Pro tips
Salespeople are used to being recorded, scored, and coached. Technicians usually aren't, even though in restoration, plumbing, and most trades they play a dual role. They diagnose and do the work, and they also recommend products, propose options, and present the price.
Most techs were hired for their skill with tools, not their skill at selling. So for many of them, a recording feels less like coaching and more like being watched.
That's why the rollout that works for a sales team often backfires with techs. The good news: technicians adopt Porter just as well once they see it as a tool that works for them. This guide covers how to get there, with a step-by-step roadmap and the exact words to use.
Why technicians push back
Resistance usually isn't about the app. It's about what technicians think the recording means. The most common worries:
“They don't trust me.” Recording can feel like a signal that management is looking for mistakes.
“I'm not a salesperson.” Most techs do sell, but they don't see themselves that way. Coaching that sounds like sales training feels like pressure to upsell, which clashes with their pride in honest work.
“This will be used against me.” Without clear rules, people assume the worst about how recordings will be used.
“It's one more thing to do.” Techs already juggle tools, parts, and paperwork. Anything that slows them down gets skipped.
“It feels awkward in someone's home.” Recording in a customer's kitchen feels different from a sales presentation.
Every one of these is reasonable. Your rollout needs to answer each one, ideally before anyone has to ask.
Approach techs differently from salespeople
Your techs do sell. But they sell differently than salespeople. Their credibility comes from their expertise, not their pitch: the customer says yes because they trust the person who just found the problem.
So don't separate the work from the sale. Salespeople are motivated by closing. Technicians are motivated by craft: doing the job right, being trusted, and not having to go back for problems they could have prevented. Coach both sides of the role through that lens.
With salespeople | With technicians | |
How they sell | A presentation and a close | Their diagnosis and expertise |
Lead with | Close rates and commission | Customer trust, fewer misunderstandings, and protection |
Frame coaching as | Winning more deals | Recommending the right fix so customers say yes with confidence |
First focus | Objection handling and closing | Explaining what they found, presenting options, and setting expectations |
Feedback style | Scores and rankings | Private, specific, and starting with what went well |
Pace | Full rollout from day one | Start small, build trust, then expand |
Proof that works | Leaderboards | A respected tech saying it helped |
A useful rule: coach the selling as part of the work, not as something separate. “Push the maintenance plan” becomes “Make sure the customer knows how to avoid this happening again, and what their options are.”
The rollout roadmap
With salespeople, you can turn Porter on and start coaching the same week. With technicians, earn trust first. Each phase below builds on the last.
A few notes on the phases:
Pick early adopters carefully. Choose techs the rest of the team respects, not just the ones who like new tools. When a respected tech says “it actually helped,” it carries more weight than anything a manager says.
Keep the pilot positive. For the first few weeks, every piece of feedback should be about something done well. You're proving that recordings lead to recognition, not trouble.
Let an early adopter lead the launch. Have them share a moment from one of their visits and what they got out of it.
Start coaching with one focus area. Explaining what they found before giving the price is a good first one. It connects the work to the recommendation, helps customers say yes, and doesn't feel pushy.
What to say
The words you use in the first few weeks shape how techs see Porter for good. Use these as a starting point and put them in your own voice.
Introducing Porter to the team
“We're starting to use a tool called Porter to record our customer visits. I want to be upfront about why. This isn't about catching anyone or checking up on you. You're good at what you do. You're the expert in that home, and customers decide based on how well you explain what you found and what you recommend. When they don't understand the problem or why it costs what it does, we lose jobs and get complaints. Porter helps us get better at explaining our work and our recommendations, and it protects you if a customer ever disputes what was said. For the first few weeks, I'm only going to point out things you're doing well.”
Giving the first piece of feedback
Start with something specific they did well, and keep it private.
“I listened to your visit at the Hendersons'. The way you showed them the corroded part and explained why it failed was excellent. That's exactly why customers trust us. Keep doing that.”
Once trust is built, introduce improvement as a question, not a correction:
“In this visit, the customer seemed surprised by the price at the end. What do you think would help them see it coming?”
Answering common objections
When a tech says… | You can say… |
“You don't trust me.” | “I do. That's why the first thing I'll use it for is showing the team what you do well. It's also your proof if a customer ever says you said something you didn't.” |
“I'm a tech, not a salesperson.” | “Right, and I don't want you to become a pushy salesperson. But you do recommend what the customer needs. When you explain what you found and lay out the options clearly, more customers say yes to the right fix. That's good for them, and good for you.” |
“This will be used to write people up.” | “Here's how we'll use it: for coaching and to protect you in disputes. It won't be used to go looking for reasons to discipline anyone.” |
“I don't have time for this.” | “Press record when you walk in. That's it. Porter takes care of the notes and the follow-up reminders.” |
“It's weird recording in someone's house.” | “It feels that way at first. Try: ‘I record my visits so I don't miss anything you tell me.’ Most customers appreciate it.” |
Only promise what your company will actually stand behind. If you say recordings won't be used for discipline, that has to be true.
Mistakes to avoid
Leading with scores. Showing a tech a low score in week one confirms every fear about being judged. Hold off on scores until trust is built.
Public comparisons. Leaderboards can motivate salespeople, but they can embarrass techs. Recognize wins publicly and coach privately.
Using a recording to discipline in the first months. Do it once, and the whole team stops recording. Handle serious issues through your normal process.
Coaching on everything at once. Pick one behavior at a time, like explaining the problem before giving the price.
Rolling out and walking away. Adoption drops if techs don't hear back. If they record, they need to know someone is listening, and that it's helping.
Trust first, coaching second
Technicians don't need to be sold on Porter. They need to trust it, and see that it helps with both sides of the job: doing the work and recommending the right solution. That trust comes from what you do in the first few weeks: who goes first, what you say, and whether the first feedback they hear is about something they did well.
Get that right, and techs stop seeing Porter as something done to them. They start seeing it as what it is: a tool that helps them do great work and get credit for it.
