Residential Metal Roofing Executive Report Marketing, Lead Generation, In-Home Sales, Installation, Referral Maximization

Product Specialization

Issue #124 | April 2, 2019 | Todd Miller


The 2019 Metal Roofing Summit is right around the corner – April 15 – 17. This year’s Summit has the best-ever agenda. Our POWERHOUSE LINEUP of speakers will cover topics such as Lead Generation, Internet Marketing, Appointment Setting, In-Home Sales, Installation Management and the future of the Home Improvement Industry.

This event is the place to network with other professionals and get energized to go home with countless ideas you can implement immediately in your businesses. Our Speakers this year include:

  • Joe Talmon on “Maximizing Sales Success”
  • Frank Farmer of Metal Roofing Consultants on “Out-Selling Competitors That Are 50% Less Than You”
  • Tony Hoty on the “5 R-s Of Lead Generation”
  • Sam Beiler of BoostPoint on Internet Marketing
  • Erich Eggers and Christine Balsan of Remodeling Designs on “Applying Design-Build Concepts to High-End Remodeling”
  • William Hatch on “Riding Horses and Feeding Lions: Lessons in Leadership”

And many more!

Here’s the reality – our industry is changing rapidly. Contractors who stay ahead of the game will be the ones to thrive. The Summit is all about helping you to even greater levels of success. Please register soon in order to make sure that we have space for you. Free online registration is available along with full details at Metal Roofing Summit.

For the past several months, we have been covering “best practices” that hallmark leading home improvement and specialty metal roofing contractors. In previous issues, we have looked at Business Systemization, Professionalism, Commitment, Knowing Your Numbers, Marketing and Lead Generation, Referral Maximization, Gaining Local Expert Status, Total Industry Knowledge, Lead Qualification, Appointment Setting, Permission-Based Selling, Needs-Oriented Selling, Value-Added Selling, the In-Home Presentation, and Leadership. In this issue, we’re going to talk about how you choose what products you want to sell.

As a specialty contractor selling something like metal roofs, high end replacement windows, or exterior remodeling, you are just that – a specialist. Think of it in terms of seeing a physician. If you have a cold, you go to your GP. However, for that severe skin problem or that dislocated shoulder, you’re going to go to a specialist. That’s why, even as a specialty replacement contractor, you still need to specialize in a particular product or brand so that you can prove your status as an expert to your prospects and customers.

With numerous product profiles and coating options, there are many metal roofing products available today. The most successful contractors will focus on one or two products rather than offer the full gamut. It gets too confusing in the home when you present a wide variety of options. Complicated product selection can turn the coveted “one-call close” into two calls, two calls into three calls, and so on. In order to successfully represent yourself as an expert, you must offer your customer the one or two products that you know will best meet the needs of them and their home, and then sell the value of those products.

The products you choose are the result of your research for the products that will perform best in your climate and best meet your customers’ needs. Additionally, you may make a strategic decision for your business to offer products that are exclusive to your company or at least not sold through every national distributor or big box.

If you go through Needs Analysis with your customer and determine that the products you promote are not the best for them, then you build credibility by telling them that and, if appropriate, going out and doing your research and returning to their home with information and the product that is best suited to their specific needs. Another option, of course, is to refer them to a quality competitor who you believe can meet their needs.

If you’re looking for a specialty metal roof for your company to offer, feel free to give me a call at 1-800-543-8938 ext. 201. I’d be happy to discuss the options that are available in today’s marketplace.

Now, one last time … the 2019 Metal Roofing Summit is an event not to be missed. This is the best lineup of speakers you will see at any conference this year and, it’s all free! As always, let me know if you’d like to discuss any of these ideas in further detail. And don’t forget to register today for the 2019 Metal Roofing Summit. I can be reached at 1-800-543-8938 ext 201.

todd Miller

has spent his entire career in the metal building products manufacturing industry. He is president of Isaiah Industries, an organization recognized as one of the world’s leading metal roofing manufacturers. Todd is currently Vice President of the MRA (Metal Roofing Association) and a Past Chair of MCA (Metal Construction Association). Through his website, he strives to raise the bar on standards and practices to provide property owners with the best possible products for successful roofing projects.

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