🔧 Two Books That Changed the Way I Sell (Without “Selling”)

For Anyone in the Trades Who Wants to Become a True Advisor — Not a Pitchman

Most people in the trades were never taught how to communicate in a way that lowers resistance, builds trust instantly, and gets customers to open up.

We’re taught how to fix things — but not how to guide people through decisions about problems they don’t fully understand.

Two books fixed that for me:

📘 1. Socratic Selling — Kevin Daley

This book teaches you how to ask questions in a way that gets the customer to discover the truth for themselves — instead of you pushing it on them.

It helps you:

Lower emotional resistance
Guide conversations instead of “driving” them
Pull people into agreements instead of pushing
Create clarity for customers who are stressed or confused
Position yourself as the calm problem-finder, not the “sales guy”

If you work in a field where people are calling you during stressful situations (plumbing, HVAC, electrical, garage doors, roofing, etc.), this style of communication is a cheat code.

📘 2.The Trusted Advisor — David H. Maister, Charles H. Green & Robert M. Galford

This book reframes what it means to be a professional in the service world.

It breaks down how trust is built — both logically and emotionally:

Credibility
Reliability
Intimacy
And the one most techs struggle with: lowering self-orientation

This book shows you how to stop thinking like a contractor and start operating like a real advisor.

When you combine this with a question-based approach (like Socratic Selling), customers view you as the expert — and buying decisions become simple.

🔥 Why I’m Sharing This

If you’re in the trades, communication matters more than tools.

The right words can:

Calm a panicked homeowner
Increase your close rates without pressure
Reduce objections
Help people want the right solution
Make your day 10× easier

These two books are a great starting point if you want to upgrade how you interact with customers and become the person they trust — not the person they avoid.

💬 If you’ve read either of these, or have others that shaped your approach, drop them in the comments.

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