Your Customers Don’t Care About Their Roofs — Here are 3 Steps to Make Them Care About Your Roofing Business
Not Just Another Shingle: How to Make Your Roofing Business Stand Out
It’s time you were let in on a secret: Your customers do not care about their roofs. The proof is in the shingles. Tim Brown recently did some street interviews, and out of all the people he spoke with, not a single person could name a shingle manufacturer. So, roofs aren’t a priority, but they still get installed by the millions everywhere, which means customers need to care about your roofing business over anyone else’s. That can be a tall order. There are so many roofing companies in the world, and if customers don’t care about their roofs, then how are you going to stand out in the crowd? Let’s find out! Here are three steps to make your customers care about your roofing business.
Step 1: Solve a Problem (aka. Know Your Customer)
Any good business starts with this question: What problem will I solve for my target customer? Now, with roofing, it’s pretty straightforward. You’re here to fix their roof! Your business already covers their needs. So, maybe what they need materially isn’t the real problem you’re trying to solve. The problem is this: they want to know who they trust to fix their roof. Human connection is the answer. When you know this, you’ll boost your odds of success when it comes to customer satisfaction and cutting through the noise (figuratively, although replacing roofs can get noisy) of the competition. It’s a key part of how to grow a successful roofing business.
Building human connection is as easy as getting to know your customers. Understand what they want and need so you can personalize their service. Rather than beating them over the head with a stale sales pitch or hours-long presentation, you’ll stand out in their mind as the roofing company that gets them. Now, unfortunately, your property owner might not know or be able to tell you exactly what their needs are, so here are a few safe bets:
They don’t want to get ripped off.
Don’t just be transactional about their roof. Get to know them — not so you can become a conman, but so that you’re not just another bid they’re getting! The best contractors are friendly people. If you make a good connection, you’ll also get referrals and create a long-term client. It will be a fulfilling experience all around. This is basic customer service for roofing contractors! Pro-tip: Ask questions about anything except the work you must perform to build rapport.
They want to be educated (they just won’t tell you that)
Most of your customers aren’t going to be DIY Dan. That means they have no clue about the job they need done. If they are a DIY Dan, go ahead and nerd out with them about roofing! Chances are, with most property owners, any industry jargon you spew will go straight over their heads. Instead, get them to open up about what they know or don’t know by asking questions. This gives you permission to educate them and leave them with some valuable nuggets (you don’t need to cover the entire roofing process), establishing you as an expert in the roofing business without coming across as a mansplaining know-it-all. Inspiring confidence in your client will also inspire trust, getting you one step closer to winning that bid.
They don’t want to be sold.
This is your reminder to stop using those cheesy closing tactics you learned in Salesmanship For Contractors 101. YES, you have to have a structured presentation, but it shouldn’t feel like a sales presentation. Your entire visit to the home is part of the presentation, not just that pitch you’ve rehearsed in the mirror. Make it intentional but conversational. Control the conversation, but don’t just speak at them. The best way to get your property owner involved is to ask questions related to your conversation with them about their roofing needs and knowledge (see point one about building human connection).
Step 2: Differentiate Your Roofing Company (aka. Create an Amazing Customer Experience)
Now, because your property owners don’t care about their roofs, they need to care about your roofing business more than any other in the industry. Ready for the tricky part? Your customers also don’t care to hear about the quality materials you use or your specific work. They will never remember the technical details and specs you tell them. What they will remember is how you make them feel. That doesn’t mean you cheap out: STILL PROVIDE QUALITY WORK AND MATERIALS. Just don’t inundate them with the details about it.
Spend one or two minutes glossing over the highlights of the roofing materials you use (so that they still know you’re an expert). Then, spend more time on the experiential things they’ll care about, like how you’ll keep their yard clean with a Catch-All.
TLDR: You’re going for EMOTIONS, not INFORMATION. Building a positive emotional experience for your customer will differentiate your roofing business from any other company in the roofing industry.
Step 3: Brand Effectively (Aka. Stand Out From the Crowd)
Every business gets caught up in the branding and marketing aspect of things — and it is important. It’s just not as important as the points above when making customers care about your roofing business. However, you do still need to have a professional brand. Luckily, in an industry with professionals who still use Gmail and Yahoo email accounts, the bar isn’t that high. So, to reiterate: A good brand is an emotional entity. That emotional response lives inside your target market when they think about your roofing business. To that end, there is only one tip to give to successful roofing business owners: Craft your branding strategy around how you will make your customers feel.
Don’t Be Just Another Shingle on the Roof
Consistently focusing on those three steps will set you apart from your competitors, attract new customers, and help you run a better business. The secret last step for a growing roofing business? Work with SquareDash so you’re not worried about the cash flow aspect of getting a job done. Successful roofing business owners know it’s tough to provide that quality material and work to a new customer when you’re still waiting for the last property owner's insurance payment. It’s even harder to keep up with the wave of customers that comes with a scaling roofing business. With us, you’ll get the ACV transferred to your account within two days of your property owner paying their deductible and you uploading an approved insurance claim to our platform. That way, you’ll have the money to start the job and the means to keep focusing on growing a successful roofing business. And most importantly, you get the depreciation in your account within 1-2 days of the completion of the work. No more waiting for that adjuster that loves to ghost you.
Built For Roofers, By Roofers: Contact SquareDash Today for More Operations Funding Information
SquareDash is built for contractors, by contractors. We are in this business with you and understand how difficult it can be to manage your accounts payable when your operating expenses diminish your cash reserves. You need more money to make ends meet.
Our number one goal is to help you focus your cash flow so that you can actually get to profitability. Regardless of your business's financing activities, remember that you will only see growth if you focus on your cash flow.
Contact the SquareDash Sales Team at 214-740-6148 to learn more about how SquareDash can revolutionize your cash flow and account management and propel your roofing business forward.