Pat Hoy

Pat Hoy is a great salesman.

He is the kind of guy who could convince Burger King to put a treadmill in their lobby. 

In the weeks that I have gotten to know him, he has taught me plenty about human psychology, perseverance, and bringing value to clients.

Once upon a time, Pat was part-owner of a contracting company, but his expertise was always in sales.

For years, Pat sold windows and patio doors to homeowners across the Twin Cities, leveraging his knowledge and experience to build trust with clients.

“I’ve probably installed 40 window jobs too,” he says, because if there was ever a time his team needed help, Pat would do what he could to assist.

In turn, by simply installing windows, Pat learned the nuances of windows, which he could then articulate to his future prospects. 

As time passed, Pat’s name became revered among industry types, and it wasn’t long before competitors began recruiting him to join their companies.

Pat later became a sales manager for a large Minnesota window company, and he thrived, earning a nice living while continuing to place homeowners with products that matched their aesthetic and financial preferences.

Once again, his vast knowledge of windows, and more crucially, his ability to sell them to homeowners at an unmatched clip, attracted other Twin Cities window companies who were clamoring for an infusion of proven talent. 

One of these suitors was a national supply company that sold materials to contractors. 

“I was constantly being taken out to lunch by them,” Pat says from his Florida home, where he settled down upon retiring in 2024. 

“They [supply company] were dying for a window guy, and they wanted me to join the company.”

Comfortable in his role, Pat acquiesced to their persistence and sent over his resume, but he wasn’t actively looking to make a move. 

After further inquiries, Pat agreed to do an interview.

That interview, well, it went terribly. 

“For them,” Pat insists.

“Their manager didn’t know shit about windows.”

Pat later agreed to an interview with someone else from the company, and that interview was equally unsatisfying. 

“This was back in 2007, and there was thought that when the tax credit for buying windows went away, then window sales would decrease,” Pat shares, “but I had already sold windows in previous recessions.”

No matter the decade or the state of the economy, Pat routinely walked out of homes with signed contracts.

In many ways, it didn’t make sense for Pat to move to B2B sales and begin working for a major supplier. 

“It wasn’t about the money,” he says.

“I had done well and saved.”

Yet, like all great talent, Pat wasn’t content to merely watch the numbers in his bank account steadily rise.

No, he needed a jolt, something to set ablaze the competitive spirit within him.

“I like the challenge of going out and doing something new,” he mentions.

Consequently, he accepted a role at the supply company (for far less compensation), and went to work.

Admittedly, Pat’s first year was mired in darkness, at least initially.

“I was questioning whether I made the right decision or not,” he says.

For context, in-house support from his new employer was practically non-existent, and his coworkers viewed him as a threat, leaving the ace salesman isolated. 

For most, the lack of structure or guidance would be debilitating, but once Pat accepted and adjusted to his new surroundings, the results followed. 

“From that point on, I took off,” he reveals. 

“Making the move from a comfortable position to my new role was a gigantic risk, but I also know who I am. I had been selling in the home for 21 years, so I stuck with it and things worked out.”

Quickly, that first year became remarkable.

“I sold $4 million in product, $1 million of which was profit,” Pat points out. 

“Most people don’t make the M Club [$1 million profit] for 3 to 5 years, but I did it my first year.”

Adds Pat, touching on perhaps what separates the good from the great:

“The reason I was so successful was because of my ability to sell in the home.” QS

**

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