Q: I’m thinking about adding a salesperson, but I’m a little unsure of this move. Several of my technicians do a pretty good job of selling. Do you have any national numbers that tell me who is selling to residential customers?
A: Our national numbers reveal who the homeowner believes sold them their replacement or add-on central air conditioning products:
- Almost half of the time, it’s the HVAC business owner.
- Next in importance is the salesperson. Those describing themselves as “sales professionals only” are now responsible for one fifth of the sales.
- Those in sales who are also the installing technician’s manager account for about three in every 10 sales.
- The diagnostic or installation technician rounds out the next level of homeowner sales, and is responsible for selling one in every five households.
Each group sells well across all income strata. The HVAC business owner is the premier sales person with all groups, and does best with lower income homeowners (<$35,000) and again with high income homeowners ($150,000+).
Salespersons sell well across all income levels too, but tend to excel with households in the $75,000 to $150,000 income range. There are large numbers of opportunities in this income bracket. Whether specifically targeted by salespersons or best able to relate to and sell this homeowner, the sales staff working on commission tend to sell to this group best, especially homeowners with college in their background. If you do decide to bring in your first salesperson, include a budget to support their sales outreach effort among mid-upper income homeowners, to expand your sales in this strata, and maximize your salesperson’s income potential.
Technicians fare well across all income levels, with about a fifth of the sales, and tend to excel with those in the highest income bracket. It would appear they are appreciated for their hand’s-on knowledge, as are business owners among this group. Adding a salesperson will enhance total sales across all strata, and when supported may help you excel with the large group of upper-middle class in your market.