Residential Metal Roofing Executive Report

Metal Roofing: It’s Not Just About The Product

Issue #3 | May 9, 2014 | Todd Miller

We have been receiving great response to the Residential Metal Roofing Executive Report. As a result, we’re going to start putting out a new issue every couple of weeks rather than monthly. Thank you for your past interest and support.

So, I want to share a story and explain how, when you’re selling residential metal roofing, it’s not just about the product.

Back in 1994, my wife and I were both 30 years old and we were out car shopping. A local dealership that I drove by every day had a brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited that I had fallen in love with. We visited the dealership on a Saturday afternoon and my intention was to buy that car. When we showed up on the lot, a salesman quickly came out to greet us. He introduced himself as “Scoop”. I tried my best to not hold his name against him as I pointed out the Jeep to him that we wanted. Scoop, for whatever reason, thought he had better ideas for us and tried to talk me into a lower priced vehicle. By making an assumption that we couldn’t afford the Grand Cherokee, he made a very poor first impression on us and there was nothing he could do to overcome it. We left the dealership that day without the vehicle that I loved and was prepared to purchase. A few days later, we went to another dealership a few miles away and I bought the Jeep that I wanted. I still remember that vehicle fondly as, a few years later, it brought our newborn son and his very proud mom home from the hospital.

So, what does this have to do with metal roofing? First impressions make and break sales. Now, while you may make a good first impression and later wreck the sale, you will never overcome a bad first impression.

When buying roofs, homeowners above all want security and peace of mind. As you tell them about metal roofing, they will begin to appreciate its other benefits as well but, more than anything, they want security and peace of mind. And, for a homeowner, they know that security and peace of mind come more from caring contractors and proper installation than they do the product they choose. As a result, you must make a very positive impression and build a healthy relationship with the prospect if you’re going to successfully make a sale.

So, when does your “first impression” with a prospect occur? You may think that it’s when the salesperson shows up at their house and certainly that’s a big part of it. However, first impressions can occur at other times and places as well. A first impression can be your current job site that a prospect drives by. It can be your booth at a home show or your logo on a billboard. It can be your storefront or the person who answers the phone for you company. All of these things can break a sale.

Reaching world-class levels of successful selling doesn’t come easily. It requires a hard look at all parts of your business. You want to create systems of doing business which, with great consistency, deliver delighted customers. You want everything about your business to go toward building a prospect’s confidence that you will deliver the security and peace of mind that they want. You want to show the expertise which your company has so that they will become confident in the recommendations that you make. And, above all, you want to remember that it is about so much more than just the product.

Over the years, I have worked with many contractors on helping to ensure that their companies provide great first impressions, as well as ongoing knock-your-socks-off service. If you’d like to discuss that with me, feel free to call me at 1-800-543-8938, ext. 201, or email me at tmiller@isaiahindustries.com.

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