Roofing is a unique business. It’s not like other trades, where you have to fight for customers based on price and quality. The sole factor that makes or breaks your roofing company is word-of-mouth. With so many other roofers in almost every city, you need to stand out if you want people to recommend you to their friends and family again and again. Excellent service alone won’t cut it; You need a strategy that will keep your business thriving for years to come. Fortunately, the best roofers of all time didn’t just get lucky once or twice with their strategies—their success was the result of a well-thought strategy that kept their business successful over the long term. Here are a few factors that helped them stay ahead of the pack:
Focus on Customer Service
This is perhaps the biggest thing that sets the best roofers apart from the rest. When you call another roofer for an estimate, you can tell almost instantly if you’ll be treated like a valued customer or a quick sale. The best roofers focus on training their salespeople to treat every customer like they’re a VIP. This means that they always arrive during the window they promised, they treat your roof like it’s their own, and they clean up after themselves when they’re done. It also means that they present you with an estimate that is as clear and detailed as possible, and that they give you a checklist of what you can expect from start to finish.
Be an Expert in Your Field
You might think that this is a given for roofers, but it’s not. Many roofers don’t know the first thing about shingles, and yet they’re willing to make an estimate based on what they think they should be seeing. The best roofers know their shingles inside and out. Fortunately, this is an easy fix. If you don’t know everything you need to know about shingles, then take a few classes. Read as many books as you can on the subject. Take a trip to visit some of the biggest shingle manufacturers in the country. When you know your stuff, you can be sure that your customers are getting what they need, and they’re getting it the right way.
Be Transparent with Your Customers
There’s a difference between being transparent and being completely honest. Roofers often try to hide the things that they think might make them look bad, but this just turns them into untrustworthy vendors. When you are transparent with your customers, you don’t have any reason to hide anything. You provide them with a clear estimate, and you explain to them why that estimate is the way that it is. You show them the materials that you’re using (and how long they’ll last). You walk them through everything that is going on, and you try to leave nothing unexplained. When customers have all the knowledge in the world, they can trust your advice, and they can trust your business.
Don’t be Afraid to Experiment
The best roofers are always trying to find a better way to do things. This can be in their methods, in the products that they use, and in their sales strategy. This doesn’t mean that they’re constantly overhauling their business plan, though. It just means that they’re always looking for ways to improve. They’ll try different types of marketing and different sales techniques. They’ll try out different types of shingles and see what customers like best. They also look for ways to improve internally, like finding ways to train their employees better and more effectively. Best roofers always want to be getting better and improving, and they know that this can happen at any moment.
Offer Protection and Repairs Alongside Roofing Services
Most roofing companies focus solely on roofing services. You go to them if you need your roof replaced (and sometimes not even then). But what if your roof is still in good condition? What if you just need some minor repairs? What if your roof is beyond saving, but you need to store your belongings until you can get a new roof? One of the best ways to stand above your competitors is by offering protection and repairs alongside your roofing services. This can be as simple as offering to store your belongings until you’re ready to have them removed, or it can be a full-out emergency repair to get you back in your home until you have time to schedule a full replacement.
Summary
When you’re operating at the level of the best roofers in the world, you have to be on top of your game in every aspect. These roofers know exactly what they’re doing, and they are meticulous in their efforts. They know their shingles, they know their customers, and they know how to treat their clients like VIPs. They’re also transparent about their services and repairs and know how to experiment for better results. These roofers don’t just get lucky once or twice—they are consistently successful because they work hard to please their customers and because they know what they’re doing.
