Roofing salespeople are used to facing all kinds of objections that get in the way of closing a sale. Some of the most common objections are around pricing. Unfortunately, these often seem the most insurmountable—your services cost what they cost, and there are a limited amount of ways to pay for them.
But there are ways to get around pricing objections without undercharging or reducing your own profits. New payment options for roofing contractors have made it easier to answer pricing objections with simple solutions. Here are some roofing sales tips to help you overcome pricing objections and close more deals.
Roofing Sales Tip #1: Accept Multiple Payment Methods
How many payment options are you offering your customers? If there’s only one way to pay for your services, or you only accept physical payments like checks and cash, this could be getting in the way of your ability to make a sale. Homeowners are looking for convenience and peace of mind when it comes to payment methods. The more payment options you are able to provide, the more likely it will be that one of the options works for your customers. In addition, accepting multiple forms of payment shows homeowners that you are committed to meeting their needs, establishing your business as trustworthy and responsive.
Using electronic payment processing is one way to expand your payment options and reassure customers that their money is being processed securely. AccuLynx recently added AccuPay to our lineup of features so contractors could offer electronic payment options more easily. With AccuPay, you can process credit, debit, and ACH transactions from anywhere using the AccuLynx platform. This allows you to accept more forms of payment, receive those payments on the spot, and offer flexibility to your customers. Homeowners will find it much simpler to pay, and can use their credit cards to cover expenses that would have been out of reach if they had to pay with cash or checks. They can rest easy knowing that the payment will be processed securely and quickly.
See How AccuPay Can Help Increase Your Roofing Sales
AccuPay also makes it easy for contractors to keep track of payments that have been made. Since it’s fully integrated with the AccuLynx interface, all payments are applied directly to their associated jobs, and you can see how much is left to pay just by looking at the job. You’ll never have to contact a customer to ask them for a payment they’ve already made—AccuPay gives you payment information at a glance.
Roofing Sales Tip #2: Let Customers Pay in Installments
Pricing can be a barrier to homeowners if they’re expected to pay the entire cost upfront. Roofing repairs can be expensive, and customers may not have all the funds on hand immediately. While some contractors prefer to be paid upfront to simplify their accounting, requiring all customers to pay the entire cost of a roofing job right away can cause difficulties and even keep you from closing deals.
Offering the option of paying in installments can help you overcome these objections. While you can certainly offer installments on a case-by-case basis as you meet with homeowners, it may help you close more deals to have pre-made installment plans that you can show homeowners before they sign a contract. Divide the full cost into a few different segments (half, thirds, fourths) and/or times of payment (monthly for three months, monthly for six months, monthly for a year). You could even create a handout or other leave-behind material that shows the available installment plans for homeowners to review. Creating installment plan options ahead of time shows that you’re flexible and committed to meeting customer needs.
If you’re concerned that offering installments will lead to a lot of outstanding or delayed payments, you can set reminders to follow up with homeowners. In AccuLynx, it’s easy to create automations that will trigger a task to check on outstanding payments or send an automated email reminding customers that their payments are due. With organizational tools like the ones in the AccuLynx platform, you’ll be able to keep track of who has paid what and which payments still need to be made.
Roofing Sales Tip #3: Offer Financing
Installments may not be enough to overcome all pricing expectations, especially for projects with significant cost such as total roof replacement. Even when the repairs or replacements are necessary, homeowners may still turn down your business because they simply can’t afford it. In this situation, the ability to offer financing options to your customers is key to helping them agree to the work. Financing lets customers borrow the funds they need so you can get paid and they can get much-needed repairs.
Why You Should Provide Roof Financing to Homeowners
AccuLynx has partnered with GreenSky®, one of the leading companies in consumer financing for home improvements, to offer integrated financing options directly through our software platform. When your roofing business uses the GreenSky® integration, homeowners can apply electronically for loans with simple eligibility requirements and receive a credit notification on the spot. Your business can add different loan options for your customers to choose from, offering even greater flexibility and convenience. With roof financing through AccuLynx, you can help your customers access the funds for your work with just a few clicks. Instead of hearing “I can’t afford it,” your salespeople will hear “How soon can we start?”
Roofing Sales Tip #4: Explain the Pricing
Some price objections are about affordability or convenience. However, some price objections are made because homeowners don’t understand the meaning behind the cost. They may have received a much lower quote from another roofing company and wonder why yours is higher. They may see lots of materials listed on the estimate and not understand why they are necessary. You may have found more damage or repairs needed than the homeowner anticipated, and they may be curious as to why they need to be repaired immediately. In these cases, the issue is not actually the cost—it’s a lack of information. If you can demonstrate why your work is priced the way it is, some homeowners will get on board when they were previously uncertain.
When you meet with the homeowner to ask for the sale, come prepared with explanations and evidence. Go through the estimate with the homeowner so they understand what each component of the job entails. Educate the homeowner on the types of repairs you feel are necessary and the benefits making those repairs will bring to the homeowner. If your salespeople take photos of damage for internal usage or to send to an insurance agency, you can show these photos to the homeowner as well. A picture can often highlight the need for repairs or replacement more effectively than words, especially if the damage is on a part of the roof that the homeowner can’t access. If a homeowner brings up a cheaper price from a competitor, be ready to explain the difference in pricing and the value that your work will bring. Homeowners are often ready to pay higher prices if they believe the repairs are worth it, so demonstrating that worth can go a long way towards overcoming pricing objections.
Overcome Objections to Sell More Roofing Jobs
Pricing objections can seem difficult to overcome. But with the right tools and strategies, you can help your customers afford your work, offer them flexibility when it comes to payments, and educate them on the real cost of roofing repairs. The result? Your roofing business can close more deals and serve more customers.
