Podcast Summary: Owned and Operated - “The Sales Process That Took Us From Losing Money to $12.5K Tickets”

Host: John Wilson
Guest/Co-host: Brandon Nyro
Date: January 1, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, John Wilson and Brandon Nyro deep-dive into the transformation of their sales process across their $30M HVAC, plumbing, and electrical business. The discussion traces their evolution from losing money on low-ticket sales to consistently closing $12,500 jobs—and becoming genuinely profitable. They break down the pivotal changes in mindset, processes, use of technology, and adoption of financing strategies that enabled this growth, providing actionable insights and real-world lessons for other home service business owners.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Initial Challenges & “Repair First” Mentality

(00:00 – 07:00)

• The company started with a strong repair focus, handling large repairs on aging equipment rather than considering system replacements.
• John: “We almost forced ourselves into this repair first mentality because I was so concerned about the other side of it…over the years eaten a lot of like bad warranty calls…” (06:08)
• Realized that only tackling single components (e.g., AC or furnace) instead of whole systems often did a disservice to customers—and led to poor profitability.

2. Immature Sales Approaches & Painful Learning

(07:00 – 10:00)

• Early sales process lacked structure; sales were tech-driven with no defined method, limited measurement of conversions, and little consistency.
• Moves to bring in professional salespeople (Comfort Advisors or “CAs”) led to higher average tickets ($8K–$9K) but with heavy discounting—still unprofitable.
• “As fast as we were diagnosing [problems], the problem was getting worse. We were trying to solve through that whole thing and what we found is just really the process.” (08:22–08:36, Brandon)

3. The Pivot: Embracing Process, Systems, and Technology

(10:00 – 15:30)

• They credit their transformation to:
  • Adopting proven processes from organizations like Nexstar.
  • Leveraging software tools—specifically “Mantle”—to support consistency in sizing, quoting, and options presentation.
• Brandon: “Combining our processes that we utilize from Nexar and software as well too ... that was a big step up.” (11:32)
• The use of software enabled less technically-experienced salespeople to present more complex and profitable solutions.

4. Raising the Average Ticket – From Discount Models to Premium Systems

(15:30 – 18:30)

• Introduction of higher-tier options, bundled upgrades (IAQ, duct cleaning, etc.), and better presentation of choices led to automatic rise in average ticket.
• John: “We actually install a couple communicating systems a week... It’s a lot.” (15:20)
• “We just had to offer it. We weren’t offering this stuff in the first place… Now we lay out everything from 13 SEER up to 20 SEER... it’s right in front of the customer from the rip.” (17:07–17:15, Brandon)
• Increased focus on systematizing what’s offered ensures premium solutions are always presented first; “upselling” becomes merely the standard process.

5. Training, Accountability, and Refinement

(18:30 – 22:00)

• Regular sales training and effective coaching became key to long-term improvement.
• Software tools now track:
  • Quoting behaviors (what’s being offered/removed)
  • Proposal strength (are options diverse/clear?)
• Real-time data helps management spot where sales processes can be coached or improved.

6. The Financing Revolution

(19:00 – 25:00 & throughout)

• Early introduction of financing is a game-changer.
• “If you’re using financing as a rebuttal tool to price objection, it’s too late. You’re on an uphill battle.” (24:41, Brandon)
• In-house data: 13% higher close rate for techs who offer financing BEFORE presenting the options.
• Presenting low monthly payments upfront reframes the customer conversation, softens sticker shock, and increases likelihood of add-ons (e.g. IAQ for $5/month vs. $1,000 cash).
• They’re moving toward “auto-presenting” best financing offers as the first thing a homeowner sees, emulating car sales industry best practices.

7. Continuous Improvement & What’s Next

(26:00 – End)

• Ongoing process refinements are linked to ongoing gains in average ticket and profitability.
• Noted the difference between “marketed leads” vs. “tech-generated leads,” with in-house leads closing at higher average tickets ($15K+).
• Future focus: Upping process consistency, leveraging newer and longer-term financing (like 72 months, 0%) to stand out competitively and push average ticket into the $14–$15K range.
• “Triple the average ticket in four years, and almost all of it through process. Not like finding unicorns, but like, do we deliver a consistent process? Can we repeat it?” (23:19, John)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the evolution of their approach:
  “Painful learning. Yeah. Then we brought on professional sales. Yep. And painful learning there too... we went from like this $4 or $5,000 average ticket to like $8,000, maybe $9,000 average ticket ... but we weren’t profitable at all.” (07:24, John)

• On the lightbulb moment in sales process:
  “Frankly an accident because I don’t know that we intentionally set out to do it. Our focus was increase the average ticket. ... a lot of that came from again the software choice.” (16:14–16:40, Brandon)

• On option presentation:
  “Suddenly ... the homeowner sees everything from a 13 SEER up to 20 SEER, side discharge, heat pump, everything came included ... So we're not having to add these things on post fact if they ask about them, we're just offering right off the rip.” (17:15, Brandon)

• On using financing as a front-end tool:
  “Our data...13% higher close rate for technicians who offer financing before options are offered. In my mind, if you’re using financing as a rebuttal tool to price objections, it’s too late.” (19:53, Brandon)

• On tracking and coaching with software:
  “The proposal rating...shows us how good...the strength of that proposal looks like. Did we offer a good separation between there...that proposal strength gives us...another coaching tool to say, are you using the system correctly?” (29:10–30:04, Brandon)

• On the importance of repeatable process:
  “As our process has been more refined...it’s been continued improvement and success. I think we'll iterate probably five or six more times off of this.” (30:19, Brandon)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Repair vs. Replace Mindset & Early Mistakes – 00:00–07:00
• Evolving Sales Methods, Comfort Advisors – 07:00–10:00
• Implementing Systems, Software (Mantle), and Nexstar – 10:00–15:30
• Offering Premium Products, Attach Rates, and Process Shifts – 15:30–18:30
• The Power of Financing (Statistics, Process, Timing) – 19:00–25:00
• Coaching, Proposal Ratings, and Ongoing Training – 26:00–30:00
• Final Reflections on Process – 30:13–End

Closing Insights

• The journey from unprofitable, low-ticket, discount-driven work to high-ticket, repeatable, and premium sales is rooted in:
  • Relentless focus on documented process
  • Smart use of technology for consistency, measurement, and reducing complexity
  • Training and transparent data feedback loops
  • Early, upfront use of financing to unlock bigger sales and higher close rates
• Memorable Send-off:
  “Process, process, process. That's the biggest thing ... As our process has been more refined ... it’s been continued improvement and success.” (30:19, Brandon)

For listeners in the home services space, this episode serves as both a cautionary tale and a roadmap, equipping you with the tactics to boost sales, ticket size, and profitability through intentional, systematic change.