Our latest Voice of Customer report with Rilla reveals a surprising blind spot: financing conversations happen in fewer than 20% of sales interactions, despite close rates increasing nearly fivefold when these conversations do occur (Source: Rilla Home Improvement VOC Summary Report for GreenSky, Dated July 31, 2025.)
Offering financing isn’t just an option—it's a critical tool to be used for closing more deals and unlocking larger projects. Our recent Voice of Customer (VOC) report via Rilla, in partnership with GreenSky, goes beyond surface-level metrics to uncover the real drivers of customer decisions in home improvement. Based on over 11,000 sales interactions, the findings reveal actionable insights for Merchants looking to grow market share and deepen trust with their Customers.
Financing is no longer a supporting player in home improvement sales; it’s the catalyst for bigger deals and higher close rates. Yet, the VOC data shows financing is discussed in only 19% of conversations, leaving significant revenue on the table. When financing enters the conversation, close rates soar nearly fivefold, and average sale size jumps by 60% (Source: Rilla Home Improvement VOC Summary Report for GreenSky, Dated July 31, 2025.)
Discussing financing with your Customers provides them with the full scope of their options. With financing options, they can upgrade, invest in premium solutions, and say “yes” to projects they might otherwise be unsure about. The message is clear: financing options can help convert interest into action.
Financing must be positioned as a seamless, transparent solution, not a last-minute throw-in. Equip your reps to introduce financing early, frame it around monthly affordability, and eliminate friction in the application process. When done right, financing transforms sales from transactional to aspirational. For Merchants, this means investing in training and technology that make financing feel effortless and Customer-centric.
Methodology
This study reflects rigorous analysis of 11,006 customer-sales interactions from 15 industry-leading home improvement contractors in July 2025. Each conversation was transcribed and analyzed for promotion and financing discussion, customer objection, offer selection, and close outcome. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to ensure that not just the ‘what’ but the ‘why’ underlying customer decisions surfaced to inform best practices and future strategy.