Million Dollar Electrician - Sale to Scale For Home Service Pros
Accelerate your electrical service business to six-figure months and seven-figure success in record time. Hosted by Clay Neumeyer and Joseph Lucanie, this podcast breaks down the proven frameworks, sales systems, and high-performance strategies used by top electricians and service teams, worldwide.
Each episode delivers real-world scripts, elite communication tools, option-building tactics, and premium homeowner experience frameworks that help contractors grow fast, close confidently, and dominate their market ethically.
If you're ready to shorten the path to consistent $100K+ Service months, build a recognizable premium brand, and step into the next level of leadership and income, this is the place. Plug in, level up, and get ready to scale with speed.
Million Dollar Electrician - Sale to Scale For Home Service Pros
S3 EP08 Trust Before Tools: Why Electricians Keep Losing Sales
Most electricians think success comes from quick fixes, speed, and staying cheap. But real growth? It starts with trust.
In this episode, Clay and Joe pull back the curtain on why customers ghost, how to avoid sales "gutter balls," and the real reason why technical skills alone won’t scale your business.
💡 What You’ll Learn:
- Build rapport without being salesy
- Turn one-time customers into lifetime clients
- Avoid the “get in, get out” trap that’s costing you 5-star reviews and future work
- Speak in plain language that earns trust, not skepticism
- Use body language and tonality to gain permission and credibility at the door
The difference between getting paid once and becoming their "go-to electrician" has nothing to do with your tools… and everything to do with how you show up.
🔗 Resources:
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📧 Email: jesse@duromaxpower.com
🌐 Website: www.duromaxpower.com
📞 Call: 909-490-5789
⚡️Jump into the Million Dollar Electrician Community and connect with real business-minded sparkies!
⚡️If you are an electrician looking for trade-specific business training in pricing, options, sales, attraction, and marketing strategies, Then our Loop Method is your answer!
⚡️Learn how to serve and earn at the highest level. Contact us, we’d love to help!
#ElectricianSales #TrustBeforeTools #ServiceCallTraining #BuildTrustFirst #WhyTheyDidntHireYou #HomeServiceBusiness #ElectricianMindset #StopGettingGhosted #ConnectionClosesDeals #SellWithoutSelling
And this is some people really not gonna believe this, but there are some clients who won't hire you because you're not expensive enough. And let me explain what I mean by that. Some people will get quotes and they'll be like, I got a range of quotes. I hired Dan in a van, Chuck and truck, I got all these quotes. And you're presenting as this amazing person, but your quotes exactly in the same price as that guy. A little suspicious. Everyone's quoting for the repair, but I want the renovation. And no one offered me the renovation. So I'll actually say you were too much money and I'll hire someone who's more because they provided more. So it's not only that you're trusted and liked, but you have to offer them the range. Because we don't know who's gonna be. The McManchan might need the band aid. The one who's living in like the bad part of town, they may be there because they like to have liquid capital. That's fine. So be the person they can relate with, be the person they can trust, but also don't assume what they want to buy and cap your offers based on what you suspect they're gonna want.
SPEAKER_02:Hello, hello, hello, and welcome to the Million Dollar Electrician Podcast, where we help home service pros like you supercharge your business and spark up those sales.
SPEAKER_00:I'm Joseph Lucani, and together with my co-host Clay New Meyer, we're here to share the secrets that have helped electricians sell over a million dollars from a single service band.
SPEAKER_03:Now it's time for sales. It's time for scale. It's time to become a million-dollar electrician.
SPEAKER_02:What's up, you guys? Welcome back to another great week on the Million Dollar Electrician Podcast. We've got a great topic for you today. We're going to dive deep in on rapport and what builds great relationships and how important that no, like, and trust is to your sales. Um, a lot of people can tend to think that it's all process, it's all word tracks, it's all salesy scripts here, but I promise you that is not the point. That's not the real methodology. In fact, a lot of these scripts are just like, it's like, hey, there's a there's a trek through the bush that's already been walked. And these are like the barriers that you get to follow with a whole ton of why frames behind them, the because frames that Joe's worked a ton on to make sure that we're doing things that eliminate objections. But making this your own, making it your own words and making great connections with your customer is still paramount. Would you agree with that, Joe? 100%.
SPEAKER_01:You know, actually, we talk about this a lot in class where someone will say to the extent of like, how do I sound exactly like you? And though it's flattering, the answer is you don't. The goal is not to sound just like me. The process is meant to be more like the best analogy I have is almost like bowling with bumpers. Until you know what you're supposed to do, this prevents you from gutter balling. If you follow it and you follow and you follow consistently, you may not always strike, but you won't gutter ball. You're not gonna bomb it, it's not gonna go south. But over time, as you get more experience, you learn to put a spin on it, you can figure out how to do it, you can aim a little bit better, the barriers go down, and that allows you to put your authentic spin on it. But the reason why that's so effective is because you know why you're saying what you're saying, so you know when and how to change it to match your vernacular.
SPEAKER_02:I really like where you went with this. And so I'm gonna stay on bowling if that's all right. By all means, if we're talking gutter balls, like help us understand what's a gutter ball in a service call for an electrician, bro.
SPEAKER_01:So a gutter ball is the customer called you for something wrong, right? I have no power, my lights aren't working, the fridge is off, like whatever it is. And you leaving not only with the problem still happening, but they also don't like you and now need to call another person just to get this thing back functional because you couldn't serve at the highest level. Yeah, it's big yikes, big yikes, because it's literally a sign of like I don't know how to better say this, but it's almost a sign of like ethics. You go to someone's home, they are in need, you don't serve them, and you get kicked out, and they now have to take more time to do it. Like that just feels really unpleasant and uncomfortable for everyone involved. So if we can put the steps into place to remove that from happening in the first place, wonderful.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I think electricians fail often to see this one thing, and it's their own honey do list. Do you have a honeydo list, Joe? You know what I'm talking about here?
SPEAKER_01:Dude, you already know I have a like I have like three multiple lists, and they target different things around the yes, I am a do or die lister.
SPEAKER_02:Honey do list, right? We call it that because it seems that other people are always doing the cross commitments and adding things. Honey, could you do this? Honey, could you do that? Honey, could you do this? But if you're anything like Joe or myself, uh, that's a little bit of a fun term, but we're the ones adding a lot to our list too. We're always trying to improve, always trying to grow, always trying to have better, be better, uh, have more, et cetera. So this honeydo list grows and it's like that for your clients too. Most of them are overwhelmed with the number of things that are already on the list. So to speak to what you're saying, who the hell wants to pick up the phone and call someone else again? Right? Like that bring another stranger in? Like this is a serious misstep if they've left you or had you leave them, however, you want to look at that, and they're not gonna buy with you, even knowing there's a repair or an issue or something that they wanted, the reason they called you in the first place. So gutter ball sounds like a fitting term for that, man. What about a strike? What's a strike to you then?
SPEAKER_01:Okay, a strike is phenomenal. It can be actually a couple of different factors. So a lot of times people will think a strike equals a platinum sale or a gold sale or a heavy hitting ticket, but that's actually not the case. A strike could be a basic or economy sale. But what makes it a strike is that you've built enough confidence and rapport that either A, they leave you a five-star review, B, they reference or refer you to someone else, or C, they call you back and want to do additional work. It could even be along the lines of, hey Joe, I really appreciate you taking the time to explain the bronze option. And I'm glad that we decided to go with one of those. But you know, John and I were talking more about it, and we think the goal is actually gonna fit better with us. Do you mind just you know sending over that invoice and we'll just pay the deposit and move forward with it? That so it's it could look a win looks like a lot of things. But the thing is, it's less about the sale, and it's more about you planting your flag, saying this is my relationship. They trust me, they like me, they respect me. And as a result, I'm gonna continue this relationship. It's a client, not a customer.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I love that. The difference between client and customer, I like how you bring that into and really looking at it like I want more than just a quick fix here today. And most people, like most electricians, are running around thinking that's the goal, the quick fix. Rush in, rush out, get it done, cheap as possible. That's what makes customers happy. But that couldn't be further from the truth. And I know we get a lot of controversy over this, but it, I mean, think about it. Could you possibly set up a lifetime relationship on a quick fix?
SPEAKER_01:No, I mean, you'd have to be like literally the savior coming in to like create this hill of situation for them to trust you. But the thing is, is that people get it wrong in a couple ways. I mean, don't mean to throw shade, but the thing is that when you focus just on the fix, you're actually not educating the client on the things they don't know about. That's why a lot of times when you'll have us describe something, we'll even ask permission to tell them about the problems. Like, hey, on the chance that we did run into something, like I don't expect to find anything. I'm sure your home is perfect shape, but on the chance I did run into something, what would you like me to do at that point? And if they say proceed, wonderful. And even before, it's like, okay, well, just to make sure, was it wrong of me to at least tell you what you're up against? No pressure to do anything about it, but can you at least blame me for wanting you to be educated enough to know what you're up against?
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely. So help me answer this one then. Sure. Why is it up to us to explain this to homeowners? Why do we have to educate them? I mean, let me play stupid, devil's advocate, whatever you want to call it. Let's just make sure this is completely squashed for anyone listening or watching this now.
SPEAKER_01:Sure. I'm actually gonna put a disclaimer in here. The reason being is when someone says educate the client, they actually are doing the wrong kind of education. Though a lot of times when electricians hear that, they think, all right, I'm gonna tell them that they have aluminum wiring and I'm gonna tell them the aluminum gets hotter faster, and tell them they don't have the antioxidant compounds and this like, and they start explaining, oh, the wire is coated in formaldehyde and like all these things. And though that's the technical truth, it does nothing for the customer to understand what they're up against. So when I say educate the client, I mean speak in layman's terms that they'll understand. Like instead of we're gonna install arc fault shutoffs, okay, we're gonna install spark sensing emergency shutoffs. One explains what it does in a way that the customer can say, Well, what did he offer you? Well, it's a special kind of shutoff that if he sees any sparks, it'll just kill the whole circuit. Okay, you think that was a good idea? Yeah, I don't want any sparks in my home, great, send. That's what I mean more by an education. Something that they can actually take away from. And even if they are like, I have about two left hands, I don't own a screwdriver, but I understand what Joe's doing and I know why he's doing it, and I'm happy to move forward with that because I think it's the right decision.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's big. I always bring this back to the Carfax Homefax analogy because I think there's a major injustice. I mean, we can see vehicle uh usage reports and history, maintenance, uh insurance claims, all that stuff, but you don't see it on a house unless you buy from someone that was a great owner, had the file cabinet completely organized, saved all their e-documents and forward that over with the USB and the files and everything. But how rare is that? I mean, usually we're relying on a home inspector, and in our area, like home inspections, like a year to two years uh experience certification course. Uh I I know Joe, you and I have this in common. Like, we had to do like 40 weeks of training, four years of apprenticeship to become an electrician, and then we had to go further to get our master's license. That was true for you too, right? I needed 11 years before I could sit for the test.
SPEAKER_01:Like it was nuts.
SPEAKER_02:Incredible. So, how could a home inspector live up to that? And that's where I think this ties perfectly back into my own question for here there on that devil's advocate uh mission was to explore, okay, where is that responsibility? Why does that lie with us? So, would you say it's that it would be fair to express that electricians kind of know this or should know this, but maybe the only gap between them doing the right thing for homeowners is actually just in the way that they're able to communicate and set up a trusting relationship where they're actually able to explain the things that they know from their experience and knowledge.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So I can give a perfect example to this and what good looks like and what bad can also look like. So you walk into the home, the customer calls you for the GFI that's tripped on the countertop, but you follow the play, you go look at the panel, you find it's a federal Pacific. You see that it's got no dead front, that the wires are just sticking out through the front and coming into it. Obviously, every red alarm is going off of the electrician. The problem is that when they sit down at the kitchen table, that's the first thing they start talking about. And they're listening and telling about the brand and how it's a fire hazard. And the customer doesn't care. They're like, why are you telling me this? That has nothing to do with my kitchen countertop not working. So the reason why it would be done correctly is one, we've gotten permission. The customer willingly, voluntarily gave us permission to talk about things. We checked at the beginning of the call and we reconfirmed it at the end of the call before even telling them anything about it. We then stick to the first thing, the relevant thing, and then only cross that bridge when we can prove there's a relevant connection. Either this is directly being fed from it, or this is the circuit that's being controlled by it, or these are the same wiring that going back to that system that we recognize has a concern. And therefore, this is why I'm bringing it to your attention. And then also explaining how there's no pressure to take it. That it's our responsibility to educate it on it and make sure they're aware of what they're up against, but so much so saying, I have no expectation for you to take it because it is the most turnkey service, it is the most reliable, it has the most level of investment, but we also do things more economically that you might have expected the range to be at. You choose whatever you think is best for you and your family, I'll be here to support you. How would you like to proceed? Smart.
SPEAKER_02:I like it. I like it. So, of course, no one's gonna proceed in a transaction without the no like and the trust. I think that's needs to be said, right? Without trust, there's no transaction.
SPEAKER_01:Even more so. Like the thing is that we need to be that person that they like and trust primarily before we're even someone that they want to hire. Because the thing is, is that when we start talking about these concerns and we bring to the attention things we're recognizing, they're putting all of their faith in not only are we educated, but that we're doing it for altruistic motives. Like you could be a very smart electrician and be respected, but you can also not be trusted. The trust has to be there. Because if it's not anything you suggest, the customer is gonna believe, well, well, why are you telling me this? Like, what do you what do you get out by letting me know that I have aluminum wire? It's been here for 60 years. I've never had a problem. Why now do you tell me? Is it because I only have a bad is only bad outlet? Is that what it is? You need to make your so if they don't trust you and like you, you can't even help them, even if you're doing it for the right reasons.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, okay, let's go deeper on this. The definitive trust list. Where does trust come from then, Joe? What are some activities, some things, actual tactics that we're using in our loop method process or any process for that matter, to build trust with homeowners that don't know you from a hole in the ground?
SPEAKER_01:So if you allow me to touch on it lightly, I can talk about we employ a lot of psychology, but also a lot of body language and tonality control in what we do. Because it's not always what you say, it's how you look or how you sound when you're saying it. So let's start with the beginning of the process. Now, normally there are some people who will look at your truck from the window or look at you via the camera. So, what we do is we make sure that we're ready and visible and smiling in presentation mode the moment we step out of our van. And we're walking with confidence all the way to the front door. We knock, we step two steps back to be more than three feet away from the door, our hands are directly in front of us, our shoulders are back, and we smile. Now, what this is implying is there's a pretty quick transition in someone making almost like a tactical safety assessment. If you open the door and someone's too close to the door, you open slower or you brace your back foot. If someone has their hands in their pockets or in their hood or behind themselves, subconsciously we perceive threat. When someone doesn't look happy, we look at it like there's a concern. So what we've alleviated here is we're out of the approachable danger zone. Our hands are visible so they can see we're not holding anything or hiding anything. Our shoulders are back demonstrating confidence, our tonality is strong but soft. And we're also smiling to show we want to be here. And then when we greet them, we express in our own vernacular, whatever is authentic to you, that we are excited to be here. We've been looking forward to meeting them, and we're really excited to help them through whatever they're going through. Just at the front door, within that microtransaction of time, within one to three seconds, we have demonstrated that we are safe and that we are trustworthy to enter the home and that we are friendly and looking forward to being there. That is the first flag planted in the process to establish we are not a threat. You can let us in safely.
SPEAKER_02:So for a technician, do you believe this is the first impression moment then? And and how important is that first impression and how long does it do even get for a first impression?
SPEAKER_01:So everyone says a first impression is the most important thing, and I can agree with that. And the reason why I say is I've seen the inverse. I've often talked about this one story, so I'll lightly touch on it, where I had a technician come to my home and he got out of the van scowling. He didn't have his tools with him, he flicked a cigarette back into the inside the van, he slammed the door, things came out of the van. Now I'm watching via camera, he doesn't see me. Gets to the front door, dusts himself off, runs back to the van, forgets something, comes back, and then he's like he's all smiling and happy. I'm like, bullshit. This guy is lying to me, he does not want to be here. This is a front. I can't trust it. Now that was within the first five seconds. So we have to imagine that the first impression is not when you see them, but when they could see you, which is why the van dash is always clear of garbage, which is why our tactical tools are in the front seat, which is why we stop a mile before we get there to empty all the garbage out or anything that when you open the door could spill out. You know, I've dropped a box of black sheetrock screws in a driveway, and the customer is watching. We pick them up with a magnet because I didn't do this step, which is why I put it into the process. So the first impression is the most important, but you delivering on it goes hand in hand. It can't just be first impression. You've got to carry that momentum, which is why we built so many steps into the process.
SPEAKER_02:Let me ask you this. And I know you often talk about being on the spectrum and what that's meant to your journey and some of the challenges you face. So I think you're maybe the best person to ask this, honestly. How do you make someone like you? If they need to know, like, and trust, how do you make someone like you?
SPEAKER_01:So that's a very difficult question. And I've been doing my best to kind of figure it out and put my finger on it. But I can give you my best first gut reaction to it. And usually it's authenticity because you may not like me, like I'm I'm straight, I'm a nerd, and I love it. I own it, I'm covered in Star Wars tattoos, like I own the thing, right? But you don't have to like me because of that. But I hope that you'd like me because I'm being exactly who I am, I'm consistent with who I am, and there's no ulterior motive behind my descriptions. So the first step is someone saying, I believe you are who you're saying you are. That's the first step. If you can show that this is who you are in and out of uniform, this trust can be established. So that could be the difference of, well, I know my tattoos are on my arms, but I'm gonna roll up my sleeve so that someone can see me as relatable. I'm gonna share something in common. I see that you like this, I like this too, but I'm actually gonna back it up with additional facts, not just, oh, I like this as well. You should buy from me. So I think it's first the authenticity and the guarantee this is who you are. At least then I can trust you enough to decide if I like you. Does that make sense?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it does. It does. And when I answer that question, I always think about networking because I'm not a small talker either. It's not my favorite thing to do. But one thing I've noticed because it's such a painful experience for me, I really don't enjoy in-person networking, meeting new people. And I like to go where I know we have something in common because I'm not a small talker. I'm like, let's dive in deep, let's get right into it. But that's actually what's what's allowed me to understand that likability in the first place. When you watch people who are key networkers, they're good at this, it's almost like 21 questions, and they're okay to be short back and forth until we find something that we have in common. And the moment you have something in common, then instead of going more shallow, uh more shallow across the surface, it starts to go deep. And with that depth, it's like a common understanding that we've both been to this place and understand it at another level. And I think that drives humanity, in fact, the groupings that we find ourselves in at all times. We're all trying to fit in a community always, and we take on that community's beliefs, just like the people that are in SLE or against it for whatever reasons they choose to be against something so great as a growth-inspired group of electricians. But it happens, and that's been my secret is I just find if you have commonality. So to me, just relating to people. Hey, you live in an area where I grew up as a kid. Wow, do you remember this place? Did you ever go to this school? You remember when Mr. Henderson's house burnt down? Like those are deeper, only you would know this. And it's a deep connection that just binds people. And in my experience, and in our experience, we've found that that and our process have overridden price so many times that people even call BS when they see the social proof of it. You know what I mean? Like, oh, we were 25,000, the next closest competitor was 15, and we still got the job. Well, it's like, well, why? That has to be no like and trust. Would you agree with that?
SPEAKER_01:Yes, but I'm gonna take it even one step further. Because some people, and this is some people really not gonna believe this, but there are some clients who won't hire you because you're not expensive enough. And let me explain what I mean by that. Some people will get quotes and they'll be like, I got a range of quotes. I hired Dan in a van, Chuck in a truck, I got all these quotes, maybe small guy, big guy, I got all these quotes, and you're presenting as this amazing person, but your quotes exactly in the same price as that guy. A little suspicious. Or they'll say, All right, everyone's quoting for the repair, but I want the renovation, and no one offered me the renovation, so I'll actually say you were too much money and I'll hire someone who's more because they provided more, but I'll tell you it's because you were too expensive, because I can get away with that. So it's not only that you're trusted and liked, but you have to offer them the range because we don't know who's gonna be. The McMansion might need the band aid, the one who's living in like the bad part of town, they may be there because they like to have liquid capital. That's fine. So be the person they can relate with, be the person they can trust, but also don't assume what they want to buy and cap your offers based on what you suspect they're gonna want.
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely great, great, great additional points on that, guys. If you want more proof of this, I urge you to go to Costco. There's a lineup out the front door of social proof of how busy this place gets. There's it's full of what you would assume is middle class spending more than they would spend at any other grocery or big box store. They bought a membership to do it just to get in the front door. You literally have to be a member, and then the customer service is excellent, and everything's jumbo size. It reminds me of uh, I think it's level three on Super Mario or Land Four, where you go to Jumbo Land. You're dating yourself there.
SPEAKER_01:I was in Wario Land, but yeah, Mario Land Super Mario original. All right, I can see it.
SPEAKER_02:Guys, we got to wrap this one up quick. So we got some great news for you, and then uh we're gonna get out of here and uh get you some more value uh brewing for next week. Ultimately, there's a ton of good things going on at SLE. Joe and I are super proud to be on season three, going into our fourth year working together. And things here at ServiceSoup Electrical and the Million Dollar Electrician are not slowing down anytime soon. That app we've been talking about is in full force. It's just about everything that we meant for it to be. We're still working so hard on it now and through 2026. And you can go and check that app out at electricserviceapp.com. And you can even sign up and join us for free weekly sessions and different tools. And even I think there's a free seven-day trial at this point where you can just upgrade and experience some of the academy and get a ton of value for free. If you're not subscribed to this podcast yet on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts, please do so. And last but not least, the reviews actually helped us out a ton. So if you get value from this, please continue to come back, get more value, but help us help other people find us by leaving us a review where you heard it first. Uh, thank you so much. Joe, anything else from you today?
SPEAKER_01:Honestly, I just wish peace and blessings on the people who are listening because I'm assuming if you're following this particular episode, there's the concern of how do I do this better? And I think it's great because if you have any doubts, come into the app. If you don't have doubts, come into the app. Either way, find out for sure. Find it for yourself and just know that we're waiting with open arms to help you. Thanks, guys. We'll see you again next week. Take care, friends.
