The Physics of Sales and Service 

It can be easy to think physics has nothing to do with running a pool business, but the three rules of physics show why we might be struggling with our effectiveness — whether in sales, customer communication, service quality or team efficiency. 

Friction: The resistance in your process

In physics, friction is a force that resists motion. In a service business, that includes any part of your operation where things slow down — scheduling delays, unclear communication with customers or inconsistent follow-up. Whether you’re explaining a repair estimate, recommending an upgrade or handling customer expectations, these points of friction determine how smoothly your business runs.

Your service process — acknowledged or not — includes preparation, route planning, communication, on-site work, problem-solving, invoicing and follow-up, while your sales process consists of preparation, prospecting, approach, presentation, overcoming objections, closing the sale and follow-up.  

Wherever things slow down or get uncomfortable is where the friction is, and we can’t ignore it. Highly effective service pros and salespeople have the least friction because they’ve refined their process. 

Your processes are perfectly designed to produce exactly what they are delivering. So, if you are aspiring to get better, identify the friction.

Inertia: Why change feels so hard

Suppose we don’t identify and lessen friction. We continue with the same ineffective habits and techniques, making it harder and harder to change because inertia sets in. Inertia, Newton’s first law of motion, tells us that objects at rest tend to stay at rest. So, an unproductive effort, left unchanged, suffers from inertia. It’s why habits are hard to break and require such focused and extended effort to change. 

Entropy: The cost of neglect 

Besides producing adverse outcomes, unaddressed friction coupled with inertia also creates an environment for entropy, the second law of thermodynamics, which says systems left alone tend toward disorder. The same is true in your service operation. Think about what happens when you skip routine vehicle maintenance, let tools pile up, neglect equipment calibration, delay restocking chemicals or fail to document service calls — you get the idea. Left unchecked, things don’t stay neutral; they decline, and we find ourselves stuck in a cycle of inefficiency, callbacks and missed opportunities.

The way out: Three keys to sales success

There are three steps to counter these principles holding us back.

• Raise your standards. Identifying where friction occurs requires self-reflection, honesty and a commitment to improvement. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Identifying and working on the weakness of your process brings us to step two.

• Eliminate self-limiting beliefs. Sometimes our efforts are thwarted before we even get started because of our mindset. Thinking of customer interactions as transactional instead of educational or having an “us vs. them” sales attitude reinforces resistance and creates conflict versus connection. Thinking that things can’t change or you cannot improve are self-fulfilling prophecies. But vigilance and effort activate the flip side of the principle of inertia: An object in motion tends to stay in motion. Consistently working and refining our craft generates momentum and an awareness of the effort required to remain relevant and effective. 

• Develop a better strategy. Build a plan rooted in honest reflection, continuous motion and commitment to improvement through lifelong learning to combat entropy. Include consistent training, organized systems and scheduled reviews of what’s working — whether that’s route efficiency, employee procedures or customer communication.

What we focus on expands. Our attention to friction, putting in the work to avoid inertia and consistently improving to preempt entropy ensure the principles of physics work in our favor.

It’s not just about selling more — it’s about building smoother operations, stronger teams and better customer relationships. We can’t do it in a day, but we can do it daily.