3 Magic Words to Take Back Control of Runaway Sales Conversations

You lost control of the conversation.

The homeowner has begun to monologue. It’s the:

• The homeowner who starts drilling you with questions.
• The person who just gets you buried in story time that has nothing to do with you or why you’re in there.

And you’re stuck in this predicament, thinking:

How can I hurry these people along in a way that’s not pushy because I don’t want to lose the business?

How do I find that fine line between appeasing them, being respectful, and giving them a little bit of leeway without being really aggressive and only focused on business?

After all, we need to build rapport. We need to connect with homeowners, and it can be a really delicate line. It’s a little tight rope act — and if you miss one step, you lose the deal. I don’t want that to happen to you.

So, I’m going to give you a one liner you can start using the very next time you’re out, so you can regain control of the sale with those runaway customers.

Before we get into it, though, I just want to say welcome or welcome back. Thank you so much for investing your valuable time with me here today.

I’m hoping that this one liner will help you:

1. Control the dialogue
2. WIN more sales
3. Have even better customer experiences, so you can smash your income goal and give every customer an amazing experience

Roofing Sales One Liner to Regain Control of the Dialogue

You want to build rapport, but the homeowner starts running off on a tangent. Before you know it, you’re thinking, OH NO! How long is this going to go on?!?

Usually, we want to get that small talk out of the way fast, so we can get down to business. And when these stories come up, we need to find a tactful way to:

• Insert ourselves
• Kind of interrupt them
• Reel back that conversation, so you stay in control

Now, let’s say a homeowner, Peggy, talks on and on about her aunt, a boat, or whatever. When that happens, I’m going to say:

That sounds like an absolute blast. What an amazing experience.

Anyway, back to…

BOOM. We’re back into it. Now, I want to break this down for you.

Door-to-Door Roofing Sales: What to Say to Get the Conversation Back on Track

When Peggy starts taking the conversation off track, you can say:

Sounds like a really great time.

Sounds like you really enjoyed time with your family.

Sounds like you guys had a blast out on the boat.

Sounds like a jam-packed, fun-filled weekend.

So, “sounds like” is your intro to acknowledge what they said and bring meaning to it.

It lets them know that you’ve been listening, and it says, “I hear you,” to the homeowner.

After that, follow up by kind of interrupting yourself, saying “anyway.”

BOOM. Now, we’re back on track. You can easily transition into something like:

Anyway, we were talking about X, Y, and Z.

Anyway, we were talking about your roof and what’s going to happen next.

Anyway, we were talking about the insurance company. Which carrier do you have again?

That’s a VERY simple framework to use. At first, you may be a little uncomfortable saying this. You’re going to feel like you’re being invasive.

What I’ve found, though, is that this formula is effective. When you acknowledge that you’ve been listening, you can just interject when there’s a pause or a gap.

Sounds like you’re really excited to go on this trip to Disney world with the kids.

So, anyway, back to…

Then, you just pick up where you left off.

Bonus Tip: What to Say to Homeowners Who Have ‘All Night’

If you’re using this and it still feels too forward, I would recommend that you lean into your discomfort because most homeowners just catch the hint. They realize you’re probably on a tight schedule.

People hear you and understand, but you’re doing this in a way that lets them know you’re listening and you’re compassionate.

That’s why it’s SO important to say:

1. “Sounds like” and, then, acknowledge some specifics of what they shared with you.
2. “Anyway” to get back on track.

Now, if you’re with this homeowner who just KEEPS running off track and you’ve used this tactic four times in the same appointment, here’s what you can say:

That sounds like an amazing time.

Hey, listen, I’m sure I could chat with you the entire evening about boating on Lake Mendota. You know, unfortunately, I don’t want to keep you all day.

So, instead of saying, “I have another appointment,” say:

I don’t want to keep you all day. Anyway, back on track.

So, that’s one twist you can throw in to, again, disarm them and not make it about them.

When you say, “I don’t want to keep you all day,” they’re usually going to take the hint. They see through it. This is a polite way of saying, “let’s stay on track.”

Now, I just want to prepare you for this. You’re going to get that homeowner who says, “I’ve got ALL night!”

If you hear that, you say:

I wish I did too. Unfortunately, I’ve got an appointment coming up in 30 minutes (or whatever timeframe).

Very simple — “I wish I did too.”

So, there’s the one liner that will help you take back control when you’re trapped in a runaway monologue, endless stories, or a barrage of questions. I hope you can apply this to the very next sale you make.

Get More Roofing Sales Strategies, Scripts, Tips & Videos

If you want more on any topic in roofing sales, you’ll find it in my all-in-one sales training, sales strategy, and sales system, the Roofing Sales Success Formula & Complete Sales Strategy.

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It’s affordably priced and comes with a 100% money-back guarantee. There’s also a playlist of instructional videos in there, explaining every single thing. So, you can watch the videos, and you’ll know exactly what to do.

Thanks for joining me, and I look forward to sharing more with you in the next blog.