A service technician’s primary role is to perform maintenance and repairs. But because technicians are front-and-center with the customer who is experiencing problems, they are often in the best position to begin sales conversations about upgrades and replacements. And technicians who do well at that task become very valuable to their employers.
12 selling skills & tips to help technicians up their game
1. Build relationships
As a service technician, remember that you are the primary representative of your company. Therefore, it’s up to you to build positive relationships with the people you serve. This is one of the most important selling skills that you’ll use every day.
If you are someone who likes people, that’s a valuable quality that will serve you well as a service technician. However, it’s important to go beyond being friendly and likeable. Customers trust those who go out of their way to be helpful, proactive, reliable, and honest. And they are more likely to choose you when they are ready to upgrade or replace equipment.
You can do that by showing up on time for appointments, taking the time to explain what’s needed and why, and sharing solutions customers may not have considered.
2. Ask questions
Customers may not think to tell you about issues that don’t (to them) seem related to the reason they called for service. You can better serve your customers by asking questions about their needs and how their equipment has been performing. Making this selling skill a habit can uncover new needs and bring in new business.
3. Listen actively
When you ask questions, be sure to practice active listening skills to get the most helpful information from customers. Let customers talk to learn about their issues and concerns. Many times, you will hear about problems you can help with, and that might bring in additional revenue while providing better service to the customer.
4. Be empathetic
When something is broken or just not performing well, chances are your customer is unhappy. They are uncomfortable, inconvenienced, and possibly even experiencing physical symptoms as a result of the problem. Chances are, you’ve been there and can relate. Don’t hesitate to let your customer know that. It’s good to react to their feelings and show them that you empathize and truly want to help.
Showing empathy is another way to build trusted relationships with loyal customers who will return to you time after time with their business.
5. Speak clearly
Verbal communication is critical as a sales skill. Always make sure customers can clearly hear and understand you. Speak loudly (but not TOO loudly) and slowly.
Also, your tone of voice is important. You might wonder if it’s better to speak more formally, or to be more friendly and informal. That depends on your customer. One technique salespeople use is to “mirror” the tone used by the customer. If they speak formally to you, then follow their lead and respond the same way.
Of course, if your customer is angry or upset, that’s not a tone you want to mirror! In that case, always remain calm, encouraging, and helpful.
6. Avoid technical jargon
Learn to explain problems and solutions in terms your customers can understand, rather than explaining technical details. Remember that customers are rarely experts in the technology or equipment that you work on. And for the most part, they don’t usually care about HOW things work. So unless they ask you for a technician explanation, provide short answers that focus on the outcome, the time frame, and the cost (which customers DO care about).
7. Tell stories
Just about everyone likes to hear stories. It’s human nature. And telling them is a very helpful sales skill. When talking about customer issues and possible solutions, share stories (short ones!) about how you’ve helped customers with the same problem in the past.
8. Be prepared
There are certain questions you will get all the time, and these can vary due to current circumstances. For example, due to COVID, HVAC customers are suddenly very interested in air quality, filters, air purifiers, and other mitigation strategies that can prevent the spread of disease in their space. (Read this article to learn more.)
It’s helpful to prepare answers ahead of time, so you’ll know what to say when customers ask. You can also share information proactively when appropriate. You don’t have to prepare anything formal (although written materials or website information can be helpful in answering customer questions). You just need to give some thought to the best way to provide the information customers want and need.
9. Share resources
Speaking of written materials and websites, these can be valuable resources for sharing more in-depth information when a customer wants it. Videos can be great as well. If your company provides these, be sure to let customers know they are available. Go ahead and show customers how to access them if you can. Materials like these show off your company’s expertise and can help customers to make decisions.
10. Ask for feedback
If your customers thank you and compliment you in person, why not ask them to share their experience on social media and review websites? Having more positive reviews online can help your company win new business.
11. Ask for referrals
While you’re at it, ask happy customers to refer their friends, neighbors, and family members to your company.
12. Close the loop
As a service technician, your job doesn’t end when you leave the customer site. Never neglect the tasks of documenting your work and communicating important issues to others in your company. For example, if a customer needs a quote for additional work or equipment replacement, always follow company procedures to pass along the information to the appropriate person as quickly as possible.
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