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Why Humanizing Your Brand Is the Smartest Move You Can Make

Author

Eric Thomas
July 21, 2025

Happy Monday!

Let me hit you with a hard truth: most homeowners don’t trust contractors.

Not because of you, but because of the years of bad experiences, shady upsells, and one-and-done service calls that left them feeling burned.

(Sounds a lot like experiences you’ve likely had with marketers 😅)

That’s why the first thing I teach in The HOME Advantage is this: Humanize Your Brand.

Because in home services, you’re not just selling repairs—you’re selling peace of mind. And that starts with trust.

Here’s what I’ve found works again and again:

✅ Show real people. Ditch the stock photos. Use pictures of your techs, your CSRs, your team meetings. Let people see the humans behind the business.

✅ Tell honest stories. Share customer wins, team milestones, even challenges you’ve overcome. Your audience doesn’t expect perfection; they expect authenticity.

✅ Lead with empathy. When someone’s water heater bursts or their AC dies in a heatwave, they want to hear, “We’ve got you,” not a sales pitch.

✅ Be consistent. From the truck wrap to the way you answer the phone, every touchpoint should reinforce your values and personality.

It’s easy to chase gimmicks and promos. But if you want customers who don’t just buy once—but buy again and refer you to their neighbors—you need to earn their trust first.

And trust is built through connection.

If your marketing isn’t making people feel something, it’s not working hard enough.

👉 Action Step: Choose one team member this week—maybe a tech, dispatcher, or installer—and feature them on your social media with a photo and a short caption about who they are and what they do.

Example: “Meet Sarah! She’s one of the friendly voices you hear when you call us. Fun fact: she’s also a weekend soccer coach!”

Let’s make it a good week!

-Eric

P.S. If this is your first time receiving this newsletter—welcome! You might be thinking, “Wait… how did I get on this list?”

Fair question. From time to time, we refresh our subscriber list with updated rosters from top industry groups. My agency, Rival Digital, is a preferred partner of Service Nation, so if you’re a member there, that’s probably how you found your way here. 😎

Feel free to unsubscribe anytime—no hard feelings (my ego will survive). But I think you’ll dig the free marketing tips and insights we share here—my mom says they’re great, and she’s brutally honest.

Hope to see you at Service World Expo this fall!