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What a Door-to-Door Pest Control Pitch Reminded Me About Building Your Brand

You never know where your next business lesson will come from, Reader.

And mine happened to show up at my front door this past week in the form of a pest control salesman.

As I leaned against the doorframe listening to his pitch, I remember thinking, “There’s got to be something shareable here that relates to what I do for my clients on LinkedIn.”

I know… who thinks that?

Me! That's who. It's about impossible to shut off my content creator brain.

But the longer he talked, the more I started to notice something important.

This wasn’t just understanding his offer. It was a reminder of how easy it is to forget the basics when you’re trying to connect, and how quickly a selling agenda can take over.

Whether you’re in pest control or building your own service-based business, you've got to build trust.

And this unexpected encounter reminded me of what building your brand needs to entail.

For starters....

Ask a question. Listen. And listen some more.

The moment I opened the door after a brief hello, Alex (not his real name, btw) launched into a five-minute pitch, like he had a memorized script.

No questions. No long pauses. Just… talking.

And lots of it.

Which, as you might have guessed...

Didn't leave much room for him to listen to me at all.

Talk about a connection fail.

Instead, here’s how I wish he would’ve started...

“Hi, I’m Alex with Bye-Bye Pest Control (not the company name). I was just helping your neighbor with some [insert pest issue]. Have you noticed anything similar?”

That would’ve opened the door (yes...pun intended) for me to say things like...

“Actually, we just canceled our previous pest service.”

“It felt expensive for something I wasn’t sure we needed.”

“Right now, it’s not a priority, so we’re pausing.”

But to his detriment, he steamrolled ahead, never stopping to understand where I was in the buyer journey, purely thinking about the information he had to get out.

And because of that, his pitch fell flat.

I didn't feel understood, and the connection wasn't made from the beginning...a big relationship fail.

Be clear on what makes you different and why it matters.

To his credit, Alex did mention some differentiators in his long-winded spiel...

They use a brush tool to treat the second-floor eaves.
Their perimeter treatment goes 20 feet out instead of just around the foundation.

But that’s all they were...features.

What I needed to hear was more about the transformation.

As marketers, we know that’s what makes people pay attention.

What was missing was how I would feel as a result of those features.

For example, what would treating second-floor eaves and applying a 20 ft. perimeter treatment do for me?

Alex didn't lead with this, so I asked Google.

In case you were also wondering...

Here's what treatment to the second-floor eaves can do for you...

Yep, rodents like mice creeping into my attic and building little nests would have given me a less-than-desirable visual that could have moved me to action.

2. Here's the "why" behind a 20 ft. perimeter...

So maybe a 10 ft. perimeter would suffice.

It would have been nice to hear from Alex why 20 ft was better...and why that was a standard they stood behind for the benefit of their clients.

But I pretty much stuck to my guns, saying no.

And this brings me to another point I think can be an incredible differentiator in your brand...

Accept “no” gracefully and leave on a helpful note.

When I said, “No, we're not interested right now,” Alex didn’t back off.

I bet he asked me 3 different times if I would be interested until he finally accepted my response.

And I think that's pretty standard in most sales training. Coaches would tell you to keep asking.

But in my experience, asking more than once in that first meeting can do more damage.

It just makes the person asking appear annoying and someone you want to avoid next time.

Which is no good.

Instead, he would have been better off saying something like...

“Totally understand. Thanks for your time. If we spot any pest issues around the neighborhood, we’ll leave a quick note on your porch just to keep you in the loop.”

That would’ve made me feel seen and maybe even a little grateful.

The lesson here is that a gracious exit leaves the door open for future connection.

You always have a choice about how you want that lasting impression to go.

Final Thought

Every interaction is a brand moment...even the "no" moments.

But clients (or future clients) won’t give you the time of day if they don’t first feel heard.

Talking about your features isn’t enough. You've got to show the transformation.

And how you handle “no” might matter more than how you handle “yes.”

Personally, I wish Alex good things. I’m sure he was doing his job to the best of his ability. My solopreneur heart goes out to him. We're all learning, after all.

But moments like these remind me how powerful the simple things can be in shaping how others see your brand and whether or not they trust you for the long haul.

☕ Fill Your Cup

I’ve always loved a good behind-the-scenes look

So here’s a little peek into mine from this week.

☕ 𝗠𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗸𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗽

She’s a fellow mom and former 9-to-5er building her own business.

We talked about a lot of things and different moments when we felt stuck.

That constant “𝘈𝘮 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴?” loop. The highs, the doubts, and the courage it takes to keep going, especially when the path isn’t clear.

Year 3 in my business, and I still wrestle with those feelings.

What continues to make a difference for me is making time for these conversations ❤️

🎓 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟮 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

This week’s topic?

Target audience + positioning…two foundational pieces I love helping clients with. The marketing nerd in me comes out.

It’s always a “fill-your-cup” kind of experience when I get to teach.

Honestly, I think it’s the teacher blood in me (thanks, Mom). Helping others get it when it comes to content and marketing is something I’ll never take for granted.

Talking with students is always fun.

🌍 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝟮𝗕 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵.

Right now, we’re refining LinkedIn content and creating blog posts that speak directly to their dream clients.

It’s all about showing what makes them different and how that difference ultimately drives results.

I’ve enjoyed seeing the evolution of their content from the CEO to the organization, and I’m grateful to have a part in it.

👩‍💼 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴!

One CEO’s profile is about ready to go live and just needs some final touches.

Another project kicked off with a bold founder pivoting in her business, and we’re building a new narrative around where she’s headed next.

And I signed a new 6-month package with a longtime founder ready to share decades of wisdom in a whole new way.

I can’t wait to give him the full LinkedIn treatment—an optimized profile, clear content strategy, and posts that actually sound like him.

This is the work I love, truly.

Helping people communicate their value, tell their stories, and build connections online has been a welcome breath of fresh air these last few years

Sure, there are wins to celebrate this week.

But don’t be fooled…I still bump into doubts. I’m still crunching the numbers and wondering if I can keep this all going sustainably.

I know I’m not alone in that

So tell me…what’s one behind-the-scenes moment from your week?

I’d love to hear it!

Thanks for spending time with me!

Talk soon,

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