Just because many contractors are putting door knocking and door hangers on the back burner of their business plan
for the moment, doesn’t mean roofing sales have to stop. The sale must go on.
The building products industry, and perhaps roofing in particular, has been a little slower to adopt digital
technology than some other industries. But the digital tools available today are making it more possible than ever
to move people through the sales funnel without ever having to meet face-to-face.
Getting new leads
Social media ads are a great way to get your business name in front of new customers. Facebook has the biggest
audience and you can run digital ads or sponsored posts for as little as $5 a day. A great option is using these ads
to drive homeowners to your website to explore your business and services. Consider updating your site with a banner
showing your business is operational and ready to serve customers.
You want to make sure your business shows up as an option when people in your area are searching for local roofing
solutions. Including your business name, the word “roofing” and the cities your business serves all in the page
titles and headlines of your webpages can help increase the likelihood your website will show up as an option when
people search online for roofers in their area.
Adding a contact form on to your site can also encourage homeowners to reach out for more information much earlier in
the buying process, often before they would otherwise be willing to contact your business by phone.
Nurturing leads
Whether working with existing leads, or acquiring new leads during this time, email marketing is a great way to
nurture these potential customers further down the sales funnel. Research has shown it takes as many as eight
“touchpoints” with a customer to make a sale. Using email marketing and online ads for some of those touches can
provide automated activity and maximize your efforts.
A great Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform can provide a place to keep your customer and lead contact
information, track what stage of the marketing funnel the lead is in, and automate emails to help move them further
down the funnel toward a purchase (and ultimately a positive customer testimonial – but more on that later). At
TAMKO, we have a great relationship with JobNimbus, a CRM built specifically for contractors. Our TAMKO Pro Certified Contractors receive special discounts in
the platform.
Closing the deal
During times when a face-to-face sit-down with the homeowner isn’t possible, technology can still provide the means
to close the sale.
Once a potential customer is ready to “virtually” sit down at the kitchen table with you for a sales pitch, make sure
to choose a video conferencing platform that is secure and accessible to the homeowner. There are many options
available, and during this time, some software companies have added new functionality to their free versions, or
offered their paid versions at no cost for a limited time. This includes Microsoft’s premier virtual meetings
product, Teams, which has calendar, video conferencing and chat features. Other options include GoToMeeting,
Join.me, Skype, and even Facebook’s newly announced video collaboration technology.
During video calls, take advantage of the technology and go through a great presentation with the homeowner. You
could include estimation reports for their specific home through the TAMKO
Shingle Styles Visualizer 3D Measurements Report, walk them through your website and explain why your
business is the one to choose, show a gallery of your previous projects, and visit your favorite shingle
manufacturer’s site to show them the color options available for their project.
Don’t be pushy, but also don’t be afraid to ask to close the deal. Show them the value you can bring to their project
and then ask for their business. You can send contracts and get signatures digitally through a variety of mediums,
including several CRM platforms.
Creating brand advocates
Once you close the deal, stay in contact with homeowners to keep them well-informed of the status of their project
through email, phone and text. Business management apps and CRMs can connect installers with business owners,
allowing you visibility into the status and quality of the job as it progresses.
Once you have completed the work, consider sending a quick survey to the customer to confirm they are satisfied with
the work. Survey Monkey is an easy and popular online surveying platform that includes a free subscription option.
If the customer is satisfied, don’t be afraid to ask for a positive review! Online reviews are becoming more
important as the majority of pre-purchase research is being completed online. Using your CRM, email marketing, or
even a simple text message, you can request a homeowner send you a testimonial or you share a link to the review
site of your choice and ask them to leave you a positive review.
Ending your digital customer interaction with a “Thank You” note for trusting you with their home, will leave
homeowners with a positive final impression of your business and hopefully result in some additional word of mouth
business down the road.