Roofing Sales OBJECTION: “I’ll work with the insurance company on my own.”

I’ll work with the insurance company on my own. And after they come out, you can give us an estimate.

Have you heard this one before?

I used to hear this A LOT when I was new in roofing sales until I started to use what I’m going to share with you here to squash this objection very quickly.

I’m going to cover what this objection truly means. And, by the way, it doesn’t just mean that they’re going to work with their insurance company. There’s a deeper meaning behind that. If you don’t understand that meaning, no matter what you say, you will not win the business.

So, we’re going to learn what this objection means and how to overcome it.

I’m going to teach you how to tackle this and squash it very easily.

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

To do that, we’re going to be dealing with homeowners who have their own agenda and who, frankly, maybe don’t trust us yet. We need to develop that trust and earn the business before we can serve them and create that amazing experience.

Now, let’s get to it.

“I’ll Work with the Insurance Company” Objection: What Does It Really Mean?

I want you to pay very, very close attention to the next words to see if you can pick it up. Here’s what they are.

I want to work with my insurance company on my own.

I don’t need your services yet. We’ll handle it.

Did you decode the word their quiz? What key word did I say?

Need.

The homeowner basically says, “I don’t need you.”

They don’t see any value in the service you provide. But this is the problem. Roofing sales reps, thinking you don’t see my value, will go on spouting their value, the benefits, and how smart they are. They’ll talk about all the great things that come up in the service.

Then, the homeowner says:

Great, I’ll experience that once the insurance comes out. Because I don’t trust you that much.

And I just want to see what they’re going to say. And I’m going to go farm out some bids, and maybe you can win my business.

That’s what is going on in the homeowner’s mind.  

How to Start Building Trust in Roofing Sales: Sell Like a Doctor, Act as an Advisor

Now, the chances are, if a homeowner has had this conversation so far with you, they’ve developed some element of trust. And trust is often gained through communication, delivering value, and sharing information.

Example: Let’s say you are lost, and you pull up to a stranger and say, “Hey, I’m really sorry to bother you. Do you know how to get to [wherever it is]?”

Imagine you’re doing this back in the day when you used to have to get directions from a map or print out MapQuest directions. So, you pull up and you ask this person, “Can you give me directions?”

If someone did something kind for you and gave you the right directions, you would naturally like them, especially if they deliver that information kindly. You don’t know anything at all about this stranger. They could be evil or a serial killer, but because they helped you, and they gave you directions, you like them. Your experience tells you that they are likeable.

So, when we face this objection — a homeowner saying they don’t need our service — it is up to us to communicate clearly with that homeowner, establishing or creating the need.

We do this by acting like an advisor and selling like a doctor.

The doctor is not there to say choose me as your surgeon. Your doctor is there to say your knee is totally blown out, your ACL is in pieces, or your MCL is disconnected. Your doctor explains what the problem is, makes recommendations, and educates you. They’re going to:

1. Diagnose the issue
2. Lay out your options
3. Remind you of the consequences, should you decide to not do anything about your knee.

The same concept applies when we are an advisor or when we are selling like a doctor. By the way, that idea of selling like a doctor comes is from a gentleman named Sabri Suby. When we take this concept of communicating clearly and acting as an advisor to our homeowner, here’s what happens.

Roofing Sales Script: How to Overcome “I’ll Work with the Insurer” Objection

I’m going to shift into roleplay mode here, sharing a roofing sales script that shows you how to respond to this common objection by acting like an adviser and selling like a doctor. And you’re going to notice I use the ARO Objection Handling Formula, which I teach in the Roofing Sales Success Formula.

So, when the homeowner tells me, “Hey, I don’t need you yet. We’re going to deal with the insurance on our own. We’ll call you for a bid later,” this is how I respond.

Mr. Homeowner, I totally understand that you want to work with your insurance company on your own.

I’ve worked with a lot of folks and obviously, as an insurance restoration expert or a storm damage expert, I’ve seen this more than one time.

First, I acknowledge their position and reassure them.

Then, I overcome their objection by giving them a fresh perspective on their scenario.

Mr. Homeowner, can I ask you how many times have you gone through this process with your insurance company?

Notice how I asked an open-ended question?

The chances are, they’re going to say never, once, or twice.

Roofing Sales Script: Share the Facts to Give a Fresh, Expert Perspective

Regardless of their answer my open-ended question, this starts a conversation, and I’m going to respond like this:

Listen, Mr. Homeowner, I know a lot of folks have never gone through this. It sounds like your first time, or maybe you’ve done this once or twice before. Unfortunately, each time isn’t the same. And as things get tighter with insurance companies, with record catastrophic losses from forest fires to hurricanes to hail and wind events, insurance companies are becoming stricter than ever before.

The risk that I just want to share with you, Mr. Homeowner, whether you work with me or someone else, I just want to give you the facts to help you make the right decision.

When your insurance company comes out, if you don’t have someone there on your behalf, who’s pre-investigated or pre-assessed your property, there are things that may either go overlooked or unidentified.

If that happens, your claim could be “underpaid,” meaning things were not assessed properly. Then, you run the risk then of saying, “Hey, my insurance company gave me X dollars.” Now, you’re going to shop around, right? And you’re going to say, “Hey, give me a bid for this.”

Then, one of two things will happen:

1. 1. I’m going to say, “Oh, I can do your roof for that.” Then, I’m going to do an absolute shot job because I’m desperate for cash in today’s horrible economy. I’m going to barely be able to afford it, and I’m going to cut some corners. 
   2. I come back and say, “Hey, Mr. Homeowner, unfortunately, this bid that you got from the insurance is not enough to get your roof done.” Then, you’re stuck. Because you’ve chosen to do this on your own without professional guidance and expertise from someone who’s done it before. And you are at a loss.

So, it’s up to you. Do you want to write the extra check?

Are you going to go back to your insurance company say, “Listen, I haven’t really done this. I’m not an expert on roofing. I don’t know what software you use, but I think you owe me more money”? Good luck.

This is all about sharing the facts with homeowners. To do that, I have:

1. Diagnosed the situation
2. Explained exactly what’s going to happen

Roofing Sales Script: How to Explain a Homeowner’s Options

Now, I’m going to point out the homeowner’s options. Here’s what I tell the homeowner:

So, Mr. homeowner, you have a few options. I recommend you work with an insurance restoration specialist, a claims expert, or a storm damage expert [use whatever language you like here], who can work on your behalf and fight the good fight for you.

An expert can investigate and assess your roof beforehand, meeting with the adjuster and standby by your side throughout the process, should any surprises come up along the way, which they can and often do.

Or you can go about this on your own. You can play the middle person, and the surprises will end up falling upon you.

And you risk this lack of transparency with a roof removal and replacement. An inferior product can be put on by a desperate contractor who’s going to say “Yes” to anything because he needs to make a living.

Those are your options.

Roofing Sales Script: How to Explain the Consequences of Each Option

With the options on the table, we now remind the homeowner of what could happen if they choose to handle the process on their own.

By the way, Mr. Homeowner, I’ve been involved in numerous situations, where someone negotiates with the insurance on their own. Then, they contact me.

Now, tell a story of a real time you’ve experienced this. Here’s an example I’ve used.

I ended up getting into a roof that turned out to be three layers and a re-deck, and the cost of the roof doubled.

But the homeowner wanted to plant a bid. And he was about to pay another $8,000 out of pocket until he told me, “Hey, this is an insurance claim. Does that change anything?”

It changes everything. And I was able to go to bat for him and save him $8,000.

So, working with me or any insurance restoration contractor you choose allows you, Mr. Homeowner, to do one thing and one thing only — pick colors.

So, you can do it all or you can just pick some colors.

Would you like to hear how I can help?

Boom.

We have created the need and built up that trust by:

1. Selling like a doctor
2. Acting as an advisor
3. Sharing the facts
4. Laying out their options
5. Highlighting the consequences of each option

Final Disclaimer

If my pitch is too long, that’s okay. I’m giving you the long version here, so you can grab the pieces that work for you and package them up in a way that you’re comfortable with. I give you the whole juice, and then you can choose the parts that work for you.

After all, every customer is different. Some folks need a lot of hand holding and a longer explanation, and others like you immediately and are ready to sign.

Recap: How to Turn the “I’ll Work with the Insurance Company” Objection into a Sale

I hope this helps you the very next time you face the inevitable objection, “I’ll work with the insurance company on my own.” Remember, when this objection comes up in door-to-door roofing sales:

1. Sell like a doctor.
2. Acknowledge and reassure the homeowner to start building trust.
3. State the facts, as an advisor, to give them a fresh perspective.
4. Highlight their options.
5. Remind them of what happens with each option.

If they make a bad choice, then you can be there to offer assistance. You’ll be amazed at what happens when you do.

Want More Roofing Sales Strategies, Tips & Videos?

Subscribe for the latest roofing sales training videos and get a copy of my Pitch Like a Pro roofing sales training video library. It includes a ton of videos on objections and roofing sales scripts, 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.

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.