7 Spray Foam Insulation Sales Strategies

Whether you're selling for a spray foam insulation contractor or launching your own business with a new rig and a pickup, do you think about what you could do to sell more projects and grow your company? 

In this article—which builds on “How to Bid Spray Foam Insulation Jobs”—we share a punch list of strategies that'll help you sell more spray foam insulation jobs. 

Even if you're already using some of these strategies, they'll be a good reminder of seven things you can do to sell more jobs and grow your company, regardless of its size. The good news is if you practice most of these every day, you'll stand apart from your competition.
 

One of the best sales strategies to help you stand apart from your competition is to under-promise and over-deliver. Every time you connect with a prospect throughout a sales cycle, it's an opportunity to establish expectations and make an impact. For instance, when you set up a time to meet with your customer for an estimate, arrive 15 minutes early. Never late.

Being punctual sends the message you respect your prospect's time. If you tell them you'll call at a specific date and time, do it. If you promise an email, send one. These little things send the message that you're trustworthy, which gives prospects confidence you can handle the job.

If you tell a customer their job will take three days, but you finish it in two, you'll be viewed as a hero, which could result in multiple referrals.
 

Some contractors say they've never lost a job by communicating too much, yet others have lost projects by not communicating enough. Yes, consistent communication is vital with all customers, but essential when the customer is a local builder or commercial contractor. Contractors have multiple employees and job schedules to coordinate with numerous work crews. Keep everyone informed when you'll be on the job site. Generally speaking, customers don't like surprises.

If you've ever been to Disneyland, you've noticed you never see trash lying on the ground. That's because if a gum wrapper or napkin hits the pavement, it's swiftly plucked up by an employee and discarded. Treat your job sites like Disneyland—pick up your trash and sweep up before leaving a job site. If customers see a sloppy workspace, they could easily assume your work is subpar. Strive to be neat and tidy.
 

Every contractor gets calls from prospects who want a quick bid over the phone. Or sometimes, the question is, "what's your price per square foot?" And, of course, a low cost per square foot doesn't always reflect the actual price. An insulation contractor can still increase a job's profitability with expensive add-ons.

The trouble with responding to these requests is you'll never have a chance to differentiate yourself. To close more sales, you need to get in front of a customer to ask probing questions, see the project, take pictures and measure everything.

Most of all, you want to establish a relationship. You can't compete long-term on price alone. But when you meet a prospect and ask questions about their goals, address their problems and better understand their concerns, it's more difficult for customers to walk away. More face time helps create customer loyalty. As one contractor once said, "If I can meet you, I have a good shot of convincing you that I'm the sharpest tool in the shed."

Pro Tip: Create and memorize your "elevator speech." This is your 30-second spiel on what you do and why you're better than your competition.
 

Most prospects won't know much about the benefits of spray foam insulation; therefore, this is your chance to begin building a relationship by sharing your HVAC and insulation knowledge. When you switch into "teacher mode" you're also building credibility and trust. Consider the following topics:

• The science behind heating and cooling
• Why some rooms are warmer or colder than others
• Compare and contrast spray foam vs. fiberglass
• Offer to share literature or other documentation
• Walkthrough the house or building with the customer pointing out problem areas
• Show them your Reactor, spray gun and other equipment
• Detail your process (include a checklist or to-do list with timing spelled out)

Pro Tip: Reactor equipment can set you apart from the competition. Show potential customers the data available remotely on Reactor Connect. Explain how this helps you monitor your crews, even when you're not on-site. Share examples of the reports that are available to them to prove that the job was done correctly and on-ratio.
 

There will always be jobs that seem too challenging to do physically—like squeezing through a small trapdoor to enter an attic. Walk away from projects with obvious challenges, as some will cut into your profitability. At times, you'll also want to walk away from some customers.

You may have heard the phrase, "80% of your problems will come from 20% of your customers". By and large, it's true. The challenge, however, is identifying who's in that 20%. The lesson is to walk away from what you think will be impossible jobs and your most troublesome customers. Both categories will make it challenging for you to make money, and you could lose some.
 

Accidents and mistakes happen. Maybe a rim joist was missed. Or, maybe your beautiful insulation job was slightly damaged by another contractor working in the house or building during construction. Send someone out to fix the problem, but don't send them a bill. This is another way you can create goodwill (and a reputation for fairness), especially if you're working with a large residential or commercial contractor and seek more business.