Residential Metal Roofing Executive Report

Selling Your Story

Issue #32 | July 13, 2015 | Todd Miller

I have no doubt this Executive Report finds you very busy. I do not know of any contractors who are not in “high gear – full steam ahead” mode right now. With that in mind, let me ask you as question. What are your top couple of frustrations in your business right now? Jot me a note at tmilller@isaiahindustries.com to let me know and we will try to address your frustrations and share what ideas we have for you in a future issue of the Executive Report.

This issue, I want to talk about how to sell your company story. Those things that make your company unique are your biggest assets, after all. It’s important to be able to use them to your advantage.

So, why is it important to sell your company story? At the end of the day, above product and everything else, it is YOU that your customers are buying. If you gain their trust and confidence, then they will trust you to steer them the right way in terms of product. You must sell yourself foremost and, if you do that, everything else will fall into place quite nicely.

The next question, then, is how to sell your company story. I am going to share with you a step-by-step way to do this that is easy, fun, and anyone can do it. It creates a system which you can then teach to your entire company so that you are all taking advantage of the POWER of selling your company story!

1. Start by listing the top five things that make your company unique. What are five things you do that no one else does? What are the five things that set you apart and ahead of your competition? These are your five Unique Benefits. For many of you, listing five things will be easy. If you’ve never thought much about it though, it may take a little more time. Think of it this way – upon the successful completion of a project, what are the things that homeowners told you they liked most about working with you? Those things may be part of your top five. Go deep with your Unique Benefits. For example, almost every contractor would say that their “Quality” sets them apart from other contractors. Well, if every contractor says that, then it really isn’t unique, is it? Instead, think of something like “Quality Not Compromised By Cost” or “I Stay Awake At Night Ensuring Quality”. Thinking of “Quality” in a way that you can uniquely own makes this benefit meaningful and emotional to your customers.
2. Next, analyze each of the five Unique Benefits and come up with three Supporting Stories for each Unique Benefit that captures that benefit in action. For example, if “giving back to the community” is one of the five things that makes your company unique, list three stories and examples of ways you have given back to your community.
3. Build your five Unique Benefits into your company presentation. Include at least one of the Supporting Stories for each benefit. It’s easy to say good things about ourselves – anyone can do that. But, the rubber meets the road when you tell the stories that support and demonstrate what you’re saying.
4. Make sure that your ENTIRE COMPANY is educated on your five Unique Benefits and the three Supporting Stories for each benefit. They all must know and embrace these stories, be able to tell them, and be constantly striving to create more Supporting Stories.
5. Use your Unique Benefits and their Supporting Stories to create your Corporate Identity through your website. Your website is the chief portal to your company. Your Company Story must be told there and you tell that through your Unique Benefits and Supporting Stories. Make it emotional and meaningful. Make visitors to your website “feel” how they will be touched and benefitted if they choose to work with your company.

It’s not Product that people buy. They buy YOU and YOUR COMPANY! So few contractors realize this and really make it a part of how they sell. Instead, they try to sell on Price or Product and, guess what, they end up looking pretty much exactly like every other contractor out there who is selling on Price and Product! Make your Unique Benefits truly special, and tell them through your Supporting Stories. Doing so will help you gather more sales – guaranteed!

Thanks so much for reading this issue. Again, send me your current frustrations via email to tmilller@isaiahindustries.com. We will try to share ideas to help address them in future issues of the Residential Metal Roofing Executive Report.

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