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Since 2020, I have been in more than 500 homes conducting In-Home sales and design presentations for the roofing and exterior renovation industry.
Fortunately, I can count on one hand the number of times the hair stood on the back of my neck and my intuition was telling me something wasn’t right. But that’s one hand too many, frankly.
As a woman in this industry, I have had an extremely positive experience overall. I love the work I do, I love my fellow industry professionals and peers, and I love the homeowners I interact with.
But, on those very few occasions when I was uncomfortable meeting with homeowners, I wondered what my safety plan was or should have been. Below, I outline my thoughts for staying safe while conducting In-Home appointments.
Note: this content is relevant for men and for women and is useful for any type of professional environment that has you meeting with people in their homes or even in their places of business when alone.
1. Vetting Homeowners/Clients
Before setting foot on a property, take the time to gather as much information about the homeowner as possible. Use online resources and public records to verify their identity. Tools like LinkedIn, Facebook, Nextdoor, Google, and local tax records can provide a good starting point. Just like getting in a ride-share car alone, it’s nice to be able to know what the person looks like before you enter their home. Plus, the benefit is you learn information about the home in the process (was it recently purchased) and about the homeowner (can they be a good referral partner in the future?)
2. Meet Outside First
I have been to a countless number of sales courses where the trainer says “Get inside the home first so that you can build rapport.” Never once have I lost a job because I didn’t go inside the home before I walked outside the home with the homeowner first. If you haven’t been able to verify information about the homeowner or you have any level of discomfort for any reason, use the following: “Hi Mr and / or Mrs Homeowner. It’s a pleasure to meet with you. For both of our comfort, would you mind we if we spend time walking around your home together before we go over everything inside or before I inspect your attic?” This does a few things. One, it gives you an opportunity to gauge where your exit points are should you need to exit the home fast. Two, it allows you to see where the fastest path is to a neighbor’s house if needed. Three, if a homeowner hesitates to walk outside with you and doesn’t give you a valid reason like “I just had knee surgery so I can’t walk far, but please go ahead without me”, then you know that something may be unusual. Four, it actually gives a great opportunity to educate homeowners about your commitment to keeping yourself, your teams, and your homeowners safe.
3. Trust Your Instincts
Your intuition is an invaluable tool. If something doesn’t feel right, it may not be. Never suppress your feelings of unease. If a situation seems off, leave. Don’t feel like you have to pretend to make a phone call or that you “forgot” something in the truck. If it feels wrong, leave. If the person is blocking the exit, either intentionally or unintentionally, exit through one of the other egresses you noted earlier from outside the home.
And, in the worst possible scenario – one I actually found myself in once – if you’re in the attic and the person is blocking the stairway or ladder down, rely on your level of comfort in an attic versus theirs. If you can safely draw them in the attic further so they open up the exit way, you will have an opportunity to move quicker than they may be able to because of your comfort moving in confined spaces or walking on joists that aren’t sheathed with wood.
If you can’t draw them in, force them out. “Mr or Mrs Homeowner, I’m suddenly not feeling very well. You should move so I don’t vomit on you.” Whether they have good or bad intentions, they will almost certainly move. Even someone who may wish you harm doesn’t generally want to be vomited all over. Feign severe nausea, start dry heaving if necessary, and get the hell out of there.
Absolute worst case scenario – jump through the joists and fall through the ceiling. I’m not joking. If you are trapped, you must fight. And I’d rather risk breaking a leg by jumping through a ceiling than having to physically fight someone who has ill intentions in a confined attic space. Just try to not jump down over a foyer or vaulted space.
4. Use a Buddy System
If it’s feasible, take a colleague along with you. There’s safety in numbers, and your company might be more willing to work with this request than you think. If that’s not possible, make sure someone knows where you are and who you’re with at all times. Add a colleague or your spouse to your calendar appointments so they know your last known location. Add a GPS tracker to your vehicle.
5. Technology to the Rescue
Make use of safety apps that share your real-time location with selected contacts. I have a Google phone and there’s a feature that allows you to switch your phone into Safety Mode. It allows me to share my location with trusted contacts at the click of a button. It also allows me to toggle on a feature I can use 24/7, which is to click the power button 5 times fast and it automatically dials 911 and sends my location so I never have to talk.
6. Be Prepared
Educate yourself about basic self-defense tactics and consider carrying legal protective items if you feel comfortable doing so. Confidence in your ability to protect yourself can often act as a deterrent in itself. Look for self defense programs specifically designed to show people how to get out of a home or building for teams of people.
Things to keep in mind:
- If you’re feeling a twinge of uncertainty, don’t go inside. While I make it a company policy to go in every attic you can, safety supercedes this policy. If one of my team members is uncomfortable with going into a home, they absolutely do not have to go in the home. Safety is first, knowing how many sheets of plywood we need to replace is second.
- If you’re uncomfortable, ask to meet with the homeowner outside, ideally near your vehicle so you have fast access to leaving if needed. Keep your keys on you and accessible at all times; they can be used as a weapon to fight someone off if needed.
- It’s better to feel awkward after an encounter than to be dead. I would rather you lose the sale because you made a homeowner feel awkward by making a stealthy exit than you losing your life. Plain and simple.
- Talking your way out doesn’t always work. You may have noticed I never said to try and talk your way out of one of these situations. Talking can actually aggravate the situation. And it can unknowingly back you into a corner because you’re on someone else’s territory and you will be too focused on what you’re saying and not focused on your environment. Your action should be to focus on leaving, not focusing on talking.
Safety should never be compromised. If you’re an owner, especially if you have women on your sales team, you need to have a safety plan in place. You should also have an invitation to train every single member of your team who steps inside a home basic self defense.
For those in construction sales, these tips can serve as a guide to help navigate the industry more safely. The key is to stay alert, trust your instincts, and don’t hesitate to prioritize your safety over a potential sale. By implementing these safety strategies, we can contribute to making the construction sales field a safer place for everyone.
Author: Amanda Veinott, Founder & Owner, Maven Roofing & Exteriors LLC. For media or marketing inquiries, please contact Amanda@MavenNJ.com