Are you spending thousands on marketing but leaving revenue on the table? In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Allan Draper sits down with Tanner Crookston from Plaibook to discuss how pest control companies can turn more leads into customers without simply spending more on advertising.

Tanner shares lessons from building inside sales programs, navigating the challenges of growing a technology startup, and learning from his company's first customer cancellation. Together, Allan and Tanner break down why the small, unexciting improvements often make the biggest difference in business and how honest communication, better systems, and consistent training can transform sales performance.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why increasing your close rate can have a bigger impact on profitability than generating more leads.
• How to identify gaps in your sales funnel and improve return on ad spend.
• Why deliberate practice and mastering the fundamentals lead to long-term success.
• How to turn customer cancellations and setbacks into opportunities for improvement.
• How lead management systems and sales rep training work together to improve conversions.
• One simple way to increase revenue by booking additional service inspections during the sales process.

If you're ready to stop chasing the next big thing and start maximizing the opportunities already in front of you, this episode is for you.

👉🏼 https://www.skool.com/bugbux

What are pest control owners actually struggling with right now—and what can they do about it?

In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Allan Draper sits down with Bug Bux+ team leads John Stopka, Dan Christensen, and Tony Carder for a candid conversation about the challenges they’re seeing inside their small groups and the lessons they’ve learned building their own pest control businesses.

They discuss hiring your first employees, generating leads, knowing what problems to solve at your current stage, overcoming fear, taking action instead of endlessly collecting advice, and why personal growth becomes critical as your company grows. They also share real examples and practical assignments that pest control owners can put into action over the next 30 days.

If you're building a pest control company and feel like you're overthinking your next move, this episode is for you.

👉🏼 https://www.skool.com/bugbux

What does it actually take to build a sales team that performs—and stays?

In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Allan Draper sits down with Josh Crittenden, a seasoned sales executive, entrepreneur, investor, and former SVP of Sales at Vivint. Josh shares lessons from more than a decade of scaling sales organizations, including how to structure compensation plans, recruit top talent, create a strong company vision, and align your sales team's incentives with the long-term success of the business.

The conversation also dives into the financial side of growing a pest control company, including understanding your basic economics, knowing what you can afford to pay for key roles, and when a fractional CFO may make more sense than hiring a full-time executive.

Josh also breaks down Link-X, a fleet management platform designed to help pest control and home service companies track vehicle inspections, preventive maintenance, fuel costs, repairs, and more—giving owners better visibility without having to manage every detail themselves.

Whether you're building your first sales team, scaling an established pest control company, or trying to get a better handle on your fleet, this episode is packed with practical lessons you can put to work in your business.

👉🏼 link-x.com/#bugbux

👉🏼 https://www.skool.com/bugbux

Insurance probably isn't the sexiest part of owning a pest control company—but ignoring it can get VERY expensive.

In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Allan Draper sits down with Joe Steiner of the Mahoney Group to break down one of the biggest risks facing pest control companies: commercial auto liability.

Joe shares why auto claims make up the majority of the claims he sees, how hiring and training practices can impact your insurance, whether internal and external-facing cameras are worth having, and when it might make sense to pay for a smaller accident out of pocket.

They also get into how insurance companies evaluate your loss history, why your insurance broker's ability to "tell your story" matters, what happens when you're operating across multiple states, and why the drivers you put behind the wheel can have a massive impact on your bottom line.

If you own a pest control company with a few trucks—or you're growing toward multiple millions in revenue—this is an episode you don't want to skip.

In this episode:
• Commercial auto and liability risks
• Driver hiring and training
• Dash cams and in-cab cameras
• When to file an insurance claim vs. pay out of pocket
• How claims affect your future premiums
• Nuclear verdicts and large liability claims
• Choosing the right insurance broker
• How to get better insurance pricing
• Managing risk as you grow

Joe Steiner is a partner and pest control practice vertical leader at the Mahoney Group, with more than 17 years of experience helping pest control businesses navigate insurance and risk management.

👉🏼 https://www.skool.com/bugbux

What happens when pest control owners stop competing with each other and start working together?

In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Allan Draper sits down with Travis and Tyler from Nice Pest Co., and Mat from Lizard Marketing to talk about The Real Pest World—how it started, what they learned from year one, and what they’re building for Dallas.

They share the story of Joey, whose recurring revenue grew from roughly $65,000 to $325,000 in 12 months after connecting with the group, along with the lessons behind that growth. They also talk about building real relationships, creating opportunities for PCOs outside the house, the role of vendor partnerships, and their goal of making this year’s Real Pest World bigger and more impactful.

Plus, Allan gets personal about why building genuine friendships and opening up to others has become one of his goals this year.

If you’re heading to PestWorld—or even if you’re not—this episode gives you a look at what The Real Pest World is really trying to accomplish.

therealpestworld.com

instagram.com/therealpestworld

👉🏼 https://www.skool.com/bugbux

What happens when pest control owners stop guessing and actually start knowing their numbers?

In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Allan Draper sits down with Patrick Baldwin from FRAXN to talk about the financial side of building a pest control company—and why so many owners overlook it.

They break down the importance of having the right chart of accounts, understanding gross profit, benchmarking your company against the industry, and using your financials to make better decisions. Patrick also shares insights from FRAXN’s analysis of 125 pest control companies, including some surprising findings around chemical costs, route density, profitability, and growth.

They also get into technician compensation, production pay vs. hourly pay, reservices, acquisitions, and why strong financials can make a major difference when you're trying to grow or eventually sell your company.

Plus, Patrick gives Allan a preview of FRAXN’s pest control industry benchmarking data and upcoming cash-flow seasonality report.

If you're a pest control owner who wants to stop managing by your bank balance and start building with real numbers, this episode is for you.

👉🏼 https://www.skool.com/bugbux

What happens when you put 50+ real pest control hot takes on the table and let Allan Draper and Mat Rogers debate them?

In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Allan and Mat react to takes submitted by the Bug Bux community on everything from pricing and profit to door-to-door sales, customer retention, AI, technician pay, IPM, pesticide use, employee culture, and the future of the pest control industry.

Some takes they agree with. Some they completely disagree with. And a few leave them genuinely confused. 😂

They discuss:
- Why revenue still matters—but isn't the whole story
- Whether pest control companies should raise prices regularly
- Customer churn and retention as a missed opportunity
- Door-to-door vs. other growth strategies
- AI and outsourcing in the customer experience
- Why keeping experienced employees can be worth more than replacing them
- Whether technicians should also be salespeople
- IPM vs. "spray and pray"
- Pesticide use and treating only when necessary
- Technician safety and pesticide handling
- Why the pest control industry needs to raise the bar
- And plenty of other hot takes from the Bug Bux community

👉🏼 https://www.skool.com/bugbux

Coleman Spaulding has been part of Allan Draper’s pest control story from the very beginning. Nearly 20 years after they first crossed paths, the two reconnect to talk about how door-to-door sales, relationships, and the people you meet along the way can shape an entire career.

Coleman, co-founder of Spidexx Pest Control, shares lessons from starting in the industry by knocking doors to building a company that has expanded into multiple markets. They reminisce about the early days of pest control, the people who came out of that era, and the “pest control tree” that continues to connect operators and entrepreneurs today.

The conversation also dives into why relationships matter more than individual deals, the value of collaboration in an industry where owners can help each other, creating win-win partnerships, and why taking care of people can pay dividends decades later.

Plus, Allan shares the personal connection that brought him into pest control in the first place… and why Coleman is ultimately the reason he’s in the industry at all.

A conversation about pest control, business, relationships, and the people who shape your journey.

👉🏼 https://www.skool.com/bugbux