AI and Home Service Sales

Hello home service operators,

Artificial intelligence is no longer a “nice to have” in the home services industry. If you want to keep up with the competition, it’s now a requirement.

And one of the most powerful applications is in sales.

Earlier this week, I spoke with Tal Shub, CEO of Craft, about how AI is transforming the home services sales process for the better.

But first, a few things you need to see…

• Here’s how I’m generating leads

• I love this TED Talk on how to start a business without investors

• Scaling beyond your plateau isn’t just a dream (there’s help to be had)

• Acquiring a home service business in 2025? Here’s all the guidance you need

• Don’t look now but winter is coming — here are some tips for keeping your HVAC business busy

• Reminder: we still have limited space available for our Charleston and Miami events next week

Get Results from Quick Staffers

If you’ve read my newsletter or tuned into the podcast, you’ve likely heard me mention Quick Staffers.

No? Here’s a quick primer: Quick Staffers helps you hire day-one-ready, global talent for your home service business.

Here are some results that’ll change the way you think about hiring:

• 92% reduction in missed calls, improving from 47 missed calls per week to just 4.

• $28,500/month increase in booked jobs directly attributed to recovered missed calls.

• Owner’s time spent on calls dropped by 85%, freeing Ben to focus on growth and team leadership.

If those numbers get you excited — and I’m sure they do — I have a special offer for you.

Right now, you’ll get $500 off your first placement. Click the button below to grab your discount and finally get the help you need.

AI Can Change Your Sales Approach

I’ve learned a lot about sales, including this: it’s not automatic. It’s a discipline. And lately, it is an area where artificial intelligence is creating results that I could not ignore.

What AI Revealed Inside Our Sales Process

When we started using AI for sales, I expected incremental improvements. Instead, we uncovered patterns that had been hiding in plain sight.

• When a tech tells our company story, the average ticket is $285 higher.

• When financing is presented first, jobs close at an average of $2,000 more.

• When open-ended questions are asked 15 or more times, close rates climb significantly.

These are not guesses. They are measurable insights pulled directly from recorded conversations. Before, I had to rely on ride-alongs or feedback from managers. That approach limited what we could see.

Now, every interaction is analyzed and turned into actionable coaching.

AI Makes Sales Training Real

Most sales training in this industry is broad. Build rapport. Present options. Overcome objections. That advice is true, but it is not specific to my team. AI changes that.

Instead of me telling a manager to “focus on closing skills,” I can now show them that our plumbing team rarely introduces financing, or that electricians forget to tell the company story. The coaching becomes precise, and the improvements show up quickly in revenue.

It is not just efficiency. It is clarity.

Shifting From Guesswork to Data

The truth is, I used to coach sales based on instinct. I would listen to a few calls, ride along with a tech, or hear stories secondhand. That meant most of my decisions were guesses.

Now I see the actual conversations. I see what top performers do differently. I see where weaker reps lose the customer. And I can scale those lessons across the entire team.

That is the difference.

AI is not replacing my managers or trainers. It is giving them sharper tools so their time is spent on the right issues.

Why This Matters for Growth

It is tempting to focus only on leads. When revenue stalls, the first question operators ask is, “How do I get more calls?” But more leads do not solve weak sales habits.

If you are not closing at a high level, you are wasting the opportunities you already paid to generate. AI helps you capture what would otherwise slip through.

In our case, it showed that financing was the number one way to overcome price objections. It showed that the company story built trust. It showed that the best techs asked better questions. Those insights turned into training sessions, and those training sessions turned into higher average tickets.

Where AI Fits in the Sales Journey

AI does not install a water heater or repair a panel. What it does is make every salesperson better in the moment and every manager more effective after the call.

• During the call, it can give techs real-time coaching prompts.

• After the call, it creates summaries and insights that managers can use to run targeted training.

• Over time, it builds a dataset that reveals which habits consistently drive results.

That combination is powerful. It is how you turn average reps into top performers and good teams into great ones.

My Takeaway

If you are asking yourself why your close rates are not higher, or why average tickets are slipping, the answer might not be in your marketing budget. It might be in your conversations.

AI has already shown me what works and what does not. The only real question is whether I choose to act on it. I’m sure you know the answer.

Thinking About Buying a Business?

Most lenders make SBA financing harder than it needs to be. Alan Peterson and First Internet Bank does the opposite.

Alan specializes in SBA 7(a) loans for acquisitions, partner buyouts, and commercial real estate. That means:

• Finance up to 90% of your total project

• Pair it with a line of credit for future growth

• Work with a lender who knows the trades and focuses on “how can we” instead of “we can’t because”

Alan has guided first-time buyers and seasoned operators through acquisitions that scaled their businesses—using a hands-on approach that actually gets deals done.

Owned & Operated readers get: reduced good faith deposit, plus a complimentary deal review and buy side prequalification (just mention the show).

Don’t shy away from AI, embrace it. Especially when it comes to your sales process.

👊 John

Disclosure: Some of the content and links in this newsletter are sponsored or affiliate links, which means we may receive payment or earn a commission if you click through or purchase. However, all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

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