Closing a roofing sale starts with a summary of the benefits the customer has accepted. Confirm what matters to them before proposing a next step.
Summarizing gives the customer a chance to confirm the points that matter and correct anything you missed. Then connect those agreed benefits to a clear next step.
Deciding on an action plan during a close depends upon where you are in the sales cycle with the customer or account, whether the customer is qualified to make the commitment we want, and how realistic the commitment is with respect to what has happened on the call.
When to Close
You close when the customer gives you a buying signal. Buying signals can be subtle or overt.
A gesture, facial expression, phrase or question may suggest interest. Use it to ask a follow-up question, rather than assuming the customer has agreed to buy or begin work.
| Buying Signal | Not a Buying Signal |
|---|---|
| Nodding head. | Shaking head. |
| Facial Expression showing interest. | Facial Expression showing doubt. |
| “I must say, you’ve convinced me.” | “It sounds OK, but it’s kind of expensive.” |
| “Sounds good.” | “I’m just not ready to make a decision yet.” |
| “How soon can we get started?” | “Call me next week. I need some time to think about your proposal.” |
How to Close
When you close, you summarize the benefits the customer accepted, and formulate an action plan requiring customer commitment.
Phrases that you can use to begin a benefit summary include:
- “Let’s review what we’ve agreed upon…”
- “We’ve agreed that…”
- “Let’s summarize…”
- “Let’s go over what we’ve talked about so far…”
- “We’ve already talked about…”
- “You’ve agreed…”
The second step of a close is to formulate an action plan requiring customer commitment. Common actions you can ask the customer to commit to or take include:
- Signing an agreement
- Introducing you to the decision maker
- Providing you with a stubborn leak work request as a test
- Agreeing to a next meeting
- Agreeing to an analysis
- Providing a list of facilities for further review/development of a Preventive Maintenance Proposal
- Scheduling an inspection
Ask the customer to confirm the next step. Explain what you are proposing and check that they are ready to proceed. If they need time or more information, ask whether a follow-up would help.
Example Preventive Maintenance:
Customer: “It sounds interesting.”
Salesperson: “Would you like me to prepare a preventive maintenance proposal with the reports and inspection schedule we discussed? I can confirm a realistic delivery date with our team.”
Example Skylight:
Customer: “This sounds good.”
Salesperson: “Would you like a written proposal for the skylights we discussed? I’ll confirm the product details, lead time and installation schedule with our team before we agree on the work.”