Scott Hettman recently attended the Peak Profit Summit in St. Louis (May 6-8, 2025), where hundreds of home improvement contractors gathered to share insights on growing their businesses. He expressed some thoughts on his experience in this blog post. The attendees were primarily contractors eager to transform their operations across marketing, financing, and emerging technologies. Day one's focus on marketing and lead generation yielded valuable insights I'm excited to share with our community.
The Truth About Lead Aggregators
The room temperature noticeably dropped when the discussion turned to major lead aggregators. Many contractors expressed frustration with third-party lead generation, citing declining lead quality and rising costs.
"Don't Fall in Love with One Source"
However, in contrast, one of the most repeated pieces of advice was to diversify lead sources. "Don't fall in love with one source; it's whatever is performing now," cautioned a contractor during a panel discussion. The message was clear: contractors need leads but will not wait all day for you to improve lead quality.
The Referral Reality Check
Another point in favor of lead generation companies was when the speaker said, "Referrals can't be your best source." While referrals remain valuable, multiple speakers emphasized that relying predominantly on them limits growth potential. Scaling requires systematic lead generation, not just word-of-mouth. This creates substantial opportunities for third-party lead providers if they can deliver value in the process.
Cost-Per-Set Appointment: The North Star Metric
Gone are the days when contractors evaluated lead sources solely based on cost-per-lead. The new North Star metric? Cost-per-set appointment. Contractors are increasingly sophisticated in tracking their metrics, demanding that lead providers demonstrate how their services impact appointment-setting rates. This shift underscores the importance of closing the feedback loop between lead delivery and outcomes.
The Door-to-Door Challenge
Interestingly, one speaker advocated for canvassing as a reliable lead source…even at scale. This presents a clear benchmark for digital lead generation: any lead source worth its salt must produce better results than door-to-door efforts. This comparison is both a challenge and an opportunity for companies offering home improvement lead generation solutions.
Fighting No-Shows and "One-Leggers"
Two operational challenges dominated discussions: appointment no-shows and "one-legger" scenarios (where only one decision-maker is present). Competent contractors are looking for lead sources that generate appointments and help qualify prospects thoroughly enough to minimize these issues. Pre-qualifying leads through intelligent form builder technology and call qualification can significantly reduce these problems.
"You're in the New Business Business"
The most powerful insight came during one session: "You're not in the windows or roofing business. You're in the new business business." Contractors who view lead generation as their core business function, rather than a necessary evil, consistently outperform their peers. This mindset change opens doors for deeper partnerships between contractors and technology providers.
The Peak Profit Summit confirmed what we've been seeing in the market: home improvement contractors are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their approach to lead generation. They're looking beyond traditional aggregators toward partners who can provide diversified lead sources, quality verification, and closed-loop reporting. The companies that will thrive in this environment embrace this evolution and provide contractors with the tools to stay ahead of the curve.
At boberdoo, we're committed to helping companies in the home improvement industry boost lead ROI through more innovative vendor management, automated quality verification, and integrated lead generation tools.