We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Matt Allbritton. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Matt below.
Matt, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
Roofing in Texas is known for scandals and scammers. Stories of roofers taking a check without doing the work, doing a crummy job but not fixing their errors, or just knocking on a door without a solicitors permit are far too common. It is a bad combination of a lucrative industry and no state license requirements. With these facts in mind, there is great potential to stand out as a trustworthy and reliable roofing contractor.
I was in roofing sales for over 5 years before stepping out on my own. I worked for large and small companies in that timeframe. While the companies I worked for were more trustworthy than most, there was always something that made them want to cut corners and beat the competition. Owners and sales managers continually influenced their sales team to break the laws. This didn’t fly with me. Once I accrued the appropriate knowledge needed I was going to branch off on my own.
Because the industry is as sketchy as it is, most companies had little focus on branding. This was one of the ways I knew I could be different. My goal is to catch people’s attention with second-to-none branding and follow through with the best service, products, trustworthiness and friendliness in the industry.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
One of my least favorite things about sales is the slimy, sweet talkers. Oftentimes, those that can sell the best are the worst at follow-through, or they leave the customer with buyer’s remorse. In my opinion, the best way to sell is to focus on the need of the buyer, not the need of the seller. Our society is constantly trying to sell people on the needs of the seller.
The great thing about roofing sales in Texas is the need is very easy to spot. Hail storms, wind storms, and tornadoes are common here. There are homeowners all over Texas in need of a trustworthy roofing contractor. It is still important to not “oversell.” Present the options to the homeowners, give advice, but let them decide what their need is.
Here in Texas, severe weather is most common in March-early June. When March hail storms hit, roofers are trying to get their customers to replace the roof right away. I never understood this. There are still 3 more months of hail season and the customer has 1 year to get the work done (according to most insurance companies). If there are no leaks or the homeowner is not in a rush, let’s wait. There is no reason to make a customer have to pay 2 deductibles in one year.
Even in roofing sales, contractors are selling based on their needs, not the needs of the customers. This is one way we are different.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
The funds needed to start a roofing business in Texas is minimal. However, it can take plenty of time to start getting paid, especially when most of the work is based on storms and insurance claims. As mentioned previously, I wanted my brand to be second-to-none in the industry, which means I needed to start off with an amazing logo and truck wrap (and have money in the bank as I wait for business to come). I wanted to do everything I could to not have to take a business loan.
Where did I get the funds to start the business? I sold my house. With my wife and I having a toddler and a baby on the way, it wasn’t an easy decision. But, the seller’s market was high and it would take the risk of starting my business make more sense. (P.S. Not every spouse would be as supportive as my wife, Christina, was. I truly could not have done it without her).
I ran a logo competition, chose my designer, and he made my logo AND my truck design. This design immediately made me stand out among my competitors.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Social media is huge. We are actively on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, (and still somewhat active on Twitter and YouTube). Facebook mostly helps us land business with family, friends, and their contacts. Instagram has become my go-to for connecting with Realtors and Insurance Agents. Most roofers try to find referral partners by walking into offices and bringing goodies. My approach, connect with them on Instagram. Most Realtors are on Instagram now to show off their listings. Most Insurance Agents are on Instagram to build their client base. I locate the ones I want to target, follow them, like their stuff, build an online relationship, THEN come by their office with goodies.
Contact Info:
- Website: onesourceroofs.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/1sourceroofs
- Facebook: facebook.com/1sourceroofs
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/1sourceroofs/
- Twitter: twitter.com/1sourceroofs
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMmfkJOvreff2I6ISePgxmA/about
- Other: https://www.google.com/search?q=onesource+roofing+and+restoration&rlz=1CAGZLV_enUS924US924&oq=oneso&aqs=chrome.1.69i60j69i59j69i57j69i60l4.1935j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Image Credits
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