Your Techs Are Winging Sales Calls (And It's Costing You)
You trained them on technical skills. You never trained them on what to say when the customer asks "what else should I know?"
Your best technician is standing in a customer's mechanical room. The system they came to fix is 18 years old, rusted, and running on borrowed time.
The customer says: "Is there anything else I should be worried about?"
Your tech mumbles something about "it's pretty old" and moves on.
That was a $12,000 replacement conversation that just died on the vine.
Not because your tech is bad. Because nobody taught them what to say.
Techs Aren't Salespeople (And That's Fine)
Most service techs got into the trades because they like fixing things, not selling things. They're uncomfortable with "sales." They don't want to be pushy.
Here's the thing: they don't need to be salespeople. They need to be informers.
The customer already trusts them. They're in the house. They're the expert. All they have to do is say the right words in the right order—and the customer will often sell themselves.
But without a script, they'll either say nothing or say the wrong thing.
The Simple Framework That Works
You don't need a 10-page sales manual. You need a framework your techs can remember. Something they can say without feeling like they're being sleazy.
The Inform-Option-Offer framework:
1. Inform (State the fact)
"This unit is 18 years old. Most systems like this last 15-20 years."
2. Option (Give them a choice)
"We can keep patching it, or I can have someone come out to talk about replacement options. Up to you."
3. Offer (Make it easy)
"If you want, I can have our comfort advisor call you today to set up a time. No pressure."
That's it. No pressure. No manipulation. Just information and an easy next step.
Why Techs Won't Use Scripts (And How to Fix It)
You've probably tried this before. You hand out scripts at a team meeting. Two weeks later, nobody's using them.
Here's why: you never taught them how to memorize it.
Reading a script once doesn't make it stick. You need repetition and retrieval.
The 48-hour method:
- 1. Print two copies of the script (keep it under 200 words)
- 2. Tech reads it out loud
- 3. Black out one word with a marker
- 4. Read it again, filling in the blank from memory
- 5. Keep blacking out more words
- 6. By the time the page is fully blacked out, they know it cold
This works because your brain memorizes through retrieval, not reading. Every time they fill in a blank, they're forcing retrieval. The memory gets stronger.
In 48 hours, a tech can have a script so deep it comes out naturally.
What Happens When Techs Use Scripts
Close rates become predictable. When everyone says the same thing, you know what's working. When someone's numbers dip, you know they're off-script.
Training gets easier. New hires don't need to "find their style." They just need to learn the script that already works.
Techs feel more comfortable. They're not making it up on the spot. They have words that work. That confidence shows.
Revenue goes up. A tech running 5 calls a day who converts one more add-on per week is worth $50K+ in annual revenue. Multiply that by your team.
Start With One Script
Don't try to script everything at once. Pick the highest-value moment: the "this system is old" conversation.
Write it out. Keep it under 200 words. Have your techs memorize it using the blacking-out method. Role play it at your next team meeting.
Then watch what happens to your replacement leads over the next 90 days.
Revenue Leaking at the Field Level?
Techs winging sales conversations is just one of the profit leaks we look for. The Contractor Cash Flow Assessment finds them all—and shows you exactly how much they're costing you.