Residential Metal Roofing Executive Report

Is High-End Residential Metal Roofing Right For Your Company?

Issue #128 | June 10, 2019 | Todd Miller

I hope this finds you well. We recently wrapped up a series on “benchmark characteristics” of successful residential metal roofing contractors. We had some great responses as fresh ideas and strategies came to light. In this issue of the Executive Report, we want to look at two key questions.

1. What products have been sold in the past by someone who leads their business into high-end residential metal roofing?
2. For what reasons would that person choose to expand into residential metal roofing?

Are you curious to know more and see if you can find your future in high-end residential metal roofing? Let’s take a look!

BEFORE BECOMING A METAL ROOFING SUPERSTAR

The majority of today’s top residential metal roofing contractors started out not selling roofing but selling home replacement products such as windows, siding, kitchens, and room enclosures. They love to sell high-ticket items. They love to help homeowners through a process of identifying their needs and dreams, and then meeting those needs. They are accustomed to selling things on the basis of value not “time and materials” nor the infamous “lowest bid”. They can help homeowners visualize and appreciate the value of what a quality product will do for their home, particularly in terms of comfort and curb appeal.

The successful metal roofing contractor helps homeowners determine their Criteria for their new roofing decision. They then walk them through the various options, eliminate those which do not meet their Criteria, and present them with a viable solution at the end. They help homeowners see how a larger investment now will bring them added security and home value, energy savings, and freedom from maintenance over the long term. They offer financing as a possible option for achieving the homeowner’s dreams and hopes.

What the successful metal roofing contractor is NOT is a “bid-giver” – someone who goes out and offers their services to as many people as possible, hoping that they will either be the low bid or the bid that just intuitively makes the most sense to their prospect. No one ever pays for a premium product just because they feel like paying more that day! Successful high-end contractors know that instead they must get in front of serious prospects and then sell them on how their product and services will meet their needs.

The successful metal roofing contractor also cares passionately about quality. They know that top quality products and installation services will satisfy their customers better than anything else, while allowing them to also grow their business. The successful metal roofing contractor sells to benefit their customer, not themselves.

If the above things describe what brings you satisfaction as a salesperson or business owner, residential metal roofing is likely a great fit for you. So, let’s take a look at the good things that will come your way from leading your organization in this direction.

BENEFITS OF SELLING QUALITY RESIDENTIAL METAL ROOFING

There are lots of factors that drive someone from the success of selling other home replacement products to the world of premium residential metal roofing. Let’s go down a list of a few.

• The prospect base is huge. Every home has a roof and the vast majority of those roofs are products that are under-performing and not meeting homeowners’ hopes and expectations.
• Roofing is a necessity. For many home improvement products, the homeowner often has a valid option to “do nothing” – in roofing, rarely is this the case. That roofing lead is going to do something!
• Consumers increasingly care about the environmental footprint of their homes. They want products that are energy efficient, long-lasting, have high recycled content, and are not destined to be in a landfill.
• The national drive toward solar energy, starting with the 2020 California mandate, is causing property owners to want their homes to be “solar-ready” – and everyone agrees that nothing does that better than a metal roof.
• The skilled labor shortage means that wise contractors are seeking to do more with fewer crews. So, they are looking for bigger tickets and high-margin products that increase their sales and profitability per crew member. Metal roofing meets a goal to hire fewer people and accomplish more with them by selling value-added products.
• Lower liability through fewer tear-offs. Removing old shingles is one of the greatest safety risks of residential remodeling. With their low weight and other features, metal roofs can often be installed over a layer of existing shingles, with no detrimental impact nor decrease in product warranty. This saves contractors from committing crews to the high-risk, no-profit activity of old roof removal.
• Take advantage of the HGTV culture. Thanks to HGTV, homeowners are constantly seeking ways to add beauty and comfort to their homes – to make their homes a desired oasis of beauty and comfort. Metal roofs do this very well and are often shown on HGTV shows and other programs as well as in digital and print media.
• The fact that homeowners are starting to own their homes for longer periods makes it easier to help them justify the investment in a metal roof. Metal roofing plays well to the goals of many of today’s homeowners.
• Selling value. One of our favorite sayings is that “only the very rich can afford to buy cheap” – because only the very rich can afford to re-do things every few years. Your ability to sell true value to homeowners will launch you into a very unique profit center for your business.

If you think that residential metal roofing may work well for your future, please know that there are many great resources out there available to help you get started. As we always say at Isaiah Industries, our commitment is to make sure that the contractors who sell and install our products are successful. We do not sell anything – our customers sell our products – so we are here to support and help however possible.

We offer great training resources as well as a fully-scripted in-home sales presentation. However, we are also happy to make introductions to other industry leaders if someone else can better meet your needs. Please note that our Mid-Year Training, coming up June 17 – 19 near Dayton, Ohio, is a great opportunity to launch your business into the world of high-end residential metal roofing.

Please contact me whenever I can be of help. We want to support you successfully in high-end residential metal roofing. I can be reached at 1-800-543-8938, ext. 201.

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