Gary A. Cohen, Executive Vice President, Certified Contractors Network (CCN)
When you think about elite performers, whether on the football field, basketball court or Olympic track, one truth stands out: the best never stop practicing. Even when they have achieved greatness, professional athletes commit themselves to daily drills, scrimmages and simulations. Why? Because excellence is not an event, it is a discipline.
Yet in the roofing industry, many sales teams fall into the trap of believing that once a salesperson knows the presentation, the job is done. They may shadow a veteran rep, memorize the pitch and then hit the road. But without ongoing practice, even the most talented reps stagnate. That is why weekly role play should be treated as non-negotiable in every roofing company.
Role play is the sales equivalent of game-day preparation in professional sports. It creates a safe environment where reps sharpen their skills, master their responses and build confidence before stepping into a homeowner’s living room. Just like sports practice, it is the repetition, over and over again, that transforms average performers into consistent top producers.
Most contractors would agree that sales drive the business. Without consistent closing, the production team has no jobs to install. Yet, many companies invest heavily in leads, marketing campaigns and production systems while neglecting the ongoing training of their salespeople. Sales training is not a “one and done” discipline.
Here is the hard truth: homeowners today are more informed than ever. They research online, compare multiple bids and come armed with tough questions about pricing, warranties and financing. If your reps are not prepared with polished, professional responses, they will be outmaneuvered by competitors who are. Weekly role play ensures that sales reps:
■ Stay sharp under pressure. Just like athletes practice under game-like conditions, role play replicates the homeowner environment.
■ Master their scripts. It is one thing to read an objection handler: it’s another to deliver it smoothly, naturally and with confidence.
■ Build muscle memory. The more reps practice, the faster and more instinctively they respond in real situations.
■ Identify weaknesses. Role play exposes gaps in knowledge or delivery so they can be corrected before they cost a sale.
Of course, practice is only effective if there is a clear, repeatable system to practice. Professional sports teams have a documented playbook and roofing contractors need one too. That is where a documented sales process comes in. Without it, role play turns into improvisation and inconsistency is the enemy of scaling a sales team. A well-documented process should include:
■ Step-by-step stages from the introduction to the close.
■ Polished scripts for each stage, including transitions and key phrases.
■ Objection-handling playbooks that anticipate every question a homeowner might raise.
■ Checklists to ensure nothing is skipped or forgotten.
Think of it like a football team’s playbook. Every player knows their role, every sequence is practiced and while there’s room for creativity, the fundamentals are never left to chance.
At Certified Contractors Network (CCN), we have seen how transformative a clear process can be. CCN’s 5P Sales Process has been proven across the country to help contractors achieve higher close rate while maintaining trust and professionalism in the home. The 5Ps – problems, products, process, people and price, guide sales reps through a highly structured and proven customer-centered approach.
With a documented process like this in hand, role play becomes more than random practice. It becomes highly targeted training – rehearsing the very scenarios that salespeople will face every day in the field.
One of the most valuable outcomes of role play is preparing for objections. Every homeowner has them:
■ “Your price is higher than the other estimate.”
■ “I need to think about it.”
■ “We want to get three more bids before making a decision.”
Without ongoing and focused preparation, a sales rep may stumble, improvise or worse, cave on price. But when role play drills every possible objection, reps learn to respond with confidence and empathy. They are not blindsided; they are ready.
The goal is not to be pushy or manipulative. It is to educate, reassure and build trust in a way that guides the homeowner toward the right decision for their family and home. That requires both strong content (the right words) and strong delivery (the right tone and timing).
In the past, role play meant two sales reps sitting across from each other, pretending one was the homeowner. While valuable, this format has limitations. It can feel awkward, uncomfortable, lack realism and often depends on the creativity (or willingness) of the role-play partner.
Today, new tools are making role play more sophisticated and effective. For example, CCN has developed a proprietary voice role play solution built using artificial intelligence (AI) and it is the first of its kind in the home improvement contracting industry. This technology allows salespeople to practice on their computers
against realistic homeowner avatars, complete with natural objections, unique personalities and variable scenarios. This solution can be customized with each company’s script; in other words, you load your playbook into the software.
What makes AI role play powerful is its consistency and scalability. Reps can log in anytime, practice as much as they want and receive instant feedback. Leaders no longer need to schedule hours of role play sessions; the technology becomes the training partner.
This does not replace in-person practice – it enhances it. Just as athletes use film review, virtual simulations and strength training alongside on-field practice, sales teams can blend traditional and digital role play to maximize results.
The key to making role play stick is culture. If weekly practice is viewed as optional or a punishment for underperformers, it will fail. But if leaders frame it as part of the company’s DNA – a commitment to excellence – it becomes a source of pride. Here are some ways to build that culture:
■ Make it weekly and mandatory. Just like a team meeting, role play should be scheduled and non-negotiable.
■ Rotate scenarios. Do not practice the same script every time. Mix in new objections, unusual customer personalities and curveball questions.
■ Record and review. Whether in person or using AI tools, record sessions so reps can see and hear themselves.
■ Celebrate improvement. Recognize reps who make progress, not just those with the highest close rates.
■ Lead by example. Owners and managers should participate, showing the team that practice is for everyone.
Contractors often ask: Is all this role play really worth the time? The answer is a resounding yes. Consider the math:
If a sales rep closes one additional $15,000 deal per week because they are better prepared, that could translate into $700,000-plus in additional annual sales. Multiply that by several reps and the impact is staggering.
Even more importantly, role play builds professionalism and consistency. Homeowners notice when a rep is polished, confident and prepared. They feel more comfortable, more informed and more likely to sign on the dotted line.
In roofing sales, as in professional sports, the winners are the ones who prepare the hardest. Role play is not a chore; it is the path to mastery. When paired with a documented process like the 5Ps, polished objection handling and innovative AI tools, weekly role play becomes the single most powerful habit your sales team
can adopt.
The question is not whether your team should role play. The question is, can you afford not to?
Gary A. Cohen is Executive Vice President of Certified Contractors Network (CCN), North America’s leading training, coaching and networking organization for home improvement contractors. With over 30 years of home improvement industry experience and a background in business education, Gary specializes in helping contractors achieve scalable growth through proven systems and processes. He can be reached at gary@contractors.net