Adam Sand explains how roofers close more deals by securing attic access during sales calls. The attic inspection is where you create urgency and get homeowners to commit to scheduling work soon. Use assumptive language, show visible damage, and reframe objections as routine checks.
If the urgency isn't there, you guys unfortunately are not going to get the sale. You can be the best sales rep, have absolutely the best warm up, take them out to dinner, and be invited to Thanksgiving. If you cannot get a tie down from a homeowner stating that they understand why they need to get on someone's schedule in the next month or so, you can walk out of the house right then and there. Because in this economy, truthfully, no one's spending $20,000 on a roof just to change the roofing color. So how do we consistently find enough urgency to get that tie down? Number one thing is inside the attic. This is crucial for the appointment. Back when I was a sales rep, if the homeowner didn't let me into the attic, I would push, push, push, until, truthfully, I got kicked out of the house. Why? The reason why is because I was not going to waste my time for the next hour and a half talking when there was a slim to none chance that I was selling. I would rather end that appointment right then and there. Sure, it may upset the homeowner, sure it may upset my boss that I got kicked out of the house, whatever the case may be, but I'd rather cut that loss and know, like, hey, I have another appointment, or I have chance for another appointment today and go to that appointment. But let's say you heard a knocking noise in your car, so you took it to the mechanic, and in 10 minutes, the mechanic of just like walking around your car, he said, yep, it's an engine problem. It's going to be $13,000. Are you going to be paying cash or doing a payment plan for that? Would you guys leave? Probably because there's a couple questions that go inside your head. How does that mechanic know what's wrong when they didn't even look under your hood? On top of that, you have a complete stranger asking you for $13,000. No process on how they're going to fix it, how long it's going to take, does it come with a warranty? Whatever the case may be, how is a roofer supposed to know what's wrong with your roof when they can't get in the attic? Getting in the attic is a crucial moment inside of the appointment process. First thing to use inside the attic is going to be the bring down to earth rebuttal. This is one thing that I always use like, Listen, Mr. And Mrs. Jones, I understand you don't want me going into the attic because whatever reason, insert the objection. But at the end of the day, I'm just trying to do what's best for you and your home. I've been in a thousand different attics and it'll only take me a minute or two. Is your attic a hatch or a push up or a pull down? Simple as that. It clearly states, hey, you've been doing this before. You're a trained professional. You understand that you may have to move clothes out of the way or push boxes or whatever the case may be. And then you ask a question that doesn't leave a no. Is your attic hatch a push up or a pull down? That's not a yes or a no question. It's not, hey, can I get inside your attic? Yes or no. It's is your attic a push up or a pull down? So you know if you need to bring your ladder inside or if you just have to walk up the steps. Another thing that I used to do is outside urgency. Listen, Mr. And Mrs. Jones, I understand you don't want me going into the attic because of whatever objection and then you take them outside. But if you take a look at the roof over here, can you see this urgency? Can you see your gutters hanging off? Can you see your fascias exposed? If it looks that bad on the outside, I need to get in the attic to see how much damage is on the inside. I may have to account for more wood replacement. Those are the two main ones that I saw. If you want to be a little bit more direct, once you do your outside inspection and come back inside the house, just bring your ladder, be assumptive. Hey, there were really bad things that I saw on the outside. Where's your attic? Again, not a yes or a no question. It's just where's your attic so I can get up there and I can expect it. They invited you into your home. They're the one that set up the appointment. They need to see the value of you being there and you being confident and assumptive is going to increase that expectation.
