Why personalization is roofing’s secret weapon

By Jesse Sanchez. 

Customers want to feel understood and smart contractors are turning that insight into more leads. 

Roofing contractors are finding that the battle for quality leads is fiercer than ever in today’s market. But amid shifting trends in the industry, local contractors have an edge and it’s not money. It’s personalization. In this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Heidi J. Ellsworth sat down with Pam Torrey, director of marketing at Ingage, to dig into what’s changing in lead generation and how smaller roofing companies can win big by getting personal. 

“The statistic that we need to think about here is that 80% of customers feel like brands do not understand them,” Pam said. “So, you have a big opportunity there to be a brand that does understand your customer.” That insight isn’t just anecdotal. Pam explained that most homeowners reaching out to roofing contractors today, especially those under 45, have likely never purchased a roof before. Many are first-time buyers, locked into low mortgage rates or working on fixer-uppers and they’re looking for guidance from brands that “get” them. 

For smaller roofing contractors, that creates a key advantage over national firms. “You may have done work for their family members in the past,” Pam said. “Maybe you’ve sponsored their kids’ T-ball team. You have community connections that everybody else does not have in the market.” Those personal ties can translate into trust and credibility that big-box competitors can’t easily replicate. 

Pam also expressed the importance of building systems that support this kind of personalization at scale. Tools like Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software and marketing automation software can help contractors identify what a homeowner clicked on, what they’re interested in and how to speak to their concerns. “Our brains have been melted by the algorithm,” she said. “People have no attention span, and they're so used to having a completely personal experience online, that if you don't provide that for them during a buying process, you are not enabling the buyer to get to a ‘yes.’” 

Understanding where the lead came from is just as important as knowing what they’re interested in. “It's so important to know this information going in,” Pam said. “If your sales rep knows, okay, this lead was sourced through canvassing, they're probably going to have to do a lot more work to build the value of your company before they even dig into the products.” Therefore, personalization isn’t just a nice added touch to have anymore. It’s the most powerful way smaller roofing companies can compete against big names and high budgets. 

Read the transcript or Listen to the podcast to learn more about how to apply these strategies, including how to automate them and maximize every lead!