The Real Reason Techs Ghost You After a “Great First Call”

Think about the last movie that really grabbed you.

I bet it wasn't the scenery. It wasn't the special effects. It wasn't even the happy ending.

It was the problem.

The moment the hero faces something that threatens to derail everything—that's when you leaned in. That's when you stopped scrolling on your phone. That's when the story actually started.

Here's what most shop owners don't realize: your job ads and each conversation you have with a tech works the exact same way.

Until a problem shows up that challenges the character, the audience sits there wondering when the story is going to get started.

And here's the kicker—in your recruiting story, the technician is the hero. Not your shop. Not your benefits package. Not your shiny new equipment.

The tech.

Which means every job ad you write, every first conversation you have, every follow-up message you send needs to answer one question:

What problem am I solving for this technician?

Not "we need an experienced tech." Not "busy shop looking for reliable team member." Those aren't stories. Those are shopping lists.

The problem is the hook.

When you start talking about the challenges techs actually face—the flat rate squeeze, the lack of respect, the dead-end feeling of no growth, the chaos of poor shop management—suddenly you have their attention.

Because now you're in their world. Now you're speaking their language. Now they're wondering, "Wait… does this shop actually get it?"

This is exactly why techs ghost you after the first call.

You didn't make it about their story.

There are two questions I tell every shop owner to ask on initial calls with technician candidates:

Question 1: "What's going on that has you checking out new opportunities at the moment?"

Question 2: "If we were sitting down one year from now and you were to look back over the previous 12 months and all your personal and professional goals had been accomplished, what would that look like?"

Two questions. That's it.

With those two questions, you now know what villain the tech is fighting (their current frustrations) and what victory looks like for them (their aspirations).

You've identified the conflict in their story.

And conflict is what an audience pays attention to.

Now here's where most shop owners drop the ball: they get this information… and then never use it. They go back to talking about their shop, their needs, their requirements.

Wrong move.

In every follow-up, show them you listened. Reference their specific frustrations. Paint a picture of how your shop addresses exactly what's driving them crazy right now. Help them see themselves achieving that 12-month vision—at your shop.

Your shop isn't the hero of this story. Your shop is the guide—the thing that helps the hero win.

The more you talk about the problems you solve for technicians, the more value you attribute to your shop.

So ask yourself:

What pain are you taking away?
What roadblock are you removing?
What villain are you defeating for the techs who come on board?

Answer those questions, and you won't have to convince techs your shop is worth considering.

The story will do it for you.

P.S. Write those two questions on a sticky note. Put it by your phone. Use them on the very next call with a prospective tech. Then watch how different the conversation becomes when you stop pitching and start listening to their story.

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