If you have been following this series, you have come to the conclusion that 2009 and 2010 are going to be lean years for new roof installations (construction) and re-roofs. Service work: planned inspections and maintenance to keep problems from starting, repairs, and retrofits are the key to not only surviving but flourishing in these tough times. Now is a great time to build your service department. The current economy is an opportunity. Not only will you increase your market share, but well run service departments enjoy gross profits of 60 – 70%. Much more that we can earn installing a new roof, and contrary to popular belief, a service department will feed your installation department, not the other way around. Last month your assignment was to assess your resources: tools, trucks, training and roofing technicians who have the qualities to become a top service technician. This month we will talk about how find work. The good news is that this is the easiest part of the whole plan. Most building owners, commercial and residential, don’t even realize their roof life can be extended by doing maintenance because they have never heard of roof maintenance! Your job is to tell them. Tell enough people and your service techs will be working and you will have more customers! It is really that simple! It takes 3 things: a little organization, a little time and depending on how you do it, a little money.
Start by figuring out who your customers are, where they are, and how to reach them. This can be as simple as designing a flyer on your computer, printing out a hundred of them and spending one day a month canvassing a neighborhood or industrial park. Service is about relationship building, and relationship building starts with familiarity. You want the same potential customers to see your name and message regularly.
Here is what I recommend: start by picking one market or roof type and focus on it. You can expand later. For instance, low-slope roofs are an easy sale because they are typically commercial, derive a lot of benefit from maintenance work, and are mysterious to the building owner. Create a flyer that gives the reader a reason to call you. For instance:
“This building has a low-slope roofing system. Properly maintained it can last for many years. Properly maintained means annually cleaning all the roof drains and gutters, removing debris that can penetrate the roof, and carefully inspecting all the seams (where the roofing materials overlap), connection points (where the roofing materials attach to the building), and penetrations (like skylights, vents and chimneys) and fixing any small separations before they become gaping holes. This type of inspection is inexpensive. Replacing your roof and the insulation that lies underneath it, should it become wet from a hole or separation is not. When was the last time your roof was inspected?
"Johnson Roofing offers low cost maintenance services, and we want you to be our customer. We will inspect your roof, clean the drains and gutters, remove debris, and check the seams, connection points and penetrations at a very cost effective, win-win price. Let us serve you! Call 888-888-8888 and ask for Bob.”
Adding an eye catching photo, cartoon, or headline (a statement in large print that is meant to grab their attention) can help, as do third party testimonials.
Who gets the flyer? That is up to you. The easiest place to start is your own customer files. Go through your customer files, create a list and separate them into roof type. Send the flyer to the market you intend to tackle first. A
