By Jesse Sanchez. 

Strong branding, personalized content and homeowner education can help contractors make more of every in-home sales opportunity. 

With customer acquisition costs rising, contractors need to make every sales appointment count. During this MetalTalk™ conversation, Karen Edwards spoke with Dean Curtis, CEO of Ingage, about how contractors can strengthen the in-home sales experience and improve lead conversion. 

Dean emphasized that the process begins with brand consistency because homeowners form impressions almost immediately. From logos and colors to typography and imagery, sales materials should present a professional, cohesive identity. Demonstrating the relevance of those first moments, he explained, “The first impression is so important. They last forever.” Contractors can also reinforce credibility by showing affiliations with manufacturers and other recognizable brands. 

The next priority is understanding what homeowners need from the sales process. According to Dean, trust comes first, followed by proof that the contractor can solve the homeowner’s problem and then information about available options. Testimonials, project galleries, before-and-after photos, warranties and certifications can all help demonstrate experience and reliability. Describing that progression, Dean said, “If you can build trust, show proof and then present the options that are available to the homeowner,” contractors can move prospects further along the decision-making process. 

Contractors should also allow homeowners to guide the conversation rather than forcing every prospect through an identical presentation. Dean stressed, “There is no one path to success when you're selling.” Sales content should be flexible enough to address questions as they arise and personalize with projects, homes and information relevant to that customer. 

Education is another critical part of conversion. Homeowners often arrive with information gathered through online research and reviews, but they may still need help understanding a complex purchase. Video, images, graphics and interactive content can help contractors explain the process clearly while supporting a more engaging sales experience. 

Content can also support the entire customer journey, from pre-appointment communication and the in-home presentation to financing discussions, follow-up, reviews and sales team training. 

Listen to the podcast or Watch the conversation to learn more about the five ways contractors can strengthen the customer experience and improve lead conversion throughout the sales process! 

In this MetalTalk™, host Karen Edwards welcomes Dean Curtis to break down the essential blueprint for turning leads into loyal customers. Drawing from real‑world experience in the metal roofing industry, he explores how to navigate the customer pathway—from first contact to closing the deal—with professionalism and consistency. Gain insights on how to make every rep your best rep by overcoming presentation challenges, understanding homeowner needs and building a brand that earns trust through every interaction. Whether you’re refining your sales process or looking to boost conversion rates, this conversation offers a practical framework for success built on proven strategies and measurable results. 

Listen to the MetalTalk™.

Watch the MetalTalk™.

In this MetalTalk™, host Karen Edwards welcomes Dean Curtis to break down the essential blueprint for turning leads into loyal customers. Drawing from real‑world experience in the metal roofing industry, he explores how to navigate the customer pathway—from first contact to closing the deal—with professionalism and consistency. Gain insights on how to make every rep your best rep by overcoming presentation challenges, understanding homeowner needs and building a brand that earns trust through every interaction. Whether you’re refining your sales process or looking to boost conversion rates, this conversation offers a practical framework for success built on proven strategies and measurable results. 

Listen to the MetalTalk™.

Watch the MetalTalk™.

In this MetalTalk™, host Karen Edwards welcomes Dean Curtis to break down the essential blueprint for turning leads into loyal customers. Drawing from real‑world experience in the metal roofing industry, he explores how to navigate the customer pathway—from first contact to closing the deal—with professionalism and consistency. Gain insights on how to make every rep your best rep by overcoming presentation challenges, understanding homeowner needs and building a brand that earns trust through every interaction. Whether you’re refining your sales process or looking to boost conversion rates, this conversation offers a practical framework for success built on proven strategies and measurable results. 

Listen to the MetalTalk™.

Watch the MetalTalk™.

In this MetalTalk ™, host Karen Edwards welcomes Dean Curtis to break down the essential blueprint for turning leads into loyal customers. Drawing from real‑world experience in the metal roofing industry, he explores how to navigate the customer pathway—from first contact to closing the deal—with professionalism and consistency. Gain insights on how to make every rep your best rep by overcoming presentation challenges, understanding homeowner needs and building a brand that earns trust through every interaction. Whether you’re refining your sales process or looking to boost conversion rates, this conversation offers a practical framework for success built on proven strategies and measurable results. 

Register now!

By Jesse Sanchez. 

Industry experts discuss how to turn more leads into loyal customers. 

In an upcoming MetalTalk™, host Karen Edwards meets with Dean Curtis of Ingage to talk about the blueprint for higher lead conversion. Together, they will break down how contractors can guide homeowners through the customer pathway, from first contact to closing the deal, with professionalism, consistency and trust. 

Lead conversion is one of the most important parts of contractor success. Every lead has value, but too often, companies lose opportunities because there is a gap between their top-performing sales reps and the rest of the team. Dean will discuss why many contractors do not just have a sales problem; they have a presentation problem. From educating homeowners before the appointment to overcoming misinformation during the sales process, this conversation will help contractors better understand how to create a stronger, more repeatable path to “yes.” 

Dean brings real-world experience from the metal roofing industry and understands what homeowners need to see before making a premium investment. In this webinar, he will share how professionalism, brand consistency and proof help build trust with customers. He will also explore how contractors can explain the complexity and value of metal roofing, present strong options and use interactive content to better educate homeowners. 

By the end of the conversation, contractors will walk away with practical strategies for improving presentations, building trust and creating a sales process that every rep can follow. Dean will also explain what the best reps do differently and how companies can make every rep their best rep through a consistent, repeatable customer pathway. 

Join Karen Edwards and Dean Curtis on June 17, 2026, to learn more about creating a blueprint for higher lead conversions. 

Register for this MetalTalk™ and start turning more leads into loyal customers!

Winter Summit 2026 brings together leaders across the home improvement industry to tackle one of the biggest challenges teams face today: turning strategy into consistent execution.

You’ll hear from top sales coaches, brand experts and operational pros who will show you how to align your messaging, strengthen your process and build a team that performs with confidence. Whether you're leading a fast-growing franchise, running a sales team or managing marketing across locations, this event will give you the frameworks and tools to take immediate action.

Bonus: Every registrant receives the Summer Summit Playbook — a workbook packed with insights, templates and takeaways you can bring directly to your team.

Access the Ingage Winter Sales Summit on-demand!

By Emma Peterson. 

Industry experts break down the economic, technological and industry shifts to watch this year. 

During the second day of the 2026 International Roofing Expo (IRE), we got the chance to host a live Coffee Conversations with Julissa Chavez of SRS Distribution, Dean Curtis from Ingage and Jack Gottesman of IKO Industries! Now available on demand, this episode dove into the biggest trends and challenges facing the roofing industry in 2026. Keep reading to see some of the topics this expert panel highlighted to keep an eye on!  

Economics 

As we head into 2026, a lot of contractors and business owners are feeling the residual effects of last year’s unstable market. The panels consensus on what to do about this? Focus on your business and your team. Dean opened the conversation, saying, “The best thing you can do right now is invest in your talent. The talent you have on your team is going to determine how well you can do this year.” 

Mergers and acquisitions 

Another topic that’s been top of mind for many people from 2025 is the rise of mergers and acquisitions in the industry. Dean shared some of his insights into how these affect contractors in 2026:  

If you look at the way the market is consolidating in a lot of places, it might become a goal for smaller business to build themselves up to be part of an acquisition or for sale. This is a very viable option in 2026 and to do this you need to focus on professionalization. So things like profit, loss, delivery – all of these metrics are super important if that’s your goal. 

Technology 

And we cannot talk about trends to keep an eye on without talking about technology and AI. Julissa explained:  

AI is changing the game tremendously...In some ways it is making it tougher for sales reps to get a homeowner’s trust. It used to be simple, we were the professionals. But now with AI, homeowners are trying to do a lot more research, which is great, but things like ChatGPT aren’t always right... So it’s really important to focus on preparing your reps to educate homeowners on their roofing options. 

All of this comes down to meeting homeowners where they are and right now where they are is in the digital world. Jack added some of his thoughts to the discussion, sharing, “We redesigned our website last year to try and build a better relationship with the visitors. We looked at the analytics and created an experience around what their expectations and interests are.”  

Conclusion 

At the end of the day, 2025 was a bit of a bumpy ride for many business owners and professionals. But we weathered it by adapting and growing, which is exactly what we will do as we start 2026. Julissa summed it up, saying, “Roofing has always been about being able to adapt and leveraging, the moment. This remains true for 2026...H ere at SRS our focus for the new year is our customers... We want to help our customers grow in different segments, because as they grow, we grow at the same time.”   

Watch the entire Coffee Conversations on demand for more insights into the 2026 industry outlook.

With deep roots in the home improvement sector, Kyle Sellers has built a reputation for transforming customer-facing teams through fresh, effective sales strategies and ongoing coaching programs.

Ingage, the industry’s leading provider of interactive and data-driven sales enablement software, is proud to announce the appointment of Kyle Sellers as vice president of customer experience. A veteran of the home improvement industry, Sellers brings over a decade of experience leading high-impact customer success strategies at some of the field’s most recognized brands.

Sellers has held influential leadership roles at organizations including Tundraland Home Improvements and Jacuzzi, where he delivered proven results through innovative sales model development, world-class training and scalable enablement programs. He has consulted, trained and coached a wide array of clients, from major brands like KOHLER to emerging startups. With deep roots in the home improvement sector, he has built a reputation for transforming customer-facing teams through fresh, effective sales strategies and ongoing coaching programs. His unique approach to leadership selling inspires customers to choose, and champion, the brands he supports. Sellers is passionate about helping organizations effectively communicate their message, systematize and scale.

“Kyle’s leadership philosophy mirrors our commitment to helping customers succeed,” said Dean Curtis, CEO of Ingage. “He brings the right mix of innovation, empathy and operational rigor to help us elevate every interaction, from onboarding to long-term success. We’re thrilled to have him on board as we continue to evolve how our customers experience Ingage.”

As vice president of customer experience, Sellers will lead Ingage’s customer success and enablement teams, focusing on delivering measurable value at every stage of the client lifecycle. His expertise will be instrumental as Ingage continues to expand its reach across franchise systems, enterprise organizations and independent contractors in the home improvement and home services industries.

This appointment reflects Ingage’s ongoing commitment to providing unmatched value and support to its growing user base, ensuring that every customer not only gets started with Ingage, but thrives with it.

For more information about Ingage and its digital presentation platform, visit ingage.io.

About Ingage

Ingage is the industry’s leading provider of sales enablement and digital presentation tools, empowering businesses to create, share and measure dynamic sales content. Since 2008, Ingage has been revolutionizing the way sales teams engage with prospects — delivering interactive, measurable and on-brand presentations that help close more deals.

This seamless integration brings together two best-in-class solutions to empower home improvement professionals with the tools they need to tell a compelling story, showcase real-time visualizations and close deals faster.

Renoworks Software Inc., a leading provider of visualization software for the home remodeling industry, and Ingage, the premier interactive sales presentation platform, are excited to announce a new integration that transforms how contractors sell remodeling projects — both before and during the in-home visit.

This seamless integration brings together two best-in-class solutions to empower home improvement professionals with the tools they need to tell a compelling story, showcase real-time visualizations and close deals faster.

“With this integration, users can effortlessly move between a powerful interactive presentation in Ingage and an interactive design experience in Renoworks with no API keys or complicated setup required,” said Ingage ceo Dean Curtis. “It’s as easy as embedding a link.”

The integration enables sales reps to:

• Start with a tailored company story using Ingage’s interactive presentation tools
• Quickly launch the Renoworks visualizer within Ingage to show siding, roofing and other exterior/interior options from dozens of top manufacturers
• Personalize the homeowner’s experience by showcasing their home with different products and styles in real time
• Simply swipe to the next page to present financing options, next steps and close the sale without ever leaving the Ingage app

It also works as a pre-sales tool. Sales teams can set up personalized house inspiration images in Renoworks in advance, ensuring prospects are engaged before the appointment even begins.

“This partnership eliminates friction from the remodeling sales process,” said Renoworks ceo Doug Vickerson. “You don’t need to choose between showing and telling. You can now do both, beautifully and simply.”

The Renoworks + Ingage integration is available now. For more information, visit: https://info.ingage.io/renoworks-ingage