How to Win Customers and Influence Sales in the Home Services Industry

February 27, 2024

For businesses in the home services industry, there is opportunity behind every door. This industry continues to grow, with people staying in their homes longer – thanks high interest rates – repairs and services are more common.

To make it in this fast-growing $657 Billion industry, you can’t waste a single handshake or conversation. You need to be armed with the best strategies to grow your business – and selling is core to growing any business. After all, no property inspection, repair, or installation will happen without first closing the sale.

That’s why I have curated the last list of sales books you will ever need to read. Forget the rest, these books will be worth their weight in gold to your business. The first three books may seem like outliers in a salesperson’s library, but they are the bedrock on which you will build your skills. They are not sales books, but the seminal works on human psychology, persuasion, and negotiation that will set you apart from the masses of mediocre salespeople.

Top Ten Sales Books for Home Services Professionals

“How to Win Friends and Influence People”
Author: Dale Carnegie.
This isn’t a sales book; it’s the sales book. Carnegie’s timeless wisdom on connecting with people is the foundation of any successful sales strategy. It’s about seeing the person on the other side of the table not as a target but as a human being, with desires, fears, and the need to be understood. This book isn’t just for reading; it’s for internalizing, a manual on how to navigate the human psyche.

Review Excerpt: “One can truly draw a lifetime of benefit from reading this book and reviewing its materials from time to time.”
“Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion”
Author: Robert Cialdini
Understand the science behind why people say “yes,” and you’ve got a key that unlocks any door. Cialdini’s six principles of persuasion are your six new best friends. Great for selling and essential for marketing your business too (says this marketer).
Review Excerpt: “”Whether you are on the selling or buying end of any transaction, knowing what Mr Cialdini discovered through years of research and testing will be to your financial advantage. (But) ‘Influence’ is not just about money. It is a guide to getting what you want or need in a fair and ethical manner.”
“Never Split the Difference”
Author: Chris Voss
Negotiation isn’t about compromise; it’s about winning. Voss, an ex-FBI hostage negotiator, teaches you how to negotiate as if your life (or your livelihood) depends on it. Because guess what? It does.
Book Quote: “It’s not every day that you come across a read that transforms a seemingly daunting topic into something so accessible and downright exciting.”
“The Challenger Sale”
Author: Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson
If you’re still pushing a benefit like that will do the trick, you’re living in the past. Dixon and Adamson show you how to take control of the conversation and lead your customer to the promised land.
Book Quote: “While the Challenger is focused on customer value, the Relationship Builder is more concerned with customer convenience.”
“The Psychology of Selling”
Author: Brian Tracy
Mapping out the psychology of your customer makes selling faster and easier – and Tracy provides the blueprint. He lays it out in simple terms you can apply before you’ve even finished reading.
Review Excerpt: “Can I recommend this book? Without a doubt, it is one of the greatest investment one can make in the search for excellence.”
“Fanatical Prospecting”
Author: Jeb Blount
The pipeline is your lifeline. Blount’s no-excuses approach to filling it will make you wonder why you ever worried about leads in the first place. Great for someone who looking for more leads.
Review Excerpt: “Just as elite athletes focus on their statistics, elite salespeople need to do so, too.”
“To Sell is Human”
Author: Daniel H. Pink
Pink redefines sales for the modern era, proving that everyone is in sales, whether they like it or not. Embrace it and learn how to do it better. Whether you’re pitching a big job or trying to get your kid to eat his carrots, Pink can help.
Review Excerpt: “When you consider that our whole purpose in life is to influence others, from asking a teenager to clean their room or friends to spend time with you – in fact wanting anyone to spend their time, effort and energy anywhere – it is a wonder that moving others in a non-selling sense is not understood more widely.”
“Way of the Wolf”
Author: Jordan Belfort.
Controversial? Yes. A convicted felon? Yes. Remember all that went you hop on for this intense approach to sales. Say what you will about Belfort, but he is a gifted seller. He’s also the only one on this list to have Leonardo DiCaprio play him on the big screen!
Review Excerpt: “I loved how pragmatic this book is. Everything you learn here can be applied straight away.”
“Secrets of Closing the Sale”
Author: Zig Ziglar.
Ziglar’s legendary status in the sales world is well-earned. His closing techniques aren’t just effective; they’re essential…frankly, most everyone reading this article should have read this book already.
Review Excerpt: “Every professional, regardless of what you believe, is a sales professional. And every sales professional should read this book (and any other book or audio program by Ziglar) to master their chosen profession.”
“Door-to-Door Millionaire”
Author: Lenny Gray.
Think door-to-door is dead? Think again. Gray’s tactics are gold for anyone in direct sales, making this the sleeper hit of your sales library. It may be less read than the others, but it’s tailor-made for home services.
Review excerpt: “I was thoroughly intimidated until I got this book. The techniques are simple, and if the scenarios can be applied, you will like you’re swimming with the current.”

When you started in home services, you probably thought you were a contractor, a roofer, or small business owner. By now you must realize you are really in the sales business. Now that you realize that, make no mistake. Reading isn’t enough. These are to be studied and applied, drilled into your subconscious until they become second nature. So, get to it. Your success isn’t going to build itself.

PS – Are you a roofer looking to increase your sales? Check out the top 10 proven tips to increase residential roofing sales here.

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Ethan Kirk

Ethan is the AVP of Marketing and press contact at Loveland Innovations. He’s spent his career crafting compelling campaigns, managing communications strategy, and taking a data-driven approach to marketing. Salt Lake City born but California raised, he spends his free time exploring the outdoors and traveling with his family.