The Secret Sauce in Appealing to Someone’s Best Self

My husband will be the first to tell you that he’s not a fixer-up kind of guy. He can change a lightbulb, but if anything else goes wrong around the house, we have to call Denny, our handyman. If Denny can’t do the job, then it’s a plumber, electrician, carpenter, exterminator, roofer, or cable guy to the rescue. (If you’ve heard me write about our beloved handyman Roger before, Roger has retired. Denny is his son.)

But we always get excellent service and good prices—and more after-the-ser...