Roof Adjuster Meeting Preparation "Do's" And "Dont's"

Hey. Hey, everybody. Adam here, the roof strategist. And today we are talking about how to prepare for an adjuster appointment. It's been a highly requested video. Over and over again, I've been getting the question, how do I get ready for the adjuster? And I put together a list of do's and don'ts for you to help anyone who's new, any sales managers that are running a team. This is a video you'll definitely want to get in the hands of your salespeople. Now, it may seem like, you know, you just show up. There's actually a little bit more to it. So in this video, I'm going to teach you a few items of how to get ready for that adjuster appointment so you can manage the expectations, get that job approved and win more referrals. So let's jump right in. First thing on the list of how to prepare for the adjuster appointment is to set clear expectations with the homeowner. Now, it's no secret that not every job gets approved and not every insurance adjuster is going to agree with, with your assessment of the roof. So it's really important for you to manage the expectation with the adjuster out of the gate and say, listen, excuse me, when I say adjuster, I mean homeowner with the homeowner out of the gate or the commercial property owner and let them know that whatever is said on this initial inspection is not the say all end all that this outcome could be anything. Now, even though you see the damage there, what happens is that hail damage is subjective. So even though you see it, it may not be warranted to be for fully approved by the insurance for a variety of reasons, insurance policies and coverage changes, the adjuster training changes when they're seeing the roof changes, the lighting, if it's rained a lot, if there's granular loss, all this stuff. So you want to manage those expectations out of the gate that way. Because I learned this the hard way, you know, where all of a sudden you finish the appointment and then you walk up to the door and you're like, oh, hey, Mrs. Or Mrs. Homeowner, I have to tell you that what I expected to happen didn't. And the insurance says that there's not enough to warrant a replacement. And then you look like a total idiot and you don't be in that spot. So manage those expectations out of the gate. All right, Next thing, show up early. It is so, so important for you to show up early. You want to be prepared because adjusters, they're busy People, and sometimes not always, sometimes they have a big ego. And it's important that you're there and ready and you start that relationship off the right way. I also highly recommend having your ladder set up already. And some adjusters will use it, some won't. Some of them won't use it from a liability standpoint, but it does show that you care and then you're taking care of them. So do have that ladder set up and be prepared. The other thing is to make sure that you have your eagle view, your aerial measurement, or your hover ready. That can only help you out instead of going back and forth when you just have it ready to go, it goes a long way in terms of building that relationship. Now, in terms of a. Don't do not for any reason chalk anything. Don't do it. No chalk. Okay? The reason I say that is often insurance companies will not chalk, will not take photos of anything that you've chalked, ever. So don't chalk a roof. With rare exception, like on siding or window wraps, you can grab your chalk, turn it horizontal. Like if I were to do something on. This is a wood window. So this is just for an example, by the way, but if I had the chalk turned on the window, I could go ahead and rub it there and show the dents. But generally speaking, I do not want to chalk anything specifically on the roof. All right? The other thing, kill the adjuster. This is an absolute must. Kill him with kindness. Sorry, when I said kill the adjuster, I didn't finish my sentence. Kill the adjuster with kindness. Don't kill him. Kill him with kindness. All right. The reason I say kill him with kindness is your reputation will spread like wildfire in the industry. They will see this logo on your shirt and associate you as a good one or a bad one. It's that simple. So be kind to people. And even if you don't agree, think of it like this. And I've said this in other videos, you're never going to argue your way out of a speeding ticket, are you? If a cop pulls you over, you say, you dummy, your radar gun. You got to check it. My speedometer. Like, has any cop ever said, you know what? You're right. I'm really sorry for wasting your time. Here's your driver's license back and your insurance. Have a good day. Like it doesn't happen. So don't argue your way into trying to get it approved. It will not work. Kill them with kindness. So I'm going to show you what I do. When they get up on the roof, I've got my ladder set up. I've got my eagle view. I say, hey, I got the roof measurement, if you'd like a copy. Sometimes they'll say yes. Sometimes they already have pulled an eagle view, so no problem. I said, listen, you know, obviously I have an agreement with the homeowner. I'm here to help. I respect your position and your job. All I'm here to do is to offer my assistance if you need it, okay? And that way, you hop up on the roof, let them do their thing. I make small talk. I mentioned where their license plates for, from where they're camping, if they're a cat adjuster, all that stuff. And I'll say, listen, if you want another set of eyes, I'm happy to help. I never, ever point out damage, ever. Because then you get ego involved. They're going to challenge you on it. So the last thing on here is if you are going to point anything out, the best thing that you can do is to say, hey, what do you think of this? Again, I'm sitting in front of a wood window. I'm using an example here. If this was not, you know, masonry sighting, what do you think of this? Or pointing up on the gutters, what do you think of that? Right? And the reason I do it that way is when an adjuster sees you asking these questions, say, what do you think? Now they're in control. This is a little bit of a persuasive tactic in a way, because instead of you saying, this is hail damage and them getting combated with you, because the last adjuster or last contractor they met on the roof might have even been one of those guys that took the ladder off the roof and left them up there. For all you know, which has happened, don't ever do that. The adjusters are on our side. Whether you like them or not, they're on our side. We're on the same team. They write our checks. So ask them, what do you think of this? That way they feel like they're in control and you're not bullying them or pushing them around. And you'll see many times, sometimes they'll even come up like, hey, if you can help me find one more hit, I think we can get this roof approved. And they're asking for help. It's like, it's that close. They want to help the homeowner. They just need the evidence, take a photo to make sure that their file is up to snuff. So that's all. Let's See if I miss anything. No, that's it. I'm going to just recap this list of how to prepare for that insurance adjuster and those do's and don't. So first is to set expectations with the homeowner out of the gate that it might not go either way, but reminding them that they have the option for reinspection and that even if they, the adjuster offers to pay for some of it, call it a working commitment, right? That that means they've acknowledged that there's hail up there and there's a good chance that we can get this turned into a. A full replacement. All right? Number two, show up early. All right? Be prepared. And I know sometimes adjusters will call you. Hey, I'm ahead of schedule. I got here an hour early, and you're an hour across town. So show up early for that set time. Have your ladder set up. Even if they don't use it, it just shows. And sometimes adjusters won't even let you climb up their ladder for liability. So just have that ladder set up. Do not chalk anything for any reason. All right? No chalk. No chalk, no chalk. With rare exception, only on metal, never on a roof. All right? Have your roof measurements handy. So whether you use Eagle View or Hover, and make sure you know what you're looking for, that you've inspected that property first. Then do not for any reason, challenge or fight the adjuster. Don't do it. You're never going to talk your way out of a speeding ticket. It's the same idea. Always ask, what do you think about this? All right? And then the last thing is kill them with kindness. And just say, listen, I'm not here to step on your toes. I know you're pro at what you do. If you need another set of eyes, I'm here to help. And just be kind because your reputation by even getting one roof declined by an adjuster but being nice, you might make it up on the next one. You never know. All right, I've seen this happen where I had an adjuster that I was like, oh, gosh, I'm meeting this guy again. He already declined this. Or the so and so insurance going to decline the roof. And then turns out the next roof he hops on, they approve, or, oh, we've heard good things about you people. And I don't believe it was ever intended to be a bribery. He's like, oh, that's all I had. And I believe it. It's probably all he had on the roof. He was unprepared he hopped up on the roo, wanted to mark a wind damage shingle that was lifted. Why in the world do you put a $20 bill under there is beyond me. Right. This is ignorance at best, hopefully. But what happened is then I got a phone call from the adjuster letting me know and that word spreads and doesn't look good on the company. And you want to make sure you got a great reputation going. So kill them with kindness. Be prepared. Even if you don't know what you're doing, even if you're brand new when you show up, their adjusters will often want to instruct you. Don't be afraid to say, hey, listen, I'm newer in this industry. I'm just here to offer my assistance and help. And you know what? I'm always open to learning anything. If there's anything that you wanted to show me, I'm happy to hear it. Guys, I can't even tell you how I did this all the time when I was new. And I encourage my team, my new guys, to do it because adjusters love to teach. They love to show how much they know, and it can help out a lot. All right. Heath says I scratch my head when a third party adjuster marks up a roof like it's a chalkboard and then claims it still gets denied. I know. You never know. And then, Austin. What's up, Adam? Love your videos, man. Thanks for everything you do. Hey, thanks for being here, man. Like, honestly, I filmed another video, by the way. I'm going on a slight tangent, which I can do on these lives. I filmed another video yesterday because I'm putting together two new products that I'm so excited to announce very soon. I'm hoping the next one's going to be available next few weeks and the one after that, not much longer. And I sat out here because I want to do a video on motivation. And what you guys just said, that's my motivation. It's for being here and inspiring because this industry transformed my life and I know it can do the same for you. So thank you, guys. So, end of rant. That's all I had for this video. I hope this video helps you stay prepared for insurance adjusters. If you're running a team or if you're an owner, pass this along to your team. Small little tips make a big difference. And if you're new in sales, welcome. If you're new to the channel, I highly recommend you click the link in the description. Get a copy of my pitch like a pro. Roofing sales training video library. It's every video I've ever done organized by category, super super valuable and it'll save you from having to sort through YouTube and all that stuff. Plus, I'll send you a bunch of tips and tricks and other really cool things when you opt in for your copy. And if you haven't done it yet, check out the Marketing Battle Pack below. It's affordably priced for even new salespeople or owners managers growing a team make one sale 2 to 10 times ROI. I back it with a 100% money back guarantee. You get instant access to over 70 pieces of my proven marketing material. That's all guys. Thanks for joining me. Click thumbs up if you liked the video. Subscribe if you haven't already. That way you don't miss a live. You can join Live Submit any questions and yeah, we'll see you on the next one. Be well and have a great week.