Dale Childress Jr. initially promised to give five reasons why deals aren’t closed, but as he spoke to the 500-plus attendees at Best of Success, he gave them more bang for their buck.

The founder of the Master Closer Society and national sales trainer doubled down and outlined 10 reasons why roofing deals are lost, and what can be done to avoid these situations.

Reason 1: Obscurity

Childress said companies must work to ensure their name is top-of-mind when customers need roofing services. By always doing more than one of everything, from appointments to marketing channels, it raises the chance people will remember your name.

Reason 2: Not in Agreement

If a salesperson tries to prove what a prospect says is wrong or tries to contradict them, this causes tension and kills the potential deal.

“I’m not suggesting let them kick your teeth in, I’m saying always be agreeable,” Childress said. “If we’re always agreeable, you can’t argue with someone who agrees with you on anything.”

Reason 3: No Follow Up

Always be sure to follow up after an appointment or phone call. Childress  recommends doing so five times within four days, saying open communication like this creates an 80 percent chance of closing the sale.

Reason 4: The Wrong Client

This refers to making sure you’re speaking to all the decision-makers. A customer may object by saying something like, “I need to talk about it with my partner and get back to you.” To avoid this, always ask if there is anyone else who is involved with making decisions about the property.

Reason 5: No Sales Process

Have a plan of action before talking to a prospect. He gives a six-step process to follow, which includes having a positive greeting and attitude, qualify the prospect, have a good presentation, have a proposal ready, go for the close, and follow up afterwards.

Reason 6: The Wrong Attitude

Simply put, don’t go into an appointment with a negative attitude. Going in with a positive one will elevate the energy of the meeting and make it better for all involved.

Reason 7: Low Action

Childress said by taking more action — such as meeting a whole street instead of just one or two homes on that street — you will create momentum to improve sales numbers.

Reason 8: Not Committed

“You have to be committed,” Childress said. “Go see what you can do in a day, once you set that standard for yourself…try to duplicate that as fast as possible.”

Reason 9: Ineffective Communication

Work on improving aspects like body language, the tone of your voice and word selection so you present yourself in the best manner. For instance, start a presentation with “[Customer name], my intention today is,” and go from there.

Reason 10: No Attempt to Close

Childress suggests having a contract on hand and using the phrase “does this make sense?” during a presentation to go for the close.

“If I say, ‘Hey, does all this make sense so far?’ Most of the time they’re going to be like, ‘Oh yeah, it makes perfect sense.’ ‘Perfect, I’m going to get your paperwork started, I just need you to OK right here.’ That’s the close, it’s literally one sentence.”