The Gift of Responsibility: A Service Sales Coach’s Blueprint for Growth and Success

The Gift of Responsibility: How to Use Ownership to Drive Sales and Business Growth

By Joe Crisara

Welcome to the Service MVP Blog, where I show service professionals like you how to create more value, achieve bigger results, and grow your business. I’m Joe Crisara, America’s Service Sales Coach, and today, I want to teach you one of the most powerful principles in both life and sales the gift of responsibility.

This lesson is inspired by a conversation I had with my good friend and sales legend, Rick Picard. Rick’s journey from installing furnaces in 1979 to generating over $12 million in annual sales is no accident. His success started when he embraced full responsibility for every outcome good or bad in his career and personal life.

Watch the full podcast episode here: The Gift of Responsibility: A Service Sales Coach’s Blueprint for Growth and Success

or

Listen to the full podcast episode here: The Gift of Responsibility: A Service Sales Coach’s Blueprint for Growth and Success

 
Why Responsibility is the Foundation of Sales Success

Let me be clear: Responsibility is not just a business skill it’s a life skill.

When I coach service professionals, I see this missing piece all the time. Many people are quick to blame the economy, cheap customers, or competitors. But when you take complete ownership of your outcomes, everything changes.

Rick put it perfectly:

“Once I realized I could control my outcomes instead of blaming the competition or economy, everything changed.”
If you want to see explosive growth in your sales and business, responsibility must become your default mindset.

 
From Blame to Breakthrough

Let’s get personal for a moment. Rick shared a powerful story about his daughter and her fiancé. Their relationship was struggling because both were stuck in blame mode. But when each took responsibility for their actions, the relationship healed, and growth became possible.

This is exactly what I teach in sales coaching:

Stop blaming “cheap customers” or “bad leads.”
Start asking, “What can I do better next time?”
Responsibility gives you the power to fix problems instead of waiting for someone else to change.

 
How Responsibility Builds Customer Trust

In service sales, trust is the currency of success. When you take responsibility, your clients feel it not just in what you say, but in what you do.

Tangible Ways to Show Responsibility:

-Presenting high, mid, and economy options so the client can choose what’s best for them.
-Offering long-term warranties and affordable financing options.
-Preparing detailed, organized project information for your installers.
-Providing personalized, motive-driven solutions instead of one-size-fits-all quotes.
-Intangible Ways to Show Responsibility:
-Meeting face-to-face to explain estimates instead of just emailing numbers.
-Advocating for the client, even if it means recommending a lower-cost solution.
-Owning your mistakes and delivery process without pointing fingers.

Rick sells HVAC systems that cost over $50,000 not because he’s lucky, but because he takes full responsibility for making it affordable and valuable through financing, clear communication, and trust-building.

 
Taking Responsibility Within Your Team

Responsibility doesn’t stop with customers. it also applies to how you work with your team.

The best sales professionals I know don’t blame their project managers, installers, or coworkers. Instead, they ask:
“What can I do to improve communication and collaboration?”

Rick excels at this because he:

-Creates detailed videos and job notes for installers.
-Collaborates with project managers during weekly planning sessions.
-Attends leadership and business development seminars to constantly level up.

Remember this rule:

“If a job goes wrong, ask: ‘What could I have done better?’ Not ‘Who screwed this up?’”

 
Pure Motive Service: A Framework for Responsibility

One of Rick’s biggest contributions to the industry is the concept of Pure Motive Service a philosophy we live by at Service MVP.

Pure Motive Service means:

-Putting the customer first always.
-Taking full responsibility for how you communicate, deliver, and follow up.
-Offering solutions without pressure and with total transparency.

This approach is not just good ethics. it’s good business. It leads to higher trust, better close rates, and stronger customer loyalty.

 
Final Thoughts: Responsibility is a Gift

Responsibility is not a burden it’s a gift. It gives you the power to grow, earn trust, and lead with confidence. Whether you’re improving your sales process, leading a team, or strengthening your family relationships, responsibility is the key to sustainable success.

 
Ready to Take Your Sales to the Next Level?

If you’re serious about mastering responsibility and other high-level sales skills, join the Service MVP Club. 

To your transformation,

Joe Crisara

America’s Service Sales Coach

Founder, Service MVP