BROADVIEW, Illinois (April 2022) — Members of The Unified Group say they found New Orleans to offer a lively, productive space for energetic people to collaborate and learn. And so they did, during the Unified Group's sales-oriented, professional development meeting for members of the HVAC community, April of this year.
“If I didn’t attend this meeting, I would have missed connecting with peers and learning from them. I also would have missed the rejuvenation that comes with such a meeting,” said Dave Larsen of Mechanical Service & Systems.
More than 30 members of The Unified Group traveled to New Orleans for the 2022 Sales Forum. The session kicked off with guest speaker Les Lent, who spoke on the importance of planning, whether it’s pre-call preparation, creating strategies or understanding the purpose of your call. Lent provided a “pre-call preparation power planner” for members to take back to their companies. Another hot topic discussed included asking questions and listening with intention, which is sometimes overlooked in the general sales process. Often, salespeople are caught up in the idea of selling and forget the fundamental rules.
“The breakouts prove it’s not just us or our location that has challenges, because our peers are facing the same challenges across the country,” said Robert W. Price of A&G Services. “Overall, The Unified Group is so much more than I expected.”
Another topic, sales and marketing, connected the ideas of sales and marketing as separate entities and how they can work together for one’s own benefit. Members also learned new methods and techniques to setting and achieving goals in their sales department during a quota process and goal-setting session. Finally, Hope is Not a Strategy: When Do You Quit Trying to Close a Deal, allowed presenters and audience members to share their closing challenges.
“The group discussions were a highlight of this meeting, and I got a lot out of it,” said Jessica Weiss of Cox-Powell Corporation. “We were able to share our issues, strengths and what has worked for us.”
Annual events targeting different levels of HVACR leadership within member companies are valuable to all who attend. The Unified Group will host its next event, the 2022 Human Resources Forum, in June. To attend the event, or for information on joining the organization, contact Janet Kelleher at [email protected].
Formed in 1998, The Unified Group is an organization of the leading independent HVAC commercial contractors in the industry. The association helps strengthen its member businesses through a variety of training and resources and is dedicated to raising the standards of excellence in the HVACR industry. For more information, visit www.theunifiedgroup.com.