In-home service technicians have the tools for turning a service call into an upsell. But they do need to know how – and why – they should pull these techniques out of their toolbox.

First, techs may suffer from the misguided notion that “selling” is a bad thing – instead of the primary reason a business stays open, companies grow stronger and team members have opportunities to work.

So, help them reframe their attitude away from sales as gimmicks and tricks and toward the realization that recommending a product or service that will solve a current problem or avoid a future problem (proposing a sale, that is) is simply an extension of customer service.

As techs realign their service and sales mindset and beef up their communication skills, they’ll be well-positioned to excel.

Marketing guru Donald Miller says that customers are looking for two things when they’re deciding whether to trust you with their hard-earned dollars: empathy and authority.

Team members show empathy when they say, “I hear what you’re saying. I bet dealing with this mess hasn’t been much fun. If this were happening at my house, I’d be upset too.” Expressing empathy is a way to tell customers you understand the pain, discomfort, frustration, fear or cost this situation has created.

As your tech does so, he’s seen less as an obstacle (as in, the one who’s going to charge a lot of money the homeowner didn’t want to spend) and more like the one who understands and appreciates what the customer is going through.

Technicians with on-the-job experience are already highly knowledgeable about the trouble a problem with a home system can bring. Training them on why a water heater that leaks through a ceiling or damages a floor is an unwelcome experience for a homeowner isn’t the issue.

Yet communication skills are just as valuable in turning a prospect into a customer, and a customer into an upsell. So, it’s important that techs understand how saying something as simple as “I’m really sorry this happened to you” can build trust with their customer. And that’s how service-related sales begin.

Expressions of empathy help the homeowner let their guard down in order to see the next thing they’re looking for, which the tech also has in abundance.

After all, who has more authority for solving the problem than your in-home service tech? He’s seen this same situation who knows how many times, and he can easily say, “We see this a lot, and we can fix this for you. We’ve been in several homes lately where homeowners were dealing with the same thing, and we’ve gotten our customers back up and running in no time.”

As he mentions his previous experience in an easy and casual way, he’s reinforcing authority.

Expressing empathy and presenting authority might sound like a natural thing to do as techs talk to customers, and it is. But it’s also easy to overlook when techs are in rushing in the middle of a busy day.

Miller recommends preparing ahead of time. For example, before entering the home, techs can jot down a few key phrases – “I can see why this is a problem for you” or “That would frustrate me too” – almost like creating an “empathy” cheat sheet that helps them get ready. But don’t forget the authority part, which sounds like: “I fixed a problem like this yesterday” or “Personally I would recommend that you…”

Just the act of thinking through what to say can serve as the reminder they need when they’re in the middle of the call. The same goes for the questions they need to ask.

While listening skills helps techs hear what the customer is saying, sometimes the customers aren’t sure where to begin. As techs help customers tell their story, they reinforce empathy and authority when saying: “Tell me more about this sound you hear. When did you first notice it happening?”