The Secret to Being an Objection Handling MACHINE

I’m going to teach you the SECRET to overcoming any objection, ANYTIME.

Now, no one really talks about this honestly, but it WORKS for selling any product like an absolute boss without coming from a place of ego.

This is NOT the perfect right hook, the perfect rebuttal, or the perfect one-liner. And it’s NOT about trying to smash that objection out and tackle the issue with all that type of chest-bumpy stuff.

What I AM talking about is accomplishing the core mission of handling an objection.

And what is that core mission?

It’s to:

• Keep the conversation going.
• Continue to build a strong rapport and a deeper relationship with your customer that’s founded on authentic trust and comfort.

So, I’m going to peel back the curtains and dive really deep into one element of my objection handling formula that is SO critically important — and that’s often missed.

First, I want to say welcome or welcome back. My name is Adam Bensman, The Roof Strategist.

I’m so glad to have you here because everything I do here — and on my YouTube channel and in my all-in-one sales training, sales strategy, and sales system, the Roofing Sales Success Formula & Complete Sales Strategy — is designed to help you and your team smash your income goals and give every customer an amazing experience.

If you’re new here, click that link for access to our brand-new FREE training center. It’s full of incredibly valuable resources for both storm and retail roofing sales, and it’s literally being used by thousands and thousands of roofing sales reps across the nation, from individual sales reps to many of the top 100 roofing companies in the U.S.

Now, let’s get to the secret to handling objections like a pro.

How to Handle Roofing Sales Objections Like a Pro: The ARO Formula

I teach the ARO Formula (and maybe you’ve heard me talk about it before).

For those who aren’t familiar with it, let’s get you up to speed. Here’s what the ARO Formula is all about:

1. A = acknowledge. This is repeating back what you heard from the customer. So, as an example, let’s say the customer needs to talk to their wife about it. In that case, you could acknowledge that need by saying something like, “Mr. Homeowner, I understand that you have to talk to your wife about it.” Simply repeat back what you heard without sounding like a robot.
2. R = reassure. This means making someone feel heard, understood, and validated. We want that homeowner to feel like you’re giving them a BIG bear hug and making them feel as though you’ve said, “I gotcha. You’re okay. You can trust me. I’m going to keep you comfortable. We’ll get through this together.” That’s the feeling that we want our customers to have. Unfortunately, this part’s often missed because we’re focused on the bro-y tactics.
3. O = overcome. You do this with the PERFECT right hook, meaning the perfect rebuttal that will tackle and defeat their objection.

Unfortunately, in the real world, when we skip this “R” — meaning when we don’t reassure our customers — homeowners will often feel like you’re being pushy and aggressive even if you have the greatest of intentions and a really big heart.

So, let’s break this down more, focusing on the “R” specifically.

Why Reassurance Is Key to Overcoming Objections in Roofing Sales

Before we get to how to reassure homeowners, I want to share a bit of my own experience.

I’ve been traveling the country for the past several months, doing 2 to 3 in-person events a week, with roleplay, all across the U.S., from Los Angeles, which is a purely retail market, to Minneapolis, Detroit, Des Moines, and all these different markets that are more hybrid.

No matter where we are — and regardless of whether we’re doing storm or retail roofing sales — most folks who I practice roleplay with are missing the “R” element.

They skip the reassurance, which can act like a buffer.

By the way, in terms of influence and persuasion, there’s a fantastic book I recommend that you check out, called Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini. This shares six principles of influence, and it’s a PHENOMENAL read.

I love this book because it’s really more of my sales style. It goes into all of that warmup that can build a strong cushion of trust and comfort between you and your customer. In fact, you can STILL trip up on the close and WIN the business if you’re doing this reassurance part right.

And the REASSURANCE part is the hidden secret here.

Now, I want to share another example with you, so you can get more of a first-hand experience with this.

How & Why the ARO Formula Works in Roofing Sales: An Example

We’re going to use the, “I have talked to my wife about it,” objection to run through how to apply the ARO Formula.

So, when you hear this objection a homeowner, you can:

• Acknowledge it, saying something like “Hey, I understand that you have to talk to your wife about it.”
• Overcome it, saying, “Hey, do you mind me asking, what is it that you’d like to talk to your wife about?”

So, in this first version, we’re skipping the R, which is the reassurance.

Now, let’s put this all together, with the reassurance part, so you can compare these two versions side by side:

1. A -> Acknowledge, saying, “Hey, I understand that you have to talk to your wife about it.”
2. R -> Reassure, saying, “Listen, I know it’s a really BIG decision. Believe me, I would want to be on the same page with my wife about it as well.”
3. O -> Overcome, saying, “Hey, I want to make sure that you and your wife are both comfortable. So, do you mind me asking what it is that you’d like to talk to your wife about, so I can leave you with the right information?”

These two approaches are similar, BUT the difference is that, in the second version, I used this “R.” That’s the buffer, the comfort, and the TRUST that can make homeowners feel:

• Heard
• Trusted
• Understood
• Validated like a human being

How Reassurance Can Create Trust with Homeowners in Roofing Sales

Now, here’s what ends up happening with homeowners when you do versus don’t use that buffer of reassurance in trying to overcome their objections:

• No reassurance: If you were to ask me, “Hey what do you want to talk to your wife about?” in my home, I’d probably tell you, “It’s none of your flipping business.” Many homeowners probably will too.
• With reassurance: Let’s say I led into that question with a buffer like this: “Listen, man, I know it’s a BIG deal. My wife and I are always on the same page with things, and I just want to make sure you guys are comfortable. Do you mind me asking what it is you’d like to talk to your wife about, so I can leave you with the right information?”

Quick sidebar about that last piece. What do you think it implies when I say, “so I can leave you with the right information?”

It means that I’m leaving — I’m heading out the door.

That can disarm homeowners and make them feel comfortable. It can also invite them to trust you.

When that happens, the truth usually pours out. In fact, you can hear things like:

The real reason we’re waiting is that we have another estimate coming tomorrow.

The real reason is I’m waiting is to see what my insurance adjuster says.

The real reason is because we’re waiting to get two more estimates.

WHATEVER is on their plate, they’re going to start giving you the TRUTH because they think that:

1. You’re on your way out the door.
2. You have the greatest intention of just being a helpful human being.

At the end of the day, that’s exactly what we do. We help people make good decisions.

And truthfully, if you don’t believe in your heart of hearts that you’re truly the best person to win the business — meaning serve your customer, do the roof, stand behind it, do what you say you’re going to do, and take good care of them at all costs — then I encourage you to:

• Take a strong look at your business.
• Ask yourself how you can make those changes or find an organization that aligns with your values.

Ultimately, so many people think sales is about extracting money and winning the deal. Now, don’t get me wrong — I’m competitive. I want to get better and earn good money.

Still, what REALLY drives me is helping people make significant changes in their life. And getting a new roof is a BIG change.

So, I want to help someone through that process, making them comfortable while I help them make smart decisions. I want them to choose me because I know that:

• I will take care of them no matter what.
• I’m going to do a great job.
• They’re going to love working with me.

That’s how I realized that this “R” (the reassurance) was the missing link. I know it’s my ethical responsibility to win the business and learn how to communicate this message clearly, and I want to help people make smart decisions they’re going to be comfortable with.

Recap: Reassurance Is Key to Being an Objection-Handling Machine in Roofing Sales

So, the KEY TAKEAWAY with addressing objections is that it is OK to get long-winded on the “R” and:

• Reassure homeowners they’re normal.
• Validate them.
• Let them know their concerns are common. You’ve seen them before.

To do that, you can simply reply with the following when you hear homeowners say, “We have to think about it,” or “I have to talk to my wife about it”:

Hey, I understand you have to think about it. It’s a really big decision.

I want to make sure you guys are comfortable, whether it’s choosing me or someone else.

Or maybe you’ll hear them object with something like, “I want to wait and see what my insurance company says.” If you hear that, you can easily reassure them, saying something like:

Listen, I understand you want to wait and see what your insurance company says first.

I hear this a lot, and I can understand.

As a homeowner, you don’t want to trust someone who just showed up at your door and who you don’t know yet.

And it’s sensitive information with the insurance.

Again, you want to:

1. Reassure them.
2. Validate them.
3. Tell them what they’re already thinking.

If you do that, you can be perfectly positioned to move on to the “O” and overcome their objection because you now have a foundation of TRUST with that homeowner. And that can make it much easier to overcome their objection and WIN the business.

Get More Roofing Sales Strategies, Scripts, Tips & Videos

If you want more on any door-to-door roofing sales topic, 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.

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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.