Non-Sales Selling
Non-selling can be a powerful tool in the sales world. From my experience this summer with Tremco Roofing, we like to call it “a way to get your foot in the door.” When prospecting for new customers in the roofing world, we are looking for those who we believe are the right fit. We do so by driving around or looking at roofs on Google Earth for issues at manufacturing plants, school districts, town halls, and private companies. Our main goal is to locate buildings with noticeable damage or wear on roofs or those that need façade work. If we could speak with someone in person and get a point of contact, an email will be sent out to their head of maintenance. If we cannot find a contact, a phone call is made to the building to try to find one. In-person conversations can lead straight to a first-time meeting or could just be with a receptionist. For those who are interested but cannot meet right away, we set up a time to meet and check out the roof.
Just getting to this first phase is a huge success. It is also the point where many sales fall short. You have the opportunity to start rambling about all of your products, their features, and what you have to offer. Instead, we refrain from this, and after a short introduction and breaking the ice with small talk, we get straight to assessing their issues. We first take a quick walk around the building for leaks and then hop on the roof. The non-sales selling begins with offering free patch and repairs on the roof that day, an Infra-Red scan to check for wet spots in their insulation, and giving them a CAD drawing of their roof with information about opportunities for improvement. That’s where we draw the line. We have assessed the customers’ issues, and they have been given free repairs as well as options for long-term improvement if they choose. There is no push in this process. Whether it be now or in the future, that customer will remember Tremco Roofing. They will most likely give us a call to repair or restore the roof later on. We have gained trust and value without ever making a prior transaction.