The $9M Storytelling Secret

I recently interviewed Lacey Coleman, an HVAC owner who's crushing it in her market ($9m/year). 

Lacey was telling me about a customer… The family loved eating outdoors on their patio. Their old AC unit was loud – really loud. When Lacey's tech arrived for a replacement estimate, he didn't lead with specs or SEER ratings.

Instead, he painted a picture:

"You can go with the base unit, but it's going to be loud. Every time you're out here having dinner with your family, you'll have to talk over that roar. But with this premium unit, you can keep enjoying these moments – the conversations, the laughter, recording videos of the kids – without any background noise ruining it."

The family upgraded to the more expensive unit without hesitation. That’s the power of using stories to solve problems. 

A great story can transform a nice-to-have upgrade into a need-to-have solution by helping the customer visualize the value.

I see this pattern everywhere in home services. The companies that win aren't the ones with the best technical presentations, they're the ones that help customers feel the value.

Think about it: When you're deciding between an $8K and $11K AC unit, the $3K difference over 10 years becomes insignificant when you realize it means:

Suddenly, paying extra isn't about the unit’s power or efficiency ratings. It's about protecting and enjoying family moments.

If customers feel the value is $1 more than the cost, they buy.

Stories get them there. Spec sheets don't.

Here's what really hit me about Lacey's story: It's not just about upselling products.

She's a single mom who's owned her HVAC company for 15 years. Her dad started it. She grew up in the area. She's raising two daughters while running the business.

Compare that to her private equity-backed competitor across town – owned by some multi-billion dollar fund that's never set foot in her city.

Who are you buying from?

In the service industry more often than not people buy from people, not brands.

That's why you see CEOs building personal brands. Elon IS Tesla. Brian Chesky IS Airbnb. If you're a local home service owner, you should be the face of your company in your community.

Because private equity can outspend you all day. They can go negative for years to bleed you out. But they can't out-story you.

The power of storytelling isn't just for owners. You can train your entire team to use it. Here's how:

1. Document your stories

Think about conversations you've had with customers where you naturally told a story that led to a sale. Write those down. Most owners are doing this instinctively but never teaching it.

2. Create a conversation structure

You don't need a robotic script, but your techs should know the key elements to hit in every customer conversation. Always include something that makes the customer think "yep, you get it" – show you understand their problem.

3. Use social proof stories

Instead of saying "this is a great product," say "I just worked with another family who had the same issue. After we installed this system, they told me it was the best decision they made for their home."

You're just the messenger. Much more powerful than self-promotion.

4. Train through role-playing

Have your team practice telling these stories until they're natural. Record yourself delivering the perfect pitch, then use that to train others.

5. Put stories in all your materials

Don't just nail the in-person conversation. Put storytelling in your follow-up emails, your proposals, your website – every touchpoint should reinforce the human connection.

One exercise that changed everything for me: I sat down and wrote out how incentives changed my life. It forced me to really understand my own story – how I went from sleeping in my living room to building companies that got acquired.

When I published that story:

Your origin story isn't just for sales – it's for recruiting, retention, and building trust in your community.

If you're a fifth-generation business, or your dad started the company, or you grew up in the area – tell that story. Make it part of your brand.

This week I was joined by Alex Borkin of Elevate General Construction. Alex is based in Los Angeles and took his business from zero to $800k in just eight months!

Check out the episode below or listen on Spotify: