Residential Metal Roofing Executive Report

Cost vs. Value Drives Today’s Top Metal Roofing Contractors

Issue #142 | January 14, 2020 | Todd Miller

It’s mid-January already! Can you believe it? What progress have you made so far with “6 Easy Commitments That Will Grow Your Business in 2020”? Let me know – I’d love to hear!

Before we start this issue’s topic, please take note that, on Thursday, January 16, Isaiah Industries will sponsor a conference call / webinar with Frank Farmer, president of industry leader American Metal Roofs. In this free event, Frank will discuss:

Double Your Closing Ratio By Understanding A Mature Customer’s Motivation

As Frank will explain, you know your product’s features and benefits, and you still are missing sales. It’s not your fault! You have been trained to talk features and benefits with a focus on closing, closing, and more closing. You bought into “close early, close often,” but you are finding out that the trial closes you learned are not working very well.

Here’s the problem — this way of selling is turning off mature consumers!

In this session of Let’s Be Frank, you will learn the top 10 fears of typical quality metal roof customers. They may not talk openly about these things, but you can be assured that they think about them—a lot. When you understand the things that worry them and what your customer fears, you will understand their motivations. Hint — their motivating decisions are based on emotion and rarely on saving money!

To join this conference call, webinar, please follow the below instructions:

I hope that you can join us! Now, on with this edition of the Residential Metal Roofing Executive Report! – “Cost vs. Value Drives Today’s Top Metal Roofing Contractors.”

A question that I often hear from contractors who are considering expanding their marketing of residential metal roofing is “So, tell me, Todd, what’s happening in metal roofing these days?” My response can be concise or pretty long-winded. The simple answer is that market share has now grown to 13% in North America and we expect it to continue to increase. (We believe that, within 7 years, metal will reach a 20% market share.) But, for companies that are seriously considering taking a deeper plunge into metal roofing, a more detailed response is really mandated. So, let’s dig a little deeper.

Metal roofing has hit a point of being “mainstream” in that, when you mention it to a homeowner, at least they do not stare at you like you’re an alien from outer space. On the other hand, their thoughts about metal roofing still gravitate largely toward vertical seam types of products. And they still often have questions and comments concerning the aesthetics of metal roofing, the cost of metal roofing, and the durability of metal roofing.

Even though metal roofing is more “mainstream” in that consumers have heard about it and they can find contractors in their area who claim to sell and install metal roofs, there is still huge opportunity for professional contractors to provide accurate education and information to homeowners that leads them to the best decision for them and their home.

Below are the fears and problems that are major factors for homeowners as they consider a metal roof for their home. Most of these, they know nothing about. You can open their minds and get them beyond that all-too-common “What does it cost?” question by explaining that Cost and Value are closely related. They can choose “low cost” but, in return, they will receive “low value.”

• What is the grade and type of metal used for the product? Is the Galvalume metal they hear about all the time really the best?
• What is the grade and chemistry of the coating on the product? Are SMP finishes really “Super”? Will stone coatings provide the benefits they are seeking?
• Who is really warrantying the product and what does that warranty cover? Is a warranty on the metal or the coil used for the roofing really the same as a legitimate product warranty?
• Who is warrantying the workmanship and what does that warranty cover?
• Where is the product made? Is it really made in North America from North American raw materials, or is an importer trying to hide the product’s true origin? What quality control procedures exist in that country?
• What underlayments, fasteners, and flashings will be used for the roof? How are they warranted? What if they fail and yet the roof panels don’t fail? Who will be responsible?

By becoming “mainstream,” metal roofing has also found itself in a position of having a wide range of products and each of those products has its own Cost which equates to its own Value. Not all metal roofs are the same!

As you think about your company’s in-home presentation, are you helping homeowners understand the Cost vs. Value questions that are relevant to product options today? Or are you still stuck in outdated concerns that were important 10-20 years ago?

Times are changing. Metal roofing continues to gain market share … but the contractors who continually filter to the top in terms of consumer satisfaction are those that are bringing consumers accurate education based upon today’s marketplace.

Give me a call if you’re concerned that your company is losing sales to inferior products. I will gladly help you figure out how to tweak your presentation for success! I can be reached at 1-800-543-8938, ext. 201.

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