How To Do D2D Sales The Right Way: Lenny Gray

How Lenny Got Started in Pest Control

Lenny’s story begins with a summer job knocking doors for Orkin in Birmingham, Alabama, back in 1998. After a successful rookie summer, he was hooked. He became Rookie of the Year at Orkin, cranking out about 500 accounts in his first season. Turns out his secret sauce was a two-year church mission in Washington, D.C., where he spent hours daily knocking doors to share religious messages. That time in the trenches taught him both the grit and the communication skills necessary to succeed in door-to-door sales.

Building Training Systems for Orkin

Seeing Lenny’s phenomenal success, Orkin soon hired him full-time to develop their door-to-door sales training manuals. He ended up traveling all over, training sales teams on how to ethically and effectively sell pest control. His success wasn’t just about the number of sales—it was about the quality of those sales. One summer, he sold 674 accounts and only had six people cancel. Talk about retention!

Founding Rove Pest Control

Fast-forward to 2003: Lenny partnered with a friend who knew pest operations inside out while Lenny handled the sales side. Initially called Mountain West Pest Control, they exploded in five years, becoming the largest residential pest control company in Utah. They eventually rebranded to Rove Pest Control and expanded into multiple states. After five years, they sold the Utah operation and have had several other successful acquisitions and partnerships since then.

The “Sales Flow” Approach

Lenny is all about creating a framework for success. After countless hours knocking doors, he reverse-engineered every sale, noticing trends and repeating patterns. He calls his system the Sales Flow:

1. Initial Approach – The first 20–30 seconds are critical. Make it friendly, concise, and engaging enough to spark conversation.

2. Qualifying – Figure out if the person is worth your time. Lenny has five primary qualifiers that help him decide if he should keep talking or politely move on.

3. Value Building – Once you know someone is qualified, educate them on the benefits of your service. Keep it brief, but impactful.

4. Closing – There are three main closes in Lenny’s system. They’re direct but never pushy.

5. Objections – He’s boiled it down to the “Magnificent Seven” objections. Lenny knows exactly how to handle each one without resorting to sleazy sales tactics.

6. Solidifying the Sale – Even after someone says “yes,” your job isn’t finished. You’ve got to ensure that customer sticks around and feels great about choosing you.

This approach is designed to be ethical, systematic, and easy to replicate—even if you’re not a “natural-born” salesperson. Lenny believes the key is to avoid the stereotypes and instead have genuine, helpful conversations. That’s how you land customers who will stay for years.

Why Ethics and Retention Matter

Door-to-door sales often get a bad rap for attracting reps who’ll say anything to close the deal. Lenny stands firmly against that. He sells big numbers but does it honestly. He sleeps well at night because, as he puts it, “lying and cheating to make a quick buck is not how you build a business.” Ethics and retention are also why big companies pay attention. Acquiring door-to-door companies with high retention is a gold mine in pest control. No one wants to buy a book of business that falls apart after a year!

When and How to Start a D2D Program

Thinking of trying door-to-door in your pest control company? Lenny says don’t just jump in without good training. If you want to grow a million-dollar pest control business, it helps to have a plan—and that often means hiring around your weaknesses. If you’re a great technician, find a killer salesperson. If you’re all about sales, hire an operations expert. It’s all about filling those gaps so you can focus on the work you love (and do best).

Recruiting for door-to-door isn’t all that complicated:

• Network in your community, universities, and social circles.

• Train them well. Don’t hand them a flimsy script; set them up for success.

• Retain good reps by creating a positive experience so they’ll refer friends.

Leveraging Technology to Grow

So many pest control companies are “technology companies in disguise.” Between CRMs like FieldRoutes, canvassing apps such as SalesRabbit, and rep management tools like C, businesses that thrive are the ones that can handle all the data—routing, scheduling, lead management, and reputation management. This keeps routes tight and your vehicles from crisscrossing town. As Lenny pointed out, door-to-door can fill gaps in specific neighborhoods or zip codes incredibly fast, making your routes hyper-efficient.

What’s Next for Lenny?

Lenny’s already published two game-changing books, Door to Door Millionaire and More Door to Door Millionaire. He’s also got two more books dropping soon, specifically tailored to pest control D2D. One focuses on the exact script—from the doorbell to the signed agreement—and the other dives into technique, time management, and life balance. Expect them in early 2025—and I’m sure they’ll become immediate must-reads in our industry.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a small operation or running a multi-million-dollar enterprise, Lenny’s advice rings true:

1. Know your strengths and hire around your weaknesses.

2. Always keep refining your process.

3. Ethics matter—a lot.

4. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Diversify your marketing so if one tactic slips, you can rely on another.

From a personal standpoint, I love that Lenny continues to knock doors himself. After all these years, he’s still out there in the trenches, testing new angles and refining his craft. If that’s not living proof of “always be testing,” I don’t know what is!

P.S. Check out the full episode here: