They've done the homework. Respect it, then tell them what the reviews don't.
They know brand names, SEER numbers, or what the neighbor paid. They ask specific questions or say 'I've been looking into this.' In many shops these visits carry the biggest tickets — about twice the company average in one real account.
Play Card
Before You Knock · Research Play- What matters most to you in what you've read?
- What have you ruled out, and why?
- What does a good outcome look like?
What it means, and how you know it's right
What it means. They've read up. They know brand names, SEER numbers, or what the neighbor paid. The customer has already decided to buy and wants to buy right.
You know it's right when they ask specific questions, quote a model number, or say 'I've been looking into this.'
How to run it
- OpenRespect the homework
- Ask what they've found.
- AskThree questions
- What matters most to them in what they've read; what they've ruled out and why; what a good outcome looks like.
- Sell onSpecifics
- The exact model, why it fits this house, the install details, what could go wrong with the cheaper option.
- If price comes upStraight
- Answer straight, then explain what the difference buys. Never dodge with a researcher.
- CloseConfirm they have what they need
- 'Is there anything you'd still want to check before we schedule it?'
The card, in this play
The decision to buy is made. This visit decides whether they buy the right thing from you, or the cheaper thing from someone else.
Dodging on price, talking down to the homework, or sending a tech who can't name the model.
When to switch into it — and out of it
Every play has a tell. The Before You Knock card on newer briefs lists them; here's the table for older ones.
| If you hear… | Switch to | First move |
|---|---|---|
| 'I read that…' / a model number / 'my neighbor paid…' | Research (you're in the right play) | Ask what they found |
| 'The last company…' | Trust | Prove before you propose |
| 'What's this going to cost me over time?' | Value | Open on the bill; the one-page comparison |
| 'Let me ask my…' | Family | Get the other person in — a researcher often has a partner who cares about something else |
Where you'll see it most
Job families are matched from the words in your job type names, which is why names that say what the visit is beat codes.
| Trade | Job families where this play shows up | First move at the door |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC | Replacement estimate | Ask what they've found before the equipment. Sell the exact model and why it fits this house. |
| Plumbing | Water heater replacement — tankless vs. tank | Who runs out of hot water first; gas or electric, and whether they want to stay with it. |
| Roofing | Inspection / estimate · Full replacement | Ask what the last roofer told them; then the specifics of this roof. |
| Garage door | Door replacement | What they want the house to look like from the street; insulated or just parking. |
| Electrical | EV charger · Generator | The car, where it parks, plans for a second EV or solar. Send the tech who knows the products and the incentives cold. |
What the office does with it
Research carries the biggest tickets in many shops — about $14,200 average in one real account, roughly twice the company average. That makes it the play where dispatch matters most: these visits go to closers, not to whoever is nearest. The Sales Plays report shows average ticket per play; if Research is your biggest, protect it.
Coaching Research is coaching product knowledge. The tech who wins it can name the exact model for this house and the one thing the reviews don't say about the install. EV charger and generator visits in electrical are Research Plays almost by definition — send the tech who knows the incentives cold.
Questions people ask
Why do Research visits carry the biggest tickets?
Because the homeowner has already decided to buy something and is trying to buy the right thing. The visit isn't about whether; it's about which. Techs who respect the homework and sell on specifics win the top-tier job.
What's the worst thing to do with a researcher?
Dodge on price. Answer straight, then explain what the difference buys. A researcher who feels handled will buy from whoever answers the question.
How should dispatch handle Research?
Rank techs on the job type first, then use the play as the tie-breaker: the replacement estimate that's a Research Play goes to the best replacement closer who is also strong on Research.
What if they've researched the wrong thing?
Ask what they've ruled out and why. Then sell on why the right unit fits this house — the install details are usually what the research missed.
Keep reading
See a Scout Brief built on a real appointment from your schedule.
A 30-minute walkthrough. We pick a recent sales visit, build the brief and the audio, and walk through Today's Play as if your tech were about to knock. You decide if it changes the call.