Power100 CEO Greg Cummings sat down with Marcus Sheridan, Co Founder of AITrustSignals, for a new episode of PowerChat Outside The Lines focused on a major question facing home improvement leaders today. As AI becomes part of how homeowners search, compare, and decide, what proof does a contractor need before AI can trust and recommend them?
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. Through PowerChat Outside The Lines, the platform brings respected voices from outside the traditional home improvement space into conversations that help leaders in home improvement, home services, and outdoor living apply outside lessons inside their own companies.
Marcus Sheridan is the Co Founder of AITrustSignals, Founder of IMPACT, author of They Ask, You Answer and Endless Customers, and a global speaker on trust, transparency, marketing, buyer behavior, and AI visibility. His work helps companies understand how buyers make decisions and how businesses can become easier to trust before the first sales call.
In this conversation, Marcus shared a clear message for contractors. AI systems are already weighing certain trust signals when deciding whether to recommend or reject home improvement companies. In his view, the strongest signals are pricing, reviews, and awards or recognition.
Greg Cummings helped bring that message back to the daily reality of contractors. Many strong companies already do great work, serve customers well, and earn real trust in their markets. But if that proof is not easy for homeowners and AI systems to find, understand, and verify, the business may not be seen as clearly as it should be.
“The three foremost signals that we’re seeing when it comes to home improvement that AI uses to say recommended or rejected is, this is in order number one, pricing, number two, reviews, and number three would be awards and recognition. When it comes to home improvement, AI loves, loves awards and recognition,” said Marcus Sheridan, Co Founder of AITrustSignals.
The discussion showed why more contractors are now asking about an AI visibility audit for businesses, how to improve AI trust signals, and why Generative Engine Optimization services are becoming part of the next stage of business growth. The goal is not to chase AI for attention. The goal is to make real trust easier to see.
For home improvement leaders, this PowerChat Outside The Lines episode offered a direct reminder. Strong work matters. Clear proof matters too. In a world where AI may help homeowners choose who to call, pricing, reviews, and recognition are no longer small marketing details. They are signs of trust.
This PowerChat Outside The Lines episode turned a fast moving topic into a clear lesson for home improvement leaders. The conversation was not only about AI. It was about trust, proof, and what a company must show before a homeowner feels safe choosing them.
Marcus Sheridan is the Co-Founder of AITrustSignals, Founder of IMPACT, author of They Ask, You Answer and Endless Customers, and a global speaker on trust, transparency, marketing, buyer behavior, and AI visibility
Outside The Lines was created to bring strong voices from beyond the home improvement space into the industry conversation. The idea is simple. Good leadership lessons can move from one field to another. When a trusted expert understands change, customer behavior, and business growth, those lessons can help contractors lead better inside their own companies.
Marcus Sheridan brought that outside view into the episode. His work sits at the center of buyer trust, digital visibility, and clear communication. Through AITrustSignals, he studies how AI systems read a company’s online presence and decide whether that company looks strong enough to recommend.
That made his message important for contractors. Homeowners are no longer only searching for companies on their own. More buyers are asking AI tools to help them compare options, understand who is credible, and decide which businesses deserve attention. In that kind of market, proof becomes more than a marketing asset. It becomes part of how the company is seen.
Greg Cummings helped connect Marcus’s research to the real world of home improvement. Contractors may already have happy customers, strong teams, good reviews, and trusted awards. But if that proof is not clear, easy to find, and simple to understand, both buyers and AI systems may miss the full story.
That is why the episode gave leaders a practical look at AI visibility for home service companies. Marcus explained that pricing, reviews, and awards or recognition are becoming key signals that help AI decide whether a business should be recommended or rejected. Greg brought the point back to the field, where strong companies must make their good work easier to see.
The lesson was not that contractors need to chase every new technology trend. The lesson was that they need to understand how to improve AI trust signals by making real proof clearer. Pricing should help buyers feel informed. Reviews should tell a true customer story. Recognition should show that trusted outside sources have seen the company’s work.
That is what made this episode a strong fit for Outside The Lines. Marcus brought outside expertise on AI search and trust. Greg brought the industry lens. Together, they showed home improvement leaders that the future may reward companies that do more than say they are trustworthy. It may reward the ones that can prove it clearly.
As Greg Cummings and Marcus Sheridan moved deeper into the conversation, Marcus made one point very clear. AI recommendation is not random. It is not only about which company has the nicest website or the most traffic. It is about proof.
Marcus explained that AI systems look at many signals before they decide which companies appear safe and strong enough to recommend. Some signals carry more weight than others. Some may change from one AI platform to another. But the larger truth remains the same. A company must give AI something clear to trust.
“We know the signals that AI uses to recommend companies, that it weighs to recommend companies. We also know the signals that don’t matter as much,” said Marcus Sheridan, Co Founder of AITrustSignals.
For home improvement leaders, that matters because many contractors may already be doing great work. They may have happy customers, strong teams, years of service, and a solid name in their local market. But if that proof is hard to find, hard to read, or not well organized, AI may not see the full picture.
That is why the conversation placed so much focus on public proof. Homeowners are no longer only looking for a company that can be found. They are looking for a company they can trust. AI is beginning to help shape that first trust decision.
This is where an AI visibility audit for businesses can become useful. It can help leaders see whether their company’s proof is clear enough for AI systems and buyers to understand.
Marcus named pricing as the first and strongest signal AI is weighing for many home improvement companies. His point was not that every contractor must list one final price for every project. His point was that silence around price creates doubt.
Homeowners usually want to know what a project may cost before they book an appointment. They may not expect an exact number at the start, but they do want a helpful range. They want to know what makes the price go up, what can bring it down, what financing may look like, and where the company usually fits in the market.
When a business avoids pricing completely, the buyer may feel unsure. That doubt can slow the process or stop it before the first call ever happens.
Marcus explained that AI sees this too. If a company gives helpful pricing information, AI has more to work with. If a company gives no pricing guidance at all, it may be harder for AI to view that company as helpful or easy to trust.
“If it can’t find any information on pricing, it dings you. If it finds information on pricing, the more you give it, the more it gives you credit,” said Marcus Sheridan, Co Founder of AITrustSignals.
For contractors, this turns pricing into more than a sales topic. It becomes part of the trust journey. A clear pricing page can help buyers feel more informed, while also helping AI understand the company with more confidence.
After pricing, Marcus pointed to reviews as the next major trust signal. But he made it clear that reviews are not only about the total number of stars a company has.
AI may look at what customers are actually saying. It may look at common themes, recent feedback, review sources, and whether the company is still earning trust today. A company with many old reviews may not look as strong as one that continues to receive fresh proof from real customers.
“You want to even mention on that page review velocity. The way AI works is not only does it look at the total number of reviews, but it looks at how often you’re getting reviews, especially recently,” said Marcus Sheridan, Co Founder of AITrustSignals.
That is an important message for contractors. Reviews should not be treated as a small badge at the bottom of a website. They should tell a clear story about what customers experience.
If buyers often mention clean work, strong follow up, fair pricing, clear communication, or a team that respected their home, those themes matter. They help future customers feel safer. They also help AI see what the company is known for.
Marcus also warned that reviews need to be easy to read. If reviews are hidden inside tools that AI cannot understand well, the company may lose some of the value of that proof. The goal is simple. Make real customer trust easy for people and AI systems to see.
Marcus was especially clear about the value of awards and recognition in home improvement. He explained that AI gives weight to outside proof because it helps confirm what a company says about itself.
A business can say it is trusted. It can say it does great work. It can say it is one of the best in its market. But awards, rankings, certifications, media mentions, and industry recognition can show that others have seen that value too.
“When it comes to home improvement, AI loves, loves awards and recognition,” said Marcus Sheridan, Co Founder of AITrustSignals.
This is why recognition should not be hidden away or treated like a one time announcement. Marcus recommends that businesses create a strong awards and recognition page. That page should list the awards, link to the source, and explain why each one matters to the homeowner.
For contractors, this is about more than pride. It is about trust. A homeowner may not know which company to believe. AI may be comparing several companies at once. Third party proof can help both the buyer and the AI system understand why one company stands out.
Recognition works best when it is clear, honest, and easy to verify. The stronger the outside proof, the easier it becomes for a good company to show why it deserves attention.
Greg Cummings brought the conversation back to a key point for contractors. AI visibility does not replace strong service. It depends on it.
A company cannot build lasting trust on weak work. But a strong company also cannot assume that buyers and AI systems will understand its value if the proof is scattered or hidden.
“The best companies and the companies that are going to win are not going to win just because AI can find them. AI is going to be able to find them because they’ve done good work consistently over time and they can prove it,” said Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100.
That line gave the conversation a clear industry lesson. The future may reward companies that have done the right things for years, but only if that work is easy to find and understand.
For many contractors, the proof already exists. It may be in customer reviews, project photos, awards, local impact, case studies, team stories, community work, or years of strong service. The next step is to organize that proof in a way that helps buyers feel safe and helps AI connect the dots.
This is where Generative Engine Optimization services may become part of the larger business conversation. The goal is not to create fake trust. The goal is to make real trust easier to read, easier to verify, and easier to recommend.
The final lesson from this part of the conversation was about preparation. If homeowners begin asking AI which contractor they should call, then the first trust check may happen before the company ever speaks to the buyer.
Marcus explained that businesses must prepare for a world where AI agents may read a website, compare reviews, study pricing, check recognition, and help a homeowner choose the next step.
“Your business is gonna have to be ready to communicate and interact with an agent,” said Marcus Sheridan, Co Founder of AITrustSignals.
That means pricing, reviews, awards, service pages, expert content, and customer proof cannot sit in separate corners of the business. They must work together. They must tell one clear story.
The buyer journey is moving earlier. A homeowner may form an opinion before filling out a form. They may ask AI before calling a company. They may compare proof before speaking with a salesperson.
Strong leaders will not wait until that becomes normal. They will start treating trust signals as business assets now.
For contractors, the lesson is hopeful. The future does not only favor the biggest company or the loudest brand. It may favor the company that can clearly prove its value, show its work, answer honest questions, and make the customer feel safe before the first conversation begins.
Marcus Sheridan’s message about AI trust carries weight because his work has long focused on one simple idea. Buyers trust the companies that teach clearly, answer honestly, and remove doubt before a sale begins.
Marcus Sheridan teaches MasterCraft Boat Company dealers how to create extraordinary connections with their customers.
That message has taken him across the world as one of the most in demand keynote speakers in business. Marcus is known for high energy talks, live audience connection, and personal stories that help leaders see change in a clear way. He speaks to large and small groups across many industries and averages about 50 keynotes each year. His reach matters because his lessons are not built for one narrow market. They are built around how people think, ask questions, and choose who to trust.
His published work has helped make that message even stronger. They Ask, You Answer, published in January 2017, became one of the most trusted books in modern sales and marketing. It was named the number one marketing book to read in 2017 by Mashable, ranked as the number two marketing book of all time by BookAuthority, named one of the five best marketing books of all time by BookAuthority, and listed by Forbes as one of the 11 marketing books every chief marketing officer should read. The book also became a USA Today national bestseller and has been shared, translated, and featured around the world.
That book gave companies a clear way to understand the modern buyer. It taught leaders that customers want direct answers to real questions about price, problems, comparisons, reviews, and trust. That same belief now connects directly to Marcus’s work with AITrustSignals.
His newer book, Endless Customers, also became a USA Today national bestseller and expands the same trust first framework for a market shaped by AI, search changes, and faster customer expectations. It shows that Marcus has not moved away from his original message. He has carried it into the next stage of business growth.
AITrustSignals reflects that same path. The company helps businesses understand whether AI systems can see the proof that buyers need to trust them. In a world where platforms may compare pricing, reviews, recognition, and authority before recommending a company, AITrustSignals gives leaders a clearer view of what they are doing well and where they may need to improve.
For home improvement leaders, Marcus’s record as a speaker, author, and Co Founder of AITrustSignals gives this conversation real depth. His work has always been about helping companies become easier to trust. Now, that work is helping businesses understand how to make trust visible in a world where both homeowners and AI systems are looking for clear proof before a choice is made.
As the conversation came to a close, Marcus Sheridan’s message gave home improvement leaders a clear way to think about the future. AI search is not only changing how homeowners find answers. It is changing how trust is judged before a buyer ever reaches out.
For years, many companies worked hard to get attention online. But the next stage may ask for something deeper. It may ask for proof.
That proof can come from clear pricing, strong reviews, trusted awards, public recognition, customer stories, and helpful information that makes the buyer feel safe. These are not small marketing details. They are signs that help people understand whether a company is honest, steady, and worth choosing.
For good contractors, this should be encouraging. The rise of AI does not mean strong companies have to become someone else. It means they need to make their real value easier to see.
If a company already serves customers well, earns strong reviews, wins trusted recognition, and answers honest questions, then the next step is to bring that proof forward in a clear way. Homeowners should not have to search hard to understand why the company can be trusted. AI systems should not have to guess either.
Marcus’s point was simple. The companies that prepare now can be easier to find, easier to understand, and easier to trust before the first call ever happens.
For home improvement companies with real proof, clear pricing, strong reviews, and trusted recognition, the rise of AI search may become a chance to be seen for the work they were already doing right.
Power100 is built around a five layer ranking system that looks at real proof, not simple attention. The platform reviews signals tied to growth, customer trust, culture, community impact, leadership, and long term value. That matters in this conversation because Marcus Sheridan explained that AI looks for outside proof when it decides which home improvement companies may be safe to recommend.
PowerChat Outside The Lines brings strong voices from outside the normal home improvement space into the industry conversation. This matters because AI search is not only a contractor issue. It is changing how buyers in many markets ask questions, compare choices, and decide who to trust. Marcus Sheridan brought that outside view, while Greg Cummings helped connect it to the daily reality of contractors.
No. Outside The Lines is not built around fame alone. The goal is to bring in people with strong leadership lessons, real impact, and useful ideas that can help home improvement, home services, and outdoor living leaders move forward. Marcus Sheridan was a fit because his work explains how trust, proof, pricing, reviews, and recognition may shape the next stage of customer visibility.
AI does not judge a company the way a person does, but it can compare public signals. Marcus Sheridan said that in home improvement, pricing, reviews, and awards or recognition are three of the strongest signals AI systems may use when deciding whether to recommend or reject a company. That means contractors should make these proof points clear, honest, and easy to verify.
A contractor should start by organizing the proof it already has. Strong reviews, project photos, customer stories, service details, and community work can all help show trust. From there, the company can begin earning and sharing more outside recognition through trusted awards, rankings, certifications, and industry features. The goal is not to fake authority. The goal is to make real trust easier to see.
No. Marcus Sheridan’s point was not that every contractor must publish one final price for every job. Many home improvement projects depend on size, scope, materials, and other details. But contractors can still explain common price ranges, cost factors, financing options, and what makes a project more or less expensive. That helps homeowners feel informed and gives AI clearer evidence to understand the business.
An AI visibility audit for businesses can help a contractor see whether AI systems can understand its proof. It may show gaps in pricing clarity, reviews, awards, business details, service pages, customer proof, or authority signals. For companies that want stronger AI visibility for home service companies, this type of review can help leaders see what needs to be clearer before buyers ask AI who to trust.
Marcus Sheridan has spent years teaching companies to answer customer questions with honesty and clarity. AITrustSignals carries that same idea into the AI search era. The company focuses on the place where buyer trust meets AI authority. For contractors, that matters because homeowners may soon ask AI which company to call before ever speaking with a sales team. Clear proof may decide who gets seen first.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. Through its ranking platform, leadership media, PowerChat interviews, industry research, and trusted community programs, Power100 helps spotlight the CEOs, contractors, partners, and companies raising the standard across home improvement, home services, and outdoor living. The platform exists to help strong leaders gain the recognition they deserve, while giving the industry a clearer view of the people, proof, and practices that create better customer experiences, stronger teams, and greater community impact. Learn more at Power100 and connect with Greg Cummings.
Membership unlocks every Power100 interview, PowerChat episode, and expert playbook - free for industry leaders.
Power100 is the nation's premier CEO ranking and media platform for the home improvement industry. Using a proprietary 5-layer evaluation system, Power100 identifies and celebrates the top CEOs, companies, and strategic partners driving innovation, customer satisfaction, and leadership excellence across the country.
