How can I become the go-to person in my market?

You become the go-to person by building trust through Consistency, Authenticity, Relevance, and Empathy — the CARE Framework. Show up when you say you will, be honest, focus on solving the client’s exact problem, and make the experience stress-free. Over time, you’ll be the first call clients make without shopping around.

Trust Marketing

Why My Plumber Never Competes on Price — and Stays Fully Booked

A real-life story of why my plumber is always the first call — never competing on price — and how you can use the CARE Framework to become the go-to person in your market.

Hector Quintanilla

14 Aug 2025 • 2 min read

Yesterday, my rental had a massive drainage issue.
Water everywhere. Tenants stressed.
I needed it fixed fast.

I didn’t Google “plumbers near me.”
I didn’t call the cheapest guy on Yelp.

I called the plumber every landlord friend swears by.

Here’s the truth:

My plumber didn’t have to fight for my attention.
He didn’t have to convince me with a sales pitch.
He didn’t even have to compete on price.

Why?

Because when you’re the go-to, trust does the selling for you.
My plumber desn't receive calls for a quote — they’re for him to show up and get to work.

How to Become the Go-To Person in Your Market

After 30+ years of running service businesses, I’ve learned exactly what makes someone the obvious choice in their market.

It comes down to four pillars I call the CARE Framework:

Consistency → Always shows up when promised.
Authenticity → Always tells the truth, no tricks or upsells.
Relevance → Solves your problem, nothing extra.
Empathy → Understands clients are stressed and makes the process painless.

Why the CARE Framework Works in Any Business

These aren’t just nice qualities — they’re business multipliers.

When you apply CARE:

Your clients will trust you before you even arrive.
You stop competing on price because you’re valued for reliability and results.
Referrals happen naturally because people feel safe recommending you.

Make Trust Your Competitive Advantage

Strategically implementing CARE builds a moat around your business.
It makes you hard to replace, even in a competitive market.

That’s why those who become the go-to person in their market stay on top — year after year.

Written by Hector Quintanilla, founder of #BeBusinessSmart and creator of the Trust Marketing CARE Framework. With 30+ years of business ownership experience and millions of readers worldwide, Hector teaches entrepreneurs how to build trust as their most valuable business asset.