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Jose Rodriguez wished to observe in his father’s footsteps and construct a profession within the pest management trade, so it was a dream come true when his brother, Michael, teamed up with him to begin Pest Brothers. Their sturdy bond set the tone for a thriving enterprise targeted on constructing lasting relationships with prospects.
“I do not suppose there are a whole lot of choices the place you get to work together with your greatest pal and your greatest cheerleader,” Michael says. “For me, that was actually crucial factor.”
It seems, going into enterprise together with your greatest pal may be your key differentiator. The 2 exhibit glorious teamwork, which is mirrored of their buyer interactions and plenty of five-star critiques — securing their spot on Yelp’s Prime 100 Native Companies of 2025.
“[Customers] discover us well-tempered, well-mannered,” Michael says. “And the explanation for it’s we’re having fun with what we do and who we do it with. I believe that is actually the premise for all of it. After which from there, good issues come.”
Joined by their brother-in-law, John, every member of the Pest Brothers brings one thing completely different to the desk, together with recruiting, advertising and trade expertise.
Previous-school relationship-building was key to their early development. The workforce sponsors golf tournaments for native faculties and attends group occasions to not solely create visibility for Pest Brothers but in addition to honor their roots.
“We had been sponsors on the golf match for [my son’s] highschool, the place we get a whole lot of leads,” Jose says. “We promote wherever we will as a result of these are the oldsters who’ve fed us once we weren’t essentially attending to Yelp’s Prime 100.”
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Nonetheless, the brothers knew there was extra they might do to spice up on-line visibility. They noticed Yelp as a chance to draw extra leads, and the funding paid off rapidly. “We tried out the free trial [of Yelp Ads], and it was an absolute success — nearly like we flipped a light-weight change, and [leads] tremendously began flowing in,” Michael says.
They obtained such an inflow of consideration from owners that they determined to cease sending out snail mail ads, which might have a low success price.
“Each time we obtain a lead on Yelp, it is about velocity to steer,” Michael says. “The extra rapidly we will attain out, the extra rapidly we will get to that home, service it and win that lead.”
Its Yelp presence does greater than lead era, nevertheless. It additionally builds belief and helps flip potential prospects into loyal, long-term regulars. Particularly within the pest management and residence service trade, a brand new buyer does not all the time imply one job. Each new lead is an opportunity to create a recurring buyer — and the alternatives are rolling in for Pest Brothers.
“These are people that should you do a great job, they’re gonna reward you for an extended time period,” Michael says. “When it comes to the Yelp leads I noticed on our dashboard, views on our web page have elevated by 576% over the previous 30 days [since winning Yelp’s Top 100]. You speak about market consciousness — that is large. That is viral if I’ve ever seen it, so it has been superior for us.”
After getting your viewers’s consideration, Jose emphasised how necessary it’s to set clear expectations, equivalent to how lengthy a remedy will take or when the client will see outcomes. It is this sort of transparency that builds credibility, prevents confusion and earns five-star critiques.
When errors inevitably occur, the brothers acknowledge them with grace, reaching out personally to prospects to make issues proper. “If any individual calls you, you possibly can positively rectify their challenge as quickly as you possibly can,” Jose says. “That is actually the entire level of being a small enterprise, [being] ready to try this.”
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After constructing Pest Brothers from a two-man operation into some of the trusted pest management corporations within the Miami space, co-founders Michael and Jose share what’s helped them succeed within the aggressive residence service trade:
- Lead with belief. Prospects lengthen belief once they allow you to into their houses and workplaces. Be dependable, present up while you say you’ll and deal with each house with respect.
- Put money into relationships. Repeat prospects and referrals are the lifeblood of a service enterprise. Be taught individuals’s names, bear in mind their issues and deal with each job as a chance to strengthen the connection.
- Use instruments to work smarter. From routing software program to on-line critiques, know-how can save time, enhance effectivity and assist you to higher serve prospects. Leverage completely different platforms and instruments to remain organized, reply sooner and construct your status.
- Keep adaptable. Each job is completely different. Be prepared to regulate your method and continue learning new strategies to remain aggressive and environment friendly.
- Construct a status that lasts. Residence companies are about greater than fixing a particular drawback. They’re about creating peace of thoughts. When individuals know you genuinely care about their residence or enterprise, they’re going to belief you for years to return.
Watch the episode above to listen to immediately from Michael and Jose Rodriguez, and subscribe to Behind the Overview for extra from new enterprise homeowners and reviewers each Wednesday.
Editorial contributions by Jiah Choe and Kristi Lindahl
