The price objection is the dirty water at the mouth of the river. If you want to clean up the mouth of the river, you have to go upstream to the location of the factory dumping pollutants. You have to deal with the fishing boats that putter little drops of oil and you have to stop people from tossing in small amounts of trash up and down the banks.

A reader to Roofing Contractor wrote me and noted that my articles regularly focus on residential sales and appropriately requested that I offer some insights into commercial sales. Only a few days later, I was conducting a seminar at which one attendee expressed frustration about his wasted time in the plan room of general contractors, which resulted too frequently in lost bids. My advice: Get past the plan room.

On the surface, roofing contractors all look the same to consumers. After all, nearly every website from contractors promises service, quality and satisfaction from a contractor that has been around for generations with satisfied clients and guarantees of good work. 

Just think: If price were the only factor in a builder’s purchasing decision, a roofing contractor could fire all its salespeople. 

If your business goal is to create satisfied customers, I recommend you rethink your strategy and strive for something better - customer elation.

If you feel angry or depressed about the latest economic news, do not despair. You are not alone. But, be careful what you believe because your mindset might sabotage the results you seek. 

What is better than cold-calling? Making the phone ring. A salesperson who pushes a client to buy at the wrong time is at a disadvantage and vulnerable to combative negotiations. But when a prospect calls you, the game changes instantly. It is a sign he is ready to buy.

This is the last in a series of three installments designed to help you manage the customer experience. I offer you some ideas to make the client experience more enriching after the sale has been finalized, when the work actually takes place. 

Roofing contractors are continually asked to provide technical decisions by building owners. The most frequently asked question - particularly in these tough economic times - is whether the roof needs to be replaced or if repairs can be made to extend the service life.

This article is the first in a series of three I will offer you on “Managing the Customer Experience.” It is inspired by the comments I get from roofing contractors that are struggling to differentiate themselves from competitors.