Subtle Body Language “Tricks” for Door-to-Door Roofing Sales

Hey, Adam, here at The Roof Strategist. Today, I’m going to talk about body language tricks for door-to-door roofing sales.

Before we jump in, I want you to know exactly what’s coming. You’re going to walk away with a couple of different techniques that are incredibly subtle and effective. I’m going to explain how to:

1. Use your eyes and your body to drive more conversations.
2. Get homeowners to come out of the door to talk with you.
3. Make the entire conversation easier when you start your roofing sales pitch or when you ask for things like referrals.

Let’s begin.

Why Body Language in Door-to-Door Roofing Sales?

Let’s dive in with a made-up scenario to get you thinking about body language. Let’s say you’ve been driving down the highway during the middle of the day when there shouldn’t be any traffic. Then, suddenly, you come to a dead stop.

Why? There’s an accident on the other side of the highway. But your side is clear. Other drivers are rubbernecking to check out the crash as they drive by. Then, when you approach the accident, what do you do? You look too.

Your eyes follow where to see what the big deal was and why other people were looking at the crash. We think, what in the hell are they all looking at?

There’s curiosity. It’s natural for humans and animals to observe each other and respond by looking at what others are looking at because it’s a matter of safety and curiosity.

We can use this to our advantage to start an authentic conversation (not manipulate anyone or do anything evil).

Here’s how I use these little body language tricks.

How to Use Subtle & Powerful Body Language in Door-to-Door Roofing Sales

Even if you’re pretty new to roofing sales, you’ve probably had this experience knocking on doors. The homeowner opens the door, immediately says “not interested,” and then closes the door.

We do not want that. We want to be able to have an easy conversation with someone. We don’t bite. So:

• How do you communicate that with your body language?
• How can you get homeowners curious about what you have to say after they open the door?
• How do you get them to come out of the house?

Use your eyes.

Step back and look up at the roof as you point out something you’ve noticed.

Now, if you’re point out missing shingles, homeowners may think, I don’t know about that.

However, framing your roofing sales pitch like this can get homeowners curious, and it can draw them out of their homes:

Hey, Mr. or Ms. Homeowner, I was just in the neighborhood, finishing the roof on Peggy’s house. And I noticed something. I was looking at your roof right here on the slope, and it looks like there’s a shingle blown off. Have you seen this?

What do you think they’re going to do when you say this? They are probably going to think, what are you talking about?

And they’re going to walk out of the house or at least be curious enough to keep talking to you. If nothing else, this approach is going to buy you more time because the homeowner is going to be curious. They’re going to think what is he looking at? or I’ve got to see it what he’s talking about for myself.

3 Body Language Cues to Improve Your Door-to-Door Roofing Sales Pitch

So, there are three body language cues to use here:

1. Stepping back: When I stepped back, I created space. That can help homeowners let their guard down. It doesn’t feel as confrontational because you’re not right up in their face. Plus, stepping back opens up space to invite homeowners to step out and continue the conversation.
2. Looking: I look at the roof while I’m talking about the missing shingles or whatever issues I noticed. When my eyes go there, I’m also making the homeowner curious about what I’m looking at and what I’m seeing. They naturally will want to see what I’m looking at.
3. Pointing: Pointing at some damage is another subtle body language trick that can break down some barriers and keep homeowners interested enough to keep talking to you.

These tricks work with the human mind. They engage people, make them curious, and make them want to learn more.

What I found is that I SUCKED at sales when I got into door-to-door roofing sales. I did well because I connected with people on a personal level. When I could start a conversation with a homeowner, it was so much more comfortable. Plus, I enjoyed the experience more.

So, I want to leave you with this idea — when you go up to the door, you need to have a reason to draw someone out. Try to do that with your eyes and your body, pointing. This can even help you break the ice.

Example: I used to ask homeowners with boats about when they’d take their boats out and where they would take them to. It was an easy way to start a conversation, and homeowners didn’t feel like they’re being sold. They let their guard down.

So, those are the first set of body language tricks that I want to leave you with to help you have easier conversation at the door.

By the way, I go over this in my FREE Pitch Like a Pro roofing sales training video library. It includes several strategies, micro tactics, and other hacks I’ve learned that can make a really, really big difference. Sometimes, that small little change can take your roofing sales to the next level, helping you close more deals, make customers happier, get more referrals, or even make door knocking easier.

How to Use Pair Body Language with Your Roofing Sales Pitch

I use those subtle body language tricks with one of my favorite phrases in my roofing sales pitch.

Do you have any objection if I…?

You can finish that question however you want. The reason I phrase it this way — Do you have any objection — is because people are primed to say “no.” Think about this. I show up at your door say “Hey, do you mind if I hop on your roof?” It’s “no,” right? Your knee jerk reaction is to say “No.”

But if I say…

Do you have any objection if I grab my ladder, hop up on your roof, take a few pictures, and show you what I find?

And we can talk next steps from there. You’ll either know that you have no damage, that your roof’s in good shape, or what your options are moving forward.

Sound fair? Cool.

As you say this, here’s what you want your body language to say. You:

• Do not want to be straight up against someone: You don’t want to invade their space or take a confrontational stance.
• Blade your stance a bit: Instead of having a boxing stance, take a step back with one foot and stand at an angle.

Now, you don’t want to make it look like you’re about to walk away. You just want to soften the conversation as you’re asking…

Do you have any objection if I grab my ladder and hop up on the roof?

Again, body language.

A Word on the Word Objection

When you say, “Do you have any objection?,” they have to say “no” to agree. So, “no” here actually means “yes.” It’s called a negative agreement.

Here’s how to make the negative agreement work for you. During your roofing sales pitch at the door, you can say [and use body language] as follows.

Example: “Hi, Mr. homeowner. I was just coming down from Michelle’s house, a few doors down, and we just finished her roof. Yep, down there” [looking and pointing in the direction of her house].

“I took some photos for her of her roof and showed her. She was pretty surprised at what we found, and I educated her on the next steps. And we’ll wait and see what happens with the insurance.

So, do you have any objection if I grab my ladder, hop up on your roof, and take about 5 to 10 minutes to take some photos? Then, I’ll come down and show you what I found.

Do you have any objection?”

When you say that, it’s common to get a response like, “Oh, no, I have no objection. Hop on up.”

We’re kind of playing into that natural tendency for someone to say “no” here. Since “no” to our objection question actually means “yes,” though, this little trick can open up a conversation, so you can:

• Connect with people
• Bring down their barriers
• Make sales more conversational, more fun, and easier

Again, with the objection word trick, don’t forget about your body language:

• Point at the roof
• Create space with your body
• Use your eyes to look in different ways
• Don’t get competitive or confrontational

Body Language Tricks for Roofing Sales Referrals

The other body language tricks I’m going to share with you are for asking for referrals. I did an entire video on referrals that you’re welcome to watch, but for body language tricks, the key points here are to:

• Soften and open up your stance.
• Always carry a pen. Keep it your shirt pocket or clipped to your clipboard.

I’m going to share a quick story with you to explain these body language tricks a little. I’m on site one day out in Virginia, training a team out there. We’re door knocking, and I haven’t gone door knocking personally in a long time. I was doing a lot of teaching, instead. So, I’m thinking, Crap, I have this team breathing down my neck. I better perform.

Luckily, the first three doors, we got three inspections. It was a great opening out of the gate. That was when they shadowed me. But when it was time for me to shadow the sales team and the canvassing team, they go out there thinking, I’m going to use that trick Adam taught me.

So, a sales guy grabs his pen, knocks on a door, and he says to a homeowner, “Do you have any objection if I take your name and number for friendly follow up?”

She says, “Yeah, I do object.” He got shut down.

As we’re walking back to the truck, he says to me, “Adam, it doesn’t work. Your trick didn’t work for me. I don’t believe it.”

And I tell him, “You need to soften your stance and your language. Turn, so you don’t look like you’re ready to box.”

Then, at the next door, he got rejected, but the homeowner asked for his business card, saying “I’ll call if I’m interested.” His response was, “Well, do you have any objection if I just take your name and number for a friendly follow up in a few days?” When he did this:

• He had his pen handy.
• He was looking down at the paper, waiting and appearing ready to write.

My point?

ALL of these things — body language and the words you say — go hand in hand.

They can work together and work for you, or they can work against you.

Remember, in sales, you’ll hear a “no” more often than you get a “yes.” But you CAN turn those no’s into yes’s. And it can be easy.

By the way, I’ve closed deals that with that response to the classic, “Oh, just give me your business card, and I’ll call you if I’m interested.” That’s really just an easy way for them to say “no.” Instead, take control of the situation. Tell them you don’t actually have business cards. Then, ask:

Do you have any objection if I take your name and number for friendly follow up?

“No” is the natural answer here. So, when they say “no,” you just wait. I have turned those no’s into deals with my body language.

Recap: How to Make Body Language Work for You in Door-to-Door Roofing Sales

Use these simple body language tricks to soften the sale, break down barriers, and keep the conversation at the door going. You can use:

• Your eyes to create curiosity
• Your gestures to draw people out of their homes
• Your stance to create space and invite further conversation

Remember, just open up. Be warm like you’re walking down the street having a conversation with an old friend. And have fun with those sales and connect with authenticity. When you serve your clients and customers with heart and care, you will win more business.

Want More Roofing Sales Strategies, Tips & Videos?

Subscribe for the latest roofing sales training videos and get your copy of my Pitch Like a Pro roofing sales training video library. It includes every video I’ve ever done, organized by category, along with a bunch of tips, tricks, and more. It’s updated all the time to help you and your team SMASH your income goals and give every customer an amazing experience.

Also, check out my Marketing Battle Pack for instant access to 70+ pieces of my proven, turnkey roofing sales and marketing materials. It’s an entire suite, specially designed for sales teams, managers, and owners, providing:

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.