Whether you're a technician in the trades or a consultant, but especially if you’re a business owner yourself - your sales approach will directly impact how fast you grow, how many referrals you get, and how many 5-star reviews people will leave you.

The following tips will help ensure you and your team are ready to secure more business and boost your company's growth.

1. Adopt a Customer-Centric Value Mindset

Top sales professionals in professional & field service industries view their role as problem-solvers, not just sellers. Approach each client interaction with a focus on understanding their specific needs and offering solutions that enhance their operations or lives.

For home and field service technicians, this means viewing every customer interaction as an opportunity to provide value and recommend additional beneficial services (even if you’re just fixing an AC unit or a leaking pipe).

For accountants and consultants, it's about listening to clients' challenges and proposing strategic solutions that deliver impact and value. With the right mindset, every call becomes a chance to build stronger relationships and grow your business.

2. Present a Professional Image

First impressions matter. Dress professionally and maintain a demeanor that exudes confidence and trustworthiness. For tradespeople, this means wearing a clean uniform that represents your company well. For consultants, business attire is key.

Good hygiene, a firm handshake, and eye contact are universal signs of professionalism. Using proper etiquette and maintaining a positive attitude also play crucial roles in building client trust and confidence. While this may come naturally to you as a business owner, if you have employees from technicians to subcontractors, make sure to include this as part of regular training when out in the field.

3. Invest in Branding and Marketing

Establishing a strong brand positions you as an expert in your field. Create a professional website that showcases your expertise, certifications, and client testimonials. Be where your clients are. Your website should show social proof, testimonials, and examples of your work so that your website does your sales closing for you. Here’s a list of tips to increase your lead generation through simple changes on your website.

If you’re in professional services, maintain active profiles on LinkedIn and other relevant networks, sharing valuable lead magnet content regularly. On the other hand, residential field service businesses might want to hang out in Facebook and Community groups, and even Local Events (which you can also use to support local SEO strategies).

Using a mix of digital and traditional marketing, such as newsletters, social media, flyers, and ads, to increase your visibility and generate leads. For both home service businesses and consulting firms, effective branding communicates professionalism and reliability.

Much of this you can automate through various tools. For Field Service Software, you can use tools like Thryv, Housecall Pro, or Jobber - with Thryv being the best at automating end to end business processes including marketing and social media processes.

If all you need are reviews, then solutions like NiceJob can do the trick, or work with a Reputation Management Agency like Rehash Digital to help you get your reviews up.

4. Document Your Sales Processes

Consistency in delivering a great customer experience is crucial. Documenting your sales processes helps ensure this consistency. Outline each step from initial contact to closing the sale, detailing responsibilities and timelines.

As you scale, being able to track and test what’s working and what’s not in a basic checklist as well as the training you do will let you manage the business that constantly improves over time.

Regularly review and update these documents to reflect any changes in your business operations. This practice is essential for maintaining high standards and improving efficiency, while making it insanely easy to onboard new technicians or employees.

5. Analyze Sales Data to Identify Best Practices

Leverage data to understand which sales techniques and strategies are most effective. Track metrics such as total sales, average sale size, conversion rates, and customer acquisition methods.

For small businesses and start-ups, this analysis reveals patterns that can be replicated for success. Understanding the behaviors and techniques of top performers can inform training and strategic adjustments. This is where a CRM is absolutely essential. Some people view a CRM or Field Service Software as just a way to track and better organize client information & contact details.

The biggest benefit of a CRM though, is DATA. The data you get of your leads, clients, conversion rates, etc. will let you effectively understand what’s working and what’s not in the business. It will give you information whether your $10,000 marketing investment is actually worth it compared to a $500 Postcard campaign, or the $2,000 event booth you sponsored.

Many business owners overlook the importance of this so start tracking your marketing & sales process and build up your lens of your business from there. You can use highly specialized CRMs for Sales & Marketing like Hubspot, Pipedrive, and Salesflare - or you can use the ones integrated in platforms like Thryv which have integrated marketing capabilities.

6. Communicate Clearly to Set Expectations

Clear communication is key to excellent service delivery. Use in-app chat and messaging tools to keep clients informed throughout the service process. Automated reminders for appointments help ensure clients are prepared for your visit.

Whether you are scheduling a plumbing service or a consulting session, explain the process and your proposed solutions in detail, addressing any questions thoroughly to build client confidence. If you don’t currently have software, this can be a lot of work, which is why once you get to a point in your business where you have leads coming in, thinking about hiring employees, or scaling the business - having a clear technology and business strategy to figure out what kind of software will actually achieve the results you’re looking for is so important.

We offer free consultations if you want to get our take on this, or you can hire us directly to work with your team to analyze & provide recommendations on not just which software to buy, but how best to implement it.

7. Educate Clients on the Value of Your Services

Too often I coming across business owners thinking about sales & marketing as telling people what you do. If you take point #1 to heart, it’s probably the smallest aspect once you’re actually talking to a lead.

Educating clients on the benefits, not functions of your services is the most important part. For trades, explain how repairs or upgrades can save money and improve quality of life instead of what kind of fitting or finish you’re doing. For consultants, detail the strategic advantages your solutions provide and it’s impact to the businesses’ risk, revenues, or brand image. People search for services, but pay for outcomes.

Offer quotes with tiered options to cater to different budgets, highlighting the specific features and benefits of each level. This approach helps clients make informed decisions based on value rather than just cost.

8. Use Advanced Tools and Equipment (And Software)

Investing in modern tools and technology can greatly enhance service efficiency and effectiveness. For tradespeople, advanced diagnostic tools and high-quality equipment reduce guesswork and improve outcomes. For consultants, leveraging the best CRM software and analytical tools streamlines processes and enhances client interactions.

This investment not only improves service delivery but also positions you as a forward-thinking professional in your industry. While this isn’t one of my fortes, going to tradeshows specific to your industry is crucial (like the CMPX exhibition I was just at in Toronto).

If you’re in pure knowledge work, professional service industries like accounting, law firms, or consulting - then your advanced tools and equipment are your software & automation platforms. Make sure to understand your business and do an analysis, so that you can figure out what impact you want to make to your operations that will actually drive your business forward.

9. Offer Financing to Increase Sales

Providing financing options for larger projects makes your services more accessible. Simplify the application process to encourage clients to take advantage of these options, thereby increasing your average ticket size and revenue.

Quick, hassle-free financing solutions can turn potential objections into opportunities, making high-value services attainable for more clients. Of course you can’t do this with typical cash-based processes, and generally not even just credit card payments. The businesses who start embracing the value of paying a % fee of transactions via payment processes in return for an increase in market size, ease of use, less admin, and better cashflow tend to beat out the ones stuck on cash and cheque based processes.

Many software like HCP, Jobber, and Thryv all have integrated payment processers and most allow some form of recurring payment models. True financing however (via banks), tend to be more complex due to the application process.

10. Capitalize on Additional Service Opportunities

Use your knowledge of clients' history and needs to identify and propose additional services. For trades, this might include regular maintenance or system upgrades. For consultants, it could involve ongoing support or new strategic initiatives.

Each service call or consultation is a chance to deepen your client relationship and increase revenue through upselling and cross-selling. One strategy I’ve taken with clients and in my own business is to create strategic partnerships with other service providers where you don’t have a conflict.

For example if you only service gas fireplaces, then you might want to partner with someone who only services & cleans wood-burning fireplaces and exchange leads accordingly.

Post-Sale Strategies for Continued Success

Effective follow-up after a sale is crucial for building long-term client relationships and securing repeat business.

11. Automate Follow-Ups and Review Requests

Immediately after completing a job, request an online review while the client’s positive experience is fresh. Automate follow-up emails to ensure estimates and invoices are timely, and use professional invoicing software to streamline this process.

Efficient follow-up practices reinforce your professionalism and help ensure prompt payment. You can do this manually, automate this in e-mail automation solutions built into platforms like Thryv, or invest in software or services to do the work professionally.

12. Offer Membership Programs and Maintenance Agreements

Introduce membership programs or maintenance agreements to generate repeat business. These programs offer ongoing value to clients, ensuring regular service visits and providing stable income for your business.

For example, a maintenance plan for HVAC systems or regular consulting check-ins can help catch issues early and foster loyalty.

Recommended Graphic: A promotional flyer for a membership or maintenance program.

13. Maintain Regular Contact with Clients

Use CRM tools to stay in touch with clients through automated emails, reminders, and personalized communication. Sharing valuable content, such as maintenance tips or industry insights, helps keep you top-of-mind and positions you as a trusted resource.

Regular communication builds loyalty and encourages clients to return for future needs, and even wishing someone a happy birthday without any sales pitch might seem pointless, but it’s value is that you’re maintaining brand space in that customers mind for when the time is right again to use your services. Remember: Inboxes are forever.

14. Track and Analyze Sales Performance

Regularly monitor key sales performance metrics to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Use reporting and analytics tools to gain insights into sales trends, profitability, and productivity.

Data-driven decisions based on this analysis can help optimize your sales strategy and drive business growth.

15. Continuously Train and Motivate Your Sales Team

Invest in ongoing training for your sales team to keep them updated on best practices and new techniques. Regular role-playing and goal-setting sessions can enhance skills and boost confidence.

Incentives and recognition for top performers motivate the team and create a culture of excellence.

Achieve Your Sales Goals with Rehash Digital

From home and field service businesses, as well as consultants & professional service businesses, increasing profits and growing brand recognition are critical to long-term success. Rehash Digital services offers the latest technology-driven business strategies designed to make your business more efficient, bring in more leads, and scale your business.

Whether you’re starting out, scaling, or just need a nerd to talk to about your business - we offer free 15-minute consultations so you can pick our brain about what might help you achieve your goals.