Residential Metal Roofing Executive Report

Planning for 2018

Issue #85 | October 13, 2017 | Seth Heckaman

If you are attending MetalCon next week in Las Vegas, please be sure to visit us at Isaiah Industries booth #1231. Industry leaders, Todd Miller, President of Isaiah Industries, and Frank Farmer, President of American Metal Roofs, will both be featured in the seminar schedule Wednesday and Thursday mornings, October 18th and 19th. They will also be in our booth during exhibit hall hours to meet and planning to answer any questions you might have.

I am excited to announce we have finalized the dates for our 2018 Metal Roofing Summit! Last year’s Summit was an incredible opportunity for companies from across North America, from those well established in metal roofing to those considering adding it to their product offering, to train, network, and share best practices with each other. Next year’s event will be March 19 – 21, 2018 and once again held at our headquarters in Piqua, OH. We are very excited about the speakers we have scheduled. Mark your calendars now and stay tuned for additional details in the coming months.

It is hard to believe we have begun the fourth quarter of 2017. I know you are in the throes of fall, scrambling to work through your backlog before the snow flies. But, in the midst of all your immediate tasks and responsibilities, now is the time to begin defining your goals for 2018. The holiday season will quickly be upon us, New Year’s will come and go, and all of the sudden, it will be home show season. The best way to ensure a strong 2018 is to take time to review, evaluate, and plan as 2017 comes to a close. Here are the topics we hear currently being discussed in the most successful home improvement companies across the country.

Evaluate Your Marketing Dollars

As the sales season winds down, now is the time to review where your marketing dollars were spent in 2017 and measure their effectiveness. To properly plan for next year, it must go beyond a “total dollars out” vs “total dollars in” evaluation. The most successful companies will spend significant time tying every lead back to method through which it was generated so they can properly measure the cost per lead; the rate which it set, issued, demoed, closed, and rescinded; and the ultimate cost per sale.

The most efficient marketing methods in 2017 are obviously included in your marketing plan for next year. By identifying the methods that did not perform, you can then be redirect those dollars to other methods or use them to fund new ideas and opportunities. Here are some past issues of the Executive Report that might be helpful as you conduct this exercise:

Knowing Your Numbers
Establish Your Marketing Plan
Referral Maximization

Show and Events

Now is the time to plan your 2018 show and event schedule. We consistently see shows and events serve as an efficient and high-grossing lead generator for our most successful dealers. Specialty metal roofing creates beautiful displays that capture the attention of attendees and draw them into your booth, whether they came to the show looking for roofing or not. The goal is to obviously convert them into an appointment, but shows are also a great opportunity to build a database you can farm for business well into the future. But be careful – shows and events are only as effective as your follow up. If you are unable to call all leads within just a couple of days after the show and schedule as many appointments as possible in the following week, then your dollars will likely be wasted.

There is usually value in large home shows in most markets, but the biggest bang-for-your-buck can be found at other festivals and fairs – car shows, state fairs, barbecue festivals, etc. Though attendees didn’t come with the intention of researching home improvements, you will often be the only roofing company exhibiting. At any given time, 7% of the population is considering their reroofing options. So if 10,000 people attend, 700 will be buying new roofs in the near future, and, according to recent market data, 70 will be purchasing metal roofs.

Do not overextend yourself or your team; only participate in as many shows as your follow-up infrastructure can manage; think outside the box for opportunities to get in front of the public. For additional thoughts, you can revisit our past Executive Report on Shows and Events.

Professional Development

In the coming months, how can you best invest in yourself and your team? We all know making time for training and development in the midst of already chaotic lives is incredibly difficult, but also incredibly rewarding. Events like the Metal Roofing Summit and others give you the opportunity to step away from the daily grind to work on your business and dream for the future. Without a vision for the future – defined by specific goals with a clear action plan – the likelihood of future growth is slim. Whether a trade show, seminar, or conference, just a few days away can make all the difference. Here are some of our favorites.

October 25 – 27, 2017 – Dave Yoho Hiring & Training Executive Symposium
December 14 – 15, 2017 – Rick Grosso’s Owners Camp
February 6 – 8, 2018 – International Roofing Expo
March 19 – 21, 2018 – Metal Roofing Summit
May 4, 2018 – Chick-Fil-A Leadercast

We know and appreciate this is still an incredibly busy time of year. If there is ever any way we can help with these conversations – jump on a conference call to brainstorm, connect you with other successful companies to network with, etc. – we are happy to. Please do not ever hesitate to reach out through the contact information below.

As always, thank you for reading and please let us know of any way we could be of service.

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