Top Buying Motivators in Roofing Sales?

What if I told you that every single customer had this secret lever — a MAGIC lever — and if you found that lever and pulled it, you were nearly guaranteed to get the sale?

You may think I’m crazy or that I’m about to teach you some coercive or manipulative sales tactic, but you’re wrong.

That’s not what we’re doing.

What we’re talking about is helping you discover that magic lever that I call the “top buying motivator.”

That’s the signal, the one thing in your sales presentation or your sales pitch that just LANDS with customers. It’s the moment they say basically think, I am SO glad you’re here. You are exactly what I’ve been searching for!

Then, you WIN the business.

So, I’m going to teach you:

1. How to discover that buying motivator 
2. What to do 
3. How to use this to start closing MORE deals.

Before we get started, I just want to say a HUGE thank you to all of you for your support. Last week, I announced my new sales training partnership with Owens Corning, and the outpouring of support has been so fulfilling. So, again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

With that, I’m excited to share some valuable insights and strategies that everyone can use and implement to really fine-tune their sales skills at the very next home that they’re at. So, that’s what we’re going to get into today.

And quick welcome or welcome back, by the way. My name is Adam Bensman, The Roof Strategist.

Now, let’s talk about those top buying motivators. Again, think of them like a secret lever you can pull to connect with a customer and get them to a place where they can’t help but say YES.

Disclaimer: This is NOT coercive. This is nothing more than learning how to communicate effectively and find what is most important to someone.

How to Find the Buying Motivators in Roofing Sales: Example

Let’s talk cars for a moment. Imagine you live somewhere with a cold climate, like Minnesota.

What’s the deal breaker when you go car shopping out there?

Heated seats and a heated steering wheel.

Once you’ve had those in freezing weather, you can’t go back. So, one of the buying motivators for car sales may be a cold weather package.

Now, if I’m a car salesman and a customer wants comfort in the winter, am I going to get the sale if I’m showing them vehicles that don’t have the one thing they want — the heated seats and steering wheel?

No, probably not.

That’s why my mission is to match that buying motivator with the perfect product or solution for the customer.

In roofing sales, we aren’t picking the right car out of the lot or the right shingle. Instead, we customize:

• The customer’s experience
• How we communicate
• How we share information with them
• How we can help them

That’s when we have true alignment, our sales dialogues are easy, and we get more yeses.

So, as you are well aware, you cover a lot of topics in your sales presentation. This can be your opener, your closer, or fit anywhere in between. You’re going to talk about:

• Yourself
• The company
• Your product, service, and warranty
• The process and the installation timeline

ALL of these different touch points come up. And it’s not really possible to go through all of them and spend equal time on each.

So, we just try this more canned approach, right? We’re going to hit all these topics, which is important to do, but do they all warrant the same depth in each area?

No, they don’t.

That’s why we need to find those hot buttons or the top buying motivators in order to spend the MOST time on the areas that are MOST relevant to the customer.

What Are Buying Motivators in Roofing Sales?

In the roofing world, one buying motivator could be the sales process. When we start talking about our install timelines, you could be dealing with the person who’s selling the house, hosting a wedding in the backyard, or trying to get their roof done while they’re out of town.

There’s a time-sensitive aspect to the job.

So, for them, one of the most important considerations when selecting a contractor is the install timeline.

Now, if you know this up front, where are you going to spend most of your time doing in your sales dialogue?

Obviously, you’re going to talk about how fast you can get that project done or your ability to work around their schedule.

So, we know that these different buying motivators will warrant us focusing in and spending time there.

How and when do we discover our customers’ buying motivators?

That’s what we’re going to talk about next.

How to Discover Buying Motivators in Roofing Sales

There are two ways to discover your customers’ top buying motivators in roofing sales.

Again, this is that MAGIC lever we pull. And we do that by asking open-ended questions.

Let’s do a quick summary of open-ended questions in case you haven’t heard me talk about them before.

An open-ended question requires thought.

Example: Close-ended questions just require a “yes” or “no” response. Did you enjoy your lunch today? Yes or no. On the other hand, open-ended questions have more detailed answers. What did you have for lunch today? Now, I have to think back. Yeah, we went to Tommy’s. I got a burger, a fries, and a Coke. We have to think about the answer to the question.

We want to get to those buying motivators, which often come from fear or excitement. They can be positive or negative.

So, we want to:

1. Ask the right question.
2. Focus on the things they’re afraid of, the obstacles, and their concerns.
3. Focus on the things that excite the customer too.

Open-Ended Questions in Roofign Sales: Example

Early in my sales process, I teach my CAR PARK Formula. Part of that involves assessing where the customer is at in the roof replacement process and whether it’s for storm or retail, so we can zero in on these buying motivators.

An easy way to start that conversation is simply by asking, “Where are you at in the process?”

This will indicate whether:

1. There’s a storm damage claim.
2. The homeowners have no claim.
3. Partial payment has been made.
4. The claim has been denied.
5. It’s on the retail side, and they have a check in hand.
6. They have an active leak or a problem.
7. They’re replacing the roof due to age.
8. They have some life event or a remodel going on.
9. They’re simply planning ahead.

Of course, all those come with different motivators.

So, first, we need to figure out where they are in the process. That’s how we start to fine tune our approach.

After all, on the storm side, selling to someone who’s already had their insurance out, with a claim denial, is VERY different than selling to someone who’s never filed the claim. And the same goes for the retail side too.

That’s why we need to ask, where are you at in the process?

How to Uncover Buying Motivators in Roofing Sales: Ask 2 Open-Ended Questions

First, we need to focus on learning the negative buying motivators. What is that customer afraid of?

Second, we need to focus on the positive buying motivators. What are they excited about?

Example: If someone’s buying a vehicle, a negative motivator or a concern could be reliability and the cost of ownership. On the other hand, a positive motivator would be comfort, luxury, and status.

See where I’m going with this? Pivoting back to roofing sales:

• On the negative side, I can ask a homeowner, “What are your biggest concerns about this project?” or “what are your biggest concerns about choosing a contractor?” They’re going to tell you ALL of the things that they’re afraid of and that they don’t want to see happen. And, again, you can speak to the positive side and what you can do to help them avoid that pain.
• On the positive side, I can ask a homeowner, “What are you most excited about?” or “what is the most important thing to you when it comes to selecting a roofer for your home?”

Recap: How to Zero in on Top Buying Motivators in Roofing Sales

With just three simple questions sprinkled throughout your sales process, starting early on to assess where the customer’s at — and asking, where are you in the process? — you now know exactly where the most powerful parts of your pitch are going to come in.

Then, you can ask:

1. What’s your biggest concern when it comes to this project or choosing a contractor? They’re going to tell you all the negatives.
2. What’s the most important thing to you? They’re going to tell you all the positives.

When you pair both sides, you end up nailing the perfect sales presentation that focuses exclusively on what’s most important and concerning for that customer. That’s how you can align your message and get them to see that YOU are the PERFECT solution for them.

Try this out on your very next sales appointment, using these three simple questions to help you discover that magic lever or the top buying motivator. If you do, you’ll be closing more deals.

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Thanks for joining me, and I look forward to sharing more with you in the next blog.