Taking
the time to invest and participate in training (whether
industry-specific or general knowledge) for you and your team pays
dividends beyond just for your roofing company; it can also benefit the
industry and the homeowner. 

Robby Wilkerson, co-owner of the
Bryan, Texas-based firm Sustainable Roofing, is fostering a work culture
where a thirst for training is part of the corporate culture and shared
the many benefits in our podcast interview.

“The value of
training is limitless, and it comes in so many different forms,”
Wilkerson says. “From employee retention to gaining the trust of our
clients while we’re working onsite, to having a team with a wide
spectrum of similar skills [allowing] for consistent results no matter
who is assigned the project.

“For example, I’ve had team members
who were not as well versed on attic ventilation as I am,” Wilkerson
adds. “They were tripped up while on the project and had to reach out to
me for assistance to explain to the homeowner why we wanted to correct
the attic ventilation, but if you have the entire team trained on all
the same knowledge, it guarantees the same results and a seamless sales
process.”

Training Helps Spread Knowledge Equally

Wilkerson
says every person on his team can fill in at any point for any other
person because of the ongoing commitment to training across the board. 

“That’s
anything from the initial sales call to the behind-the-scenes ordering
of materials, to scheduling crews, conducting an attic ventilation
inspection, overall project management, and we can all do it,” Wilkerson
says. “This comes in handy if someone is unavailable for whatever
reason — vacation, family emergency, already out on another project,
whatever. We just call on the next person to step in and don’t miss a
beat.

 “We don’t have to hold anything up. Any one of us can step in and make it happen.”

Among the training topics the principal is particularly interested in is attic ventilation. 

“Attic
ventilation is one of the cornerstones of why we wanted to start our
own roofing company,” he says. “Being a roofer in Texas, I thought I
knew about proper attic ventilation, but honestly, I had not even heard
the term ‘net free area’ (the total unobstructed area through which air
can pass through a vent) until I left Texas and moved to Oregon. It was
there while I continued my roofing career in the Pacific Northwest, I
attended [Air Vent’s] seminar, and my eyes were opened.

“In
Portland, it’s cold and wet for five months out of the year, and mold
can become a huge issue. We don’t have that problem in Texas. It’s just
hot. But in Portland, when I went on attic ventilation inspections, I
could physically see dead spots in the attic ventilation where mold
would start to grow. 

“I was then able to form a visual in my mind
how attic ventilation works — from intake to exhaust one seamless
airflow circuit in and out — and I wanted to bring that back with me
when we returned to Texas,” Wilkerson says. “We wanted to help
homeowners lower their attic temperatures, save on their utilities, and
help make their roofs last longer. Doing this helps us gain the
homeowner’s trust as roofing professionals because we’re not just simply
installing a roof.”

Training Helps Boost Sales

Wilkerson says there’s also a financial gain by expanding your knowledge base. 

“Because
we are well versed in attic ventilation … we can pivot our sales teams
in the exceptionally hot months of July and August when roofing projects
slow a bit in Central Texas; shift[ing] some of our focus to improving
attic ventilation,” he says, adding, ‘[it] help[s] boost our sales
because we can advertise and promote that part of the roofing project.”

Whether
it’s best practices in attic ventilation, tips for flashing chimneys,
or the latest roof covering materials, Wilkerson wants his team to know.
 

“Our motto is ‘A Better Approach to Roofing,’ and so we always
want to be trained in the latest in roofing and attic technology and
applications,” he says. “We always want to be on the forefront of that
to best help our customers.”

How often does Sustainable Roofing pursue training? 

“Every
single day is a potential training opportunity,” Wilkerson
acknowledges. “I have been in roofing eight years and have owned a
roofing company, along with my wife Jaycee, going on three years now —
it’s amazing how many tidbits of knowledge you learn and gain during
that time.” 

So every time I’m out on a project with someone and
we’re up on a roof, I like to share,” Wilkerson says. “Each roof is
different and has unique aspects to it. I like to point those out when I
can. Training doesn’t have to be a formal event or seminar. It can be
learning on the job. That’s how I view every roofing project every day. I
deeply desire to share knowledge and help others succeed with that
knowledge.”

Training Helps Energize Employees

“Each roof is different and has unique aspects to it. I like to point those out when I can. Training doesn’t have to be a formal event or seminar. It can be learning on the job. That’s how I view every roofing project every day. I deeply desire to share knowledge and help others succeed with that knowledge.”
— Robby Wilkerson

A possibly underappreciated value of offering training to your team is its motivational impact on employees. 

“We
brought our production manager to [Air Vent’s] seminar in Houston,”
Wilkerson says. “He made it a point to say ‘thank you’ after the seminar
[and] appreciated being included.” 

Wilkerson added that his
production manager noted how his previous employer treated him as a
“grunt worker.” He never invested the time or money to formally train
him in roofing besides on-the-job training. The production manager said
he appreciated feeling like part of a team and knowing that Wilkerson
was investing time and money into ensuring his employee was up-to-date
on best practices, adding that the production manager believes the
investment will allow him to serve customers better. 

Wilkerson has a few tips for fellow company owners to get team members excited about training opportunities. 

“You
can turn it into an event where you participate in the training, but
you also attend a sporting event or some other activity the day before
or after, perhaps,” he says. “Take them out for a special dinner before
or after the training; make it almost a ‘company outing,’ and if you’re
regularly sharing and learning together throughout the year, you’ll
create a ‘thirst for gaining knowledge.’” 

Wilkerson added that
the added-value proposition is how everyone on the team will start to
feel more professional in their industry and become receptive to even
more training opportunities.

If work projects prohibit everyone
from attending a training event, Wilkerson says it ensures those who
missed out attend the following year. 

“We want everyone on our
team to have the same level of training across the board. It benefits
them and Sustainable Roofing,” he says. “Eventually, what happens is
your team leans on you — as the owner — less and less, and they become
more self-sufficient as a result of a commitment to training. 

“You
receive fewer of those ‘Hey, what do I do here’ phone calls because
everyone is elevating their knowledge base,” Wilkerson says. “[T]hat
frees you, as owner, to focus on other areas of the business that need
your attention, including growing the business.”