Build Instant Trust with Trade Customers by “Unselling” Your Premium Option
Want to build trust instantly? Unsell your top option.
Here’s a bold strategy that flips traditional sales wisdom on its head: the quickest way to earn a client’s trust is to tell them not to buy your most expensive option.
Sounds counterintuitive? Stick with me.
The Power of the “Good, Better, Best” Pricing Model
If you've ever provided a quote for plumbing, electrical, HVAC, or construction work, you’ve probably given a single price maybe two. But by structuring your quotes into a Good, Better, Best model, you transform the sales conversation.
Instead of just delivering a price, you offer choices. That choice empowers the customer they feel in control. And that shifts the dynamic.
Why It Works
Let’s say I’m quoting a solar installation for Glenn. I present three tiers:
Good – Basic package: covers essentials, gets the job done.
Better – Most popular: ideal value with essential features.
Best – Premium package: includes all the bells and whistles.
Then I say:
“To be honest, Glenn, that premium package has features I don’t think you’d actually use. It’s solid, but for what you need, the mid-tier option will give you the best bang-for-buck.”
Suddenly Glenn thinks:
“Whoa - you just told me not to buy the most expensive one? I trust you.”
And that’s exactly the shift, it turns you from salesperson into trusted advisor.
But You’ve Got to Build That Top Option First
Here’s the catch: you can’t unsell the premium package if you don’t offer it. Without that high-end option, you miss your best opportunity to demonstrate honesty and integrity.
Step one: Always create a well-defined Good‑Better‑Best quote structure.
Step two: When it truly serves the client, nudge them away from overkill and toward the best-fitting option.
It’s not about losing a sale, it’s about winning trust. And in trade businesses, trust yields repeat work, referrals, and long-term success far more than the flashiest package ever will.
Kirk Neal - Trade Business Growth Coach
