Sales Process Secrets Any Home Improvement Business Can Use

If you’ve ever felt like you’re running from lead to lead with no time to breathe, you’re not alone. Most home improvement business owners hit that wall. They’re too busy to reach the level of success they want, but not sure how to hire or manage sales reps without losing margin.

Sales coach Chuck Thokey has decades of experience building and coaching home improvement sales teams, and he says the fix isn’t about piling on more complexity. On a recent episode of Build to Win, Chuck explained why a simple, consistent sales process makes all the difference – and how to put it into play at different stages of growth.

Research backs him up. A Harvard Business Review study found that companies with a formal sales process see up to a 28% higher revenue growth rate compared to those without one. In other words: process pays.

Here are three takeaways from the conversation with Chuck that speak directly to three kinds of owners: the solo operator, the first-time hirer, and the sales-team builder.

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1.) For the Owner-Operator (you’re the only salesperson – for now)

When you’re running five or six appointments a day, it’s easy to sell “because you’re the owner.” Homeowners automatically trust you. The danger is that this natural advantage hides the fact you’re missing a sales process. Without a repeatable process, growth stalls.

Key moves at this stage: 

• Lock in a process early. Choose the flow you want future reps to mirror – where to pause, how to build value, and when to ask for the order. Run it yourself so it becomes repeatable.
• Hire admin support first. Free yourself from paperwork and constant phone duty. An admin who loves the phone can re-engage old leads in your contractor CRM, confirm appointments, and keep schedules tight.
• Price for profit, not survival. Owners often discount heavily to land the job. That habit makes it impossible to hire. Instead, build in value adders – like a worry-free guarantee, priority scheduling, or “good/better/best” packages when estimating. These moves make your offer stronger without slashing your margins.

2.) For the Owner Hiring a First Sales Rep 

Most owners bring in their first sales rep when they’re overwhelmed, then hand off the “overflow.” The problem: overflow doesn’t pay someone’s bills consistently. Chuck noted that small-company reps often leave for survival reasons – they simply can’t make enough money.

How to avoid that trap: 

• Teach the process before they sell. Remember: your first rep won’t get to use the owner’s magic and close sales just because “I’m the owner.” Instead, show them the structure you’ve committed to, including tonality, pacing, and how to build value.
• Give them real opportunities. Feed them a fair mix of leads, not leftovers. Track activity – appointments set, demos run, proposals made – so they can succeed.
• Coach on value, not price. Reps rush to “the number” when they don’t know how to establish value. Equip them with upgrades, warranties, and add-ons that make higher prices make sense.
• Apply positive pressure. Celebrate activity even on lean days. Consistency is what turns new reps into productive ones.

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3.) For the Owner with Multiple Sales Reps

At some point, a home improvement business owner has to step back from selling and step into sales leadership. Chuck calls this the difference between running a pro organization and a rec league.

What it takes to lead a team:

• Daily rhythm and weekly practice. Run a short “power hour” each morning to review wins, targets, and stuck deals. Hold a weekly meeting focused on training and role-play – not just paperwork.

• Build transparency. Let reps ride along on each other’s appointments. Shared visibility creates teamwork and helps newer reps restart their momentum.
• Recruit with clear standards. Chuck recommends DISC profiles and simple tests of follow-through (like memorizing a short script). You want people who can handle the discipline of process-driven sales.
• Keep building the bench. Don’t wait until you’re desperate to hire. The best teams add talent before it hurts.

Why the System Matters More Than the Superstar

Chuck Thokey’s bottom line is clear: great salespeople can win you jobs, but it’s a repeatable process that builds a company. The contractors who grow year after year are the ones who create systems. Doing so makes sales consistent, it protects margins, and it gives their team confidence to take action.

When you have that kind of structure in place, every lead is handled, every estimate is delivered the same way, and every customer gets a consistent experience. That’s how you move from depending on one superstar to building a sales organization that lasts.

If you’re ready to see how technology can support that kind of process-driven growth, Builder Prime is a CRM for contractors that was built for exactly this purpose. With one source of truth that connects leads, estimates, production, and follow-up, it gives your home improvement business the structure to scale with confidence.

See for yourself how Builder Prime helps contractors close more jobs, protect margins, and grow faster. Book a demo today.