Amy Cottrill joins Chris Crew and Jeremy Self to unpack the people side of high-performing HVAC sales. From her path out of social work and into the trades to the way she approaches maintenance calls, Amy explains why listening, trust, authenticity, mentorship, and genuine service matter more than a perfect pitch.

She did not build her career in HVAC by becoming the loudest salesperson in the room. Her advantage came from understanding people.

In this conversation with Chris Crew and Jeremy Self, Amy reflects on the path that brought her from social work into the trades and the lessons that carried with her. A maintenance call is more than a piece of equipment and a checklist. It is an opportunity to understand the homeowner, listen for what matters, build credibility, and make recommendations from a place of genuine service.

The episode also digs into the habits behind consistent performance: staying curious, learning from strong mentors and teammates, building confidence in the value of the work, handling rejection without losing your approach, and creating a culture where people help one another improve. The takeaway is simple: strong numbers are often the result of strong relationships.

• Amy’s path from social work into HVAC

• Why people skills transfer directly into home-service sales

• Treating maintenance calls as relationship-building opportunities

• Reading the customer as carefully as the equipment

• Asking questions before making recommendations

• Trust, authenticity, and earning the right to offer options

• Balancing technical knowledge with emotional intelligence

• Presenting solutions without creating pressure

• Building confidence in the value of the work

• Learning through mentorship and strong teammates

• Handling rejection and staying consistent

• Why camaraderie and culture improve individual performance

00:00 — Meet Amy Cottrill

03:35 — From Social Work to the Trades

07:30 — Why People Skills Matter on a Service Call

11:10 — The Opportunity Inside a Maintenance Call

15:05 — Read the Customer, Not Just the Equipment

18:55 — Ask Better Questions and Listen

22:55 — Build Trust Before You Recommend

26:50 — Present Options Without Pressure

30:45 — Confidence, Belief, and Customer Value

34:35 — Mentorship, Teammates, and Getting Better

38:35 — Handling Rejection and Staying Consistent

42:15 — Culture and Camaraderie in the Trades

45:20 — People First, Sales Follow

On your next maintenance call, delay the recommendation. Ask one more question than you normally would, listen for what the homeowner actually values, and make sure your options solve that problem—not simply the problem you expected to find.

In this ICYMI cut, Corey Fore explains why sustainable HVAC sales performance does not come from one magic technique. It comes from a million small things: keeping the customer’s best interest first, educating clearly, presenting meaningful options, and letting the homeowner choose without pressure.

Corey Fore can point to strong numbers—including a reported quarter with the highest average ticket and approximately $1.2 million in sales—but he does not credit one script, trick, or closing technique for the result.

In this ICYMI highlight, Corey explains that there are no silver bullets. The real work is a million little things done consistently, beginning with how you approach the customer and carrying through every recommendation. From the knock at the door forward, the customer’s best interest has to stay at the center.

That philosophy shows up most clearly in the way Corey presents options. Instead of deciding what a homeowner can afford or pushing one answer, he educates, explains the tradeoffs, and gives people meaningful choices so they can decide what is best for themselves. The lesson is simple: strong sales performance and customer-first service do not have to compete when trust is built into the process.

• A reported $1.2 million quarter and highest-average-ticket result

• Why belief, accountability, and mentors matter

• Why there is no sales silver bullet

• The million little details behind sustainable performance

• Keeping the customer’s best interest first

• Building trust from the first knock at the door

• Educating homeowners instead of pressuring them

• Giving customers meaningful options at different levels

• Not spending the customer’s money for them

• Letting the homeowner choose what is best for their situation

00:00 — Mentors, Belief, and the Results Setup

01:02 — A $1.2 Million Quarter

01:21 — What Really Drives the Results?

02:10 — No Silver Bullet: A Million Little Things

02:27 — The Customer’s Best Interest First

03:06 — Give People Options and Let Them Choose

05:12 — Educate, Don’t Push

Review one of your team’s common repair or replacement recommendations. Build three clear, meaningful options, explain the tradeoffs without steering the customer toward your preferred price point, and make the customer’s best interest the standard for how each option is presented.