Mastering Emotional Intelligence: The Hidden Tool in Every Plumber's Arsenal

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Ever walked into a customer's home with sewage flooding their basement and tension filling the air? That moment isn't just about your technical skills—it's about your emotional intelligence. And mastering it could be the game-changer your plumbing business needs.

The most respected person on a job site isn't always the most technically skilled—it's the one who stays calm when everything goes sideways. This powerful insight sits at the heart of what makes successful plumbers stand out in an increasingly competitive industry. While most training focuses on tools and techniques, the ability to read a room, manage your reactions, and guide anxious customers through high-stress situations often determines whether you close the sale or leave empty-handed.

This deep dive into emotional intelligence for plumbing professionals introduces two transformative phrases that can change every customer interaction: "I need" and "I can tell." Rather than appearing weak, these phrases establish clear boundaries and demonstrate leadership. They help you navigate trigger situations—like being watched while running a camera or getting blamed for pre-existing damage—with confidence and control. Through practical examples and real-world scenarios, you'll learn how to read customer body language, respond to unspoken concerns, and transform potentially confrontational situations into opportunities for connection and trust building. The result? More closed jobs, fewer callbacks, and a reputation that sets you apart not just as a technician, but as a true professional.

Ready to upgrade your emotional toolkit? This isn't about being "soft"—it's about being smart, strategic, and unstoppable. Share this episode with your team, especially those who need it most, and watch how small changes in communication can lead to significant improvements in your bottom line.

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Episode Transcript

Corey Berrier (00:00):
Hey there, welcome to another episode of
the Successful Life Podcast.
I'm your host, Corey Berrier,and today we're going to be
covering something that doesn'tget very much attention in this
industry, but once you learn it,it changes everything.
I'm not talking about a newjetter or a better camera, or

(00:21):
even pricing strategy.
What I am talking about isemotional intelligence not the
soft stuff, but the smart stuff.
Because in the world of drainsand plumbing, where you're
pulling a toilet, hydrogating agrease line or diagnosing a
collapsed main your ability tostay calm, read the customer and

(00:47):
handle stress will either makeor break the sale.
So today we're digging into howto become emotionally fluid in
high-pressure jobs, how to nameyour needs and stay in control,
how to read your customers andrespond with confidence, and how

(01:07):
to simple phrases like I needand I can tell can flip the
script.
When tensions rise, let's divein.
So in this business, it's notjust about the tools.
Let's face it.
Plumbing and drain cleaning canbe straight up chaotic.

(01:28):
You walk into a job and there'ssewage in the basement, a
customer in a full-blown panicand a tight crawl space waiting
on you.
In those moments, your abilityto stay grounded and communicate
with confidence is morevaluable than the tools in your

(01:48):
truck.
The truth is, you don't have tobe the loudest guy on the job
to be the most respected.
It's the one that stays calmwhen things go sideways that
leads the room.
What is emotional intelligencein the plumbing world?
Let's strip the fluff and breakthis down in plain English.

(02:12):
Emotional intelligence, oftenreferred to as EQ, means knowing
when you're getting frustrated,staying cool when the customer
gets heated, staying cool whenthe customer gets heated,
understanding what people arereally feeling, even when they
don't say it, and choosing yourwords with intention, not

(02:34):
emotion.
If you've ever felt likeyelling back at a customer,
questioning your price or blamedyou for a 30-year cast iron
line, you felt that trigger,pause, redirect and still close

(02:55):
the job.
Emotional fluency, job sightpower.
Emotional fluency is likelearning a new tool.
Once you know how to use it,the whole job gets easier.
What does this mean?
Naming what you feel, Statingwhat you need clearly watching

(03:18):
how customers react andadjusting your tone and pace to
meet them.
Let me be real with you here.
Most plumbers were never taughtthis.
We were taught to work hard,solve problems and keep it
moving, but communicationfeelings that wasn't in the
training manual.

(03:38):
So when you start showing upwith this kind of awareness, you
stand out immediately.
Two phrases that changeeverything.
Here are two tools that I'vetaught over and over and they
work every time.
The first one is I need.

(03:58):
This isn't weak, it's clear andsets boundaries.
Instead of saying, dude, thisis ridiculous, I'm out, say I
need five minutes to cool offand come back with a solution.
It helps you take ownership ofyour emotions without blaming
others.
Some other examples I needclarification before I start

(04:19):
this repair, or I need supporton pricing this out correctly.
I don't want to guess.
Next is I can tell this helpsyou call out emotions without
igniting them.
Here's an example I can tellthis is frustrating.
Let me walk you through whatI'm seeing so we can fix it.

(04:41):
You're now showing the customer.
You see them, hear them and areleading them to a solution.
Some triggers to watch for ondrain calls.
Let's talk about the real lifemoments when this stuff matters.
Here are some triggers in thefield the customer's watching

(05:06):
you while you run the camera,getting blamed for damage you
didn't cause, being rushed orquestioned while you're in
mid-diagnosis getting flack foroffering the high-end repair
first.
What happens next?
You clench your jaw, your tonechanges.
You shut down or get short.

(05:27):
Boom Trust is gone.
Sales shaky.
Boom Trust is gone.
Sales shaky Instead.
Try this.
I could tell I'm gettingdefensive.
I want to make sure I answereverything clearly, so just give
me a second.

(05:48):
You name it and slow it down.
You just shifted from reactiveto respected.
You want to read your customerlike a pro.
Emotional intelligence isn'tjust internal, it's also
external.
You have to know when acustomer is feeling overwhelmed

(06:12):
but doesn't want to say it.
Distrustful because of past badexperiences, embarrassed by the
condition of their home, upsetbut quiet.
Here's what to look for shortanswers, discomfort over
explaining, fear of being takenadvantage of, advantage of

(06:43):
consistent questioning, lack oftrust.
What do you do?
Slow it down, calm it down,take control.
Here's an example.
I can tell you're not sureabout this.
Want me to break it downvisually or show you what the
camera is seeing.

(07:03):
That kind of leadership closesjobs.
Here's some examples from thefield.
So let's get practical here.
First scenario the angry you'retoo expensive customer.
You I can tell you'refrustrated.
This isn't a small issue and Iknow it's a big decision.
Let's walk through why it costs, what it does and what it

(07:26):
prevents long-term.
You validated, you slowed yourpace, you reestablished trust.
Scenario two a panickedhomeowner with sewage in the
basement.
I can tell this is overwhelming.
Let's get the line open first,so you're not dealing with more

(07:46):
damage, and then we'll walkthrough your options step by
step.
Notice the shift from chaos tocalm.
That's emotional intelligencein action.
So here are some things you canask yourself.
What triggered me today?

(08:08):
What did I feel physically?
Tension, heat, fast talking.
What did I need in that moment?
Did I react or did I respond?
How can I handle it better nexttime?
You don't need a therapist tobuild emotional intelligence.

(08:29):
You need awareness and honesty.
So what you can do as a servicemanager or an owner, whoever is
the leader in your company, isrole play this with your team.
And you would like?
Here's an example.
Try this, try these exerciseshave one guy play a pissed off

(08:53):
customer, the other plays theplumber.
Start with a reactive responseand then pause.
Now redo it using I can tell.
Or I need.
Here's an example Customer,this is highway robbery.
My cousin said this should havecost half this much.

(09:17):
Old response that's just whatit is, man.
New response I can tell thisisn't sitting right with you.
Let me explain what we're doing, how we price it and what it
prevents.
If it still doesn't feel right,we can look at other options.
Here you stay in control andyou're leading the room.

(09:39):
The real return on investment ofemotional intelligence is is
massive.
Here's why it matters to yourbusiness.
You close more jobs becausepeople trust you.
Faster, you get fewercomplaints and callbacks.
Your team culture improvesbecause everyone learns how to
handle conflict like adults and,most importantly, you build a

(10:02):
reputation not just as a plumber, but as a professional, but as
a professional.
Just remember, you don't needto be loud, you need to be clear
.
Let's wrap this up If you wantto stand out in this industry.
It's not about talking more.
It's not about being tougher.

(10:25):
It's not about shuttingemotions down.
It's about reading the moment,leading the conversation and
owning your tone and presence.
So here's a few things you canwork on this week Use I need
when things get stressful.
Use I can tell to de-escalateand connect.

(10:54):
Journal one job a day andreflect on it.
Teach your team how to handleheat with clarity.
This is how real professionalsrise above the noise and folks.
That's today's episode.
I hope you enjoyed this episodeon the Successful Life podcast.
If it gave you a new way toapproach your next call, share
it with your team.
Hell, send it to the guy whoneeds it most, because the truth

(11:17):
is, emotional intelligencedoesn't make you soft, it makes
you unstoppable.
Catch you next time and then,until then God, I got my words
mixed up because I got tooexcited.
I didn't use my emotionalintelligence there.
Until then, stay calm, staysharp and keep closing.

(11:42):
We'll see you guys next week.
Uh.