Typical Roofing Sales Day

 

Derek Saunders, long-time subscriber, recently asked what my typical day in the field looked like as a roofing salesman. My daily routine has evolved since those days because of my private events, speaking engagements, and online consulting, but I thought I would try to remember as best as possible.

 

Although my one-on-one kitchen table closing has decreased, I stay in daily contact with high-volume closers because of my vested interest in their success through my consulting business.

 

 

However successful you may become, it's impossible to forget what it feels like to be jolted awake in the morning with thoughts of how you're going to pay all your bills.

 

You replay the close deals you lost and make mental checklists of who you can follow-up with next to make your next sale. You are always in sell mode.

 

 

I was not an especially early-riser. 

 

I refused to be dressed and on the road by 7 AM like I did when I worked a regular job...unless I had to in order to meet an adjuster, take care of an appointment, or attend a sales meeting.

 

I didn't like to sleep-in, but I wasn't in a hurry to get out the door most days. I liked to take my time hanging out at the house before starting the day because I usually worked late into the evening.

 

By the way, I absolutely hated sales meetings because they were always about what the company wanted me to do to make their job easier and seldom about what they could do to help me make more sales. (Big lesson there for company owners!)

 

The one thing I did like about the sales meeting was the weekly cash prize given to whoever gave the most estimates and sold the most deals.

 

When I did leave the house, usually around 10 or 11, but sometimes not until 1 or 2, I would head for the office to check-in with the owner, sales manager, and office manager. I liked them to see my face so they would know I was working...and so they would consider throwing any hot leads my way.

 

I handled all of my own paperwork, final invoices, and supplement requests. If there were any phone calls or paperwork pressing on me, I would take care of it at the office before heading out into the neighborhoods.

 

Remember, I started selling back in '95 before the days of cell phones. I had a beeper and a pocket full of quarters for the pay phone. It was just easier to handle business at the office.

 

It wasn't until a few years later when I had a cell phone and a fax machine & printer that I started handling more of the business from home. Whether from home or the office, I liked taking care of business before going out in the field to sell. If I had any loose ends, it really bothered me and I wasn't able to concentrate on selling.

 

Once out in the field selling, that's where I stayed until the end of the day.

 

Very seldom would I go back to the office before I finished selling for the day unless I forgot something important or needed a special sample board.

 

 

At the end of my sales day, I would either go back to the office to fill out the production paperwork on any sales I made that day, or I would just head to the house and do it in the morning.

 

While out in the field, I was a massive knocker.

 

I didn't move around from neighborhood to neighborhood very often. Once I got traction, I stayed put until I knew the status of every single homeowner. I watched all my own jobs in production because that was the best time to set new appointments and talk to interested neighbors.

 

I didn't take a lot of notes, but I had a mind like an elephant. I seldom forgot details like names of kids, pet names, relatives, job titles, vacation schedules, charitable organizations, or any other tidbit of emotionally-charged data that would anchor me to my prospects. If I were active in the field today, I would probably use an app like Evernote to keep track of this information.

 

I gave away free estimates. That was how I got in front of new prospects. Back then, I would draw and measure the roof by hand, write the estimate, and try to get to the kitchen table. People who didn't sign immediately were kept in a 3-ring binder for follow-up.

 

Saturday was my big follow-up day because I didn't work Sunday without a special appointment. I would go by in person or have my "manager" call them to ask about my service and offer them a special deal for signing on Saturday.

I can't tell you how many deals I sold on the follow-up...at least 50% of my deals were sold after I left the house. I'm a strong closer at the kitchen table, but I never gave up on a deal until they went with somebody else or point-blank told me to leave them alone.

As the years went by, I developed a more refined selling system to filter my prospects and lock-down my deals in the least amount of time necessary. It's called the "Sales Domination System" and it's available to all members of the Roofing Salesman University.

 

I'm proud to say my system is the foundation for many of the most successful roofing companies and salespeople in America today.

 

Those were the basics of my typical day selling roofs.

 

Any questions?

 

✌ Mike

 

P.S. I'm not a huge fan of contingency contracts or high-pressure sales techniques. I am a fan of working hard, cashing giant commission checks, and developing happy customers who refer easy deals to me.