I can't deny your logic, but the challenge is to still be able to communicate with the customer, to reassure him that he is getting value for his money.
Be too vague, and you sow the seeds of distrust and suspicion. Be too vague, and the customer is left without knowing how you differ from the other guy.
I just head an ad for a local firm, assuring customers that their 'technicians' were professionally trained, state licensed, would appear on time and be neatly dressed, that all work would be done in a timely, professional manner, and carried a one year guarantee.
No trade secrets there - most of what they said is required by law, and the rest is common in the industry. Yet, this guy has a very effective ad, and successful business, by directly addressing the customers' concerns.
Let's look at another few examples:
If you make sure to explain to the customer that you will wear booties in the house, lay gown tarps and vacuum up afterwards .... that reassures them - and sets you apart from the guy who might do all that, but doesn't point it out to the customer ahead of time.
If you are having to trench, the customer will certainly be interested to see pics of how well you were able to restore the grass after the last job. Who wants to wait two years for the scar to heal?
If you're running pipe, instead of a simple cable, it's to your advantage to explain why you think it's worth the extra expense.
Likewise, if there are things the customer can do to reduce the expense, make sure he is told exactly what his savings will be. For example, you might say ($500 to run that new circuit, but you can save $50 if you empty the closet for me, so I can access the crawl space."
Don't sell yourself short as to your skill. Often the tiny details are what make the difference; if you wear dentures, you know exactly what I mean!
Perception is key. As another example, I know several folks who will pay a bit more for the nice, comfortable experience at Target, rather than the cattle-drive feeling they gat at Wal-Mart.
Most of us have plenty of experience to draw upon; the key is to sit back, and remember what you like and dislike = then put it into practice. Look at things from the customers' perspective. The customer likely has no interest in whether our drill is DeWalt or Milwaukee, but cares a great deal about mjuddy footprints on the new carpet.
