done. Also, if you like to play loud music while you drive, turn it down before you get there.

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3. Approach the House. Go ahead and get your ladder out and lay it in the front yard like its ready to go (I would strongly advise against putting it against the house, especially if they have gutters). If you have a folding ladder, have it folded and standing behind you. If they are on the fence about letting you on their roof, this helps. Homeowners will sometimes feel guilty since you are ready to go. Especially if you say “well, I’m already here and got my ladder out, so let me jump up there real quick and take a look. I promise I won’t steal your vent pipes!”  It may sound like a pain to get your ladder out every time, but if it saves just one job valued at hundreds or thousands of dollars, isn’t it worth it?
4. Initial greeting. Now, this may sound crazy but don’t ring the door bell unless no one answers after you knock. Here’s why – strangers ring the door bell while friends knock. You want to do a “happy” knock too. You know, instead of pounding on the door like you’re serving a warrant, vary the speed between knocks until it sounds “happy”. It works! When the homeowner comes to the door, stand back from the door several feet. Many homeowners, especially seniors, are nervous about strangers coming to their home. If you’re standing right there when they open the door, it can be intimidating. Smile. A BIG smile. It’s hard for someone to think you’re there to do them harm when you’re smiling. Take off your sunglasses if you’re wearing any. People like to look others in the eye. Sunglasses means you’re hiding something. Don’t ask “Hi, are you Mr./Mrs ___?” Some folks like to play games or perhaps they changed their mind or forgot about you, and now they claim not to know the person you’re looking for. By asking them if they are the person on the lead sheet, you just invite problems. If they’re not the right person, trust me they’ll tell you. Simply say “Hi I’m _____ with ___, I’m here to do your roof inspection” with a great big smile on your face.  At this point, hand them your business card and say “okay, well I’m going to take a look and I’ll take pictures if I find anything, and then we can go from there, okay?”. Do not ask them any questions, or try to sell them on you or your company, or filing a claim, or anything else. Do not answer too many questions if you can help it. If they ask questions, just answer them and then get back to the business at hand – the inspection. You have no idea if they have damage or not, and answering questions or asking questions at this point is futile. Not to mention, questions lead to more questions, and if they don’t have damage or need a new roof, then you just wasted a whole bunch of time needlessly. Do the inspection, find out what you have, and then present the solution. While you’re on the roof doing an inspection, they’re more than likely inside on the internet, researching your company off the business card you just gave them, answering their own questions. And that’s okay!

If you follow these simple steps, you will find that you’ll have a much easier time in roofing sales.

In our next series, we’ll discuss how to present your findings to the homeowner, sign a contingency, and close the sale!