Sales and Technology in Today’s Pest Control Industry | GTBOP Structural Pest Control Webinar
Jeff Dunn, Co-President of Northwest Exterminating (Rollins), draws on 25+ years in the pest control industry to share practical strategies for building high-performing sales teams and leveraging technology. Topics include hiring assessments, the Challenger Sale framework, a 7-step sales process (the “7 C’s”), Tony Robbins’ RPM goal-setting method, attitude management, CRM platform navigation, and a blue ocean perspective on industry growth. Includes a live case study, Q&A session, and candid insights from leading a multi-brand, six-state operation.
Presented February 11, 2026
Speaker: Jeff Dunn, Co-President, Northwest Exterminating
Moderator: Rich Braman, UGA Center for Urban Agriculture
Series: Structural Pest Control — Getting the Best of Pests (GTBOP)
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Introduction and Speaker Welcome
3:01 Sales and Technology in Today’s Pest Control Industry
6:51 Hiring Assessments: Best Work Data and the Three Circles
12:54 Case Study: Coaching “Sonny Day” Through a Performance Slump
17:01 Tony Robbins Basic Human Needs Assessment
22:09 Unlocking Potential: The Pygmalion Effect
24:37 Vulnerability Moment: Northwest’s Sales Challenges
27:17 The Challenger Sale: Five Types of Sales Reps
34:47 Session Roadmap: Six Keys to Sales Success
37:53 Mike Rayburn: “What If” Thinking and 10x Goals
42:11 Managing Change and Finding Purpose
44:21 Attitude vs. Behavior: Which Drives Which?
45:46 Physical, Intellectual, and Emotional Dimensions
48:55 Break
50:12 The Happiness Formula: Happiness → Work → Success
53:12 Life Condition vs. Blueprint and The Gap and the Gain
55:01 The Power of Decision: Focus, Meaning, and Action
56:54 RPM Goal Setting: Results, Purpose, Massive Action Plan
1:01:36 Train and Hone Your Craft — Including AI Role-Play
1:03:28 The 7 C’s Sales Process: Connect, Control, Columbo
1:08:17 The 7 C’s Continued: Criteria, Convey, Confirm, Collect
1:11:53 Sales Tension Curve: Away From Pain, Toward Pleasure
1:14:50 Technology in Pest Control Operations
1:15:47 CRM Platforms: ServSuite, FieldRoutes, and PestPack
1:19:08 Internal Apps: iPass, iRefer, and iRecruit
1:20:33 Recap and the Blue Ocean Strategy
1:28:31 Q&A: Pygmalion Effect and Believing in Your Team
1:33:00 Q&A: Making Sales a Team Sport
1:36:09 Q&A: Getting Out of Your Own Head Before a Stop
1:41:18 Q&A: Reframing Emotions
1:42:03 Q&A: Career Advice — Leaning Into What You’re Great At
1:44:03 Q&A: One Piece of Advice to His Younger Self
1:46:17 Closing Remarks
Q&A HIGHLIGHTS
Q: What are the “7 C’s” in the sales process?
A: Connect (build rapport), Control (set upfront contracts), Columbo (stay curious, ask questions), Criteria (gather decision-maker info, budget, pain points), Convey (present findings after listening), Confirm (play back and verify the agreement), and Collect (secure payment at point of sale).
Q: What is the RPM goal-setting method?
A: RPM stands for Rapid Planning Method — Results, Purpose, Massive Action Plan. Define a specific sales target, anchor it to a personal purpose (e.g., funding a child’s schooling), then commit to specific behaviors and activities. Purpose-driven goals consistently outperform arbitrary numerical targets.
Q: How does Dunn describe the relationship between attitude and behavior?
A: Behavior can drive attitude, not just the other way around. Even on bad days, committing to positive routines — exercise, margin time, gratitude — improves your mental state. “Embrace the suck” and the attitude catches up.
Q: What does “blue ocean” mean for pest control?
A: The industry continually generates new revenue opportunities — stink bugs, kudzu bugs, bed bug resurgence, COVID sanitization services. Operators should focus on abundance and growth rather than price-cutting competition.
Q: How can sales become a team sport?
A: Service techs, office staff, and salespeople should all identify unprotected customer needs and pass leads. Northwest uses visible sales boards in every office and aligns frontline talking points with marketing campaigns to keep the whole team engaged.
RESOURCES
Speaker Contact: jdunn@callnorthwest.com
Books Referenced: The Challenger Sale (Matthew Dixon); The Gap and the Gain (Dan Sullivan & Benjamin Hardy)
Assessment Tools: Best Work Data; Tony Robbins Basic Human Needs; Enneagram
This webinar is part of the Getting the Best of Pests (GTBOP) Structural Pest Control series, hosted by the University of Georgia Center for Urban Agriculture.