Before you get started, I want to make sure you know the exact steps I took to go from having no roofing knowledge, no experience, and no customer list to making 100k in sales my first year.
I’m going to break down every step of the process in detail so it’s easy for anyone to follow along at home.
(Note: This is how much I made in my FIRST SEASON selling roofs. The season after that I doubled this number, then tripled it in my third season. It all starts with a plan.)
Step 1: Finding A Local Roofing Company To Sign On With
The very first thing you need when getting into roofing sales is someone who already has an established business . You will be able to take advantage of their reputation, their frame of reference and most importantly, their customer list.
When you find a roofing company, don’t just sign on with them because they’re local or because it’s your best option. You need to know that they have a good reputation in the area, and that only comes from asking people who already work there. Good companies will be happy to provide references , so call up some of their employees and ask how it is working for them.
Now I’m going to share exactly what happened with me:
I signed on with a smaller residential roofing company called “American Roofing Company”. They were growing fast but still had more clients than they could handle (especially after me). I chose them because they were highly recommended by two people I trusted.
My mentor called me up the first week of December and told to be at their office in 30 minutes for a meeting. It was then that he informed me that he had just signed me on as his very first employee (he would hire more agents later).
The company took care of all my insurance, licensing, permits and other necessary expenses such as custom signs . They also put together my “rising sun” logo (which is still in use today) and helped set up an LLC for each state where we worked.
Step 2: Going Out And Selling Our First Roofs!
Now we needed to create a system for selling roofs fast , which will be the most important thing you’ll learn from this post.
Every great business starts with a plan that’s been tested over time . Now it was my turn to test out the system on clients (like yourself).
I started making cold calls on every customer I could find. It wasn’t hard because word spreads fast around here and everyone knows who is doing quality work. We sold our first roof within two days ! And we didn’t stop there…we kept selling more roofs, week after week!
Having your own roofing company really helps open doors, especially for new guys like me. New customers will actually TRUST you simply because they think that your business is already established (even if it isn’t). They feel safer knowing that an agent has some “skin in the game” and isn’t just working part-time for some other company while also trying to sell roofs on his own.
Step 3: Hiring Some Help
After you make a few sales, it’s time to start growing your team . Most roofing companies have a quota they expect their agents to meet every month. In fact, some of them won’t even let you work there unless you can prove that you can deliver on this quota (which is very doable).
Having a good reputation means that most people who apply for the job will already have an established customer list , and usually they’ve been trying to sell roofs for quite some time now. Many veterans I hire are looking to change careers or just need something more dependable because they’re tired of working construction jobs all over town (and seeing their income fluctuate significantly every season).
When hiring, focus on people who are coachable rather than hiring “experts”. You are much better off teaching an eager person the ropes of roofing sales, instead of trying to reinvent the wheel with someone who has already failed in this industry.
Step 4: Review & Apply For Better Sales & Marketing Tools
After a few months, you will start making enough money to where you might feel like buying whatever tool or software is required for your business . Now I got rid of all my old tools and replaced them with the best products I could find (and afford).
Don’t be afraid to ask around when looking for new tools that will help your roofing business grow . There are lots of us veterans out there that are more than happy to share their top tools and resources with you, especially if they know that you are trying to be successful at this too.
The truth is that most of the best products for roofers don’t cost nearly as much as you might think . You just have to be willing to invest in yourself first before expecting others to invest in your success.
Rent or buy?
I hope by now it’s clear that hiring experts on a monthly basis will cost more than owning some of these products outright (especially once you factor in support costs). So which do I personally choose ? It all depends on how long I intend to stay on this career path…if it’s only temporary then I rent my tools . But since I’ve been doing this full-time
So what are you waiting for? You need to go out there and get your customers! Start with the easy ones, the warm leads that will likely give you referrals , then work towards cold calling .
Don’t underestimate this step! A lot of people think they can skip it… but they’re wrong! It’s all about building up momentum by getting more customers than you can handle. The more money you bring in, the more money you’ll make!
Step 5: How To Make $100,000 Selling Roofs Like I Did
When I first started selling roofs, I made a point to track everything . Every call I made, every lead I followed up on…I had a system for scoring how many sales it led to. This is what has given me the ability to make 100k per year as a roofing agent.
When you see your numbers go up week after week , you’ll be motivated to keep selling! So much so that no one can stop you…not even YOU ! The challenge will become finding enough customers in your local area. As time goes by and you gain more experience, this will happen naturally because now YOU are well-known among all the contractors (who buy most of the work in your town).
At first I just worked as a roofing agent for the same company that trained me. Now I’m my own boss and run my own independent roofing business . In other words, I don’t have to answer to any corporate team leaders or overzealous bosses breathing down my neck all day…just me and YOU !
And if things don’t work out with a customer, you won’t have anyone else to blame but yourself! That kind of responsibility is what separates successful veterans from those who give up after a few weeks.
That’s how to make $100k your first year in Roofing Sales. Let me know if you have any questions!