WORST vs BEST Follow-Up Process for Roofing Sales

There’s a PILE OF MONEY in your pipeline, and you could GRAB that EASY CASH if you just followed up.

Often, we don’t grab it. We leave it sitting in the pipeline because:

• We’re afraid to follow up.
• We’ve left the follow-up in the homeowner’s court.
• We don’t want to be pushy.
• We don’t know what to say.

So, we end up flushing all that MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN.

Better yet, we prime our customers, get them REALLY excited about their roof, and then just hand it on a silver platter to a competitor. That is NOT a very good feeling.

And I’d guess that, right now, in whatever CRM you’re using, you have several deals in the follow-up section — and that there are many tens of thousands of dollars there. In fact, I have seen this number as high as seven digits because these are ALL these deals that never got worked appropriately.

It’s no secret that follow-up is a hot topic.

Actually, it came up when I was in San Marcos, Texas, at an Owen’s Corning event. As always, I asked folks, “What do we want to leave with today? What are our big questions?” And I write them down, so we can make sure to squeeze all this stuff in.

Even today, a couple of folks reached out asking about my follow-up pitch, how often to follow up, and a good process for it all.

So, I’m going to break down the worst things that you can do on a follow-up, followed by the BEST ways to follow up.

Now, let’s get to it.

We’re going to break down a very simple framework for following up and connecting with your customers in a REAL way so that:

1. You can follow up without feeling sleazy or pushy.
2. You can implement everything you learn right now, literally the minute you’re done reading this, hopefully mining some of that cash just sitting in your pipeline.

Before we get started, I just want to say a quick welcome or welcome back. My name is Adam Bensman, The Roof Strategist. Everything I do here — and on my YouTube channel and in my podcast (on Apple and Spotify) — is designed to help you and your team smash your income goals and give every customer an amazing experience.

And I’ve had the opportunity to help thousands and thousands and thousands of roofing sales reps just like you overcome the same challenges that you’re probably facing right now, like following up to make more money.

So, if you haven’t done it yet, get your free copy of my Pitch Like a Pro roofing sales training video library sent right to your inbox. It includes more than 300 videos, every video I’ve ever done, organized by category for easy binging. To get instant access to all that right now, simply click on that link.

Now, let’s get to it.

Worst Roofing Sales Follow-Up Strategy #1: Leave It to the Customer

The worst way to follow up in roofing sales is to leave control of the follow-up in the hands of the customer.

Now, I’m going to paint a scenario for you.

Example: You’re at an appointment, on a retail lead, and the homeowner says at the end of the appointment, “Hey, you know what? Thanks for coming out. We’ll call you if we’re interested.” Shifting into nice guy mode, you say, “Great! Thank you so much for the opportunity. I really want you guys to be comfortable. Please know I’m available anytime, day or night. Call or text me if you have any questions. I can’t wait to hear from you.” Then, you leave the house.

Do NOT do that. Why?

Because why would you leave the homeowner in control?

You are the advisor. You’re the expert. You’re the one driving, not the passenger.

So, the first worst mistake you can do in the follow-up is to leave the house when the homeowner has no idea when you’re going to follow up.

Instead, set the follow-up while you’re at the home.

Quick note: What I’m teaching here, setting the follow-up in the home, is a critical component of my closing framework in my CARPARK Closing Formula. That’s inside my all-in-one sales system that’s being used by many thousands for both storm and retail, from individual sales reps and tiny companies to the top 100 roofing companies in America.

I teach you how to set the follow-up while you’re there before you leave because it’s one of the fastest and easiest ways to increase your close rate — even if you aren’t a strong closer or you botched something. So, if the homeowner says, “Thanks, we’ll call you if we’re interested,” you’ll know exactly how to overcome this objection with my sales system and objection handling formula.

In fact, you learn what’s really behind the objection, “we’ll call you if we’re interested,” finding out how to overcome it and the real reason they’re saying this to you. You learn how to peel back the excuse and look through the smoke screen of BS that the “we’ll call you” line is. After all, we’re interested in getting at the REAL reason we’re getting the excuse, so we can overcome it.

Now, any of us will do our darndest to close that deal on the spot. Sometimes, you will, and, sometimes, you won’t. That’s the set you’re going to have to follow up with.

Roofing Sales Fix: How to Set the Follow-Up in the Home

To follow up with that set you can’t close on the spot, say something like this, using an assumptive close:

Hey, I totally understand and respect that you have two other contractors coming out.

It sounds like you and your wife want to be on the same page and review everything.

Now, what’s really important to know is that not all estimates are apples to apples, and my mission is to help you make a decision that you are comfortable with, even if it’s not with me.

I’d love to just be your question punching bag.

So, when’s a good time on Friday or Saturday for me to come back, review everything, and answer any questions you have?

BOOM. I’m using that assumptive close:

When’s a good time?

Would you prefer Friday or Saturday?

Saturday, Great. I’ve got 9:00 a.m. or 4:00 p.m. — which would you prefer?

9:00 a.m. Great. I’m going to be here at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday.

There you have it. We’ve set the follow-up while we’re in the home.

Now, I know some folks are thinking, What if that homeowner’s resistant? So, let’s take it a step further — what if the homeowner tells you any of the following?

• “We’ll call you. We don’t want anyone back.”
• “We don’t have time. We’re busy.”
• “We’re out of town.”

In that case, we use our backup offer, saying:

Not a problem.

Why don’t we stick to a phone call?

At this point, we still have a more solid follow-up with us planning to call them, instead of waiting to hear from them and getting ghosted.

So, there’s your first big fix — set the follow-up while you’re there.

Roofing Sales Follow-Ups: How & Why Reps Get It Wrong

People don’t follow up in roofing sales because they don’t know what to say. And when follow-ups do happen, one of two things usually occur:

1. The follow-up involves firing off these pushy text messages, saying something like, Glad to see that you and the husband are doing well. Hope you had an amazing weekend. Just checking in. Any progress on your decision? Are you guys still interested in moving forward?
2. The follow-up makes the rep look like the awkward, nice guy (and, by the way, I’ve been the awkward, nice guy), saying something like, Oh, hey Peggy, Adam calling. Hey, hope you and the husband had a good weekend. And thanks, again, for the opportunity to chat with you. Listen, the reason I’m calling is I know you guys said you were thinking about things, and I just wanted to touch base to ask what you were thinking. Are you guys interested in moving forward? Any questions for me? Suddenly, your nervous energy is just pouring through the phone, and the homeowner starts second-guessing you. That’s when they say, No, we’ll call you if we’re interested, and you just come across as a nag if you push back.

To solve all that, by the way, I provide copy-and-paste templates for the follow-up for you and your team in my Program. That just takes all the mystery out of it.

I’m going to break all that down here, too, because it’s just one of the many pieces of material in my Program that includes over 280 documents for storm and retail roofing sales — it’s pretty much every single marketing piece or customer communication you would need in roofing sales, including (and not limited to):

• Direct mail letters
• Door hanger letters
• Customer emails
• Text messages
• Material for churches, apartments, and landlords

So, the follow-up materials are not the only goody in my Program, but if you want to just copy-and-paste your follow-up and you don’t want to reinvent the wheel, then go check it out.

Instead of the worst option of just following up willy-nilly, use a formula (and if you like to follow formulas, you’re probably going to like my videos because I teach formulas). Formulas let you inject your own personality and flare while knowing that you’re hitting the right points in the right order.

Now, here’s what I view as the BEST follow-up in roofing sales. It’s personal, simple, and really effective.

Best Roofing Sales Follow-Up Strategy #1: Say “Thank you”

Simply express gratitude by saying something like:

Thank you for the opportunity to sit down and chat with you and your husband about your roof.

That simple thanks can go a LONG way.

So can a simple statement, like “I appreciate your time” or “thank you for investing your time with me here today,” because time is our MOST valuable resource.

Best Roofing Sales Follow-Up Strategy #2: Mention Something Specific

Next, we want to mention something specific.

Example: Let’s say you find out, in passing, that the husband and wife are going on a solo retreat to Honolulu for the next 5 days. In that case, you can say, Hey, thank you so much for your time and the opportunity to chat with you and your wife about your roof. I hope you guys have an amazing trip to Honolulu, celebrating your anniversary.

You can mention anything specific that you find out while you’re talking to that homeowner. It could be anything about:

• Plans to do something, like going to float on the river or going fishing
• Family activities, like taking a kid to a piano recital or sports practice
• Hobbies, like tending to their beautiful vegetable garden or making homemade jerky

So, whatever it is, just mention something specific.

Best Roofing Sales Follow-Up Strategy #3: Explain What Happens Next

You want to tell them about the next steps. This can be:

• What you expect from them, so you tell them what they need to do next
• What they can expect from you, so you explain what you’re going to do next

The point is that you’re laying out breadcrumbs here, so there’s never a mystery.

In fact, every single communication — meaning every point of contact and each appointment — should have the next breadcrumb laid out for the homeowner, so there are no surprises.

When we do that:

• We build a REALLY strong bond.
• We deliver an amazing customer experience.

Best Roofing Sales Follow-Up Strategy #4: Close It Out

As we close, we want to end with:

• Another “thank you”
• An invitation

By “invitation,” I mean an invitation to reach out.

Now, let’s stitch all this together, using the example of the homeowner who says, “I’m not interested.”

How to Follow Up in Roofing Sales & Get Results: Putting It All Together

For that follow-up set who you don’t close on the spot, you’re going to leave the home and send that confirmation, saying something like:

Hey, thank you so much for the opportunity to chat with you guys about your roof. I hope you have an amazing time in Honolulu over the next two days.

Please write down all questions you have during the other contractors’ appointments, so I can answer them on Saturday at 9:00 AM.

Thank you, again. You can contact me anytime at this number via call or text.

So, that’s a simple formula for following up with that customer and telling them what to do. This same formula, by the way, applies to other situations too, like on the storm damage side.

In fact, for storm damage, you can apply this formula, saying something like:

Hey Peggy, thank you so much for the opportunity to help you through this process.

I’m so excited that you and your family get to go boating this weekend.

So, the next steps, as soon as the adjuster contacts you with his name and the time of his arrival, are to just forward that information to me.

If anything comes up, call or text me here at this number. Thanks, again.

Again, I’m telling them what to do. And by the way, this formula works in:

• Text messages
• Email
• Voicemail
• Phone calls

It’s ALL the same. It’s like a love sandwich, but you’re also leading the process and building GREAT rapport along the way.

Worst Roofing Sales Follow-Up Strategy #2: No Follow-Up At All

Another one of the WORST ways to handle follow-ups in roofing sales is to simply not do them at all.

In fact, I just spoke to a gentleman at an event, and he told me, “I’m so busy. I just can’t follow up. If you call me, we do business. If you can’t, I don’t.” He KNOWS he’s literally leaving money on the table, and he’s doing about $20 million a year — so, he doesn’t have to follow up.

Now, I know if you’re doing that kind of volume and you have that kind of brand recognition in your pipeline, you would likely add another $5 million in business if you just squeezed out a follow-up.

That’s my prediction, and I think it’s conservative because it IS possible to get more juice from the squeeze, so to speak.

So, no follow-up is the BIGGEST mistake, and not following up enough is the second worst mistake. That’s the one-and-done follow-up. Now, these folks may be worried about being pushy, BUT here’s my rule of thumb:

Follow up EVERY 3 to 7 days.

Pro Tip: You can always give people an out by saying something like, “Hey, I respect your time. I know you’re busy. I’m committed to quality service and doing the best I can to help you through this process. So, I’m going to continually follow up with you, unless I hear otherwise. So, if you’ve already made a decision, just say or reply ‘No,’ and I’ll catch a hint.”

You can say this or include this type of language in your email signature text. And I give folks this out because:

1. It’s there.
2. There are only two words that we want to hear from a customer — YES or NO. No answer wastes time because you’re following up with a ghost (and ghosts don’t have wallets).

So, we want either a YES or a NO, and:

• It’s OK to give them an out.
• Remember, have fun, give them a reason to say ‘yes,’ and follow the formula.

If you want the whole Roofing Sales Success Formula & Complete Sales Strategy for your or your team, just click that link — or you can call or text (303) 222-7133 for more info or a private demo to see how it all works and decide for yourself.

Recap: The BEST & Worst Ways to Follow Up in Roofing Sales

Quickly summarizing the best versus the worst ways to follow up:

• The WORST way to follow up are to leave it in the homeowner’s hands.
• The BEST way to follow up is while you’re there in the home. Schedule the next visit or offer a phone call if they don’t want you back in the house.

And, instead of nagging them and asking, “Are you ready to move forward?,” follow the formula — or use the copy-and-paste templates in my Program.

The formula is to:

1. Thank them.
2. Mention something specific.
3. Tell them what happens next or what you expect of them.
4. Thank them again and invite them to reach out with any questions.

Now, how many times should you follow up?

• The WORST thing is to NOT follow up enough or at all.
• The BEST follow-up is every 3 to 7 days. I know it’s a lot, but guess what? You can give people an out. You only need a “yes” or “no.”

Get More Roofing Sales Strategies, Scripts, Tips & Videos

If you want more on any 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.

And don’t forget to 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.