Paul Burleson at Rilla Masters 2026 in Miami: How AI‑Driven Coaching Is Transforming In‑Person Sales for Contractors and Home Improvement Leaders

At Rilla Masters 2026 in Miami, Legend of the Home Improvement Industry Paul Burleson joined Rilla CEO Sebastian Jimenez, Power100, Westlake Royal, GreenSky, Hover, and other top brands to show how AI-powered conversation intelligence and a 12-step storm-to-renovation selling system are turning reps into coached “athletes” and raising the standard for in-home sales.

In March 2026, Paul Burleson joined elite home improvement leaders and AI innovators at Rilla Masters 2026, held March 11–13 at Miami’s oceanfront Diplomat Hotel & Beach Resort, for three days focused on mastering in‑person sales with AI. The event gathered top contractors, technology partners, and manufacturers—including brands like Rilla, Leap, Avoca AI, Lace AI, GreenSky, and Hover—to explore how AI‑powered coaching, real‑time analytics, and sales roleplay are reshaping how teams sell at the kitchen table.

“It was amazing in Miami, Florida, at the Rilla Masters meeting top building companies in the country and seeing what Rilla’s power speech analytics is doing for real field sales teams,” shared Paul Burleson, Published Author of, Power100 Advisory Member, and Expert Trainer at Westlake Royal Building Products. “You could feel that the future of in‑home selling is going to be built around real conversations, AI coaching, and systems that help reps perform under pressure, not replace them.”

Inside Rilla Masters 2026: Sales Is a Sport, and AI Is the Training Ground

Rilla Masters 2026 is designed as a high‑performance training camp for in‑person sales teams, combining elite sports‑style coaching with AI‑powered tools that let leaders manage by numbers instead of emotions. Over three days, attendees experienced beachfront workouts, F1‑track receptions, and jungle‑themed after‑parties alongside deep‑dive keynotes, product demos, and breakout sessions on AI, leadership, and culture.​

In his keynote, Sebastian Jimenez, CEO of Rilla, introduced Rilla Roleplay, calling it “the most requested product in Rilla history” and positioning sales as a competitive sport where reps must be allowed to practice every day, not just perform. With Replay, every recorded in‑person conversation becomes a custom roleplay scenario, while Training turns sales playbooks, documents, and spreadsheets into a full roleplay course in seconds—giving new hires and veteran reps structured practice on objections, tone, and process.​

“Sales is a sport. Your reps are athletes,” said Sebastian Jimenez. “With Rilla Roleplay, every interaction becomes a coaching moment, and every team can build a championship‑level sales culture by practicing the plays that matter most.” For contractors and home improvement owners, the message was clear: AI isn’t optional anymore; the teams leaning in are already seeing the upside and optimizing how they qualify leads, coach reps, and close profitable, compliant deals.​

Paul Burleson’s 12‑Step Selling System for the Storm Industry: From “Storm Closer” to Trusted Renovation Advisor

At Rilla Masters 2026, Paul Burleson shared his 12‑step selling system for the storm industry, built over four decades of in‑home sales, manufacturer training, and contractor coaching. Coming out of strategic meetings with partners like GreenSky and Hover, he outlined a two‑lane selling system that helps contractors position themselves not just as storm closers, but as long‑term remodelers and renovation partners.

“In the storm space, most people have been trained to be a storm closer,” explained Paul Burleson. “What we talked about in Miami was a two‑lane system—one lane for storm replacement, one lane for renovation—so your sales team can position against both, protect margin, and build long‑term customer relationships instead of chasing one‑time insurance checks.”

He emphasized that the 12‑step system connects mindset, process, and tools:

• Pre‑call research, expectations, and qualification.
• Discovery that listens deeply to homeowner pain points.
• Visual inspection, documentation, and education using tools like Hover.
• Clear storm vs. renovation positioning and financing paths with partners like GreenSky.
• Story‑based presentation that leans on social proof, reviews, and third‑party trust signals.​
• Clean close, compliant follow‑up, and long‑term relationship management.

“When you combine a repeatable 12‑step system with AI tools like Rilla and financing partners like GreenSky, you’re not just closing storms—you’re building a real brand in your market,” Burleson said. “Contractors want to know how to protect margin, increase close rates, and keep their people accountable; that’s exactly what this system is built to do.”

Lessons from Coach K and Pat Riley: Championship Standards for Home Improvement Sales Teams

One of the defining moments of Rilla Masters 2026 for Paul Burleson was learning from Coach K (legendary Duke Men’s Basketball coach) and Pat Riley, President of the Miami Heat. Their keynotes connected elite sports leadership to sales culture, reinforcing that teams do not rise to the level of their goals—they fall to the level of their standards.​

“There are moments in your career when a message hits you so hard that it changes how you lead, sell, and show up. That was Coach Pat Riley at Rilla Masters,” reflected Paul Burleson. He highlighted five core leadership principles he took away:

• “Excellence is a habit, not a moment”—greatness is built on daily discipline, not hype.
• “The team with the strongest culture wins”—systems and talent matter, but culture is the multiplier.
• “Pressure is a privilege”—pressure means you are in the arena, being counted on.
• “Success is rented, and the rent is due every day”—no coasting, no entitlement, no complacency.
• “Your standard becomes your identity”—elite teams live their standards consistently, not occasionally.

“What Coach K and Pat Riley drove home is that you don’t build a dynasty on motivation; you build it on standards,” said Burleson. “In the building‑products world, that means showing up prepared, coaching every day, and making sure your culture is strong enough to handle pressure, turnover, and change.”

AI‑Powered Coaching in the Field: How Rilla Roleplay and Real‑Time Analytics Help Contractors Sell Like Athletes

Rilla has become the #1 conversation intelligence platform for in‑person sales teams by recording, transcribing, and analyzing live sales conversations so managers can coach like pros and reps can sell like athletes. Its AI‑powered coaching tools are now being deployed at scale with partners like The Home Depot, helping frontline teams deliver consistent, high‑quality service and sales experiences.​

Through features like Hands Free Ridealongs and Rilla Roleplay, leaders can:

• Review real in‑home conversations on the go and coach with voice commands.
• Identify objection patterns, winning talk tracks, and gaps in process adherence.
• Turn every call into a roleplay training module, complete with scoring and AI coaching aligned to their own sales process.​

“Great technology becomes a habit—it becomes part of your day, and it becomes hard to stop using,” said Sebastian Jimenez. “Our goal is to give leaders their time back and make coaching easier, more consistent, and more data‑driven.”​

From Paul Burleson’s perspective, tools like Rilla are essential for storm and remodeling contractors who want to scale a 12‑step selling system across multiple markets. “We’re in the most disruptive point of our industry that we’ve ever been at,” he often tells audiences. “If you don’t make a commitment to adapt, you will not survive. AI isn’t going to replace the human element—but it will make you more productive, more efficient, and more consistent if you build it into your daily routine.”

The Companies and Partners Driving AI Adoption at Rilla Masters

Beyond the main stage, Rilla Masters 2026 brought together a powerful ecosystem of manufacturers, partners, agencies, and contractors all working to operationalize AI across the home improvement and home services funnel. In addition to Rilla, Leap, Avoca AI, Lace AI, GreenSky, and Hover, the event featured leaders and teams from companies highlighted by ActiveProspect, including:​

• Think Unlimited
• Renuity
• The Home Depot
• Long Home
• Lavin Media
• Revin Inc.
• Clever Digital Marketing
• Omnia Exterior Solutions
• Authority Brands
• Ring Digital
• Windows USA
• Leads.io
• Blue Fire Leads

Individual industry leaders and influencers in attendance included Brock Crabtree, Steve DeZara, Mohit Belani, and Paul Burleson, all actively exploring how AI, data, and smarter lead strategies can improve conversion, cost per acquisition, and customer experience.​

“Everywhere you turned, you saw teams who are not just talking about AI—they’re testing it, iterating, and rolling it out inside their actual sales funnel,” Burleson observed. “From lead scoring and attribution to in‑home conversation analytics and financing, the companies in that room are building the blueprint for how home improvement sales will work over the next decade.”​

Why Paul Burleson’s Perspective Matters for Contractors and Sales Leaders in 2026

Recognized as a 2025 Legend of the Home Improvement Industry and a nationally known trainer, Paul Burleson has spent more than 40 years building in‑home selling systems, training salespeople, and helping contractors and manufacturers embrace disruptive technologies. As Senior Account Executive at Westlake Royal Building Products, he has supported hundreds of companies through the Westlake Royal Pros ecosystem, connecting them with tech, finance, and consulting partners that help scale profitable, compliant growth.​

In 2025 alone, Burleson led more than 25 independent location trainings, 46 live conferences, 60 video trainings, and 19 distributor‑sponsored events, while appearing on 31 podcasts and traveling across the country to support frontline teams. His debut book,, has quickly become a roadmap for underdogs in the home improvement space who want to turn adversity, disruption, and doubt into momentum.

“Contractors today are asking the same questions: How do I train my reps faster? How do I protect margin in a competitive market? How do I use AI without losing the human touch at the kitchen table?” said Burleson. “Events like Rilla Masters, and platforms like Rilla and Power100, are where those answers are being tested in real time—with real numbers, real stories, and real pressure.”