Top OBJECTIONS in Roofing Sales (And EXACTLY What to Say Back)

Roofing sales objections are the one main reason that you didn't close the sale, even with a great presentation. So in this video, I put together a compilation of the most common roofing sales objections and teach you exactly how to overcome each and every one of them. Think of it like a roofing sales objection masterclass. My name is Adam Bensman. Welcome or welcome back. Now please enjoy. So a customer tells you after your sales appointment, I have to think about it. Or they tell you, I'm going to talk with my husband or wife. Do you know what that actually means? What the I have to think about it objection is? No one talks about this, and I don't know why. It means that they don't trust you. It means that they don't like you. And it means that you didn't give them enough information to make a decision that they felt comfortable with. I have to think about it as a polite rejection. Now, one layer in the I have to talk to my husband or my wife. Do you know what that means? That means a sprinkling of distrust. They don't like you. You didn't give enough information. But it also has a sprinkling of, there's just some reason that I didn't trust him or her. Yeah, I don't, I don't know what it is. There are some questions. I don't even know what they were, but they were unanswered. That's what that means. People make decisions when they are satisfied with all of the information. When every question in their mind is answered. If any of them are unanswered, they will not do business with you or anyone until all those questions are answered. So these two objections, I have to think about, I have to talk to my husband or wife, are caused by lack of information and lack of the right delivery. What can you do now? You can take a step back and pump the brakes and explain every single step of the process for the Hallmark. Leave no stone unturned. So How do we explain everything? There's a formula for this. As you know, I love formulas. For you to properly explain everything, you need to do a couple of things. Thing number 1 is you need to customize on the fly your sales presentation to fit the customer's needs. Like a doctor, you've diagnosed their problem. So when I say about customizing your sales presentation to your homeowner, There are ultimately what I call 7 different scenarios to do that, and I'll just break them down for you briefly. These 7 are then bolted on the front end of your presentation to sell like a doctor, prescribe exactly what they need. How can you help? And then you explain the process the same way for everything else. But then those 7 different presentations, that goes down to this. Just follow me for a second. There are 4 stages of the claims process that I teach. No claim. A partial payment, a denial, or they had the insurance out. They actually have a check in hand. They're ready to buy— excuse me, select a contractor to do the roof. So there's those 4 stages. But within each of these 4 stages are different scenarios that the customer is thinking. Let's walk through them. No claim. Someone has no claim. What do they— what's going on with them? Either they say, what damage are you talking about? No hail or wind hit here. Or they are in the scenario where they did have a storm, a wind event or hail event or hurricane. And they're wondering if they have damage. So there's two right there. Then we have a partial payment. Insurance came out, paid for the west-facing slope and a few shingles. Homeowner's in one of two camps. They're in freakout camp. Holy crap, the insurance is only paying for repairs and they don't know their options. So they're thinking, I need to get roofers out. Can we do the repairs? And with what they allowed, is the roof repairable? Is it enough money? That's what's going through their mind. That's camp one. Camp two is this. They're saying, my insurance company is only paying for repair and all my neighbors got roofs. It's two different pitches. Okay. There's similarities for sure, but it's two scenarios to sell to. Then we have a denial. One of two camps. My insurance was out. They said we have no damage. I'm fine. I don't need any help. Or my insurance was out. They denied my roof. I am mad. My neighbor's got new roofs. I deserve a new roof. Okay. And then we have the fourth one, which is they have their check in hand, which is usually one scenario. When you add those, those up, that's 7 different scenarios. And here's the last one. Check in hand. Hey, the insurance is out. They wrote us an estimate. I don't want to show you the paper. I'm just looking for estimates. So those are the 7 different kind of presentations that we want to be able to custom tailor. And again, it's about giving the homeowner enough information. They need to know how you can help them. Sell like a doctor. They all have one of 7 diagnoses. Diagnose it and then explain how you can help and then explain every step of the process. Before you get to that contingency. So what do I do? I have to think about it. I acknowledge, hey, Mr. Homeowner, I totally respect and understand that you have to think about it. Replacing your roof is a big decision and you want to make sure it's the right decision, which, by the way, that's what they're thinking. Just tell them that. Okay, then I want to reassure, you know, I understand you have to think about it. Usually when folks tell me they have to think about it, it's because they didn't get the information they needed. And often that's my fault. And when I take ownership, by the way, this goes a long way because then it's on you, not them. So then you say, hey, sometimes when people tell me they have to think about it, it's really on me. It means that I didn't give you enough information or the right information. You have questions, or maybe even you have questions, but you don't know what they are yet. Is it okay if I ask you what it is that you'd like to think about? Because that way I can leave you with the information you need to think about it the best way possible. So slow down, grab those 7 and tell them exactly every single step that's going to happen. Draw out those questions. And if they don't say yes, then you take ownership. You're going to start seeing these objections go down, your close rate go up, but most importantly, your customer satisfaction is going to go up. Hey, thanks for showing up, but I just want to let my insurance company handle it. So what do you do? How do you sit there when someone says, I don't want you, I I just want to hear what my insurance company has to say. Here is how we do it. What do I always preach? Education. When you can educate someone on what happens through a claim, they will feel comfortable, they will feel confident, and they will feel informed. Our human psychology is wired to draw conclusions. We want to know what's happening next. We want to be informed. We want to be educated. We want to be confident. No one wants to feel stupid. So it is up to us. Not to make ourselves look powerful and smart. No one cares about us. They care about themselves. How do I make the homeowner feel important and smart? To do this, to make that homeowner feel special, to feel important, we want to acknowledge first and foremost any objection ever. Number one, you're going to laugh at how simple this is. Acknowledge it. We need to acknowledge it. Say, Mr. Mrs. Homeowner, I completely understand that you want to have your insurance company go to bat. I'm not here to press anything. I am here to educate you on the process because I hear this quite a bit and I simply want to let you know what to expect. And after you hear what I have to share, the decision is entirely yours. So number 2 is to reassure that their thought process is normal. You want to make— people want to be normal. So the same thing goes on with the homeowner. You acknowledge, say, hey, I completely Understand that you want to let your insurance company handle this and then reassure. It's a very normal response when dealing with a claim because after all, you have people like me showing up at your door. You don't know what to expect. You don't know what the outcome might be. Now, all I'm here to do is help educate you on the process, what to expect from them. Whether or not we work together, you know what to expect so you can select the right contractor that you feel comfortable with is how it works. Now, again, It is very normal for you to want to see what they have to say, but I want to educate you on how this process works. So naturally you had a claim, this hailstorm fell, right? Your roof is damaged. We're waiting to find out from the insurance potentially how bad it is and what might be covered. Now, what can happen is one of three things. Three things. One, they come back and they say, your roof's totaled. Here's a check, go get it done. But that's not really how it works. It's not like a car claim. Because the insurance company, whatever sum they come up with, if any, will pay you in two parts. They'll pay the first part, meaning what the roof is worth today. Then when it's done, they'll pay the difference. But the only way that difference comes is when we invoice the proper amount for them to say that all the work was done and that it's handled. And that's one outcome. The other outcome might be that they say, hey, we're only covering some of the damage. Or the worst outcome is they say we're covering nothing. So what happens next? Your options, Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner, you have two chances. The initial time that the insurance adjuster comes out to get this thing approved the right way. So if you had a guy like me, again, whether or not we work together alongside that adjuster and I'm there again, if this isn't legal in your state, I know that laws are changing. Sometimes you can't be out there on site. So you can alter this pitch and talk about showing up after or discussing the details with them. But if you have a guy like me or another contractor who specializes in this field sitting there and helping him go through your home, would you agree that 4 eyeballs is better than 2? I think you would. The chances of things being noticed and identified are greatly increased. Now, what happens hypothetically if we don't like the outcome? This happens, right? It's life. If that happens, the next recourse is what we call a re-inspection. That re-inspection means the adjuster is going to come out one more time. This is our final chance to make it right. So if he comes out and he writes the estimate not the right way, he misses things. Maybe he only covers some things and puts you in the corner in a bind like, oh no, they've already made a claim on the roof and I'm not sure if I can get it done enough and they only are doing some of it. Now you're in a bind. We have to get the whole thing approved. Otherwise you come out of pocket, or worse yet, if you don't do the work now that your roof has been paid for, it's literally no longer insured. Because if they paid the claim and they say, hey, your roof's been totaled and we're paying you for it, and you don't show evidence that it was fixed, they've already paid the claim. If it hails again, tornado comes through, rips your roof off, they're not going to pay for it because it's already been paid for and you never did anything. So you would essentially be collecting on damage twice. Okay, so it's in your best interest to get this handled the right way on the second go-around by having an insurance restoration contractor on your side. Now, let's say those two scenarios don't pan out. Now we're down the legal recourse side. It's not fun for anybody. There are options. I don't want to go into them, but there's appraisals, there's bad faith claims with a, with an attorney. But none of those really work out in your favor. They're costly for everybody. And it doesn't work. So you got two shots at this. And no matter what, what the insurance comes away with, excuse me, provides is what me or any other contractor is going to work from. So my job, Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner, why I'm here today is not to sell you anything. Of course I want to earn your business, but that's— we're not talking about me doing the roof right now. We're talking about me standing here, helping you identify and assess the damage. So with all of that being said, Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner, And by the way, this is my favorite line you've heard me mention before. Do you have any objection if I hop up on your roof? I'll conduct a complimentary inspection. I'll take some photos. I'll hop down and we can discuss any potential next steps. It feels like your hands are tied and your heart hurts because you've got customers that need you, but they simply can't afford to pay their deductible. And this throws a roadblock. Roadblock number one is the customer who you just signed up and the adjuster already came out, approved the roof. Homeowner gets the scope and they're reading it and their eyes just bolt and they're like, it is $6,500 deductible. And all of a sudden the project is stonewalled. You don't know if you're going to get the roof. The point is your customer can't pay it. Or roadblock number 2 is the homeowner that might even need a new roof. Let's say it's a 3-tab roof, it's older, it's leaking. There's clear damage on there, whether it's hail, wind, or hurricane, and the homeowner needs it. But what they tell you is, I don't want to file a claim because I can't afford to pay my deductible. Now, whatever roadblock you're facing, this video is going to give you 3 different ways to help homeowners who truly can't afford to pay their deductible that are legal and ethical. And whatever you do, if you are an individual sales rep, it is critically important that you clear these methods with the company that you are selling for so they know what's going on and you have their permission to participate. First option is using the actual cash value payments of various aspects of the claim that the homeowner may not necessarily need to replace. So I'm going to write down here ACV, which again stands for actual cash value. This is a really great way to explain to the homeowner how you can help with their deductible while also giving you a very competitive advantage to win the business. Two, it's crappy sales, frankly. So what we want to do is earn the business and showcase the value. And what we can do is explain to the homeowner how this ACV payment stuff works. So again, actual cash value, think of it like used car prices. You get a used F-150 instead of paying the $60,000 markup— or excuse me, I said markup— $60,000 retail price, and you get one that's 5, 10 years old. You're going to save $15,000, $20,000 because that's the used car value. So as this pertains to the home claim, you might have things like fences or decks that are going to get pressure washed and stained. You might have soft metal damage, things like gutters or downspouts. You might have garage doors that have dings. You may find anything to fence post caps, cosmetic damage, windows that are aluminum clad wood windows that have little dings in them. Or even aluminum or steel siding, fascia board, anything that isn't going to compromise the integrity of a roofing system. Those payments can be used towards the deductible. As an example, let's say we've got window wraps, we've got downspouts, gutters, fascia board, and a garage door. And all of that— and I'm just throwing a number out there— let's say all of that is $12,000. But the homeowner's not going to receive all $12,000. They're going to receive a portion upfront. And let's say that that portion upfront, if it's an older home, is $4,500. Well, that's a good chunk of change, and that may offset all the deductible all in one lump sum. This is your competitive advantage to explain to the homeowner why you need to be involved in this process from the beginning so you can go through the property with a fine-tooth comb. Before the adjuster gets there to note everything. And by the way, a spotlight— I'm talking like a hunting spotlight, big bright light— can be a really powerful tool on soft metals, gutters, downspouts, garage doors, fascia boards. When you shine that light down it, you're going to see all the little deviations are going to cast a shadow. And this is a time to take your chalk and turn it width-wise. And run it up and down over and you'll see where the gaps are. If it's a hail claim, this obviously won't do much for wind. For hail claim, we'll show where those little dings are and all of that little stuff, although cosmetic, will be paid for. So you can help the homeowner offset their deductible with these actual cash value payments of things they don't need to necessarily do. And it makes you look like a hero and will help you win the business because you have that attention to detail that they're expecting and That's why you're there. Now, it is important for the homeowner to note that any of these actual cash value items they use towards the roof are technically no longer insured, which means if another hail or windstorm or hurricanes comes through, they're not going to collect on it twice because they didn't do the work. But it's important that the homeowner fully understand what it is they're doing. All right. That's plan number 1. Plan number 2 is to offer financing. This can be done in a variety of different ways. Method 1: If you are a company selling retail roofs or you have a division selling retail, chances are you offer some semblance of financing and you can extend those financing deals to your homeowners. So traditional financing or Fund My Deductible is another tool in the toolbox to help when homeowners can't afford to pay their deductible. You knock on the door. And the homeowner answers with this rejection. We're already working with someone. We already have a roofer. We're already taken care of. Now, what does that mean? Is it a smokescreen? Is it the homeowner going, trying to be nice? You know, like the people that say, hey, just leave your card if we're interested. These are the nice folks that just don't want to kick you off their doorstep and they're just rejecting you. They're shooing you away. Or are they telling you the truth? I'm going to be teaching you one simple question to help you figure out whether this is a truth. Because if it is the truth, we know, all right, there are I'm not going to waste my time. I'm going to go ahead and move on. On the other hand, what if it is a smokescreen? Well, guess what? We have a sales opportunity. So in order to find this out, we are going to ask one very simple question. It is an open-ended question and it is this simple. When? Okay. Keyword when. This is how we start an open-ended question. When doesn't mean yes or no. When requires thought. When did you sign And that's all I'm going to write. When did you sign a contract or agreement with them? When did you sign it? What will happen is you are quickly going to find out if that homeowner was in fact being truthful. Meaning, when did we sign it? There's a very good chance that they say, none of your business, get off my property. And if that's the case, that's fine. Move on and you're out and over it. All right. We deal with rejection no matter what. But on the other hand, if they respond to you appropriately, we are going to have a course of action and I'm going to teach you the proper response. So if they're lying to you or deceiving you, they say, when do you sign with them? And they say, you know what, we actually didn't sign anything yet. Now we have an in and an opportunity to present to the homeowner. You know, since you haven't signed any agreement with them yet, you still have the opportunity to choose a contractor that you like and that you trust. And I'd be more than happy to explain to you why we might be a good option. But first, and then we can go into our, into our questions of Again, the SLAT formula, the open-ended question. But first, you know, where are you at in the process? When was the last time you had your roof inspected and routine maintenance conducted? So if they're lying, we have the green light to keep presenting. Now, here's the only exception to the rule. Well, what happens if they did in fact sign a deal? So they are telling the truth and they say something like it was 60 days ago. Okay. So they say, hey, it was 60 days ago, 90 days ago. And then they might even say, but The last company— and remember the top 3 complaints of contractors. Number 1 is horrible communication. They said they'd show back up with a sample. They never did. So horrible communication. Number 2, took too long. Okay. All of a sudden we were on the books and then it got pushed and then it got pushed and then it got pushed. Or the third one is it cost too much. So how we will respond is, listen, Mr. Homeowner, I understand that you signed something and repeat back to them, hey, I understand that you signed something 30 days ago, 7 days ago, whatever it is. And then we reassure, listen, I've been doing this for a long time and I understand that the top 3 complaints about roofing companies are horrible communication. It took too long or it cost too much or the price increase. Then we overcome by giving them a new perspective. So listen, should any of this ever happen to you, I'd be more than happy to chat through a few options with you. And we can ask right now, would you like to hear how we can help? And if they say no thank you, which is totally fine, then we just simply leave our card. We'll tell you what, should anything come up, I hope you are very well taken care of and have a great experience. If for any reason that doesn't happen, here's my information. I'd be honored to help. At the same time, if they say, hey, you know what, we're open to it, we have 3 days to cancel or whatever, we're not happy, we're upset, say, okay, great. Well, I'd be more than happy to chat through some options with you, but first, and then we slide again into that open-ended question. Where are you in the process? And remember, we're asking that open-ended question because we need to know, is there no claim filed? Is it a retail replacement roof? Have they had partial payment from the insurance, a denial, a check in hand? Each one of these will be a different presentation and the value you bring to give that customer an amazing experience. So now you know the perfect way, the one question you need to ask when someone says, I'm already working with someone. You will then figure out if they're lying to you and the door is now open, or if they're telling the truth, you can explain your desire for them to have an amazing experience, and that the top 3 complaints are listed right here. Horrible communication, took too long, cost too much, and open the door to a further conversation. And what's the common theme of your follow-up question after they respond? When did you sign? Before I share more, where are you in the process? Well, his estimate was lower. Have you heard that one? Chances are you have, because here's what that estimate looked like. It will say, X number of thousands of dollars for 40 square roof. Have you guys seen that? That's the estimate. It's a one-liner and all they do is say the number of squares and the cost. This is the best situation for you to come into. We are at a point where we can educate homeowners. I always say that not all estimates are apples to apples. And when we educate a homeowner that what they need is an itemized estimate, and I like to lead with the worst possible outcome first. Now, I don't use this in an intimidating fear tactic, scare them into a decision, but I want them to see the situation appropriately. So I highlight the negative. So let's roleplay. Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner, this roofing company just gave you a very, very, very loose bid saying, I'll do your roof for this amount. They are not held accountable to what installation practice they're following, what types of material are being used, what types of material are being reused, and we don't know any specific details of the install. So I want you to think of this for a minute. If you're a roofing company who's trying to earn as much money as you can from a job, and you give someone this amount and you know that you're not held accountable to anything, what would you try to do? Try to make as much as you can. But if someone approaches things on the not-so-great side, that might mean reusing the edge metal. Hey, it's not that bent, but now you've got 10-year-old edge metal. If your roof is— how old is your roof, mister? Oh, it's 10 years old. So we're replacing— we're talking about replacing a 10-year-old roof, and they may reuse this edge metal. Putting on a 50-year shingle with 10-year-old edge metal that's faded. Would you want that? No. Do you know if they're putting on metal or plastic pipe jacks? No. Do you know if they're using ice and water shield that's up to building code for this area on the eaves and rakes so you don't have a big snowstorm one day and there's water that backs up and you have it coming into your house? You don't know. What about the ridge cap? That's the shingles that are on the top, top, top tippy top of your roof? Do you know if they're using a 3-tab shingle or proper ridge cap? Because many roofers will use 3-tab and cut them manually because it saves them money on material cost. So now we've got all these areas in place and you're telling me that this insurance paperwork, this bid is lower than this, but it's leaving out all these items. So the reason, Mr. Homeowner, that I'm sharing this with you is to help you understand that not all roof estimates are apples to apples. So when you do get an estimate, Mr. Homeowner, whether or not you choose me, which by the way, guys, that is the most powerful thing you can ever say to a homeowner, whether or not you choose me, because the chances are they're going to be more inclined to choose you because they trust how authentic and honest you are in the delivery. So whether or not you choose me, when you compare estimates, you want line item by line item. And I will caution you to never, ever, for any contractor, whether it's roof, gutters, home remodel, anything, Without an itemized estimate, you have no clue what you are getting and you have zero recourse going back to them because there's no accountability. So when you work with our company as an insurance restoration specialist, it is my job to make sure that what the insu— is on the insurance paperwork first and foremost is accurate. Secondly, that anything that is missing will be accounted for based on my own assessment. Both before, during, and after my installation so I can make sure that anything that might come up during the installation that the insurance should pay for comes out of the claim itself and not your pocket. And third, that you know exactly what is being done so the insurance company is comfortable, you are comfortable, and most importantly, you got the job done exactly as you expected it to be. And with a company that is accountable to standing behind that warranty, and most importantly, you. So, Mr. Homeowner, when you work with my company, I will provide you the exact installation as specified on the insurance assessment sheet, line item by line item, exactly as it is. I will catch anything that is missing and make sure it is on there. And I offer a price lock guarantee. So when we spin this and we educate in apples-to-apples comparison, we highlight the not so good things, right? A little frowny face that can happen if they choose this company. Now we have educated them. We have shown our value. We have differentiated ourselves from this Yahoo roofer who we have all seen, by the way, and we've positioned our price lock guarantee. The choice is yours. Now, when you go through this process, ask the homeowner, how do you feel after hearing this? Are you more comfortable? Do you feel more confident in this process? Yes. Great. Now, if I can do all of this for you, would you be willing to allow me the privilege of being the contractor of choice to replace your roof? See that closing technique? With this approach, guys, you will take the biggest objection about price into an opportunity to close the sale. But wait, there's more. No, I mean it. Jump into this very next video because I'll teach you even more objections and how to overcome them.