Roofing Sales Tips: 21 Proven Techniques to Try

1. Present a professional image

To make a roofing sale, the number-one thing you need to do is make a good impression. Show the customer they can trust you with their roofing project—and their hard-earned money.

When you show up at a customer’s home, you should:

• Be driving a clean, branded company vehicle (and not playing loud music)
• Park the vehicle in an appropriate spot
• Dress nicely (e.g., a company-branded polo shirt and khakis)
• Use good hygiene and be well-groomed
• Greet the customer with your name and a firm handshake
• Be polite and respectful of the customer’s property
• Be prepared with all sales materials, like material brochures

2. Get sales training and support

Whether you have a background in sales or not, there’s always more to learn about selling roofing services and promoting your business to customers. Build your sales knowledge by:

• Asking for tips and guidance from more experienced sales professionals
• Following an experienced salesperson on several sales calls to see how they operate
• Taking any sales courses, workshops, or seminars you can find
• Learning how to bid a roofing job and estimate the job amount
• Becoming familiar with different roofing products, from shingles to solar panels
• Finding out how insurance claims work so you can help customers navigate the process

You should also define your goals so you know whether you were successful. For example, your sales goal could be to close eight roofing installation jobs every month.

READ MORE:Roofing business insurance

3. Build your own sales pitch

Every roofing salesperson has their own unique approach and sales strategy. While you can (and should) learn from others, create your own pitch using the roofing sales techniques that work best for you.

For example, your pitch to a potential customer could include tactics like:

• Logical selling points (like pointing out all the reasons why roof replacement is needed)
• Emotional selling points (like wanting to keep their family warm and dry)
• Presenting just the right amount of technical information to demonstrate your expertise without confusing and losing the customer
• Keeping the customer involved by asking for their input, not doing all the talking yourself

Remember, not every technique will work on every customer. Practice several options and be prepared to switch to a different tactic if the initial approach isn’t working.

Your sales tactics may also change depending on the type of work. For example, knowing how to sell roof replacements can be very different from knowing how to sell solar panels.

4. Canvass for potential customers

To get roofing leads, start by knocking on doors in neighborhoods where you want to work. If no one’s home, leave behind a flyer or door hanger with details about your roofing company.

Do all of your door-knocking during reasonable hours when people are likely awake. Avoid visiting during the dinner hour—homeowners won’t want to talk to you while they’re eating.

You can also find customers by joining community Facebook groups, talking to construction companies, and connecting with realtors and home inspectors who can send work your way.

READ MORE:Try these roofing marketing ideas

5. Only pursue qualified leads

Not every customer will be the right fit for your roofing company. It’s important to quickly determine which customers are good prospects and focus your efforts on those leads.

To qualify your leads, get the answers to questions like:

• Is a roof repair or replacement necessary? Is there severe damage or visible aging?
• Can the customer afford the roofing services needed? Is consumer financing an option for them?
• Are you speaking to the decision-maker? Are there others who need to weigh in, like a partner or landlord?

If a customer doesn’t need a new roof, can’t afford your services, or can’t make the buying decision, this lead may not go any further. It’s best to focus on other customers who are likely to buy.

Jobber makes lead management fast and simple. When a potential customer fills out the quote request form on your roofing website, you’ll get a notification so you can schedule an inspection right away.

All incoming work requests are tracked and managed in one place, and leads are automatically tagged so you can see where they came from and respond quickly.

6. Listen to your customers’ needs

This is one of the most important roof sales tips on this list. If you want to make a successful roofing sale, your customer needs to feel heard and understood.

That means really listening. A customer might say it’s time for a new roof, but they really mean they need the project completed with minimal disruption to their family’s day-to-day life.

Asking the right questions and understanding the customer’s situation will help you respond to their roofing needs and present the right solution to their problem.

7. Build trust with your customers

When customers know and trust you, they’re more likely to choose you as their roofer. Build that trust by:

• Talking like a real person, not like a businessperson (but still keep it professional)
• Sharing your own experiences and why you got into the roofing industry
• Having a conversation about things that matter to them, whether it’s sports, pets, hobbies, or upcoming vacation plans
• Being honest if you don’t know the answer to a question, while communicating that you will find the correct answer and get back to them

8. Educate your customers

A customer will be more willing to hire you if they understand why the roofing job is necessary and why you’re the best roofing professional for the job.

After you’ve conducted your roofing inspection, explain your findings to the customer. Explain each issue and what it could mean for their property, then talk about the roofing work that’s required to resolve those issues.

The customer will probably have questions, like how to make a claim through their insurance policy or what the installation will involve. Be prepared to answer these questions as clearly as possible.

9. Provide multiple material options

Most successful roofing contractors provide at least two shingle options, and many offer three or more. You’re more likely to close the sale if the property owner has more than one shingle option to choose from.

While you want to avoid overwhelming the customer with too many options, it’s best to provide a range to choose from. This helps them feel more involved in the decision-making process.

It’s also important to provide information about each roofing material option. How long does each type of shingle last? How long will it retain its color? How well can it resist damage? These details will influence the customer’s choice.

10. Create a professional roofing proposal

Your roofing proposal helps you win more work by outlining exactly your scope of work, timeline, and pricing. This sets clear expectations so the customer knows what they’re saying yes to.

When you’re building your proposal, we recommend using a free roofing proposal template. That way, you can include all the necessary information in a professional-looking document.

Your roofing proposal should include information like:

• Your roofing company name, logo, and contact details
• Your customer’s name and contact information
• A proposal number for record-keeping purposes
• A brief introduction to your business, team, roofing services, and certifications
• A summary of your customer’s roof inspection
• A detailed description of the work you’ll be providing
• The estimate of completing the work, including labor, materials, discounts, and sales tax
• Optional add-ons that would enhance the work
• Scope exclusions (i.e., anything that won’t be included in the work)
• Five-star Google Reviews to build trust with the customer
• Any attachments and images (e.g., insurance certificate, adjuster documentation, measurements, roofing inspection)
• Terms and conditions (e.g., scheduling, pricing, payment, warranties, permits, how long the proposal and pricing are valid for)
• Spaces for you and your customer to both sign off on the proposal

You can also improve your chances of winning the sale with Jobber’s advanced quote customization. Include a project summary, share Google reviews, attach files and images, and personalize your quotes with your company’s branding.

Custom quotes are a great way to present a detailed proposal to the customer. They can approve the quote online and pay their deposit right away, all through your client hub.

11. Demonstrate your value

What makes your roofing business different from your competitors? Whether it’s your customer service, your attention to detail, or your 90-point roof maintenance checklist, make it clear to customers why they should choose you.

That said, your value isn’t just what you offer to clients. It’s also what they get when the job is done—for example, a hassle-free roofing installation, or a project that’s finished before the new baby arrives.

The value you offer can vary depending on the customer. Take the time to understand what that value looks like for your customer and show them how you provide it. They’ll see that your business is the obvious choice.

12. Learn to handle customer objections

Often, a customer will say “no” when you’re making your pitch. These are just a few reasons why a customer won’t agree to hire you right away, along with ways to address each objection:

• They don’t have the budget. You can address this concern by offering financing options or guiding them through the insurance claim process.
• They don’t have time. Roofing projects can be time-consuming, and the homeowner may be too busy to manage it. Walk them through your project management process and explain how you handle everything for them.
• They need to speak to their partner. This can be a stall tactic, or it could be legitimate. Either way, make sure all decision makers are included in your initial consultation, or book a time to speak with them later.
• They’re getting quotes from multiple companies. Multiple quotes will help a customer find the right budget and scope of work for their roofing project. Increase your chances of getting picked by demonstrating your value and following up after the quote.

You’ll likely hear other objections as you make more and more roofing service sales calls. Take note of these objections and come up with ways to respond in the future.

13. Offer financing on larger projects

A new roof—or even just roof repairs—will cost thousands of dollars. Some customers have to pay for it out of pocket, and they may not be able to do it all at once.

Financing makes this cost easier to manage. It allows the customer to get the repairs or replacement they need with reasonable monthly payments based on their budget.

It also helps you address customer objections around project cost. When the customer can make smaller payments over time rather than all at once, they’re more willing to make the investment.

Jobber lets you offer fast, paperless consumer financing with Wisetack. You get paid in full right away, while the customer can make smaller payments over an extended period of time.

14. Use roofing apps and technology

Digital tools can make you seem more professional than pen and paper. They let you provide more data and better visuals so the customer understands the roof’s condition and how the finished product will look.

Some roofers use a drone and a roofing app like IMGING to fly up to the customer’s roof, get images and measurements of the surface and structure, and complete a roof inspection without having to climb a ladder.

You can also use roofing software like Jobber to conduct your roofing inspections. Digital roof inspection reports help you standardize data and easily share reports with clients.

Just fill out your digital report in Jobber and email it to the customer with their roofing invoice for the inspection. You can also send it to the customer with your roofing proposal for the repairs.

Then, save the roof inspection checklist to the customer’s file in your roofing CRM.

15. Share testimonials and referrals

Reviews, testimonials, and referrals are some of the best ways to market your roofing business. To feel confident in their choice of roofing contractor, a potential client needs to hear positive feedback from satisfied customers.

Here are some ways to gather and share that feedback:

• Create a Google Business Profile where customers can leave reviews
• Build a referral program to reward customers for recommending your business to others
• Use Jobber Reviews to automatically collect reviews from customers after you’ve completed the work and sent your roofing invoice
• Ask your favorite customers to shoot video testimonials that you can use in your marketing
• Share reviews and testimonials on your website, whether as text, videos, or a Google Reviews plugin

16. Offer a free item or special deal

Everybody loves getting a good deal. Entice your customers and encourage them to choose your business by giving them an incentive. Just make sure it’s something that can benefit your business, too.

For example, instead of a free roofing inspection, you could offer to waive the fee if they book the roof repair or replacement with you. Even if the customer doesn’t pick you, you’ll still get paid for the inspection.

17. Provide a service warranty

A roofing warranty tells your customers that you stand behind the quality of your workmanship. For a big-ticket item like a new roof, this helps build enough trust for the customer to say yes.

Give them a package that explains what is and isn’t covered by the warranty, like material defects, installation issues, and weather damage. That way the customer understands their warranty and knows that you have them covered.

Whatever you include in your warranty, just make sure you’re able and willing to cover everything in it. The better you can fulfill the terms of your warranty, the better your company’s reputation will be.

18. Ask for the sale

The only way to get the sale is to ask for it. This is the point when you ask the customer to schedule their roofing job, approve your roofing proposal, or sign a contract.

You might be able to ask for the sale right away, or you might have to schedule a follow-up meeting. It can depend on the customer and whether they’re ready to commit.

19. Track your sales results

Keep track of every lead in your roofing CRM, and note whether your results were successful. You can include details like:

• Demographic information (e.g., age, neighborhood, household income)
• What kind of sales pitch and closing strategy you used
• Where in the sales funnel you lost the customer
• Any questions or objections you didn’t have the answers to

This information will help you identify areas to improve your sales presentation. You can also make sure you’re targeting the right group of potential customers and using the right pitch.

20. Follow up after every job

After you’ve completed a roofing job, check in with the customer to make sure they’re happy with the finished product.

Call, email, or text the customer to get their feedback. Listen closely to learn what you did well and what you can do differently next time.

This is also a great opportunity to request a review or invite the customer to join your referral program, which you can use to attract more future customers.

21. Stay positive

As a roofing salesperson, you’ll hear “no” more often than you hear “yes.” You’ll need to get used to rejections—that’s just how the roofing sales process works.

That said, a “no” can turn into a “yes” later on. A potential customer could still contact you later, or they could even refer you to a friend or family member.

Stay positive and remember that the customer isn’t rejecting you personally. They just aren’t the right fit for your roofing services right now.