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One Meeting Proposals

3K views 17 replies 14 participants last post by  Dallas-Roofing 
#1 ·
How many guys here do the whole proposal the first meeting?

I have been measuring the roof and giving a price on the spot (with the whole why hire us) in the middle but I'm thinking of changing it up a little bit. Very few customers have ever signed right away so I'm thinking of still doing the presentation but then mailing a packet loaded full of information afterwards.

My goal is to give such a good impression that they are eagerly awaiting my quote.

How do most of you do it?
 
#2 ·
My close rate has been terrible this year but FWIW I will usually do a initial meeting with a pitch and then follow up with a proposal. If the job is over a couple thousand in labor or very close to me I'll deliver it in person. If it's a small job or the customer requests it, I'll email the proposal at around 4pm on a weekday(Monday/Tuesday seems best) and then follow up with a call around 6pm.
 
#3 · (Edited)
I’m all for closing in one meeting if you can. Life is too short, and gas is too expensive, the more trips you make the more of your time it takes.

You could always try to be the last one in and let your competitors do most of the educating and you go in to close it.

You might be giving people too much information during the presentation and that’s why they are telling you the need to think it over. Only give them enough information to make a decision but not so much information that they feel overwhelmed.

Always make more than one attempt to get a decision because most people will have a tendency to procrastinate, they don’t want to make it too easy for you.

Let them talk about what is keeping them from deciding and always give them the option to say “no” to your proposal. You have to have a sales system that’s designed to get a “yes or no” decision, if you don’t have that what you have is a sales system that’s designed to get a “think it over”.

My opinion is that proposals should only be given in person, anything else is unprofessional. I usually quote the price by writing it on a pad of yellow paper. Although I am thinking about switching back to a form that has columns for 2 or 3 shingle options.

If they don’t say “no” after I quote the price I’ll write up a proposal on a preprinted from.

I try to avoid leaving proposals behind if they don’t want to sign it, the only exception would be if one of the decision makers isn’t there and the person I’m giving the proposal to is 90% sold.
 
#6 ·
I usually do my meeting and then go home and figure the numbers. Then a phone call to give them the numbers. Then we will meet and sign papers and do any adds to the job. Those I'll do on the spot usually.

That's not normal for most areas, but works well for my clients. I have a good close rate with that system.
 
#7 · (Edited)
We are trying a new effort this season that has been 80% successful so far this year. It goes like this...

When the call comes in we set an appointment fora sit for three days later (forth day). I tell them to look for a packet in the mail and ask if they have arranged financing yet or would they like information on financing in this packet.

We mail out a letter of thanks and a packet of information filled with brochures on the products with generalized good better best pricing. Important with the good better best pricing is actual dollar amounts (example $300 $400 $500 per unit).

The home is measured the following day. At this point I cold easily produce a number but I don't I wait for the sit.

The mail is received on day two or three and our meeting is the on the fourth day allowing plenty of time to call references and review the brochures.

I look at it like this, if they get to the point of the meeting they are now well informed, the references have been checked and they should know what they want. Objections, time for other estimates, references checked, and hopefully money is done.

This has worked very well this year. The close rate is easy to calculate as we've priced 10 homes and the two not sold are it lost, they are both refinancing and I both hold promise.
 
#8 ·
Roofcheck said:
We are trying a new effort this season that has been 80% successful so far this year. It goes like this...

When the call comes in we set an appointment fora sit for three days later (forth day). I tell them to look for a packet in the mail and ask if they have arranged financing yet or would they like information on financing in this packet.

We mail out a letter of thanks and a packet of information filled with brochures on the products with generalized good better best pricing. Important with the good better best pricing is actual dollar amounts (example $300 $400 $500 per unit).

The home is measured the following day. At this point I cold easily produce a number but I don't I wait for the sit.

The mail is received on day two or three and our meeting is the on the fourth day allowing plenty of time to call references and review the brochures.

I look at it like this, if they get to the point of the meeting they are now well informed, the references have been checked and they should know what they want. Objections, time for other estimates, references checked, and hopefully money is done.

This has worked very well this year. The close rate is easy to calculate as we've priced 10 homes and the two not sold are it lost, they are both refinancing and I both hold promise.
That's basically what I was thinking of doing except meeting with them at first to discuss what they may want and get measurements then mail out the proposal afterwards and follow up the third day after the mail to see of they have anymore questions.
 
#9 ·
I don't do this with referrals. The three days gives them not only time to look over and check references, but for the others to show up.

Gutters have not been done this way, and I don't think I will start. I insist on a meeting everyone seems to have their own thoughts on what they want, where they want leader placement so a meet is required in my mind.
 
#14 ·
i dont like pushing contracts on people the first day.. but i dont like wasting my time either. so ill do the inspection.. if we schedule an adjusters appointment with the insurance i tell them i will meet their adjuster there when he comes, but straight up i dont waste my time getting people approved so someone else can do the work.. then i just tell them that i will be here an hour before the adjuster shows up and we will do the paperwork then, if the roof gets denied i can then fight the ins co for it... but without a contract you dont have any interest in it and the adjuster prob wont talk to you anyway. so just say "ill be here an hour before the adjuster shows up and we will go over any questions and paperwork and we will do the contract then as well." you can even throw in there that they can get bids between now and then if they want but you prefer they just use you. and then smile and stare at them until they acknowledge what you said. it works every time. people like confidence. they like funny. and you are saying to them that you want the job and you are not pushy its kinda passive aggressive... in a friendly professional yet funny way..
 
#16 ·
I have good success with meet, measure, discuss then email quote a few days later. I operate a little different than most. We are always booked 2-4 months out, so there is no rush. My brand is built on quality and customer service, we also market that we are sought after and have to wait for. *Brag-Brag, right? Not really because I know I am losing out on a lot of work because of it, but it's the way I want to make my living. Anyway, for you guys that quote and ask for the job first time out, what if they say no? You just drive home and give up? Did you cave and drop your price? I'm curious, why is it so important to give it to them right then and there?

Don't get me wrong, after all my "prequalifying" I hate when someone wastes my time and just hires the lowest number anyway. I wish I never gave them a legitiment bid, or educated them on the specifics of their roof, so that someone else could cut it. I want the job because I'm the most qualified, best references, most knowledgable, not lowest.
 
#17 ·
If my salesman get hit with a "just not right now" or your on a one legged appointment and they hit you with a "i need to run it by my partner" after you run through your "roadblock" solutions then you make sure you do a 3 day follow up phone call...But keep one thing in mind and its the thing that made me switch my company over to the 1 appointment close is every job we close on the first appointment is a job you might have met with earlier in the day and were planning to get them a quote later that day or the appointment you have for tomorrow just got cancelled because we were there today...But if we dont close on the first meeting then we both are in the running will be in the same boat and the customer will ultimately go with who best suits them.. JMO
I have good success with meet, measure, discuss then email quote a few days later. I operate a little different than most. We are always booked 2-4 months out, so there is no rush. My brand is built on quality and customer service, we also market that we are sought after and have to wait for. *Brag-Brag, right? Not really because I know I am losing out on a lot of work because of it, but it's the way I want to make my living. Anyway, for you guys that quote and ask for the job first time out, what if they say no? You just drive home and give up? Did you cave and drop your price? I'm curious, why is it so important to give it to them right then and there?

Don't get me wrong, after all my "prequalifying" I hate when someone wastes my time and just hires the lowest number anyway. I wish I never gave them a legitiment bid, or educated them on the specifics of their roof, so that someone else could cut it. I want the job because I'm the most qualified, best references, most knowledgable, not lowest.
 
#18 ·
If you can close them on the first appointment I would. As a matter of fact I walk in to every home with the notation that I will close them on the spot. Make sure that the decision maker is home and if there is a couple make sure that they are both home. Do your due diligence and get inside that attic to investigate for proper ventilation. Wear shoe covers when you enter the home. Take a dust buster with you to clean up the mess that is left after you open the attic door. There is always debris that falls out when you open it. Take your time through your pitch and make sure your always asking them if they have any questions. You should leave such a great impression that they would either want to sign with you right on the spot. If not, look at it this way. You have just set the bar up so high for your competitors that if they do not take the same level of care the home owner will be call you back for the job anyways.

Devin Mahdi
DFW Roofers
 
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