The gutter franchise that doubled its average job size by leading with financing

The Brothers That Just Do Gutters Capital District, NY location outperformed nearly every other franchisee last year. They closed over six figures in new business financed with Wisetack. More than double any other location.

The reason isn’t a magic pitch. It’s where financing sits in their sales process.

Before: a clunky process and a tougher conversation

The team had originally offered financing through a legacy lender, but getting customers approved was more arduous than it needed to be. It was costing them sales until Wisetack removed the friction. 

“It’s a lot easier than what we were used to,” said owner, Patrick Neill. “Easier to explain, easier to qualify, easier to get to a yes.”

The shift: financing as the first move, not the last resort

Most franchisees treat financing as something you reach for when a customer flinches at the price or mentions they can't afford the project. Patrick’s team does the opposite. They bring it up early, and they make sure customers know about it before the first call.

“Before clients even call us, they know there’s financing. And that helps us build the project out—we’re not just selling them a basic system, we’re trying to maximize the sale.”

Financing shows up in their ads, on their website, and on their printed flyers, often tied to an extended 0% APR offer. All available and free to use on in the Marketing Toolkit.

By the time a homeowners talks to a rep, paying over time is simply one of the payment options, not a rescue plan. That timing quietly kills the most common objection. 

“The price is too high, I can’t afford it—we already went through that in the beginning,” Patrick said. “They sell themselves.”

The insight: financing isn’t just for customers who need it

The fear a lot of franchisees carry is that people only want financing when they're desperate. This fear doesn't hold up in the field.

“We find that many of the customers who choose to pay with financing are well off. It’s not just people who are struggling financially.”

Patrick tells stories of customers with strong credit who could pay in full with cash preferring to choose the the option to pay over time with the extended 0% APR offer. 

“Why spend a big chuck up front when you can hold on to your cash interest free?”

Framed that way, financing isn't a concession. Budget-savvy customers see it as a smarter way to pay.

The math: what it really costs to scale

Here’s the worry almost every franchisee raises: how much is the transaction fee they have to pay. It’s easy to fixate on this. It’s a real cost, it shows up on every transaction, and it feels like it’s eating into the margin on your hard earned work.

But that math only looks at the jobs a business was already going to close. The fee isn’t a tax on existing work. It’s the price for the new work that becomes available: the bigger package the customer upgraded to, the project they greenlit on the spot instead of waiting 6 months, the homeowner who chose to say “yes” today because of the ability to pay over time.

The numbers make the case. At Patrick’s location, the average non-financed project runs close to $2,200. The average financed project? More than double that, at $5,154.

$2,200 average non-financed job ➡️ $5,154 average financed job 

That lift isn’t about charging more for the same work. Financing enables homeowners to move forward with the complete solution their home needs instead of the bare minimum. Patrick’s team is able to more easily sell upgrades like BroGuard leaf protection and heat cables to prevent future water damage, ice dams, and costly repairs down the road. 

Patrick’s team doesn’t treat financing as a discount they absorb. The fee becomes the cost to access larger jobs, faster sales, and long-term growth. 

“Our goal isn’t simply to make a sale. It’s to provide the products and services that best fit the customer’s home’s needs. Financing removes affordability as a limiting factor, helping homeowners choose the best long-term solution instead of settling for a temporary fix.” 

The franchisees who scale are the ones who stop counting the fee in isolation and start counting new revenue that financing brought in.

How they run it: everyone is a salesperson

The playbook works well because the whole company is bought in. The Capital District location has 15 full-time employees, including a four-person dedicated sales team. But the training doesn’t stop there.

“Everyone on our team is responsible for sales. From our production guys to our office admin, it’s not just on the sales rep to close the deal.”

When a rep needs a financing application sent, the office supports. Once accepted, they quickly follow up to book the job and the customer is clear on the next steps. The talk track is taught to and used by everyone, so the message stays consistent no matter who the customer talks to.

The result, and what’s next

Six figures in financed volume last year. A near-perfect take rate on offers. A sales process that introduces financing from the very first touch, with no rebuild required. And they’re planning to double sales this year.

Patrick’s advice to other locations

“If you aren’t coordinated in putting all those efforts together—marketing, sales, the office admin—you’re only so good. Marry it all together.”