OBJECTION: "I want to see what the insurer says first.”

I don’t want to sign anything. I want to wait and see what the insurance company says first.

Have you heard this objection?

It comes up a lot, and it can be challenging to know how to overcome it to get the deal on the spot.

Well, that’s exactly what I’m going to cover here, breaking down:

Why this happens
How to find the path forward, so it doesn’t happen to you again

If you like this and you want more, arm your team with the info they need to effectively overcome these objections right on the spot — and to transition to that contingency agreement, so the homeowner actually says, “Yes!” Simply text the word DEMO to (303) 222-7133 for more info and training.

When you do, we will show you exactly how we can help turn your team into confident closers in 30 days or less, or we’ll buy it back from you.

By the way, welcome or welcome back. My name is Adam Bensman, The Roof Strategist, and I’m excited to have you here. Everything we do here is designed to help you and your team smash your income goals and give every customer an amazing experience.

Now, let’s jump into how to tackle this common objection in roofing sales.

Why Does the Insurance Objection Come Up in D2D Roofing Sales?

First, let’s dig into why this objection comes up. Generally, it’s due to poor communication early on.

Now, I don’t mean to insult anybody. I’ve made these mistakes, and:

I’ve gone down this road.
I’ve tried the handshake deal.
I had trouble getting that contingency agreement signed.

So, I start to resist signing it, shifting to the handshake deal.

In fact, I had a customer who refused to sign the contingency, just giving me his word that we’d worked together. So, I get to his house for the adjuster appointment. It’s 95° in the summer, by the way. When I arrive:

The adjuster hands me his camera and his chalk.
I grab them, looking at him like I just won the lottery because it was the first time I’d ever been in charge of hopping on the roof to document damage.
After I finished, the adjuster looks at the photos, agreeing to pay for the roof.

Excited to share that news, I run up to the homeowner to explain that the roof has been approved and that we could get started on to the fun stuff, like picking colors.

That’s when he looks at me, stone-faced after making that handshake deal, and says:

No, give me your estimate.

Then, he slammed the door right in my face.

At that moment, I learned that:

I NEVER provided the value.
I NEVER solved the “problem” of why he didn’t sign the contingency agreement in the first place.
I wasted hours and HOURS of time to hand him a whole bunch of money that ended up going in another contractor’s pocket (and that contractor was willing to do the job for pretty darn cheap).

So, I want to break down:

WHY this happens
HOW to prevent it from happening again moving forward

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A Closer Look at What’s Really Behind the Insurance Objection in Roofing Sales

With this objection — We want to wait and see what our insurance company says — we need to come to terms with the fact that we CANNOT always take the homeowners’ words at face value.

We have to look deeper to unpack what those words really mean.

So, if we think about it:

The homeowner likely trusts us enough: We’ve identified some damage and helped them become aware of a problem that they generally weren’t aware of before. There’s a basic level of trust there.
The missing link is the NEED: In other words, the homeowner doesn’t think they NEED you anymore. You came in, pointed out the damage, and got it covered. So, they’re thinking, Cool! Thanks for the help.

In fact, here’s what’s really going through their mind:

This roofer, Adam, showed me that my roof’s damage. I kind of trust him. He told me it’d be covered by the insurance.

So, I’m going to file a claim and get my insurance company to come out and check it out.

Then, if it gets covered, I’m going to shop around and see who can do my roof the cheapest, so I can save some money.

Plus, I want to make sure I’m getting a fair price and fair value and that I’m not overpaying.

And I don’t even know if I have to pay my deductible.

That’s pretty much the EXACT dialogue running through your customer’s mind. Boiled down, they’re thinking:

1. I don’t NEED you anymore.
2. You showed me something. Now, I’m going to call it in and see what happens.
3. I AM going to try to get it done cheaper.

So, we need to tackle all of that early, powerfully, and often, so that:

The homeowner sees the NEED to use us.
We become an integral part of their team in the process of working with (not against) the insurance carrier to get the damage documented and covered appropriately while facilitating the install.

We can do this throughout the presentation, and I teach the entire thing in my Roofing Sales Success Formula, which is for both owners and individual roofing sales reps. Simply text DEMO to (303) 222-7133 for more info or a private demo.

Roofing Sales Fix: How to Establish the Need

How do we address this objection head-on AND keep it from coming up?

We do that by presenting the value in how we work with the homeowner to serve as true, valuable partners in the process.

In fact, when we do this the RIGHT way:

The homeowner kind of changes their mind about this whole contingency agreement.
They begin to see how the contingency could really help them.
They go from “me” to “we,” shifting their language to show they’re on board to work with you (and I LOVE this transformation).

How do we do that?

I’m going to give you the long version, touching on a lot of key points — and sharing the following disclaimer upfront.

Disclaimer: I’ve had folks comment on my training and videos, telling me that this is just TOO long-winded for them. Actually, I’m doing that on purpose, so that you can pick and choose the parts you need and use those. I want to give you this wide breadth of knowledge and all these different angles of attack, so you can select the pieces that you really like, putting it together in a way that’s going to work best for you and your customers.

3 Steps to Overcome the Insurance Objection in D2D Roofing Sales

Now, there are really just three things we need to do in order to turn this around and really get past the insurance objection in door-to-door roofing sales. We must:

Create the need for our services: We need to plant the seed with that homeowner (and I’ll show you how in a moment in a little mock presentation coming up shortly).
Showcase the value we offer: We need to tie our services to a dollar amount, so they think and feel that there’s true value. After all, we don’t work for free. So, we have to present this whole thing in a way that demonstrates how we’re serving that homeowner — and the fact that we’re not billing for that serve.
Disarm the homeowner: Essentially, we need to basically say something like, “You just need to choose someone, even if it’s not me.” The point here is to drive the need for them to make a decision.

Remember, if you’re in the house:

They like you, and they trust you.
You’re going to win the business if you’ve created a strong enough need and presented them with the solution.

So, summing up those three key points, we need to:

Create the need.
Sell the value.
Disarm the homeowner, so they say, “Hey, you’re my roofer!”

Roofing Sales Script to Get Past the Insurance Objection in D2D Roofing Sales

Putting all this together, here’s what you can say to the homeowner to highlight your value and lay the groundwork to start moving past the insurance objection:

Mr. Homeowner, I understand that you may want to keep me at arm’s length.

After all, you don’t know me that well, and you may be thinking:

‘Hey, if all this is true — and if it’s as easy as it sounds — I’m just going to get the insurance company to come on out and see what they say.

Then, I’ll just take a look at their number and shop around to see if I get someone to do it for cheaper. I may be able to even save money — or pocket some.’

So, I’ve just told the homeowner what they’re thinking.

There’s NO harm in that because if you’re wrong, they’ll just correct you. It’s a great technique called elicitation.

Now that I’ve laid that groundwork, I can start to overcome the objection. Here’s how I’m going to do that:

Now, Mr. Homeowner, I respect you playing your cards close to your chest, but I do want to serve you the best way I can.

So, I want to remove myself from this for a second, okay?

Whether you work with me or someone else, I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend that you have an insurance restoration contractor who specializes in these type of roof replacements or repairs here with you when the adjuster comes out.

There are a few simple reasons I say this.

First, four eyes are A LOT better than two. In fact, about 97% of the roofs that we replace under storm damage claims — whether it be hail, wind, or hurricane — we end up documenting items that the insurance carrier MISSED on the first assessment.

Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean the insurance company was trying to shortchange you. It just means that they’re out here once, and they’re not necessarily roofing contractors. They’re insurance adjusters.

And our position here is as an insurance restoration specialist or a storm damage specialist. That means we have expertise BOTH on the roofing side, as incredibly adept roofers with fantastic crews, AND on the insurance side.

In fact, on the insurance side, we understand the subtle nuances of dealing with roof damage caused by hail, wind, and hurricanes.

We know how to appropriately document the damage, factoring in the manufacturer’s recommended installation or required installation paired with building code.

It’s just like replacing the transmission in your car. Someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing may quote you $3,000 to replace your transmission.

Then, when you go to a body shop, the mechanic explains that, to do the transmission, he has to also pull the engine out, undo the motor mounts, replace the gaskets, and handle all of these other components.

Roofing is JUST like that.

Again, we’re trying to create that need.

Roofing Sales Script: How to Explain Your Value

Once we create that need, the next step is to get into the value we bring to table. And, for the homeowner, that value means better chances of getting their roof properly assessed from the beginning.

Here’s how to explain it:

Mr. Homeowner, one way we provide value to the folks we serve is by NOT billing you for the time, energy, and expertise to support you through this process.

That includes the time that I’m here right now. I’m also going to be here before the adjuster, with the adjuster, during the install, and even afterwards to document anything that comes up.

In fact, I had one project where a homeowner had an additional $8,000 worth of unforeseen damage because the decking had to be replaced due to wood shake shingles underneath.

We ended up getting it covered — ALL of it, with the exception of the deductible. That saved the homeowner $8,000.

And that’s what I do. It’s what I’m here for. I’m here to support you through this process, so there aren’t any financial surprises.

Again, Mr. Homeowner, we do NOT bill you for those services. The ONLY way we get compensated is by becoming the contractor of choice to actually do the work.

Finally, Mr. Homeowner, whether you go with me or you choose someone else, I HIGHLY recommend that you have someone there to support you, so you have someone in your corner who understands the process.

So, now that you’ve heard all that, how do you feel about having me work with the insurance adjuster to get you the most favorable outcome possible?

Recap: How to Overcome the “See What Insurance Says First” Objection in D2D Roofing Sales

Summing everything up, here are the three key points you need to hit to start overcoming this common objection in door-to-door roofing sales:

Create the need: Explain why you need to be there and how it can help that homeowner.
Highlight the value you offer, tying it to a monetary amount: Point out and explain the fact that you don’t bill for your time or your team’s time to support that homeowner through this process. That includes the time it takes to document damage, submit the right evidence, and make sure the missed items are covered. You also have to gather the proper supporting documentation for code items and manufacturer specs. You do all of this stuff for that homeowner without billing extra for it.
Disarm them: Simply explain that someone needs to be there, whether it’s you or someone else. Again, this kind of circles back to creating that need and establishing that you’re the right person. Then, you close by asking, “How would you feel about having me there when the insurance company visits?”

Now, we’re back in the conversation, and we once again have the potential to earn the business.

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