In Part 1 of “Can I make a living selling roofs?” we covered the first (4) reasons why people are afraid of roofing sales.
In Part 2 below, we’ll cover the last (3) excuses.
You really need to make sure you’re ready because prospects can smell the fear as soon as they open their door. This is a prospecting job.
Sometimes they won’t even open the door after they look through their peep-hole and see your frightened face on the other side.
You need to have a good understanding of “what’s the worst that could happen if I sell roofs for a living?”
[Tweet “Once you know the worst that could happen, make up your mind that you’ll never let it happen!”]
Just to recap, here’s that list again…
Top 7 list of why people are afraid of roofing sales:
#1 You don’t trust the roofing company recruiting you.
#2 You can’t imagine knocking on doors for a living.
#3 You’ve worked on commission before and failed.
#4 You don’t have any sales training.
#5 Your friends tell you you’re crazy.
#6 You can’t afford the gas to drive around.
#7 You don’t have a vehicle.
#5 Your friends tell you you’re crazy.
Yep. They’re right!
You’re crazy to leave a steady paycheck with benefits and paid time-off.
When I walked away from the corporate advertising world to go back into running a roofing company, I left an extremely nice paycheck, health insurance, life insurance, dental insurance, long-term disability, short-term disability, 401k, matching funds, sick days, personal and paid vacation time-off. The only thing I miss about corporate America is all the great people I worked with… and the steady paycheck, all my benefits, and my paid time-off. 😉
There’s only 1 thing more valuable to me than all of that… My Freedom!
Listen, 9 out 10 guys who get in to roofing sales fail. They get hungry, go broke, and can’t take the pressure of working on commission only. Odds are, that’s exactly what will happen to you too… and your friends know it.
Yes, there is a chance that you’ll be that 1 guy out of 10 that will make it in roofing sales.
There’s a chance, a very small chance, that you’ll…
- Escape the corporate jail cube.
- Never again drive in rush hour unless you want to.
- Make more money in 1 deal than you made in 2 weeks of work.
- Take long lunch hours, go home early, skip work when you want.
- Go to your kids’ games and school programs.
- Have the money to do what you want with your life.
There’s always that chance! That’s why people do it.
#6 You can’t afford the gas to drive around.
One of the things I tell salespeople is, “The price of gas is a lot lower than the cost of staying home.”
You really don’t need a lot of gas to drive to a neighborhood, get out of your car, and start knocking.
When guys tell me they can’t afford the gas, that usually means their doors are welded shut… they’re driving from neighborhood to neighborhood looking for the exact, perfect area to stop and start knocking.
If you want to save money on gas, get out of your car and start knocking!
Let’s do the math…
Let’s say that you drive a really old truck that only gets 10 MPG and the neighborhood you’re working is 20 miles away.
That means you’ll need 2 Gallons of gas (20 Miles divided by 10 MPG = 2 Gallons).
If gas runs $4 a gallon, it will cost you $8 to drive out to your neighborhood and $8 to drive home. That’s $16 a day in gas, but I seriously doubt you only get 10 MPG and I bet there’s a neighborhood closer than 20 miles away.
$16 Dollars a Day
Honestly, I don’t know anybody that prospects (5) days a week, but let’s assume that you do. That means that you’ll need $80 a week for gas (5 Days x $16 Dollars a Day = $80 a week).
If you are actually out in the neighborhood all day prospecting (5) days a week, I don’t know a roofing company owner out there who wouldn’t be willing to help you with your gas for several weeks while you’re getting up and running.
Seriously, if you’re going to work that hard, a good roofing company will help you… especially if you’re setting appointments.
Here’s the real problem… the reason why guys can’t afford $16 a day in gas is because they aren’t working. Bottom line. Period.
“No Gas” is a stupid excuse!
#7 You don’t have a vehicle.
On the surface, this sounds like a good excuse.
If you want something bad enough, there are no good excuses. You can always make a way.
For example, why not ride with the guy that recruited you. You could set appointments for him (and split commissions) until you can afford to buy a cash car for yourself. That would work, wouldn’t it?
Peace,
Mike
P.S. Get in on the free 101 Sales Tips newsletter to learn how to make more money selling roofs.
Mike Coday
Mike started selling roofs in '95 while working as a youth pastor at a small church in North Texas. A decade later he transitioned to speaking at industry conferences and training outside sales teams. Today, he works exclusively as the premier consultant to roofing company owners who are driven for growth.
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