We’ve covered it before, but roofing sales is a numbers game.
Once you have some experience, you know your close rate. You know how many leads you can handle. And you know your average commission.
That’s all the information you need to crank up your income.
Why? Because those are the dials you can turn to make more roofing sales.
You can…
- Increase your lead flow.
- Increase your close rate.
- Increase your commission.
And if you’re a real pro, you can do all three.
But before we dig in, let’s make sure we’re on the same page on the numbers.
Setting the Stage for $100k in Roofing Sales
You’re a roofing sales guy. You earn a 10% commission on every roof you sell. To crack $100k in income, you’d need to sell $1 million each year.
There are a few ways to skin that cat. For example, you could close ten $100,000 jobs each year. That’s a great plan if you’re selling gold-plated shingles in Silicon Valley.
You could also sell a hundred $10,000 per year. That’s a far more realistic goal.
Or you could sell 200 jobs with an average ticket price of $5,000. You’ll just need to work around the clock to make it happen.
And honestly, it’s that simple. Sell x number of jobs at x ticket price for x dollars of commission.
The strategies in this article will help you crank up those numbers. So let’s start with the obvious.
Increase Your Lead Flow
The absolute easiest way to get more sales is to increase your lead flow. The more selling opportunities you get, the more you can sell. Let’s run a hypothetical to make this more clear…
Suppose you’re a sales guy making $60,000 per year at a 10% commission rate. That means you sell $600,000 worth of roofs each year. With an average sale of $10,000, you’re closing 60 sales annually.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Annual sales: $600,000
- Average sale: $10,000
- Number of sales: 60
- Close rate: 20%
- Commission rate: 10%
- Annual income: $60,000
In this example, you’re getting about 300 leads per year. That’s about 6 leads per week, assuming you take three weeks off per year.
What if you doubled the number of leads while keeping the same close rate? That would give you $120,000 in annual income.
Seems easy enough, right? Crank up lead flow, keep your close rate high, and watch the money flow in.
What could go wrong?
Well, a lot.
First, leads don’t grow on trees. You can’t snap your fingers and summon homeowners eager for a new roof.
Second, burnout is a real problem for roofers. Unless you’ve got a top-tier CRM or heroic organization, tracking all those leads is a nightmare.
That’s where you’ll need some strategy. Let’s deal with boosting your lead flow first…
Ask for referrals like it’s going out of style.
Referrals are the lifeblood of roofing sales. When homeowners trust you enough to recommend you to their friends and neighbors, you’re golden. The best part? Referral leads are often the easiest to close because the trust factor is already established. Here’s how to leverage referrals at two critical points: at the point of sale and after the job’s complete.
When you’ve just closed a deal and the homeowner is excited about their new roof, that’s the perfect moment to ask for referrals. Their positive emotion is at its peak, and they’re more likely to want to share their good experience. Here’s how to do it effectively:
1. Be Direct and Specific
- Don’t be shy about asking for referrals. Be clear about what you want. Instead of saying, “Let me know if you know anyone who needs a roof,” try, “Who do you know who might need roofing work? I’d love to help them out too.”
2. Offer an Incentive
- Sweeten the deal with a small incentive. A $50 gift card can motivate homeowners to refer you. Just make sure you offer an instant incentive, not an incentive that pays off in months to come.
3. Make it Easy
- Provide referral cards they can hand out or a simple link they can share via email or social media. The easier you make it for them to refer you, the more likely they are to do it.
- After you’ve completed the job and your client is satisfied, keep the referral pipeline flowing with a well-designed referral drip campaign. This involves a series of follow-up touches to remind them of your services and encourage them to refer you.
Here’s how to set it up:
1. Follow-Up Email
- Send a thank-you email immediately after the job is done, expressing your gratitude for their business. Mention that you’d love to help their friends and family too. Include a referral link or attach referral cards.
2. Monthly Check-Ins
- Schedule monthly emails or text messages to stay on their radar. These should be light, friendly reminders that you’re available for roofing needs and appreciate referrals. Share useful tips about roof maintenance or seasonal advice to add value.
3. Social Media Engagement
- Share success stories, client testimonials, and before-and-after photos to keep them engaged. Bonus points if you can get the homeowner to comment or share your post about them!
Do that, and you’ll likely boost your lead flow enough to juice up your income. Plus, referrals tend to close at higher rates than other leads.
But even the best roofing sales guy can get swamped. It’s tough to keep up if you’re getting dozens of leads each week. That means your close rate could plummet. And your income will plummet with it.
That’s why you’ll need another strategy in your arsenal…
Increase Your Close Rate
Let’s take that last example where you’re making $60,000 per year. You’re getting 300 leads per year and closing 20% of them. How much would you need to crank up your close rate to hit $100k in roofing sales?
If you keep the same number of leads (300 per year), you’ll need to increase your close rate to reach 100 sales. Let’s find that new close rate:
- Target number of sales: 100
- Leads per year: 300
- Required close rate: 100 / 300 = 0.3333 or 33.33%
So, you need to increase your close rate from 20% to 33.33% to achieve your $100,000 income goal.
That’s an over 50% increase in your close rate. That’s a massive increase.
And that can feel discouraging, especially if you’ve already dialed in your sales pitch.
Fortunately, there’s a straightforward way to increase your close rate…
Follow-Up Relentlessly
Quick follow-up with new leads can skyrocket your close rate. We’re not talking about same day or next day response times. We’re talking about same minute or hour. When a lead comes in, your speed of response can be the difference between landing a sale and losing it to a competitor. Here’s why and how you can make this happen.
The faster you respond to a lead, the higher your chances of closing the sale. Prospects are most interested and engaged when they first reach out. Catch them while they’re still thinking about their roofing needs and before they start looking elsewhere.
1. First Impressions Matter.
- A quick response demonstrates your professionalism and eagerness to help. It sets a positive tone for the rest of the interaction and shows the prospect that you value their time and business.
2. Capture Their Attention.
- In the digital age, attention spans are short. By responding immediately, you capture their attention before they get distracted or approach other contractors.
3. Simplicity.
- Homeowners often go for the first person who reaches them. It’s just easier. And when you win that race to an inbox or phone, you set yourself up as the easiest option to replace that roof. It’s a massive advantage over your competitors.
Automating Your Follow-Ups
Automation is your best friend here. No salesperson can send an instant text message to every lead who enters the funnel. Automation makes sure that no lead falls through the cracks.
Now here’s the kicker. You should automatically send those texts from your individual number. No 800 numbers or @info emails. These should be personal messages from a personal number sent immediately.
If you’re on a tight budget, you can string those automations together with Zapier. But you can also use a CRM like ProLine to set up a work phone number for you that sends automated texts.
You can book a demo to see it in action!
Once you’ve settled on how to send those follow-ups, use a sequence like this…
- Within the first minute of receiving a lead, send an automated email and text acknowledging their inquiry and asking when you can inspect their roof.
- Within the first hour, personally reach out via phone or email. Introduce yourself, express your interest in their roofing project, and schedule an inspection.
- If the prospect hasn’t responded, send a friendly follow-up email and text the next day. Reiterate your availability and the benefits of choosing your services.
- Continue with weekly follow-up emails and texts if there’s no response. Be sure to ask questions and be polite.
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get an immediate response. Your speed and persistence will make an impact.
That’s how to turbocharge your follow-up. Here are a few more rapid-fire tips to boost your close rate.
Follow Up on Quotes
After sending out quotes, don’t let them sit idle. A quote follow-up strategy ensures you stay top-of-mind and shows prospects that you’re proactive and committed.
- Immediate Follow-Up: As soon as you send a quote, follow up within 24 hours. This could be a quick call or email to confirm they received it and to answer any initial questions.
- Scheduled Check-Ins: Set reminders to follow up at regular intervals – one week, two weeks, and then a month after sending the quote. Each follow-up should provide additional value or address potential concerns.
- Personalized Communication: Tailor your follow-ups to each prospect. Reference their specific needs and how your proposal meets them. Personal touches can make your follow-ups stand out.
Quotes That Sell
Your quotes should do more than just list prices. They should sell your value and expertise.
- Professional Presentation: Make sure your quotes are well-formatted, clear, and professional. Include your branding, contact information, and a cover letter if appropriate.
- Detailed Breakdown: Provide a detailed breakdown of costs, explaining the value and benefits of each component. Transparency builds trust.
- Visuals and Testimonials: Incorporate visuals like photos of previous projects and customer testimonials to reinforce your credibility and the quality of your work.
Constant Role-Play with Sales Team
Regular role-play sessions with your sales team can significantly improve your closing skills.
- Simulate Real Scenarios: Create role-play scenarios based on common objections and tough questions you face. Practice handling these situations smoothly.
- Feedback Loop: After each role-play session, provide constructive feedback and identify areas for improvement. Encourage your team to do the same.
- Record and Review: Record your role-play sessions and review them to spot patterns, refine techniques, and track progress over time.
4. Track Communications to Find What Works
Data is your best friend when it comes to improving your sales process. Track all your communications to see what works and what doesn’t.
- CRM Maximization: Use your CRM to log all interactions with prospects. Track emails, calls, meetings, and follow-ups.
- Analyze Patterns: Regularly review your communication logs to identify successful strategies and areas needing improvement. Look for patterns in timing, messaging, and response rates.
- A/B Testing: Experiment with different approaches and messages. Test various follow-up sequences, email templates, and call scripts to see what resonates best with your prospects.
Dial in your follow-up game AND your sales process. Put together, they’ll both help you increase your close rate.
But there’s one more option left up your sleeve. And that’s to increase the ticket price of the jobs you sell.
Increase your commission.
Technically, you could just ask your boss for a higher commission rate. That’ll do it. But could you sell higher ticket jobs and achieve the same thing?
Like with everything else in this article, it is all far easier said than done. You essentially have two ways to make it happen…
Upsell, Upsell, Upsell
By offering additional services and products to your clients, you can boost the total value of each sale. It not only increases your income but gives your customers more control over what they buy.
The best way to do this? Include upsells on your quote. Here’s how to do it:
Offer Tiered Packages: Create tiered service packages – basic, standard, and premium. Each package should include progressively more services and features. This gives clients options and highlights the added value of higher-tier packages.
Highlight Additional Benefits: Clearly outline the benefits of the upsells in your quotes. Explain how each additional service or product will improve their roofing experience, increase the lifespan of their roof, or provide added protection.
Visual and Detailed Breakdown: Use visuals to showcase the differences between packages. Include detailed breakdowns of what each package entails, making it easy for clients to see the value in upgrading.
You can also sell individual items like lifetime pipe boots and gutter systems!
But there’s another way to boost your job value. And that’s to change your target audience.
Identify Your Highest Paying Customers And Exclusively Sell To Them
Focus on your highest-paying customers. Your most profitable customer segment is an area to garner significant increases in your income while simplifying your sales efforts. Here’s how to identify your ideal customers and tailor your sales strategy to cater to them.
Analyze Your Sales Data
Start by reviewing your sales data to identify patterns. Look for customers who have consistently spent more on their roofing projects or have opted for premium services and upsells. These are likely your most profitable customers.
Assess Customer Satisfaction
High-paying customers are often those who value quality and are satisfied with your work. Gather feedback and testimonials from past clients to understand who had the best experiences and why.
Satisfied customers are more likely to spend more and refer you to others with similar needs and budgets.
Define Common Characteristics
Identify common traits among your most profitable customers. This can include demographics (age, income level, location), types of properties (residential vs. commercial), or specific needs (luxury materials, eco-friendly solutions). Understanding these characteristics helps you target similar prospects.
Evaluate Lead Sources
Determine which marketing channels or lead sources consistently bring in high-paying customers. Whether it’s referrals, online advertising, or community events, focusing your efforts on these sources can streamline your lead generation process.
Let’s break down how increasing your ticket price can help you reach your $100,000 income goal. By selling higher-priced roofing jobs, you can achieve your target with fewer sales, simplifying your workload and potentially increasing your profit margins.
First, let’s recap the current scenario where you’re making $60,000 per year:
- Annual sales: $600,000
- Average sale: $10,000
- Number of sales: 60
- Commission rate: 10%
- Annual income: $60,000
To hit $100,000 in income, you need to generate $1,000,000 in sales at a 10% commission rate.
Suppose you increase your average job price from $10,000 to $15,000.
To find out how many $15,000 jobs you need to sell, we divide the target annual sales by the new average sale price:
$1,000,000 / $15,000 = 67
So, you need to sell approximately 67 jobs at $15,000 each to reach your $1,000,000 sales target.
In the original scenario, you needed to sell 100 jobs at $10,000 each to reach $1,000,000.
This means you need to sell 33 fewer jobs to reach your $100,000 income goal, significantly reducing your workload while potentially allowing you to focus on higher-quality projects and clients.
Conclusion
Remember, success in roofing sales comes from a blend of hard work, smart strategies, and relentless follow-up. By mastering these elements, you’ll not only hit your $100k goal but also set the stage for even greater achievements in your roofing sales career.
So, get out there, turn those dials, and watch your income soar.
And if you need help along the way, book a demo of ProLine!
It’s helped dozens of roofing businesses close more sales with less work.
And if you want to learn more about roofing sales, check out our video on closing techniques.
