Sales Etiquette VIOLATIONS: Top 5 Deal Killers

I’m going to teach you the five FASTEST ways to:

Take the pin out of a grenade.
Toss it into the kitchen with you.
Explode the sale right in front of you!

That’s because I’m going to uncover the top five sales etiquette mistakes that I see happening far too frequently.

Now, what is sales etiquette?

Sales etiquette is the fair and equal treatment of the person we are selling to. When we violate these rules of fair and equal treatment:

We lose the deal.

We may be doing this without knowing it because many folks are just not self-aware enough to realize they’re making one of these mistakes.

So, I’m going to bring this to your attention because I’ve been guilty of number five myself. In fact, the last mistake on this list was the HARDEST one for me to break, and:

I didn’t realize how much I made this mistake until I started to listen to myself in recordings.
Making that change has helped me be a far better salesperson, so I can serve people better. Of course, it also rewards me with earning more business too.

Before we dive in, I just want to say welcome or welcome back. My name is Adam Bensman, The Roof Strategist, and I’m so glad to have you here. Everything I do on my channel is designed to help you and your team smash your income goals and give every customer an amazing experience.

So, if you like this, you’ll LOVE what’s inside my free training center, and I invite you to join me in there. There’s no catch. Just text the word “FREE” to (303) 222-7133 for instant access (or click here).

Now, let’s get into the top five sales etiquette mistakes that can LOSE you a deal.

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Roofing Sales Etiquette Mistake #1: Showing Up Late to an Appointment

Arriving late to an appointment without notifying your customer is a deal-breaking mistake. We just need to communicate openly with homeowners when we’re running late because they realize that things happen.

If you show up late without giving notice, however, it’s NOT good. And the worst part is when you:

Show up late.
Give excuses, instead of an apology.

I’ve had salespeople do this to me, blaming traffic or whatever. At those times, I’ve thought:

Dude, just apologize first! You didn’t tell me or communicate anything.

After all, if we’re late, we’re not the victim. It’s not about us.

So, we just need to communicate with our customers if we’re running late — and never show up late without notifying the customer in advance.

Roofing Sales Etiquette Mistake #2: Smelling Funky

Showing up to the door and stinking is another top etiquette mistake in roofing sales, and I was guilty of this one. In fact, I used to love garlicky foods until someone told me that I always smelled like garlic.

Quite frankly, I wish someone had told me that earlier because, now:

I’m self-conscious about it.
I avoid garlic (if you’ve ever been out with me for dinner, I hold the garlic and onions because I used to stink and now I’m overly self-conscious about it).

Bad breath is one aspect of the odor department by the way. Here are a few more:

Excessive cologne or fragrance: You may think that your cologne or perfume is nice, but when you explode into a customer’s house with an Axe bomb (or some other heavy odor), it does NOT do anyone any favors.
Cigarette smoke: This can make your break, hands, and clothing smell, and it can be very offensive to some customers, especially non-smokers.
Body odor: I realize it can get hot in the summer, and we’re often running around in door-to-door sales. That’s why I would keep an extra deodorant stick in my truck, along with spare shirts. That way, if I sweat through them (because it’s hot, I’m carrying a ladder, etc.), I would just change.

So, keep the funky smells under wraps.

Roofing Sales Etiquette Mistake #3: Selling Before Asking Questions

When reps jump RIGHT into the sale and start telling customers how good they are and why they’re the best company to work with, it can be off-putting and overwhelming to customers.

So, we simply can NOT do that. Instead, ask questions first.

If you don’t, your customers will feel like you’re going from 0 to 100 instantly. I see this happen a lot, especially with overexcited salespeople, and it’s never a positive thing. Instead, it usually hurts the sale.

Roofing Sales Etiquette Mistake #4: Being Too Friendly

This mistake in roofing sales is all about buddying up TOO fast and getting TOO friendly with prospects or customers.

That can mean treating new acquaintances like old friends, oversharing, and talking about really personal matters.

After all, how do you feel in those situations when someone else overshares with you?

You’re probably slowly backing up and thinking, Get me OUT OF HERE!

So, don’t be too friendly. It turns people off. Instead, keep it professional and light.

Roofing Sales Etiquette Mistake #5: Talking Over People

This is the MOST common mistake that pops up when it comes to roofing sales etiquette, and it’s the one that I was the GUILTIEST of throughout my sales career.

Now, we see this come us A LOT in response to certain questions or objections that come up when the salesperson’s very proficient in overcoming them because they get them a lot.

And when we talk over people or we don’t let them finish, we’re sending a message that says:

What you’re saying is not important. What I’m saying is important, so zip it. I’m talking.

That is NOT a really good message to send to someone. Instead, we want them to think that we are actively listening, paying attention, and presenting in a totally respectful way.

So, do not talk over people.

Recap: Top 5 Deal-Killing Mistakes in Roofing Sales

Now, let’s do a lightning-fast summary of the top five sales etiquette mistakes in roofing sales. Remember, when you violate these common rules of engaging with someone through a sales process, it WILL cost you a deal.

And those mistakes are:

Showing up late without notice
Smelling funky
Selling before asking questions. We have to ask before we sell. Otherwise, we’re selling blindly.
Being far too friendly. We need to treat them like good friends but not necessarily the best friend that we were in preschool with.
Talking over others.

By knowing these common mistakes, we can be more aware of them, we can avoid them, and we can avoid sabotaging our next sale.

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