If steep-slope roofers think it’s tough selling three-tabs to a stingy couple in a bungalow home, then commercial roofers know the challenges of dealing with hardcore industrial clients.

If steep-slope roofers think it’s tough selling three-tabs to a stingy couple in a bungalow home, then commercial roofers know the challenges of dealing with hardcore industrial clients.

Instead of dealing with just the homeowner and maybe his wife, you are negotiating with a facilities manager, maintenance manager and the buyer who issues the purchase order.

The facilities manager will be laying out the scope of the work; obtaining bids; and placing an order for any repairs. The maintenance manager wants a “guarantee” of speedy repairs down the road, so his expensive equipment is not shut down due to a leaky roof.

Knowing the buyer who handles the purchase order is also important, because that’s where the bids will be going. Also, if there are any changes after the job has begun, these get routed to the buyer, who (hopefully) issues a revised purchase order.

In today’s fast-pasted environment, facilities managers and buyers are in a state of continual stress. Any delays in putting the roof on will not go down well. Also, your own availability - that is, being able to respond quickly - can mean better relations and future business with industrial accounts.

Even if all goes well, don’t expect to be paid at the time the services are provided. In fact, you can count on being paid later than you would with residential accounts. It all depends on the client’s schedule and the efficiency of their check processing.

Fortunately, wire transfers are becoming a preferred method of payment for industrial clients. Initially, the process of providing the necessary banking information to your client may seem cumbersome, but wire transfers are generally the best way to go.

Finally, selling new roof installation or roof repair services to industrial clients can often be as simple as being available when the client has a problem that needs to be eliminated in a hurry. Getting over there to fix a leak quickly or dry in a roof after a storm can make you a hero in the eyes of the industrial customer. The payoff in future business can be absolutely huge; the trick is having the staff available and prioritizing the repairs.

In the industrial market, the selling process evolves and changes with each client and for each roofing problem. The buyer will be interested in price, and the facilities and maintenance managers will have their own issues. Having some sort of relationships with these top people and offering them solutions is the key to success in the industrial market.