So you are at a party, and the conversations starts, “What do you do?” After you respond, “I’m in the roofing business,” you become their personal roof consultant. Everyone involved in this industry, no matter their role, has been asked by a friend, neighbor or casual acquaintance for advice on their roofing project. Everybody has a roof. Everybody needs a roof. Everyone has seen roofing work underway. But those who aren’t directly involved in the roofing industry often don’t know how complex a project might be or the consequence of the many choices faced in completing a roofing project. So you tell this new friend your recommendation, and I am sure it was not the cheapest option but a “you get what you pay for” option.
Let’s take the previous lesson and put it into our everyday business and focus on better educating our customers. Lay out the options to homeowners for shingles (or tiles, metal, shakes, etc.) and underlayments. Get samples of several products and present them as systems — not just standalone products. For commercial buildings, show them the insulation, cover board, fastening and membrane options. Print out product data sheets from the manufacturers’ websites. Many manufacturers and distributors can assist in even better presentation of data and samples. Discuss warranty options up front and make sure all costs are known — or at least identified as “to be determined.” This education of function and performance will diffuse the focus on price.