HVAC Sales Training: Turning Leads into Lifelong Customers
Without a sale, leads aren’t particularly useful. The main reason a business owner invests in marketing or advertising of any kind is a chance to win the sale or gain new work.
Just because someone ends up calling your business, doesn’t mean they will turn into a paying customer, much less a loyal customer. Did you know you should be converting 90% of every phone call into a booked appointment? It’s true. So, how exactly does a business work to improve their sales ratios and create lifelong loyal customers? You might be looking for professional HVAC Sales Coaching to help improve your conversion ratios. CertainPath provides a variety of sales training courses designed for every member of your team that interacts with your customers. We’re talking about your call takers all the way down to communication and people skills for your selling techs. Below are a few sales tips on what to do throughout a typical interaction with a client.
Where does the sale begin?
For many HVAC businesses, the sale begins when a customer calls about a service or repair. Integrating sales techniques into the call may not be obvious or come natural when a potential customer is calling to price-shop or get an idea of how quickly a job can be completed. Building value is easier said than done when differentiating yourself from the other HVAC companies in town. However, we have sales training tracks designed to teach that exact topic: Building Value.
Basic Sales Techniques
A comprehensive sales plan can apply to any business. However, there are some specific actions you can take as an HVAC business owner to make your sales methods unique to you and your business.
Some HVAC businesses shy away from sales because they don’t want to seem pushy, or they just want to get the job done that the customer originally asked about. Sales techniques never have to become pushy. In fact, they can be just as innocuous as a normal conversation. The following tips are designed to help you succeed in HVAC sales, no matter if you already have a well-developed sales process or you’re just starting to think about consulting with a sales training agency for contractors.
Going from first call to first visit.
Es ist ausreichend, die Dosis 5 bis 7 Minuten vor dem Geschlechtsverkehr einzunehmen, bedeutet, erektile Dysfunktion undiagnostiziert, das Unternehmen hat andere Cialis Original-Produktformen für eine größere Auswahl. Tatsächlich ist es der eine Teil Ihres Körpers und kurz nach der Einnahme wird der Botenstoff Stickstoffmonoxid freigesetzt.
Before ever stepping foot into a client’s home, your HVAC technician will need to know who they will be interacting with and the homeowner should also know who is showing up to help them. Training everyday is often one of the first initiatives that gets pushed down on the priorities list when HVAC companies get busy. During your daily HVAC sales training, we highly recommend role playing! Have common complaints or asks from customers with varying needs so your technicians get the opportunity to practice using the best responses that will resonate with each client.
For instance, a mother may be concerned about the health and safety of her family, so she may want to know if her air conditioner or furnace is close to calling it quits or if she can call in the middle of the night for an emergency repair. An environmentalist may want to know about the latest “green” options when it comes to cooling and heating, and maybe it just so happens that it’s now more affordable than ever to install one of these options.
What motivates your most frequent types of clients to replace rather than repair a dying unit? What motivates them to add on different services or include complementing accessories to their purchase? When you can answer these questions and more, your technicians will know how to best inform, show value, and ethically sell your clients what they need. When they enter the home with the mindset of informing a particular client about their unit, the sales part often flows naturally from the conversation.
Interacting with the client during the service call.
As soon as a technician walks into someone’s home, they are representing your brand. Do they come across as friendly, trustworthy, clean, and helpful? First impressions can go a long way with customers, especially when it comes to sales. The little details can help build trust before the technician ever reaches a selling opportunity.
Communication and listening skills are essential when interacting with clients about their HVAC needs. Understanding a client’s concerns, wants, and questions will help your technician develop effective responses and present the best options for the particular client. Our HVAC sales course teaches these skills to better prepare any technician for a sales opportunity.
Client not yet ready to make a decision?
You can answer all the questions the homeowner asks, feel like you built an excellent rapport with the client, and showed them the value in your suggestions, but they may still need time to make a decision. If you have successfully explained the options that would best fit them and showed them the value in your products and services, then you have given the customer the tools necessary to make an informed decision. There are a few more actions you can take while waiting for an answer.
After several days if you haven’t heard back from the client, send a reminder email/text/phone call about what was discussed and let them know they can call with any further questions. Don’t just let the lead drop.
Simplifying the appointment and purchase processes by offering online scheduling, secure payment options, and financing options are almost expected by busy consumers these days. The easier it is for leads to convert to paying customers, the more likely they will.
Follow up after the sale is final.
Once you’ve earned the business from your customer, remember to follow-up. Send thank you notes or something special to stay top of mind. Reminders for their maintenance appointments are another way to stay in touch. A unique aspect of HVAC services is the need to maintain the systems for the life of the product.
If you happen to be one of those HVAC companies that also provides other contracting services such as plumbing or electric, make sure to discuss these services with the homeowner and let them know you are their go-to for anything they might need. Follow-up appointments are easy ways to secure further contact. You can mention these strategies in the initial HVAC training of your team.
In the end, the most effective way to turn leads into customers is to put yourself in their shoes. Discovering what they are looking for, what motivates them, and how to make the process easier for them will go a long way in converting and retaining a loyal group of customers for your HVAC business.
