A New Roof

I currently live in tornado alley. The Midwest and, in particular, my home—St. Louis, Missouri—has been decimated by tornadoes this year. A few weeks ago, after another storm, I noticed a shingle in my yard. My roof is aging and certainly at the point where it could need to be replaced.

I called an inspection company to take a look, and sure enough, there was storm damage. This meant I was getting a large check from my insurance company. It wouldn’t cover the entire cost to replace my roof, but it would significantly offset the investment.

I reached out to two roofing companies to get quotes. I explained to both companies that I have never replaced a roof and I would need clear guidance on this process.

The first company arrived at 10 a.m. They were a family-owned business, and I found their salesperson to be very professional. He told me that because they were a small company, their price would likely be lower than most. He agreed to send me a quote within 24 hours.

The second company, which was regionally owned, arrived at 2 p.m. The salesman immediately told me there was major damage, that I needed a tarp, and that my roof required immediate attention. But trust was being broken. I had already seen the drone footage and pictures from the first inspector, and his story didn’t match what the photos and videos said. He then led me on a full tour of the exterior of my house. He pushed me to replace the gutters, down spouts, siding, window screens, and countless other items I didn’t understand.

When I told him I needed a quote for the roof, he said he’d send one, but only if I first agreed to work with them. He explained that it takes work to put together a quote, and he needed to know they had earned my business before putting in that work.

When the quote from the family-owned business arrived, it was seven pages long and filled with vague additional items and boxes where I could “check yes” to add these items to the scope of work. It was unclear what was required, what was highly suggested, and what was purely optional.

I had been hopeful about the family-owned business, but my feelings were shifting. Meanwhile, the regional company began texting me daily, asking if they had earned my business. They had time to text, but not time to send a quote. As someone who creates multiple quotes a week for potential clients, I understand that providing a clear proposal is crucial to establishing healthy business relationships.

I felt stuck with two bad options.

So, I reached out to my friend Dede, who is a local real estate agent. She referred me to a third company, and my experience couldn’t have been more different.

Over text, I explained my situation. The salesman asked a few questions and said he’d stop by the next day—while I was on vacation—and send me a quote. The next morning, the quote arrived. It was half a page long. There were no add-ons or boxes to check. I understood all the terms of the proposal.

And while the price was higher than I expected, the reality is that it wasn’t clear what the other two companies were going to charge.

It suddenly became an easy decision; I was going with the third company.

For me, this isn’t just about getting a roof replaced. It’s a lesson in leadership.

One of the ways I define leadership is “helping people move from where they are to where they want to be.” Far too often, leaders arrive with a one-size-fits-all plan and a fixed destination in mind. But the truth is, our people aren’t all starting in the same place, and they certainly aren’t all headed to the same destination.

We owe it to our people to listen and ask questions before offering solutions. We earn their trust by making space for what they need, rather than just offering what we want for them.

The third roofing company didn’t try to up-sell me or overwhelm me. They didn’t overcomplicate the process. They met me where I was and gave me exactly what I asked for. And yes, I was willing to pay more than I expected. But the experience of being seen and heard made it worth every penny.

Leaders would do well to remember that our role isn’t to get people to a place that we have picked for them, but rather to help them move forward on their terms.

Because at the end of the day, no one wants to be sold a whole new house when all they wanted was a new roof.

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