Door and window dealers received a blast from the past and the future this week, as industry consulting firm Dave Yoho Associates held its Growth Mastery Summit in Dulles, Virginia. Touted as the “oldest, largest and most successful consulting company representing industry businesses,” topics covered at the firm’s latest event ranged from historically proven sales principals to the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in home improvement purchases. Meanwhile, the company’s 96-year-old founder and namesake no longer heads the business but remains a key ingredient of events—including his trademark humor and style.
“How many of you have heard me before?” Yoho asked the crowd, while pacing the front of the room. “Good. You caught me before I die,” he joked, sending attendees into laughter.
Under the direction of his son, Brad Yoho, the company’s summit continued the same meticulous, time-tested format that the Dave Yoho name is known for, showing an expertise for pleasing both the event’s sponsors and attendees. To reach coffee, drinks and other refreshments, attendees passed through a small trade show comprised of event sponsors. The back three rows of every educational session were marked “Reserve Seating,” pressing an already full house nearer to speakers, many of whom hailed from top companies in the door and window industry.
By his own admission, Dave Yoho has figured out a thing or two over the years. So far as how his company has been able to continue offering insights in a rapidly changing home improvement industry, the premise is simple: Tools change, as do customer profiles and tendencies, but the fundamentals of sales remain the same, said Brad Yoho.
“When it comes to sales, I think it’s really those who try shortcuts and to cut corners who find it hard to succeed … you still have to put in the time,” he said. “You’ve got to get face to face [with customers].”
But the price for those one-on-one discussions has also risen, with increased costs for leads, he and others said. According to the firm’s surveys, 43% of home improvement companies now spend 12% to 20% of their total revenue on marketing. For this reason, in Tuesday’s opening session, a panel of speakers reiterated the importance of getting the most out of every opportunity.
“The cost of leads is back breaking these days,” Dave Yoho said. “If the phone rings, that’s the most important call of the day.”
Research shows that when a prospect calls in for information and the call isn’t answered by a person who can provide immediate help, getting them back on the phone is very difficult, said John Pohl, president of Springs Connect Call Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, an outsource call center that works with home improvement, remodeling and home services companies. “Guess what they’re going to do now? Call somebody else,” Pohl warned. Each of those missed calls could equate to $30,000 in sales, he said.
Word From the Wise
When it comes to outbound calls for telemarketing, companies were also urged to heed current and upcoming regulations. In a session titled “Why Lead Generation is Your Most Dangerous Issue in 2025,” D.S. Berenson, managing partner for Berenson LLP, warned door and window dealers that contractors are now getting sued on a regular basis for telemarketing violations. Telemarketing and lead generation practices have leap frogged other areas, such as lead paint and labor defects, becoming the top source of class-action suits, he said. What dealers can and can’t do, in the way of telemarketing, is largely dictated by the national do not call list and written authorizations obtained from each prospect, Berenson explained. These days, authorizations must be specific and follow set formulas to protect companies from lawsuits, he said.
“These days, the vast majority of home calls are going to cell phones,” Berenson pointed out. For this reason, it’s imperative that door and window companies follow guidelines by obtaining express, written authorizations upfront before following up with future telemarketing.
“Anytime we contact that lead, we first must make sure that the call center operator and caller is providing their name, the name of our company, and our phone or address,” Berenson said. “Under federal law, you don’t call before 8 a.m. and you don’t call after 9 p.m. In some states it’s a little different. You must have an internal do not call policy. If you call me and I say, don’t call me anymore, you’re supposed to put me on an internal do not call policy for five years. You’re supposed to have an actual do not call policy, which sets forth these rules and scenarios, posted in your call center operation. And ideally, anybody calling on your behalf signs off on that—that they understand the rules and regulations for your company. That’s your do not call policy and procedure.”
Call lists are also required to be “scrubbed” every 30 days, using the federal do not call list, he said. A number of states also have their own do not call lists to be consulted, and you must have an accurate caller ID enabled on outbound calls.
“If you violate these, this is where your class action comes from, at least about a third of the time,” Berenson said. Another 65-70% of class actions against contractors stem from a 2013 rule requiring prior written consent from customers for any telemarketing efforts involving calls or texts to a cell phone and/or using a phone system equipped with an automatic dial feature or prerecorded messages.
“If we’re placing a telemarketing call, or a text, and we hit a cell phone, or we’re using pre-recorded messages, you need special, written consent,” he said. “And there are various terms for that. Prior, express, written consent … Oral authorization for telemarketing purposes isn’t going to be valid. It has to be in writing.”
In its third day, the event focused on another tool that can be used in telemarketing and other functions: AI. But those using or planning to use AI for telemarketing won’t be able to circumvent any regulations by doing so, Berenson warned.
While Dave Yoho has handed over direction of his business to son, Brad Yoho, and has stepped back from day-to-day leadership, so far as future events and services are concerned, they will continue to bear his signature brand, company officials assured.
There have been offers for acquisition, he said, “but we’ve decided to keep it in the family.”