search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube instagram Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • TOPICS
    • Cool Roofing
    • Event News
    • Latinos in Roofing
    • Low Slope
    • Legal
    • Metal
    • Project Profiles
    • Roofing Supply Pro
    • Roofing Safety
    • Steep Slope
    • Sustainable Roofing
    • Technology
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Best of Success
    • Contractor Profile
    • IRE Show
    • Roofing Contractor of the Year
    • Top 100
    • Young Guns
    • State of the Industry
    • Century Club
  • MULTIMEDIA
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Interactive Spotlights
    • Roofing Quizzes
    • IRE Videos
    • Webinars
    • Photo Galleries
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products
    • Featured Products
  • COLUMNS
    • Editor's Note
    • Exit Planning
    • Legally Speaking
    • Safety Advice
    • Technical Details
    • Guest Column
  • EVENTS
    • International Roofing Expo
    • Webinars
    • Best of Success Conference
    • Industry Events
  • DIRECTORY
    • Associations
    • Distributors
    • Manufacturer/Supplier
    • Business Services
    • Get Listed
  • MORE
    • Roofing Contractor eNews
    • RC Store
    • Roofing Supply Pro
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • Market Research
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Company Spotlights
    • Classifieds
      • Auctions
      • Business For Sale
      • Business Opportunities
      • Equipment For Sale
      • Positions Available
      • Products
      • Safety
      • Software
      • Services
      • Training
    • Contact Us
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Editorial Calendar
      • Contact
    • Archive Issues
  • SIGN UP!

Let's Profit From People's Pain

By Tim Fausch
December 4, 2008

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we have a few weeks before the Christmas spirit peaks and we have to be nice to people. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of people and make some easy money for your company.



©iStockphoto.com/Renee Lee


 

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we have a few weeks before the Christmas spirit peaks and we have to be nice to people. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of people and make some easy money for your company.

Here’s how to do it:

“The secret to closing sales is to identify a person’s pain and offer a solution,” the sales guru said during the only sales course I ever took.

According to this guru, once you get people to admit their area of pain, their defenses crumble. Your goal is to keep them talking, opening up and sharing their pain. Before long, you’ve got a new sucker-er, I mean, client.

OK, I am being facetious.

In defense of the sales guru, the pain he referenced was supposedly along the lines of lousy phone service, slow computers or overpriced office supplies. But it could just as easily be roofing, plumbing, HVAC, flooring, granite, water delivery, cleaning, excavation, or any architectural, engineering or maintenance services.

When the sales guru said we should identify a person’s pain in order to sell them a product, I felt conflicted. It felt wrong. But upon reflection, this is nothing more than helping a person get to the point of telling you specifically what he or she needs and offering your services to meet those needs.

The A/E/C and maintenance industries do this every day. You provide services that reduce the work pain that a person or company is enduring. And you do it extremely well.

But what about closing a sale based on someone’s personal pain, such as the destruction of his or her home via fire, flood or storm? These are perilous times. Many people are unemployed, uninsured or out of savings.

Is it OK to profit from their pain? If not, why not?

Shouldn’t construction pros seek this disaster-related work, maybe even specialize in it? With construction suffering, such disaster work might just save your company.

This topic came to mind as the California wildfires raged, displacing thousands, destroying nearly 1,000 residences, and severely damaging hundreds more homes. These fires are both personal disaster and business opportunity rolled into one.

Add to fires the litany of similar disasters like hurricanes, floods, tornados, sewage backups and water intrusion/mold and you have the makings of a full-time business.

I don’t know anyone who specializes in disaster reconstruction. But clearly this type of work provides the opportunity to help people in their time of need. Rather than the greedy charlatans I described in the opener of this blog, I suspect these specialists often become heroes to those they serve.

I work for BNP Media, which recently launched a magazine called Restoration & Remediation for construction pros specializing in such work. Did we discover an under-served market, or are we blood-sucking opportunists? I’m trusting it’s not the latter.

If you’d like more information on the disaster services field, go to www.randrmagonline.com. You should also visit www.ndrexpo.com, a conference and trade show designed for the disaster repair, reconstruction, remediation and restoration fields, scheduled for June 16-17 in New Orleans.

Share This Story

Tim Fausch is publishing director of BNP Media’s Architecture, Engineering & Construction and Mechanical Systems Groups, a collection of more than 20 trade magazines, Web sites and e-newsletters. Just don't ask him to use any actual tools.
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Blog Topics

Damato of the Day

Guest Blog

Recent Comments

Justin Bieber’s purple hoodie is an iconic piece...

It's fascinating to see how virtual trade shows...

This update is a game-changer for flat...

This is a timely conversation for residential...

Safety is No1

Manage My Account
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Sign Up for the eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Roofing Contractor audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Roofing Contractor or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • An overhead view of a residential block
    Sponsored byCBIZ CompuData

    From Spreadsheets to Strategy: How Roofing Companies Can Transform Financial Operations

  • Snow Guard Solutions for Metal Roofs by S-5!
    Sponsored byS-5!

    Safeguard Your Building: How Snow Guards Prevent Costly Roof & Property Damage

  • A hand holding a wooden block that reads 'EVOLVE'
    Sponsored byWatercress Financial

    Embracing Change: A New Era for the Roofing Industry

Popular Stories

Agentes de ICE arrestaron a casi una docena de empleados de una empresa de techos en Lowell, Massachusetts. Los arrestos son parte de una redada federal más amplia contra la contratación no autorizada y las violaciones migratorias en Boston.

ICE Redondea a Equipo de Techos Afuera de Boston

QXO CEO Brad Jacobs will share the company’s strategic vision today at the Wolfe Research Global Transportation & Industrials Conference in New York following its acquisition of Beacon Roofing Supply..

QXO’s Brad Jacobs Charts Growth at Wolfe Research Conference

Florida has become the focal point for construction-site raids, attracting national attention and altering labor dynamics throughout the industry.

Florida Emerges as the Epicenter of ICE Raids

Roofing Contractor Webinar

Events

December 3, 2025

The Premier Roofing Conference: Best of Success

Join roofing professionals from across the nation at the 2025 Best of Success conference, the ultimate destination for roofing professionals seeking the latest industry insights and networking opportunities. Pick up strategies for critical challenges like workforce shortage with innovative solutions, explore the latest advancements in roofing technology and sustainable practices, and gain valuable insights from industry leaders on navigating the evolving roofing landscape.

View All Submit An Event
×

Be in the forefront of the roofing industry!

Join thousands of professionals today. Shouldn’t you know what they know?

JOIN NOW!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing