Podcast: How Daniel Pero Scaled a Window Business to 7-Figures in Half a Year

Summary:

Ever felt like you're stuck in the "slow lane" while other contractors seem to explode overnight? In this episode of the Podcast, host Jenni sits down with Daniel Pero, co-owner of Landmark Windows and Doors, who achieved the impossible: scaling from a living-room office to over $1 million in revenue in just six months. Daniel pulls back the curtain on his "all-in" operations, sharing how he and his partner treated every lead like an emergency and built a "one-call close" system that removes objections before they even happen. The discussion centers on the critical difference between marketing (ROI) and branding (ego), and why Daniel made the controversial decision to invest in enterprise-grade software like Salesforce on Day 1, proving that if you plan to be big, you have to act big from the start.

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Key Takeaways:

1. The "Pager" Mentality (Speed to Lead): In the early days, Daniel treated every lead notification like a 911 page. Whether he was at the gym or the grocery store, he stopped everything to call the lead within seconds. He explains that in the window and door industry, the first caller usually wins, and waiting even 10 minutes can cost you the job.

2. The "One Call Close" Psychology: Daniel’s sales process is built on asking questions, not making statements. He refuses to give a price until the homeowner confirms—price aside—that this is the exact product and installation they want. By getting the customer to emotionally commit to the quality first, the budget conversation becomes a negotiation on terms, not a rejection of value.

3. Marketing vs. Branding: Daniel draws a sharp line between the two. "Marketing" (buying leads, Google Ads) must show a direct ROI month-over-month. "Branding" (billboards, radio) is for name recognition without guaranteed return. His advice? Don't touch branding until your direct response marketing is printing money.

4. Hire to "Duplicate," Not Just to Work: Most contractors hire to get more work done. Daniel hires to "duplicate" himself. His strategy is to train an employee to take over his entire existing workload, freeing him up to build the next department. If you hire just to split the load 50/50, you remain trapped in the operations forever.

5. Invest in "Forever" Systems on Day 1: Instead of starting with spreadsheets or a cheap CRM, Daniel invested in Salesforce immediately. His logic: migrating data later is a nightmare that stifles growth. If you believe you’re going to be a massive company, build your infrastructure for thousands of customers before you even have your first hundred.