About Gene Slade

Gene Slade started in the HVAC trade at 11. He spent 34 years in the field, built companies to eight figures and founded Lead Ninja in 2014.

Gene Slade raises a katana over his shoulder in a bright training room, smiling at the camera — 01Training room. Gene with the katana from the Lead Ninja brand.

From the service truck to eight figures

Gene Slade started in the HVAC trade at 11 years old. The trade is heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). He rode along on his father’s service trucks and carried tools before he could drive one.

He spent the next three decades in the field. He ran calls, sold jobs, hired technicians and learned what customers respond to. Along the way he built multiple HVAC companies to eight-figure revenue.

Why he founded Lead Ninja

The turning point was not a sales book. It was watching good technicians lose jobs they should have won.

Gene founded Lead Ninja in 2014 to close that gap. The company now trains HVAC, plumbing and electrical teams across the United States. See the Lead Ninja training programs and meet the Lead Ninja team.

What he teaches

Gene built the EGSPA Sales Method from real service calls. The five steps are Establish the problem, Get permission, Solution, Present and Ask.

The method rests on one idea. Ask questions instead of making statements, and get permission before you present anything.

It uses no scare tactics and no pressure close. Technicians who learn it explain what they found, offer honest options and let the customer decide.

Beyond the training

Gene hosts the Blackbelt Sales Podcast. He speaks at industry events and company meetings. Outlets including CEOWORLD Magazine and LA Weekly have covered his work in the trades.

He has six sons. Family comes first, and he tells every owner who asks how he manages his calendar.

Owners and technicians sit around a long table in a large house kitchen — 02A training group gathers around the kitchen table.

Gene Slade sits facing a group of seated trainees with notepads in a home theater room — 03Teaching session with a seated group of trainees.

Five steps. No pressure close.

Gene built the EGSPA Sales Method from real service calls. Technicians ask instead of tell, and they get permission before they present.

E
Establish the problem
The technician asks questions until the customer describes the problem in their own words.
G
Get permission
The technician presents nothing until the customer agrees to hear it.
S
Solution
The fix follows from the problem the customer named, not from the price sheet.
P
Present
Honest options, laid out plainly, so the customer can compare them.
A
Ask
The technician asks for a decision. The customer makes it without pressure.

The EGSPA Sales Method on Lead Ninja

How did Gene Slade start in HVAC?

Gene started at 11, riding along on his father’s service trucks. He then spent three decades running calls, selling jobs and hiring technicians.

What is Lead Ninja?

Lead Ninja is the sales training company Gene founded in 2014. It trains HVAC, plumbing and electrical teams across the United States. Visit Lead Ninja.

What makes Gene’s approach different?

The method uses no scare tactics and no pressure close. Technicians ask questions, get permission and present honest options. The customer makes the decision.

Bring Gene to your next event

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