Supplementing Reality & Negotiations Process

Supplementing Reality & The Negotiations Process Everybody loves supplements. Maximizing your claims by boosting the size by up to double is the fastest, rebuttals, and you ve seen the success other members are having using the same strategies they re learning from us. no ever again, and increase every single claim by 99%! and negotiations. Here are some general rules, realities, and reminders as you approach supplementing 1. First and foremost, you must accept one major truth: You will not get them all all. item, every insurance company, and every insurance companies. www.roofsalesmastery.com 1

The other factor that plays in to the various degrees of success you may have is your geological location! For example, people down south loathe State Farm, while people in the eastern states such as Ohio love them. Texans absolutely despise Allstate, but in Missouri they aren t that bad ( but still not great, haha). The name of the game is to learn what you can get with whom, and play up your strengths, not focus on your weaknesses. 3. It is the adjuster s JOB to say no. Considering that hail claim payouts account for about a BILLION dollars each year, if the insurance companies can reduce the amount they pay out in claims by just ONE measly percent, they re saving $100,000,000 at the end of the year. It is the adjuster s job to mitigate loss, and it is their DUTY to always act in the best interest of the insurance company. In other words, it is their job to say no. price per square, or, ABC Insurance just doesn t pay for x, or, That s just a cost of doing business, stumps or quiets the majority of contractors who ask for it, feeling like they ve hit a dead end and just throw their hands up in the air and move on, meaning it s a pretty effective tactic for the insurance companies! So they continue to do it. In many cases, contractors don t even realize just how close to a yes they really are, simply ONE more question away, but they stop just a minute too soon because of the initial objection. to simply waive your request with a pre-planned rebuttal. Most objections from adjusters are not persistence is key. There are various levels of action you can take when an item is being denied, and it is up to you how far you are willing to pursue it. 4. It is more than just ask and you shall receive. If you approach supplements by simply looking at the list of suggested items, sending over the request, and expecting it to get approved no questions asked 100% of the time, you re in for a real surprise. Effective supplementing is a PROCESS, not just a magic combination of words. Imagine if you approached (which happens 90% of the time), you just said, Okay, thanks anyway, and walked away. You d be working at Applebee s sooner versus later, because you wouldn t have ANY success! The same approach is true for supplementing. www.roofsalesmastery.com 2

In essence, supplement negotiations are a SALES process. You are selling the adjuster on why the items you are asking for are valid, legitimate, and necessary, and then handling the counter-offers or objections they bring up throughout that process until you get to a yes or a compromise that suits you both. if you were selling your house and an interested prospect made you an offer below your original asking price. This may help you better understand the dynamics of the negotiations and supplementing process. The adjuster then reviews your counter-offer (supplement), and he may very well agree with your point of view and approve it then and there, but if not, expect a counter-offer from him, which will come in the form of a series of objections, which you will then have to handle and overcome, just like you would with a customer. This back and forth may continue for a number of exchanges, until either a) b) you decide pursuing your ideal scope is not worth any more of your time, and you settle. particular negotiation to the next level, and then to the next and to the next, until you arrive at a suitable resolution. Climbing the Rungs of the Ladder in Pursuit of Supplements the series of steps it might take to ultimately achieve its approval: Step 1 would be to provide documentation that you are in fact operating as a general contractor, including of insurance/liability and explain your position as the coordinator of the multiple or complex trades involved. Step 2, which might be the teamwork approach of, Hey Mr. Adjuster, I know you probably get bombarded by demanding contractors all day long who demand the sun, the moon, and the stars from you. I m not one of those contractors, but this claim is going to require more than what is currently included in the scope. I know you ve got a job to do and you ve got supervisors just like I do, and I understand in some areas your hands are tied. If you re truly unable to provide overhead charges, project manager supervision hours, load up on soft metals, add a dumpster to a trade, general labor hours, etc.). Not getting anywhere? Step 3 would be to ask for the supervisor. Who can you talk to who is able to make Still a no? Move to Step 4. Next rung on the ladder is homeowner involvement. You might then have your homeowner send one of the letters we have already drafted for you in this program which allows the www.roofsalesmastery.com 3

holder has more clout than the contractor when it comes to negotiations, considering they are the owner of the policy! In other words, ultimately the insurance company owes the homeowner money, not the contractor. Let s say you re still stuck. Step 5 would be blowing the insurance commissioner whistle. You can send an email to the adjuster that says something along the lines of, Hey Mr. Adjuster, so here s the deal I know we ve been back and forth here about x, y, and z for this claim. My homeowner is getting pretty agitated really don t want to have to deal with that; is there any way you and I can discuss this claim to meet in the You ll be surprised how often that works. As a matter of fact, here s a perfect example:...and it was even with Allstate of all carriers. Let s say you re still getting stonewalled. At this point, Step 6 would be to have the homeowner send in a Step 7 Again, let me refer back to the lesson Don t Let O&P Cost You Money. Don t get so caught up in chasing your tail that you miss out on other opportunities or deals because you had tunnel vision and spent all of your energy and time going after one supplement on one claim. Be aware of how much time and effort you are willing to spend on one particular claim, considering the time it might take you to deal with the back and forth on that claim may have been better spent going out and procuring another deal or two! Take your supplement game above and beyond simply asking, hoping, and accepting rejection by following these steps and understanding these principles, and you will be a more effective negotiator, you won t lose easy ones, and you ll get more supplements approved faster and easier. www.roofsalesmastery.com 4