Roofing distributors and suppliers work hand-in-hand with contractors and subcontractors daily, and one way to truly establish working relationships — underpinned by trust — is effectively using credit or terms of remittance to solidify the affiliation.

As the busy season picks up, it can be easy to use submitted proposals and the like to determine who you’re doing business with. But, a credit application gets at the heart of who you’re really working with, says Thea Dudley, Pocket Protectors CEO. In this video, Dudley, known as the “Credit Overlord,” goes over some basics about credit applications and offers helpful mechanics to remember when using them.

“Everybody is super-excited when they’re starting that new relationship, and they’re moving along; they give you all the information you want,” she said. “[But] typically, who’s signing the proposal is not who you’re going to be calling if there’s a billing or payment issue.”

In addition to using time-saving applications like DocuSign and having the signer print their name, Dudley notes how a credit application also helps customers know your company’s terms and conditions. Roofing suppliers can also help subcontractors — like roofers — if a general contractor isn’t keen on applying for a line of credit.

“So that's the other pushback that I hear: the sub will come back to me and say, ‘Well, I tried that credit application thing you told me and the GC I'm working with said, ‘Well, I gave you a contract,’” she said.

View the full video here, or visit our podcast page to download the episode and listen at your leisure.