OBJECTION: “Just email me the estimate…”

“Just email me your estimate.”

These are the WORST words to hear because they mean we’re not going to have a chance to get in that house and present. And that likely means that we’ve done all this legwork — the inspection and putting together an estimate — for a homeowner who’s making decisions based on one thing only.

And that’s PRICE. That’s it.

If you do end up emailing that estimate, which may be tempting to do, the homeowner’s going to compare your estimate with a couple of others, and they’re going to pick the cheapest one.

And we must get inside the house to present the estimate and really showcase our value.

By following the strategy that I teach for this objection, you’ll close more deals, even if your estimate is higher.

And I hope that your estimate IS higher than the competitors because this objection seems to be coming up more and more often, with homeowners collecting estimates and roofing contractors using lump-sum estimates.

So, I’m going to help you get inside the house, and I’m going to explain how to overcome this objection in both storm and retail roofing sales.

Before We Dive In…

I want to touch on one thing before we get into the email-me-the-estimate objection. If you’re eager to continually develop your roofing sales skills, check out the Pitch Pro Movement. It offers powerful strategies, tools, and guidance to level-up your leadership skills, your roofing knowledge, your claims-handling skills, and your marketing expertise.

It’s not for everybody. But it CAN help you enjoy profitable growth year over year and love the journey in this whole roofing sales game, whether you’re an owner and a manager.

And if you have these ongoing questions about anything related to roofing sales, inside the Pitch Pro Movement you get access to me and the other mentors — Dashaun Bryant, Jim Ahlin, Mat Mulholland, and John Senac — inside our discussion boards and on our live interactive sessions each and every month.

If you want some more info about the program, we’d be happy to chat with you about it. Just call or text (303) 222-7133.

Now, let’s get to it.

Why the ‘Email Me the Estimate’ Objection in Roofing Sales?

This objection — Just email me the estimate — comes up a lot in both storm and retail roofing sales, so, as I mentioned before, I’m covering both.

The number one thing we need to do to overcome this objection is BE CONFIDENT.

How do we do that?

We understand why the customer is bringing this up.

In my ARO Objection Handling formula, I teach roofing sales reps to:

1. Acknowledge
2. Reassure
3. Overcome

We’re going to bake this strategy into how we overcome this objection, the Just email me the estimate objection.

First, though, we need to understand what this objection truly means.

So, what does the email-me-the-estimate objection really mean?

It means it’s a money issue.

What’s Behind the ‘Email Me’ Objection in Roofing Sales

I teach that all objections in roofing sales fall into one of three categories:

1. Trust
2. Need
3. Money

This email objection is clearly about money, right?

The homeowner just wants the estimate.

They’re ONLY basing their decision on one factor, and that’s price. They’re thinking:

I just want to look at the numbers. I don’t want a salesperson in my house.

I just want to choose in the comfort of my own home.

So, as we piece this together, whether for storm or retail, we are going to follow the same flow.

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

And that starts with the presentation in the house, and we have to get there.

Roofing Sales Script: How to Overcome the ‘Email Me’ Objection

When you hear, “Just email me your estimate,” you can start to overcome this objection by acknowledging and reassuring the homeowner. Here’s what you say:

Hey, Peggy. I understand that you want me to email you the estimate.

Listen, I’m guessing that you want me to email it to you, so you can make a decision in the comfort of your own home without any pressure and find the best value.

Is that right?

Peggy is probably going to agree with you on that. If she doesn’t, we can carry that conversation forward because, guess what? We’re back in a conversation, and we can overcome it.

Now, we focus on the O, which is overcome. So:

1. Acknowledge
2. Reassure
3. Overcome

Just tell the homeowner what they’re thinking. Don’t hide from it. Put it out in the open because this affirmative approach is going to establish trust. Here’s what you can say to the homeowner:

Unfortunately, we don’t email estimates. That’s just not how we do business.

Remember, you set your own rules. And this affirmative approach is going to establish trust because we’re going to explain why we don’t do business that way. Here’s how:

Peggy, the reason that we don’t do it this way is we want you to understand everything that’s in the estimate.

And, unfortunately, many contractors attempt to dupe homeowners.

“Dupe” is one of my favorite words, by the way, because it piques people’s curiosity. No one wants to be duped.

And it’s also fact that many roofing contractors dupe homeowners with misleading estimates because:

1. They aren’t itemized.
2. They don’t state exactly what they’re doing.

You can bring up some of those examples of those left-out costs as you explain this to homeowners.

Roofing Sales Script: Explain the Value in Going Over the Estimate (Instead of Emailing It)

Now, we highlight why we want them to understand the details of our estimate. We tune into their feelings and say:

I want you to feel comfortable moving forward with the RIGHT contractor.

And most of all, we want you to enjoy the experience of working with us.

We pride ourselves on providing an amazing experience, and we want you to love your new roof for the decades to come.

When we touch on all these key points, we focus on building the trust and getting invited into the house. Again, that works for both storm and retail roofing sales.

So, let’s link it all together. Here’s what you say:

Unfortunately, that’s just not how we do business, but we do this because we care about you.

We want you to fully understand the estimate and what’s included because many homeowners are duped by contractors who are using unethical and misleading practices to appear to be cheaper or, in their minds, ‘higher value’ to win the business.

That usually results in some unfortunate things down the road.

Our mission is to help you feel comfortable, so that you truly understanding everything and so you can make the decision that’s best for you. Because we want you enjoy the experience AND love your new roof — and not just for a day or a week but for the decades to come.

Next, we just go straight into this:

So, when is a good time for me to come and show you our estimate in person?

I’d be more than happy to do a side-by-side comparison between my estimate and the other estimates that you are gathering.

Then, we sit there and wait.

I’ve taught this before, and I’m going to say it again. Silence is powerful. Tune your attention. Once you ask, “When’s the best time for me to come out, so we can review this together in person?,” then zip your lips and let the silence build.

Let them speak first.

If you’re thinking, What if they still won’t budge?, well, guess what? Then, they’re probably not a customer you were going to win anyway. It is okay to say, “That is not how we do business.” And if they continue to insist on an emailed estimate, simply refuse. Just say, “Unfortunately, we’re not able to do that.”

That way, you’re not wasting time. Remember, when you do this the right way and you practice:

• You WILL get inside that home.
• You WILL have an opportunity to continually build trust, showcase your value, and WIN the business in storm or retail roofing sales. It doesn’t matter.

So, use these tips the next time you hear, “Just email me the estimate” from a homeowner. If you do, you’ll start winning more deals, enjoying the experience, and loving the confidence that you build along the way.

Get More Roofing Sales Strategies, Tips & Videos

If you’re eager about developing your skills and continually leveling up, just like in the NFL, we don’t stop practicing. We don’t just show up to game day. We have a dedicated team of coaches and mentors with tons of roofing sales expertise to help you practice harder, with more intention, and with a clear focus.

And that’s exactly what you’ll do inside the Pitch Pro Movement. I’d love to have you there. It’s a community filled with trust, comradery, and open sharing in an honest, professional environment. You can also call our office at (303) 222-7133, and I’d be honored to chat with you.

To get the latest roofing sales training videos, just subscribe and/or get a copy of my Pitch Like a Pro roofing sales training video library. It includes a ton of videos on roofing sales, as well as every video I’ve ever done, organized by category, along with a bunch of tips, tricks, and more. It’s great for new people and seasoned veterans, and it’s updated all the time to help you and your team smash your income goals and give every customer an amazing experience.

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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.