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Jose Rodriguez needed 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 robust bond set the tone for a thriving enterprise centered on constructing lasting relationships with prospects.
“I do not suppose there are quite a lot of choices the place you get to work together with your greatest good friend and your largest cheerleader,” Michael says. “For me, that was actually an important factor.”
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It seems, going into enterprise together with your greatest good friend might be your key differentiator. The 2 exhibit wonderful teamwork, which is mirrored of their buyer interactions and lots of five-star evaluations — securing their spot on Yelp’s High 100 Native Companies of 2025.
“(Clients) 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 marketing and trade expertise.
Outdated-school relationship-building was key to their early progress. The staff sponsors golf tournaments for native faculties and attends neighborhood occasions to not solely create visibility for Pest Brothers but in addition to honor their roots.
“We have been sponsors on the golf match for (my son’s) highschool, the place we get quite a 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 High 100.”
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Nonetheless, the brothers knew there was extra they may do to spice up on-line visibility. They noticed Yelp as a possibility to draw extra leads, and the funding paid off shortly. “We tried out the free trial (of Yelp Advertisements), and it was an absolute success — virtually like we flipped a lightweight change, and (leads) tremendously began flowing in,” Michael says.
They acquired such an inflow of consideration from owners that they determined to cease sending out snail mail ads, which may have a low success fee.
“Every time we obtain a lead on Yelp, it is about velocity to guide,” Michael says. “The extra shortly we will attain out, the extra shortly we will get to that home, service it and win that lead.”
Its Yelp presence does greater than lead era, nonetheless. It additionally builds belief and helps flip potential prospects into loyal, long-term regulars. Particularly within the pest management and residential service trade, a brand new buyer would not at all times 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 of us that in case you do a superb job, they’re gonna reward you for a protracted time period,” Michael says. “By way of the Yelp leads I noticed on our dashboard, views on our web page have elevated by 576% over the previous 30 days (since successful Yelp’s High 100). You discuss market consciousness — that is super. 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 vital it’s to set clear expectations, reminiscent of how lengthy a therapy will take or when the client will see outcomes. It is one of these transparency that builds credibility, prevents confusion and earns five-star evaluations.
When errors inevitably occur, the brothers acknowledge them with grace, reaching out personally to prospects to make issues proper. “If someone calls you, you’ll be able to undoubtedly rectify their challenge as quickly as you’ll be able to,” 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 one of the trusted pest management corporations within the Miami space, co-founders Michael and Jose share what’s helped them succeed within the aggressive house service trade:
- Lead with belief. Clients prolong belief after they allow you to into their properties and workplaces. Be dependable, present up if you say you’ll and deal with each area with respect.
- Spend money on relationships. Repeat prospects and referrals are the lifeblood of a service enterprise. Study folks’s names, bear in mind their issues and deal with each job as a possibility to strengthen the connection.
- Use instruments to work smarter. From routing software program to on-line evaluations, know-how can save time, enhance effectivity and enable you higher serve prospects. Leverage completely different platforms and instruments to remain organized, reply sooner and construct your popularity.
- Keep adaptable. Each job is completely different. Be prepared to regulate your method and continue to learn new strategies to remain aggressive and environment friendly.
- Construct a popularity that lasts. Residence providers are about greater than fixing a particular downside. They’re about creating peace of thoughts. When folks know you genuinely care about their house or enterprise, they will belief you for years to return.
Watch the episode above to listen to instantly from Michael and Jose Rodriguez, and subscribe to Behind the Evaluation for extra from new enterprise house owners and reviewers each Wednesday.
Editorial contributions by Jiah Choe and Kristi Lindahl
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