Building Better HVAC Sales Habits

According to an industry report, the HVAC services market was valued at $57.8 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $82.5 billion by 2026. Government budget allocations, increased construction (particularly in urban areas), unit replacements and infrastructure reforms are all contributing factors to this exponential growth.

As a successful business owner, do you have a plan in place to make sure your company keeps up with today’s trends? Start by looking at your sales process.

Gather your prospects

Forrester research shows that it costs five times more to acquire a customer than to retain one, so make sure you’re staying connected to customers you’ve done business with before. Follow up on any online contacts as well — after all, these are people who have willingly given you their contact information through your website. They’ll likely be some of your hottest leads! Follow-ups in general can create a sense of urgency, which can help renew interest in your products/services and (hopefully) lead to more closed sales.

You always want to keep your sales pipeline full of potential customers to give you enough qualified leads to keep you busy during slower times. Encourage your team to be proactive about communication and relationship building.

Talk less, listen more

Too often, companies focus on the pitch and the upsell instead of what the customer actually needs. To establish (and maintain) a mutually beneficial relationship, train your HVAC service techs to talk less and listen more. One size doesn’t fit all customers. Everyone has unique systems and end goals, and the only way their project will succeed is by finding out their motivation behind buying so you can present solutions that meet their objectives and are in their budget. It’s all about providing attentive, top-notch customer service.

Prepare for objections

No matter how good your salespeople are, there will always be some hesitation around buying. Pricing, product fit and competition usually top the list of common objections. Rather than your salespeople pressuring a customer to buy when they’re unsure, a seasoned HVAC tech will use this as an opportunity to educate their prospective client. Have them highlight your services and strengths — give potential customers a clear reason to choose your company over your competitors.

It doesn’t hurt to consider a freebie as an added value or incentive, like free maintenance for six months if they purchase your preventive maintenance plan, too. No matter what, once you close the sale, always, always, always deliver on your services to ensure repeat business — not to mention drum up some great word-of-mouth advertising!