Joining the metal bandwagon

MCS Influencer Randy Chaffee emphasizes the importance of selling the benefits of metal's sustainabiliy, not just talking about it.

Editor's note: The following is a transcript of a conversation with Randy Chaffee, partner of Source One Marketing. You can Read the transcript below, Listen to the interview or Watch the interview on YouTube.

Lauren White: Hello everyone, I'm Lauren White with MetalCoffeeShop.com and I am here for our September Metal Influencer Response with Randy Chafee. Randy, good to see you.

Randy Chaffee: Lauren it's good to see you as always. 

Lauren White: Well we're glad to have you here. Our topic for September is sustainability and resilience. So what do you have to share with our metal contractors out there?

Randy Chaffee: Well, I think the key there, and you know, I always come at these questions differently than some. I come from more of the sales and repping side of the world. And I think it's really important for the contractor and the supplier to work with their contractor to understand what that means. And I think we all understand what it means, but do we get that message to the end user? And I think that's where the miss is sometimes is they think metal roofing might be a little more expensive. Metal roofing may look a little different than what they're used to looking at. And and we all understand in the industry, the sustainability, the financial one and done, so to speak, or a long-term roof versus the two or three replacements that you do over the lifetime of a long roof.

And I think we need to be better as salespeople in this industry, whether you're at the supplier end or at the contractor end or the sales guy for the contractor, bringing that message to the end user, the homeowner, whether it be a business, industry or homeowner, to understand that there's the do good for the the environment part of it, right, which is important. and that comes in two two phases. Not only are you using a product that's probably been recycled at some point, but someday down the road, maybe not for you, but your kids or grandkids or great grandkids or somebody, that product's going to be recycled again.

And I think that different people have different views on how important that is. But from a sales standpoint, I think it's very important because that is a trigger point for a lot of people. So let's not forget it and let's use it to our advantage because it's real. Secondarily, from a financial standpoint, I've seen some good sales guys do this in the past and not to bore you with a whole bunch of numbers here, but they'll take the cost today of a metal roof, and let's say it's, you know, twenty percent higher versus an asphalt shingle roof or whatever. But they do the math. Fifteen, eighteen, twenty years they're going to spend whatever they were going to spend today again. And then twenty years later they're going to do it yet again, probably a time of their life that they don't really want to be spending money other than maybe to play, right? And to do fun stuff. And that's the gift that never stops giving, right? Where if you do a one and done and you spend a little bit more today, again, from a sustainability and from a financial standpoint, let's do it once. And you're not going to spend that money probably again in your lifetime. And I think it adds some resale value to your property. I think if you can why you may not get more necessarily because there's comps and there's all those things, okay? But if you're going to sell, if you can say, 'Hey, look, I got a roof you never have to replace, so I'm going to hold on my price just a little bit, right?' Because you know, I know you're looking at some other properties in the area, those are all single roofs, whatever the case may be, you're probably going to have to replace that roof. You buy my house, you don't. So there's those options too.

So I think as salespeople, especially at the contractor end of it, or with the end user, whomever that may be, let's make sure we sell the benefits of that, not just talk it. And any suppliers out there listening, we need to do a better job on our end to bring that message to our contractors so if they fully have what they need to go to battle on that front.

Lauren White: Yeah, absolutely. You make a lot of really good points. I like what you said about how the material that you use today can be recycled for generations to come. And I think that's really important.

Randy Chaffee: Exactly. And it's becoming more important every day and I think even people that aren't on the super recycle bandwagon, right, still understand even at the opposite end of that, if we don't have to throw stuff away in a dump someplace, it's just better, right? It's just better. Even if you're not highly into that belief, right? And there's different people at different I'm not making a statement either way.

I'm just saying that wherever you fall on that spectrum, it's hard to argue that you're never going to have to throw this in a dump someplace and pile tons of dirt on top of it and hope it goes away six thousand years from now, right? I just think that's important. It's not pushing anything, it's just talking truth. Just tell people what it is.

Lauren White: Definitely. Well, Randy, thank you so much. For those of you listening, make sure that you check out Randy's directory on metalcoffeeshop.com for more insights from him. And we will see you in October, Randy. 

Randy Chaffee: I'll be here. Sounds good. See you at METALCON.