Just like your choice of staying on this newsletter, there’s another choice you can make that should put you leaps and bounds ahead of “competitors.”

(Side note: Competitors are people you or your customers ‘compare’ yourself with. What if you could set yourself apart so much that the '“competition” would just fade away? More on that NEXT week!)

And what happens right after Christmas (besides returning the too-small third-sweater-in-3-years from Aunt Barb and snagging the biggest discounts of the year on that Milwaukee M18 you’ve been dreaming about all summer)?

New Year’s Day.

Yes!

And New Year’s resolutions.

And goals, targets, and plans.

Oh, the joy! (Although oft short-lived!)

What if…

You could start making plans now?

Instead of waiting until everyone else is “planning” to take over the world (or the city, more likely), write down your revenue goals for 2026 along with the marketing targets it takes to reach those.

Then take action.

Call the mail house, the ads people, the SEO folks, and everyone else in control of deliverables, and set things into motion, with dates and deadlines.

This one step could set you ahead of everyone else.

In 2026 (and beyond), I believe strongly that the “action takers” will be rewarded by multiples over the ‘planners’.

Especially with the “soft” economy that is still trying to find its place ever since 2022.

We even had a special Summit with TOP roofers about this at the end of 2022, and those same principles are STILL in effect (the entire interview is inside the Growth Alliance).

Less than 12 weeks left...

What are you d-o-i-n-g now for a greater 2026?

Keep On Coating!
- Owen Shrock

How STRONG is your review game?

I’ve mentioned this in a past issue (you can read every past issue by putting in your email at https://news.smarterroofer.com) but it’s worth mentioning again.

This is even more important in commercial roofing than home services, as you work with a lot fewer clients!

The “frequency and recency” of your Google reviews have a HUGE impact on where you show up when prospects are searching for roofers.

So getting regular reviews is even more important than how many.

I recommend having an SOP (standard operating procedure) for collecting a review at the end of every project. Maybe it’s at the final walk-around with the client. Maybe it’s when you collect the last draw, drop off warranty papers, or at some other point.

At some point in conversation, say, “Hey, what’s the chance of getting a review? It really helps us stay in business, which, actually, helps me feed my family.” If they agree, ask, “What’s the chance I could pull it up right now on your phone?” which makes the likelihood of actually getting a review skyrocket.

Then open Google Maps, find your company, and tap on “Leave a review” and let them fill it out. If they add a photo of the job, even better!

And if you work with several people on the project, like an owner, partner, and maintenance manager, have them each leave a review of your workmanship and service.

This is one of the most underutilized ways to show up more often on Google search results.

You could create a direct link (like this one: https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=ChIJO56LyAmtM4gRDN0rPiv22tY) but it often only works if Google Maps is installed on the device. (Go ahead and leave me a review if I’ve ever served you well!)

It is safer to have clients open Google Maps directly. Or if they use Yelp a lot, then that’s a great place to get reviews as well. Otherwise, collect reviews on Facebook, BBB, BuildZoom, or some other platform.

Keep in mind that over time you want to build up a “hub of authority” online with lots of reputable websites pointing back to your website and all your online “properties” and listings working hand in hand :)

Contact ​CommercialRoofingWebsites.com​ for your commercial roofing websites. With hosting starting at JUST 33/MONTH and just a onetime costt for the design, you'll finally have a blazinfast, search-engine-friendly, and PROFESSIONAL website that builds trust, collects leads, and helps you close more projects.

This section for any sellin’ tips. Whenever I have something powerful to share about it! Check back next week :)

This section for AI updates, like some news about Sora 2 from OpenAI, which just rolled out and I got access to, so I want to do some testing this week and report back next week, on ways you could use it :)​

The podcast was just relaunched this weekend with two GEMS episodes and one full episode. Remember to tap “Follow” on your podcast app. Get it here: https://smarterroofer.com/follow-podcast.

Also, we’re giving away 500 bucks worth of cool stuff! Make sure you get in for a chance SOON at https://smarterroofer.com/contest 🎉 Good luck!

Can you help? Take 30 seconds and reply to this email (or online, leave a comment under the post) with your feedback about this issue. Anything helpful you can share would be most welcome!