How To Train Your Techs To Sell Without Selling

📅 July 6, 2026 ⏱️ 35:00 🎤 Richard Beynon, Laura, Ryan Whitten

Chapters

Click to jump to section

0:00

Selling Without Selling

Introduction to the concept of increasing average ticket size without pushy sales, focusing on genuine customer service.
0:00

The Million Dollar Plumber

Richard Beynon introduces himself and co-host Laura, sharing their journey from a small plumbing operation to a multi-million-dollar business.
0:01

Flushing It Out

Laura introduces the 'Flushing It Out' segment, where listener questions are answered, and encourages audience engagement.
0:02

Initial Tech Observations

Richard discusses his early observations about his techs' lower average tickets compared to his own, realizing they weren't identifying additional customer needs.
0:03

Why Techs Don't Upsell

Explains that techs often don't point out issues like old water heaters or hard-to-turn shutoff valves because they haven't been trained to, harming the customer in the long run.
0:05

Mindset Shift: Serve, Don't Sell

Emphasizes the importance of a mindset shift from 'selling' to 'serving' the customer, which is more about excelling at service than manipulation.
0:06

Legal Professional Responsibility

Highlights the legal responsibility of plumbers as professionals in a home, even for issues they didn't directly touch, making thorough inspections crucial.
0:07

Principle 1: Full Home Walk-Through

The first principle: train techs to perform a full home plumbing inspection, not just fix the immediate problem, akin to a doctor's visit.
0:08

Educating Customers on Shutoff Valves

Stresses the importance of showing customers where their main shutoff valve is, as a service, not a sale, building trust.
0:11

Principle 2: Give Them The Words

The second principle: provide techs with specific, non-manipulative language and scripts to use, and practice through role-playing.
0:15

Principle 3: Present Options, Not Ultimatums

The third principle: train techs to offer multiple options (good, better, best) to customers, giving them control and avoiding a 'take it or leave it' scenario.
0:20

Principle 4: Tie to Family, Not Features

The fourth principle: encourage techs to relate plumbing issues to their impact on the customer's family or daily life, rather than technical jargon.
0:23

Principle 5: Track, Score, Celebrate

The fifth principle: implement a system to track key metrics, score performance, and celebrate achievements to reinforce desired behaviors.
0:26

Hiring a CSR

Richard and Laura answer Ryan Whitten's question about hiring a CSR, discussing advertising, pay, and desired personality traits.
0:31

CSR Pay Structure

Suggests a pay structure for CSRs including an hourly wage plus a bonus per booked call to incentivize performance.

Speakers

Richard Beynon

Host — the million-dollar plumber

Laura

Host

Ryan Whitten

Key Takeaways

✦

Implement a mandatory full home plumbing inspection on every service call to proactively identify potential issues and provide comprehensive service.

✦

Develop and provide your technicians with specific, non-manipulative scripts and phrases to guide their conversations with customers, ensuring clear and professional communication.

✦

Integrate regular role-playing into your weekly meetings (e.g., Monday mornings) to help technicians practice customer interactions and options presentation, making it second nature.

✦

Train your techs to always present customers with multiple options (good, better, best) for repairs and upgrades, empowering customer choice and building trust.

✦

Teach your technicians to articulate the benefits of services and products in terms of their impact on the customer's daily life or family, rather than focusing solely on technical features.

✦

Establish a system for tracking key performance indicators (e.g., average ticket, closing rate) for each technician, and regularly celebrate successes to reinforce desired behaviors.

✦

When hiring a CSR, prioritize empathetic and friendly individuals, and consider a pay structure that includes a bonus per booked call to incentivize effective call booking.

Want the full experience?

Join the Inner Circle for full access to every episode, AI-powered insights, personalized coaching, and a network of industry leaders.

Join Inner Circle →

← Interview Series: Leadership with Roger Phelps

If I Wanted To Get Out Of The Truck For Good, I'd Do This →