Finding the Smallest Common Denominator: How Discovering One Little Detail Can Lead to You Selling Drastically More Re-Roofs!

Sometimes the best way to make a sale is to “boil” everything down to the smallest common denominator – just like the math problems that kids struggle with in elementary school. The trick is finding the smallest common denominator between what you are selling and what your customer wants.
It may not be necessary to use a lot of technical jargon or keywords like “new” or “improved” – or even “better than the rest.” The real key to selling to the smallest common denominator is to understand precisely what your customer wants and matching your products or services to his or her needs.

Go into your sales presentation knowing as much as possible about your customer so that you don’t have to fish around for catchy buzzwords or phrases that tend to confuse the issue. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions about how long they’re planning on living in the home or what they’re hoping to get out of their roof. Answers to these types of questions will help you present various options to address that specific homeowner’s needs and wants.

The smallest common denominator could be as simple as the homeowner wants this to be the last roof he/she wants to put on. It could be the homeowner plans to move soon and just wants an inexpensive, new roof for re-sale purposes. Or maybe they simply want to do business with someone who’s taking the time to sit down and talk with them. Believe it or not, spending an hour or two with a customer, rather than just dropping off a bid, can make all the difference in a person’s purchasing decision.

The roofing business is a tough business, especially if you’re in a market that gets hit with storms constantly. You’re dealing with in-town and out-of-town competitors. So, you need to do whatever is necessary to stand out. That means finding that smallest common denominator and selling it.