Why Homeowners Hate Being Sold (But Love Being Educated) | Velux Skylights & Smart Shading

In this episode of The Hoel Truth Podcast, Bob sits down with Barry Wagner from Velux Skylights to explore how education—not pressure—drives customer satisfaction and trust. From game-changing skylight technology and solar shades to real-world sales lessons, Bob and Barry get into the weeds on what homeowners really want from contractors and manufacturers today.

🚨 Discover why Velux is changing the skylight game—and why their warranty makes all the difference.

💡 You’ll learn:

Why 80% of the buying decision happens before a homeowner ever calls you

What makes Velux skylights energy efficient (and future-proof)

How service calls are actually sales opportunities

The biggest mistakes contractors make in customer education

If you're in home improvement, roofing, or sales—this episode is packed with insight.

🎧 Subscribe for more: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKZIL7FnyjLzLvf1b6gXAcA

Transcript

And I would tell people that I've been here for Velux for 22 years because I'm the type of person that I am, who I am. I'm open, I'm honest. I want to work just as hard for the guy that buys the least amount of skylights as the guy that buys the most amount of skylights.

And I like to tell people I sleep at night and in order for me to do that, things happen. And as long I try to be fair, open and honest and Velux allows me to do that. So I've been here for 22 years.

Welcome to this edition of the Hoel Truth Podcast. Today, a special guest, Barry with Velux skylights. So, if you guys follow our podcast any, you know, I try to bring in some businesses that we do business with, but also just some of our vendors and, products that we install as a company.

So I'm going to let Barry introduce himself. And we'll kick it off. Thanks, Bob. Yes. Barry Wagner, if you look skylights. I've been a territory sales rep for Velux for 22 years, so that's that's one reason that I appreciate. It's why we we choose Velux. I mean, honestly, I feel like you guys kind of dominate the market.

But as an owner, like Barry, you're great at responding to our guys and helping us get to the finished product, you know? And that's that's huge. And in our world. So I guess talk a little bit about your journey with Velux. Like, how did it happen? You know, kind of what you've learned and you know why you have invested 20 plus years of your life with one company.

Okay. Great. So talking earlier, so. Yeah, I worked for, a window and trim supplier. We, we sold the builders and remodelers and as situation. To be honest, I'm not a fan of service work, and we sold a particular window and back and, you know, back in, you know, 80s, 90s, you know, there was different stories, but wood windows were the predominant one and wood windows were failing.

And so I'm looking at my life saying, oh my goodness, I sold a lot of wood windows. There's a lot of service in my territory. And then I looked at there was an opening for Velux. We sold Velux and I said, I've never had a service issue for Velux that would be perfect for me. So I met with a rep who was getting promoted.

We talked and I thought it'd be a perfect for me, and I would tell people that I've been here for Velux for 22 years because I'm the type of person that I am, who I am. I'm open, I'm honest. I want to work just as hard for the guy that buys the least amount of skylights as the guy that buys the most amount of skylights.

And I like to tell people I sleep at night and in order for me to do that, things happen. And as long I try to be fair, open and honest and Velux allows me to do that. So I've been here for 22 years. Yeah. Because I remember, you know, you've you guys even sent out, on one job.

I remember we did. You guys, you guys came out on. I think there was a slight issue. But you guys are always great on making sure the customer is taken care of. You know, you're great about coming in here training our guys, like I said, responding. So, you know, we'll, I guess what we'll do is we'll just go ahead and talk about, we've got you've got a new product out where all your skylights are coming with a blind.

But I want to be educational for just a minute here. So you really have two predominant ways that you install a, a skylight, a deck mount or a curb mount. I'll let you kind of tell it from your angle and, and, yeah, we'll get that. So here, there's, there's three types, but the two dominant ones are a deck mount.

So when you think of a deck mount, you think frame, it all sits down on the deck. And then you think curb mount Kurt mount, think of a shoe box. You guys build the box. I've got the shoe box lid that goes over top of it. And then those are predominantly the two different, new construction is going to lead towards deck mounts, replacements.

And there are competitor skylight companies out there. So the curb mount leads more towards replacing a competitor's product on the Velux side. And there's a third that I don't want to talk about. I call it a pan flash. It's a good product for northern climates. We're up here in the north. It's just not a good product for that.

So basically, yes, there's two types. There's the curb mount and the deck mount. And for Velux, which started in April, we started what we call the the skylight system. And and basically yes, that is a solar shade in every residential skylight, but not to consume this conversation before we get into the the product or whatever, I always like to say why, right.

And there's many whys, and the why that makes most sense to me is that, you know, facts. Our summers are hot facts, our winters are cold. And I don't see that changing in the next ten years. So the reality is, what happens five, ten years from now are designers and builders. Are they going to see that our energy costs continue to rise?

And are they going to start pulling out products that they perceive are not energy efficient? So as a skylight company, that's something we have to look at. And if they perceive skylights not to be energy efficient, then we're out the door. So facts a solar shade that we add on every skylight increases the energy efficiency in the winter by 45%.

Fact, that same shade in the summertime increases the energy efficiency by 20%. So Velux now we are the most energy efficient skylight on the market. So maybe ten years from now, if it's still hot, still cold, and they start pulling up products, they're not going to pull out our product because we're energy efficient. So are you guys the first skylight company, to initiate putting blinds on everyone?

Not only that, yes, but I would kind of argue that I've got a lot of competitors that can't even offer shade. Okay, so yeah, we're the first. I feel like, you know, just like anything else I joke that, you know, I think we have a fair market share. It's three digits, but that's fair, right? Right. Like I said, I'm not even saying that because you're sitting here like I can't even think of, another skylight company.

Just because when I started in this business, I was introduced to you right away. And, you know, the services there, you know, one question I do have, and this is getting a little technical, but somebody may ask this question, what is at what point do you put a deck mount compared to a curb mount? Oh, on.

Great question. Number one, two things. One, it depends on the roof pitch. So how steep the roof is? Correct. How steep the roof pitches. If it takes road roofing, it must be a curve mount. Curve mouse can go zero degrees to to 60. Deck mounts have to be 14 to 85. I don't make vertical windows.

So that's why we're second to 85 or not 90 okay. Yes we can be on a mansard roof. It's not a big deal at all. Okay. But that's the main difference is, is the roof pitch. The second difference is skylights have to be put on a shingled application, a tiled application, or we do also have a metal flashing kit.

If it's rolled roofing, it has to be a curb mount. So rolled roofing. What about ePDM? Yeah. So they have to be a deck. I'm sorry. It has to be a curb out roll in anything. So a deck must have to be okay. I know there's metal out there other than metal, but everything else on a shingled application, it has to be step flash.

That's a great deck. Mounts have to be step flash. And that's where. And they have to be on a slope. The reason they have to be on a slope is we have we have a removable cladding. And behind the removable cladding are what I call drain channels. And big Storm comes in. It's going to get behind the cladding.

It's a drain channels and we send the water we want to send it. If those drain channels are all a sudden flat now, yep. Then we've got go water going wherever it wants to go and we're not going to controlling it. So what is the difference? On your commercial application for skylights? Okay. Great question. And I am on the residential side of the box.

Okay. It's been several years since I've played on the commercial side, but I look at it this way. On the residential side, we have stock products that are that are right now we are a stocking manufacturer. We are making products right now that we know are going to go to a warehouse until they're ready to be sold.

On the commercial side of things, it's sort of like la carte. Okay. The what they can do is enormous. On the residential side, we're talking unit skylights. On the commercial side, you can be talking domes, you can be talking large structural systems. You know, go to a mall, you're going to see what I call barrel vaults.

You know, those are, looks like half of a barrel going down. And so on the commercial side of things, you know, the possibilities are endless. They can do some really cool stuff, but then that's that's one C, two Z stuff made on demand, sort of. Elkhart. Okay. Okay. I just got a really good buddy that's in, Memphis, Tennessee, that is a big, Velux guy.

And I know he's went to commercial training and and stuff like that. So it gets confusing. Because, he'll probably tell you the same as you've experienced. Most people view commercial residential, buy the type of home or building it's on. And in the skylight world it's just the opposite. Yes, a residential skylight can go on an office building.

Yes, a commercial product can go on a residence. Right. But we definitely define it by if it's acrylic or a structural system, it's commercial. If it's a unit skylight, then it's residential. So when it comes to homeowner, what is, what is the warranty? What is the guaranteed from Velux? If I'm putting a shade, or shade, a skylight on my home.

Okay, a good question. One glass glass technology is is superior today. So we have a 20 year warranty on the glass. Failure of the failure of the glass. In other words, the glass is not going to fog up. We've got a 20 year warranty to do that. Second of all, we have a what I call a, leakproof warranty.

We've got a no leak warranty that covers the installers labor. So basically, if they have a, a water leak in the first ten years Velux, we feel like we own that skylight. You call us, we'll inspect it if it needs to be repaired or replace, we'll do that. And then on the blind, we have a five year warranty on the blind.

And that blind that will demo here in a second. A full charge on that blind is 200 up and downs. So let's say you're five. You know that blinds only getting half a charge. Well, that's a hundred up and downs. So realistically we're projecting our blinds will last easily ten, 15 years. And the fact is here in the States we've had that solar shade out that we incorporate in every skylight.

Now, we've actually been selling those shades for over ten years now, and in very few hiccups we've had with that product. But what I like to point out, and the reason I didn't joke about our market share, every bit of market share we have, we feel like we've earned. And the reason Velux, we felt like we've earned that is because we're the only skylight company that our warranty is repair.

Excuse me, is repair or replace. That's our warranty. Majority of my competitors, they use the words Prorate. Yep. You know okay. Right. How do you repair and replace with Prorate? Oh, no. You're just going to pay me back the money I paid for your product today. So I feel like in Velux I don't have a service tech in Indiana.

And or Kentucky, which is my territory. But that being said, everyone has hiccups. But the problem. The great thing about Velux is if we do have a warranty issue, we're Johnny on the spot. Yes, there have been warranty issues, but I find it hard pressed for anyone to know about them because boom, you know we will jump on it.

If it's a Velux issue, we take care of it. If it's not a Velux issue, we walk the installer through what needs to be done to make us. Part of our warranty is threefold. I have to make sure that the dealer continues to be solid to sell my product. I have to be assured that if your company would have a problem with our products, that we take care of it.

So you'll keep selling. And of course, number one is we want the homeowner to be satisfied, right? Yeah. Because a quick story on ours. I remember we replaced some skylights and we couldn't get the homeowner convinced to replace the entire roof, even though the existing shingles were rough and you guys ended up coming out there. And at the end of it, you handed the homeowner your business card and said, if you have any problem with these skylights, call us.

That meant a lot to me that I've got a a manufac sure that that does that, because you're right. Like there is a lot of pro rating stuff or, you know, hey, I'm not going to I'm not going to handle this, you know, and, yeah, it's it's easy for us to walk in and sell a Velux product because we know the backing that we're getting, you know?

So what we will go ahead and do is you wanted to talk a little bit about the new shade. So we'll let you kind of start with that. I'll start with this. And then if you will, while I talk about it, there's the remote that comes with it. So basically so what I'm showing you here is, is for the curb mount.

So like we talked about that shoe box. So this even though it's separate it comes pre-installed. And then from the outside there's the solar panel here. And so basically for the curb mount this comes pre-assembled. This would sit down on that deck and then the curb mount would go on top of it. And that solar panel charges a small little battery.

And then basically it's got 200 up and downs. So go ahead and run it down. This is sitting right next to the microphone. So it's not loud at all. And then so that's the outside the inside. This would be what the homeowner sees. And it's double pleated. It's white. Most ceilings are white. We feel like this is the safest variety.

It's double pleated. It's going to block out the heat from the sun and it's going to block out, the it's going to not block out. It's going to help maintain the heat in the room in the wintertime. So what you guys couldn't see maybe could is a mess of these buttons. And I couldn't get Steve Tang to go down.

It was too late. Then you're finally like push it down. And then when I hit it that time, it actually went like, great. Super. Thanks. Not going to work. I wonder what was going on. I mean, there's the delay. I was sitting there messing with this darn thing. So, and to be fair to Bob, it doesn't say up or down, there's just an arrow that's points up and there's an arrow pointing down.

Well, I should you flip it around. And I originally had it like that. So I was just like, I'm over here, you know, trying to, you know, keep keep calm and cool and play when I, when I introduce it to homeowners, the first thing I say is when you pick up the remote, make sure you can read the looks.

Yeah. And that way you I do it all the time. And the other thing too is what is up and what's down. So yeah, no, it's funny, but the great thing about that too is, you can use your smartphone to interact with it as well. Okay. So you can open and close it off your smartphone, off your smartphone.

And you can just and there's a little ball and you can slide it to the open position or the closed position. And so yeah, I mean, it's it's, it's, it's a all right. So what I do I know you don't ask, but what I do a lot of, I call home consultations and that's where I go out with your sales reps, meet with homeowners and see, I like to do that because I like to see where the market is.

I like to see what old skylights are being replaced. But the first thing I do in front of your rep is I ask the homeowner if you like your skylights of course I want that homeowner to say, oh, I love my skylights. I couldn't imagine another home without them. I want you rep to hear that, right? The real reason I do that is because if they give me back a negative in front of your sales rep, I want to be able to respond to that negative.

And hopefully when the homeowner back over and then you're see, oh, how easy that is. So in the future when they're out doing a job without me, they can easily respond to the negative. There's probably three main negatives I've ever gotten in the 20 years, 22 years. And one of the big three is, man, my skylights.

They're just so bright with this. This is our favorite room, but it's just miserable to be in in the summertime. There's just so bright. Boom. That shade is 100% light control at. Everyone carries your smartphone every day, right? Boom. Control the light coming through every single day. There's timers. Whatever you want to do, you can do it. The second popular is man, this room is so hot in the summertime.

It is so cold. In the wintertime, it's drafty. Boom, 45% more energy efficient in the winter time, 20% more efficient in the summertime. It's not going to be hot. It's not going to be drafty. Totally controlled by your smartphone. So, what are what's the pros that, you know, what do when people say they love their skylights? And my production team is going to kill me if I sell people.

And having us just put in a skylight where there was in the current skylight, because that's a lot more work on our end. But I guess, what are some of the pros that you hear? You know, so it was a great question. It's kind of funny. So, long story short, my wife and I just had a short, mini, long weekend, if you will, in Colorado.

And we did a Vrbo, and she got there a couple days was for me. And my comment was, you know, they're always clean. They're always nice. And her comment was, man, it's really clean. It's really nice, man. It's dark. It's just so dark here. And that's what and it's hard to mention dark, but we all have dark spaces and that's the number one.

Skylights provide daylight free daylight. You you cut in a skylight and you're office. All of a sudden it's sloped glazing. It brings in twice as much light as a vertical window does. You're automatically bring in daylight in that space. And then a caveat that we kind of don't do in our territory is if you had a skylight that opens, then you can control how much you use your air conditioning, because in the spring and fall hot air rises, you can actually open your skylight in the spring, in the fall, and you're not running an air conditioning when it's 80 degrees during the day, because in the evening, for 20 minutes, hot air is going right

out that skylight. Right? Right. So so those are the two main, solid reasons why skylights. So just to be clear, moving forward, all the skylights that you guys are manufacturing will have a blind, and then so they. So for ease of customers, ease of handoff from whole roofing to the customer, them then remotes are already programed to run on that.

Great question. Yes. Going forward, every residential Velux skylight sold today is the skylight system. Yes. The in the factory. The shades are installed at the factory, and the shades run through what I call a calibration at the factory. So they go down and up and they're completely paired with with the remote. In fact, I like to show you here on the back of this remote on the skylight itself.

There, there used to be a silver, silver tag. Now it's a sticker. And the sticker on the skylight itself is the warranty on the skylight. It's got all the information we need to know what size it is, the age of it, and the glass. Now, that same thing is on the back of the remote. And then there's a QR code there that we want the homeowner.

They can use that QR code to register their skylight for their warranty. But yes. So everyone's going to have it. And for you as the installer, the blinds come prepared. They're already set up. And they're right on the so the, the remote itself is into the packaging that protects the skylight, protects the shade. All they have to do is remove that packaging and then keep the remote safe, hand it to the homeowner, and they install it like they would a regular skylight.

Okay. On the curtain, a little bit different. One extra step they got to put the the tray on. But the deck mount and they're not going to notice the difference between installing a skylight without a shade or selling one with the shade, because they're not going to deal with the shade once they take the packaging off. And there is no way to like, let's say I have three skylights at my house.

We'd have they'd have three separate remotes. Great question. They would have three separate remotes. But do you but understand that, on the side of the remote. Okay, there's, a deer and a couple I call rectangles, and then, yes, they would have three skylights. You have three remotes. They would each control each one, but it just pushing them one button on one remote and the other button on the other one.

And you can transfer them to to one remote okay. To run them both. And again we have the app that's available that they can control individually or all at once as well. Awesome, awesome. I'm just trying to think of but there is a there is a this remote is limited though, and I challenge you to hit that limit.

It's limited to 100 shades, so I challenge you to get 101 shades. Man, that would be, that'd be a good challenge. That might be an install nightmare. Well, this will call a spade a spade. Like, 101 shades on the same house. Like, Holy cow, it'll there'd be no, I. I know there'd be no room for singles.

Yeah, there would be no room for singles, but they would, they'd have to take out a mortgage, to put all the skylights. Oh, shoot, I don't know. My sales guys are pretty competitive. Maybe if I challenge throw on a trip, they throw in a trip to Florida. How about that? Let's me and I go for a hunt.

We may say who can sell the most skylights on one house in the next six months or something like that? So. But know what? What other features with, with Velux kind of anything that maybe we, you know, we haven't touched. Okay. One I always like to point out, then when it comes to Velux and skylights are obviously a different category than windows.

But it comes a Velux. We're very proud of the fact that we don't offer a good, better best. A lot of manufacturers do. You know, they they offer a low end, they offer a high end Velux. We don't we we only offer the high end. So currently we're using the and I say currently we're using the best glass that's on the market today.

We have a and basically we have you know, we talk about we have fixed skylights. We have operating skylights both manual and solar operating as well. But the main thing about Velux is, is I say that we're your one stop and that is, you know, we've got deck mounts, curved mounts. We also we didn't talk about we have tubular products and tubular products are great for interior hall spaces, interior bathrooms, closets, small rooms that don't have access to windows.

And it's a tubular product can drop like down 20ft. So those and then like I said and we don't we're not really it's not really an accessory happy category for us. You know we offer the best. There's not really a category. It's one of these things, you know, but the two the when I talk about people say, oh, you got to have different you know, the so it has the tubular skylight has got a sun tunnel.

It's got a frosted interior lens for the when first came in, when we first, came out with that, that's all we had. Oh, you got to have options for lenses. You got to have options for lenses. Okay, we came up with options. Guess how many times I sell that option I don't right. So skylight category I mean unfortunately there's other categories.

Yes there's room for crazy stuff. Bluetooth connectivity. But we're not there yet. Our smartphone app though is a great option on the solar skylight that opens all the solar shades. So pretty much that's it. And know that we have a skylight for every option. If we were out in California and we needed a skylight that can meet code or Miami-Dade, Florida needs code, we've got those products that meet those codes.

It's just we're we're at most of those skylight. So going to be overkill for our area because we really don't need any of that special specialty stuff. So what is like where they, where they manufacture that. Oh great question. Majority of our residential skylights are manufactured in Greenwood, South Carolina. Okay. So I work for Velux America.

We do have a couple products. We do have a couple items that we still are made overseas, but majority of what we sell here in the States are made in Greenwood, South Carolina. And what makes Velux the best is that we have distribution centers throughout the United States. So yes, they're made in green with South Carolina. But again, we're a stock manufacture.

So we are making products so we can stock our warehouses. And so wherever you are in the United States, if you're doing a job, you can get a skylight in a couple of days. So what is is Velux. Is it was it starting in a different country. Oh great question. Yeah. Denmark. So that's our that's our that is our, that's our corporate headquarters still there.

That source start was in Denmark. And that was the first I mean, they didn't invent the first skylight, but they invented what we call the first roof window. Okay. In Europe, they live in their roofs, they live in their attics. So they've got, to us, we call it a window. But them. No, it's in the roof.

So it's a roof window here in the United States when we came back, came here in the 70s. 73 is when we built Greenwood, South Carolina. The manufacturing facility. We came here first with obviously the roof window, but do we live in we've got big ranches. We got tall ceilings, roof windows, just wasn't what was needed here.

So especially in the Midwest, East Coast, different story. And that's where we, you know, Greenwood, we developed the skylight that we have today. Awesome, awesome. Is there anything else, that we didn't hit that you just want to share with the audience, you know, any frequently asked questions, anything like that? Well, well,

Yeah, I mean, kind of like when I talk, I'd like to get your perspective. Yeah. If I could, in coming out with the skylight system started in April, you know, then focus on and trainings and getting people up to speed and, and the benefits and features and all that. An interesting question came up to me from a sales manager.

I like your point because you're an owner, you've got sales, a sales team. And he came up to me and he says, man, I love this idea. You're going to force my guys to sell. So I was curious to see. I thought that was interesting. Take, you know, what's your take on that? So, my take on that is our entire sales process.

Our goal is to educate the homeowner. I don't want a pushy sales guy in, we've got a couple of team members of ours that have, invited our competition into their house with their spouse to see what their process, what their system looks like, and, and just to see, like, what they go over how we can make ours better, you know, and like I said, I just my main goal is just to go over everything.

And me and, my sales manager, Chris, literally, we're having this meeting an hour and a half ago, and we're just talking about kind of refining our process of, like, making sure we're going over everything and just bringing it to their attention. I don't want to be the company that tries to oversell every single customer. However, we had a customer the other day that said they didn't know we did gutters and on every one of my company vehicles that says roofing, siding and gutters on it and that customer was relieved because he had called some gutter companies that hadn't responded.

And he was so pleased with how quick we put the roof on and all that process. He was so happy to find out that we'd come back and do his gutters. So. So I guess it's more for me is this educating our homeowners, you know? And hence that's why we have a podcast and we bring guests like you in, like, let's talk about some of the products we're using and why we choose to partner with them, because they'll be somebody that will watch this podcast and be like, man, I've struggled with this with not a Velux.

I've struggled with the skylight we have. And you know, we had this conversation before we started. If if somebody came into our house to sell me an Emily on a skylight, I would just say, give me this stupid skylight. I don't really care about the options. And as soon as you said to her, like, oh, hey, would you like a blind?

She'd be like, I'll absolutely, you know, because that's what she would think up. So, yeah, for me to answer your question is just explain and educate the homeowner on their options. And if they decide they don't want a skylight or I mean, they don't have much choice with, with the blind now, but, you know, I guess they can put a blind in and just leave it open all the time, if that's what they if that's what they chose, you know?

So yeah, for me, it's very beneficial. It's just a it's just educate the homeowner. Because another thing is I want our homeowners to feel like that. We took our time with them and we explained everything. And when we walk away, like I, I don't expect them to know how to go install a roof, but I want them to be confident they understand all the steps of why our bid is this amount and the 18 items that that includes, you know, so they they understand the steps, the process.

You know, we're looking at we're our main goal. And I keep saying is, is customer experience. Like, you know, we do a shade, we do a shade. I want to make sure, my production team, my sales guy goes in there and smarter than me and knows how to run that remote and make sure the customer is comfortable with it.

If that's taking the few extra minutes and helping them download the app like, you know, that's the part of the customer experience that I want to make sure, we're in this for the long haul. We're we're in the process of what are we going on almost our ninth year, in business. So that's kind of crazy to say out loud, like I'm not a fly by night company.

I mean, I honestly, I, I was thinking the other day there's a couple of contractors that we've outlasted already that I don't even hear about anymore. Right. And it just a few years ago, like that was our main competition out here and now, you know, so that's that's the kind of stuff that, you know, I want customers to remember and talk about.

So and that's, that's the reason I ask that question. It kind of brings up the point why we've had a great partnership. Because I agree the same way. I mean, they're they're an unfortunately in this business, there are so many people that though they put a number on the wall and, and they have that's how many roofs they have to do before they break even.

And they see a service issue. They see a wrinkle in the process, or they see a service issue, and they see that in their heads as a callback. They lose money. And I always in my trainings, I tell people, dude, a service call is just an opportunity for you to sell again, right? And you get back face to face with the customer.

Of course, you're going to, of course you're going to call the manufacturer and get the problem taken care of. But now you're face to face one on one with that customer again that maybe you haven't seen in 4 or 5 years. Right? Oh, we talked about your gutters last time. You want to replace your gutters now just like gutter you talked about.

And to me it's just opportunities in you don't have to focus on it. And we have to get a hundred roofs this year for me to make money. You know, sell everything you sell. Right. And that that's how I feel Velux is. And the shade process, I feel like one. I didn't tell you that. We've done our homework.

Most homeowners want shades. We've done our homework. We know that. But contractors are some. Not many, but some of them are. Give me all we. You're shoving it down your. We have to buy it. You know, there's always a choice. But our point is, dude, it it's a perfect way to have a conversation. And we talked about this earlier too.

And I'll leave you on this. You know, when I learned early on in my sales and sales, when I started out, I learned very quickly not to, focus on what I thought the homeowner was willing to spend. In other words, I believe that a homeowner is willing to spend for something that they want. And it's my job to focus on what the homeowner wants and sell them what they want.

Yeah, we talked about earlier about, you know, one guy sold them everything. One guy was afraid to suffer. Whatever the reasons are, never seen what a homeowner is willing to spend just know that they're going to spend for what they want. And that's true. Well, and I remember a customer, this was back when I was doing more of the selling, more of the phone answering, and a customer called him his name.

The new roof. And they had wood shake on, and he was like, well, I want a quote for shingles, and I want to quote from metal. And I said, okay, like, what's your future plan of the house? He's like, me and my wife get near retirement 3 or 4 years or sell on it. And I said, then don't pay me X here.

To put a metal roof on a shingle roof will give you ample protection. And you know, so there I talked myself out of it, up sale. And then unfortunately for them, their freaking house got hit by a tornado. A year and a half later, we were the first call they ever made. We put the roof on twice, you know?

So. And not to make light of it, fortunately, they're okay. Like, that's not a fun. You know, that's not something fun to live through. But like, I step back and I wonder, like, okay, if I didn't have talked about a cheaper option, like, would, would they have called us back? Like, I mean, they didn't call anybody else when when that tornado hit, like they called us like they that that was their first call, you know.

So I mean, like, we're just we're in a, we're we're in a time that people want educated, they don't want sold. So that's why we do a podcast. That's why we have an entire marketing division that focuses on educating homeowners with blogs and videos and stuff like that, just because people want to kind of research and do their own research, you know, before, you know, there's a statistic out there right now that says people are 80% of the way through their buying process before they call you.

Oh, so I mean, that's kind of crazy. Now, my sales guys don't want to miss that, that they're 80% of the way they are the best salesman that has ever had. And then the at least right, 100% agree. And we all do it right. I mean, how many times before you buy something I personally go on YouTube, you know, and I watch a couple of videos, good and bad, or we all look at reviews, right?

Good and bad. So I agree 100%. And the only I was little caveat I would say is yes, homeowners are more educated. But sometimes, you know, sometimes they're they're educated just enough to kind of not understand what it is they think they know. Right. Well, it's funny you say that because like everybody wants to go to Google. Yeah.

And Google is a beautiful thing. However. Or I can make a website about Velux skylight tonight and put half the information is wrong on there. And somebody could search and find it. Because it's always funny when all of my sales guys call me and they're having a problem with something like not work related, like, you know, a plumbing issue or a mechanical issue with their wife's car.

And they're like, well, I googled it and it could be this, this and this. It's kind of like googling your symptoms of, you know, throwing up. Oh, well, you could have cancer or, you know, you could have food poisoning, like so I always joke, but then I was like, all right, guys, call professional please. Like, you know how hard sometimes it is for us to overcome people like, well, I looked at Google and they said that your price should be this, or they said you shouldn't use this like ChatGPT prime example that literally, it's something that I'm having for using in our business.

But I have looked we used gutter apron and we use drip it. Drip edge goes on, the rate gutter apron goes on the eaves where the gutter goes. ChatGPT did something for me today and it put drip edge where the gutter apron should go. And I responded back. I was like, actually, that is wrong. There should be gutter apron there.

So the water runs into the gutter. And it was funny because ChatGPT responded like, you are correct, we've updated our mistake. Oh wow. So that's that's kind of crazy that we're relying on AI so much. It's I see the benefit of it, don't get me wrong. But you know well even that's wrong sometimes. So people's people's gotta watch where they get their sauce at from I guess.

Well, okay. It's funny. I'm not going to get into details because this I don't know who's going to watch this, but funny conversation I had with a friend. She gave me a quote and I said, you know, I might want to check your sources on that. And she says, well, I got it from I. Of course, AI is going to tell me the truth, right?

And to your point, AI's learning just like all of us, right? Right. So, yeah, I mean, and and I, you know, today compared to in three months or six months and I get the whole it could go too far like I skied it. Yeah, I understand that unfortunately, you know, there's a buddy of mine, he's built or he bought a piece of property and in Georgia, and it's an area that is heavily wooded, literally, like there's eight acres.

And on the backside of the property, there's hundreds of houses. Right. Oh, and he made an offer, and the lady wanted to one of the clothes real quick. And I said, you better get a few numbers figured out what it's going to cost to do something. He's like, well, I said this much. And I was like, I don't know if I trust I on excavating cost to put in a quarter mile long lane.

Yeah. Because if you think it's going to be 50 and it's 150. Yeah. You know, so but yeah, I mean it's trust the source go to you know, do your own research. But also you know, you know, research it and make sure your facts are facts. Yes. You know, so but now I appreciate your time, Barry.

Thank you. Your your support, your partnership, means a lot to us, so thank you, sir. Thank you. Right back at you. Thank you.