3X Rule to Be Persistent, NOT Pushy (Accept This Challenge)

One of the EASIEST ways for you to increase your closing rate is to learn how to overcome those end-of-appointment objections.

In fact, I’ve watched this work really well for roofing sales reps across the U.S., and it’s one of the MOST valuable lessons I’ve learned after training thousands and thousands and thousands of roofing salespeople — these end-of-appointment objections are very common.

And they tend to go something like this:

Hey, thanks for coming out. We’ll call you in a few days if we’re interested.

Now, many roofing sales reps, regardless of whether they’re on the storm or retail side (or doing a combination thereof):

• WANT to create a good experience for their customers
• WANT to earn the business
• Do NOT WANT to be pushy, sleazy, or come across as being too salesy

So, many of us end up overcompensating for that, and:

1. We do the complete opposite.
2. When we hear that objection, we shift into “nice guy” or “nice gal” mode, getting out the business card and saying something like, “I totally understand. Thank you so much for having me out. I know you and your husband want to be comfortable choosing a roofer. If guys have any questions at all, day or night, call or text me. I’ll happily help you out.”
3. We leave the house. Later, when we’re viewing our pipeline, we think, Oh, they REALLY liked me. I think they’re going to go with me!
4. We follow up, calling and texting, only to get ghosted and LOSE the deal.

Now, what if I told you that there IS a way for you to:

• Be persistent and confident without being pushy.
• Turn those objections that basically shoo you out of the house into a SIGNED DEAL, with a happy customer who just signed.

That’s exactly what I’m going to teach you right here — the 3X Objection Handling Rule.

Welcome or welcome back, by the way. I’m Adam Bensman, The Roof Strategist. Everything I do here — and on my YouTube channel and my podcast (available on Apple and Spotify) — is designed to help you and your team smash your income goals and give every customer an amazing experience.

If you’re new here, I invite you to join me inside our FREE training center. Just text the word “FREE” to (303) 222-7133, and we’ll send you a link for immediate access. You can also get more by checking out my Objections Playlist on YouTube.

Now, let’s rock and roll.

End-of-Appointment Objections in D2D Roofing Sales

After training thousands and thousands of sales reps I’ve found that these end-of-appointment objections are where many people FALL FLAT.

They can do a really good job at the door, getting the inspection and even getting in the home. BUT we are SO afraid of being pushy — and we just have to lean into that.

Believe me, I don’t want to be pushy either, but there is a very BIG difference between being persistent and being pushy.

I want to hash out that difference before getting into the 3X Rule for handling those end-of-appointment objections.

The Difference in A Persistent vs. A Pushy Roofing Sales Rep

When it comes to persistence versus pushiness, here’s the difference:

• Being pushy is trying to force someone into a decision. It’s trying to force their hand, and it usually involves some aggressive tactics or maybe using forceful, insulting language. For example, as a pushy roofing sales rep, I may put the pen in your hand, push the paper towards you, and push your hand toward the paper to sign it.
• Being persistent means simply asking questions and keeping the conversation going. This isn’t about forcing a choice; it’s about continuing the conversation to extract more information. For instance, as a persistent rep, I’d try to learn more about where you’re coming from so I can better serve you.

See the difference?

So, we’re going to focus on:

1. Becoming persistent, not pushing
2. Building confidence through repetition and intentional practice

And if you’re excited about personal development, intentional practice is the KEY ingredient to substantial professional and personal growth. In fact, having that clear intention and a plan has REALLY  worked well for me — and that’s exactly what this 3X Objection Handling Rule is going to do for you.

So, here we go.

The 3X Objection Handling Rule in Roofing Sales

First, we’re going to learn the ARO Objection Handling Formula. With that, ARO stands for:

• Acknowledge: This means repeating back what you’ve heard, so they feel heard.
• Reassure: Next, you’re reassuring and validating them, so they understand that they’re thinking is “normal.” You can even tell them you know what they’re thinking, you’ve seen many others with the same concerns, and you’ve been doing this for a while.
• Overcome: Further the conversation. Remember, keeping the conversation going is the number one goal when you’re overcoming an objection.

By the way, I go through this in great detail in the FREE training center. Just text the word “FREE” to (303) 222-7133, and we’ll send you a link for instant access.

So, even if you ask a dumb question or the wrong question (and I don’t actually believe there are any dumb or wrong questions), as long as you’re keeping that conversation going:

• You’re going to extract more information.
• You can start to get to the real root of the issue and what’s behind the objection.

Now, there are two paths to overcoming objection:

1. You can explain it away.
2. You can ask an open-ended question, starting with a “how” or “what” question.

2 Paths to Overcoming Objections in Roofing Sales: Examples

Let’s walk through a couple of real-world examples of how you can overcome objections in roofing sales, using either the explanation path or the question path (mentioned above).

To do this, let’s assume we’re on the storm side of the business and that the homeowner has just objected with, “The other contractor said he could eat my deductible.”

How do you overcome that?

You can either:

1. Try to explain it away, saying something like, “that’s illegal. It’s fraudulent. We don’t do that. We don’t cut corners to earn your business — yada, yada, yada.”
2. Take the question approach. Start by acknowledging their concern or the issue, saying something like, “Hey, I understand the other contractor said he could eat the deductible.” Then, reassure them, saying “I don’t blame you here for trying to save a little money. You don’t want to pay more than you have to.” Then, start to overcome it with a question, asking something like, “You know what perplexes me though? I’m wondering, HOW are they going to eat that deductible? Did they explain to you how they could eat your deductible?”

Now, once you ask that question:

• You are going to open up that wound.
• The homeowner is probably going to start thinking, Well, no. I don’t know how that’s going to happen. And I don’t really care what happens behind the scenes.

Still, when I ask if they know how the other contractor is going to eat the deductible, the chances are they’re going to say, “no.”

When they do, you can follow that up with:

Do you mind if I share this with you, so you know exactly what’s going on behind your back and what happens when a contractor says they’re going to “eat your deductible”?

I think you’re really going to want to hear this.

When they say, “sure,” now, we can:

1. Explain how the insurance money works and how “eating the deductible” is illegal.
2. Use the insurance company’s scope to support our case.

Do you see the difference in explaining it away versus asking a question?

Asking a question opens up the wound and helps them realize something they don’t know.

Often, that makes them more receptive to listening.

How to Use the ARO Formula for End-of-Appointment Objections in Roofing Sales

Now, let’s stitch this all together into a plan. The ARO Objection Handling Formula is your go-to strategy for overcoming every objection at the end of an appointment.

There are 3 times you have to ask 3 questions — and you’re NOT going to leave that house until you try them.

At first, this may feel weird or even a little uncomfortable. In time, however, it WILL get easier if you put in some practice.

In fact, I urge you to take this repetition challenge over the next 14 days.

Here’s how it works. Over the next two weeks, every time you hear an objection at the end of an appointment, you are going to:

1. Use the ARO Formula to ask questions.
2. Focus on those “how” or “what” questions.

With these repetitions over the next 14 days, you’re going to:

• Develop new neural pathways in your brain.
• Be more confident.
• Be able to think on your feet and come up with these questions more quickly.

By doing this:

1. You’re going to be persistent.
2. You’re going to uncover the TRUTH of what’s really behind that homeowner’s objection.

After all, we all know, “thanks for coming out, I have to talk to my wife about it,” does NOT mean they’re running off to actually do that when they close the door.

That is NOT what’s going on. Instead, that objection usually means that:

• They are not ready to make a decision.
• They don’t know if they trust you yet.
• They could even have another roofer coming out.
• They may already have 3 estimates.
• They’ve already decided to go with the other contractor.

The point is that we just do NOT know. So, instead of doing the “nice guy/gal” thing of giving them your card and telling them to call you (and then leaving), you are going to:

1. Acknowledge: “Hey, I understand that you have to think about it or talk to your wife about it.”
2. Reassure: “I know it’s a really big decision. You want to choose a contractor who you like, who you trust, and who’s going to do good work and not take advantage of you. I’ve seen the news. I know what people think about roofers.”
3. Overcome: “Hey, do you mind if I ask you, what it is you’d like to think about, so I can leave you with that right information?” If they say, “We need to think about which estimate to go with,” then I can respond with, “Hey, do you mind if I ask you what is the most important thing to you when it comes to choosing a contractor?”

After they answer that, I can ask another question — So, what is your decision criteria when it comes to selecting a contractor?

Again, they’ll have an answer here, and that will start to give you more information that you can use to then overcome the objection.

Recap: How to Use the 3X Rule to Be Persistent & Close More in Roofing Sales

By asking 3 questions, you can start to figure out how to really overcome those end-of-appointment objections.

In fact, after asking, “Hey, what is it you’d like to think about, so I can leave you with the right information?” they could say that it’s simply a bad time. Maybe they have a Zoom call. That’s it.

Now, I can easily overcome their objection.

So, by challenging yourself to use the 3X Objection Handling Rule, you can start to:

1. Use that ARO Formula and open-ended questions.
2. Handle every objection 3 different times, at minimum.

If you do this over the next 14 days — and it’s going to be a little weird at first — you WILL find yourself either in:

1. Camp one: This is when that truth serum comes out. The homeowner will tell you what’s really going on. It lets you serve them better, understand their needs and their desires, and guide them to sign that deal right there, on the spot, so you leave with that signature in hand.
2. Camp two: Even if you don’t close right there, you now know the truth. You extracted more information, you built a better relationship, and you listened. Plus, on your follow-up, you know the real reason they weren’t ready to sign the deal earlier. That can help you better serve them on your follow-up and then close it on step two.

So, that’s the 3X Objection Handling Rule. I want to challenge yourself to start using it with those end-of-appointment objections, so you can start closing MORE.

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