OBJECTION: “I need to do more research…”

Have you heard this objection — I need to do a little bit more research?

This can come up whether you’re selling storm-damaged roofs or retail roofs. Homeowners are in that indecision period, and they tell you, “I need to do more research.”

And this has become more and more common among millennials and Gen-Zers who are now first-time homeowners and who haven’t replaced their roofs before.

This generation is used to grabbing their trustee cell phone, Googling something (or jumping on Facebook or YouTube) and becoming an expert on what they need to do in like 15 minutes.

So, when they’re choosing a roofing contractor or buying a roof:

• These folks often don’t want to make a same-day buying decision.
• They give you the smoke screen objection, saying, “I need to do more research.”

Now, we know that when people say these words, it’s not what they actually mean.

So, WHAT does this objection really mean?

I’ll tell you shortly, but first, I want to say welcome or welcome back. My name is Adam Bensman, The Roof Strategist. I am honored to be joining you here today.

So, thank you for investing your time with me because my mission is to help you leave every video or podcast (on Apple and Spotify) with an actionable plan, insight, or strategy that you can use on the very next sale you make, helping you and your team smash your income goals and give every customer an AMAZING experience.

To do that, we need to learn how to win over the customers who just want to do more research.

So, let’s get into it.

Behind the Research Objection in Roofing Sales: What Does It Really Mean?

Now, what does it really mean when you hear a homeowner say, I need to do more research?

Remember, this objection is a smoke screen. It’s BS, and it’s NOT actually what that homeowner means.

If you’ve seen or heard me talk about all objections before, you know any objection that we ever hear means one of three things. It means that either:

1. The homeowner doesn’t quite TRUST you yet.
2. They don’t think they NEED
3. It’s a MONEY

Let’s take a closer look at this now. What do you think this means, I need to do more research?

• Does it mean I don’t need a new roof? No, they just need to do more research.
• Is it a money issue? No, they need to do more research.

So, this boils down to one key factor — they do NOT trust you yet. It’s that simple.

And that’s because there’s information that you did NOT give them yet.

In fact, this objection has far more to do with what you did NOT say, rather than what you did say. So, it is critically important to understand the true meaning behind this roofing sales objection, and here it is:

They don’t trust me enough to make a buying decision because I did not give them all of the information or answer all of their questions.

I’m going to explain this more by putting myself in the hot seat to share an example with you.

The Research Objection in Roofing Sales: An Example

There’s a new gentleman on my team who I’m training. We’re talking about how to handle our inbound calls and what to say when people call in about my Roofing Sales Success Formula & Complete Sales Strategy.

I audit those calls from time to time to make sure we’re giving our customers an amazing experience, which is our number one core value.

On one of those calls, I heard a gentleman ask, “So, how does all of this work? Is it online or in PDFs?”

When I hear that, I said to myself:

This right here is a trust issue. There was not enough information given to communicate that it’s an online training center that you have lifetime access to. It works just like Netflix, picking up where you left off. It’s dummy proof, with all the downloads in order, right beneath the videos.

You get access to ALL the videos, the complete sales system and strategy, plus all of the downloads, the Marketing Battle Pack, and the guides.

Now, if my trainee would’ve tackled that up front, he would’ve answered that caller’s question about what the roofing sales training program is and how it works.

So, what I HAVE to work on with my team is:

• Buttoning up how we communicate what’s included in a concise manner
• Making everything easy to understand
• Directly answering the questions people may have

The same things apply to selling roofs. When people say, “I need to do more research,” it’s because you left out some information.

That’s why it is SO important to walk people through everything, step by step, explaining:

1. How it works to get the deal signed
2. What happens after signing
3. How production works

In fact, one of the most common pieces of feedback I get from roofing sales reps who message me is this:

Hey Adam, I went through your training, and I’m closing more deals. And one of my last customers told me that they chose me because I took the time to explain everything.

So, that homeowner had a GOOD experience. Again, the research objection in roofing sales is all about TRUST.

How to Overcome the Research Objection in Roofing Sales

Now, let’s break down how we overcome this objection, using the ARO Objection Handling Formula.

First, we want to tackle this head on and repeat their concern back to them, saying something like:

Hey, Mr. or Ms. Homeowner, I completely understand that you need to do more research.

Then, we want to reassure them that they’re totally normal, saying:

Listen, if it were my home, I’d want to make sure I was making the right decision too.

Now, we can start to overcome this objection by saying something like:

Usually, when people tell me that they need to do more research, I just want to apologize.

This means IT’S MY FAULT.

It means that I didn’t give you enough information or answer your questions, so you want to turn somewhere else to go find those answers.

Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t do that. But, with your permission, I’d like to ask you a question — what is it that you’d like to do more research about, so I can leave you with the right information?

Pretty smooth, right?

Now, I want to break down how and why I did this, so you can start to peel back some of the psychology behind it.

Overcoming the Research Objection in Roofing Sales: The Psychology Behind the Strategy

This objection-handling tactic works because I’m doing a few critical things. I:

1. Listen actively: I made sure they knew that I heard and understood what they had communicated to me.
2. Reassure them: I let them know that they’re normal and that I’ve seen this before. That can put them at ease.
3. Disarm them: Finally, I wasn’t pushy or invasive, which is disarming. Instead, I just asked, Hey, what do you need to do more research on? Didn’t we go over everything?

After all, anytime you’re pushy or invasive, it doesn’t feel good to people. So, instead:

• Disarm them and let the burden fall back on you: It’s MY fault for not giving them that information.
• Offer to leave the info they need with them: Not only am I offering to give them the right info, but I’m also implying that I’m going to leave after.

Funny enough, when you use this approach, you will find that homeowners will reveal the TRUE meaning behind this objection. They’ll say things like:

Hey, I just wanted to call my insurance company first to see if my rates would go up.

Actually, I have two other estimates scheduled for next week.

BINGO. Now, you know exactly what to speak to.

By asking a simple question — Can I ask what it is you’d like to do more research about? — you can reveal the TRUTH behind this research objection.

This is a very, very similar approach that you can also use when folks object with, I have to talk to my wife or We have to think about it. Again, both of those are trust objections, just like the research objection.

Now, you know how to overcome this common roofing sales objection — I need to do more research — that tends to come up with millennials, Gen Zers, and more tech-savvy folks.

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.

This exclusive program covers everything from knock to close, with packages for individual roofing sales reps and entire teams. Many roofing sales companies LOVE this program because it’s a consistent process to train everybody on a relatable sales system that WORKS and that’s a lightning-fast way to get results.

If you have questions, just call or text (303) 222-7133 for more info or a private demo.

You can also subscribe for the latest roofing sales training videos and/or get a copy of my Pitch Like a Pro roofing sales training video library. It includes every roofing sales 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.

And don’t forget to 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.