The word "selling" is repulsive to some HVAC technicians. To them, a salesperson invokes an image of a slick-talking, high-pressure, cheating crook. That’s also true for some customers. Let’s take a look at how better salespeople rise above slick and manipulative selling as they apply diagnostic and teaching techniques the best service technicians use.
How a Service Tech Sells But Doesn’t Sell
HVAC technicians sell all day. Make no mistake, selling is an essential part of fixing a customer’s system. To fulfill their mission of helping customers, they must sell. However, techs don’t see what they do as selling.
Here’s how a service tech sells but doesn’t sell. A customer contacts the office with a problem; they need it solved. The tech arrives with a few diagnostic instruments and asks a couple of questions to assess the customer’s needs.
Then it’s time to inspect and test the system. The technician observes the start-up and the run cycle, looking for evidence of a system defect. They use test instruments to gather additional system data. Good diagnostic practices, and then comparing field data to the manufacturer’s data and industry standards, uncover the cause and solution to the problem.
Great service technicians make selling a seamless process. The same sales process works for a salesperson too, if they follow the same steps and have a similar spirit of diagnosing, teaching, and coaching through the process.
With the solution discovered, the technician looks up or calculates the repair cost. Then, they describe inspection findings and test results to the customer to help them understand the problem and solution. The techs discuss costs with the customer and then get the approval to proceed with the repair.
Hold on! Where was the selling? There wasn’t any, according to the cheating crook definition. Great selling is a natural part of finding the problem, educating the customer, and seeing the solution delivered.
Great service technicians make selling a seamless process. The same sales process works for a salesperson too, if they follow the same steps and have a similar spirit of diagnosing, teaching, and coaching through the process.
A handful of HVAC contractors guesstimated service technicians offering repairs are successful nine times out of ten or more. Industry statistics confirm salespeople have a closing rate of about three out of ten. What is the reason service technicians have three times the success rate of salespeople?
What an HVAC Sales Visit Could Look Like
Better HVAC salespeople mirror the approach, attitude, and actions naturally used by a field tech to serve their customers. Just like the best techs, the best salespeople sell but don’t sell.
When you test and diagnose like a service tech, you help your customers understand the cause of their heating or cooling problems. Selling evaporates and teaching and understanding naturally lead to the best decision by your customer. This results in successful sales and lasting business relationships.
Let’s walk through a testing and diagnostic system upgrade and equipment replacement sales visit with Taylor.
The Lead Comes In
The office forwards Taylor an email from a potential new customer, Jaime Houx. The email describes her long battle with another company about how her system cannot cool her home on hot summer days, and the opposite occurs during cold winter days. Her equipment is 12 years old, and she wants bigger equipment installed.
Searching for a Solution
Like a service call, Taylor’s new customer is looking for a solution. Taylor emails back and sets an appointment, informing Jaime the visit will take just over an hour. Taylor also invites Jaime to participate in simple diagnostics to help discover and learn about the source of her problem. Taylor suggests Thursday afternoon at 1:00. Jaime agrees.
Bigger Equipment
Taylor arrives, greets Jaime, and asks to talk at the kitchen table for a few minutes. It’s hot outside and the indoor temperature is 77º. The discussion soon reveals other problems with the system besides a lack of heating or cooling capacity on extreme temperature days. Jaime says her home office is usually four degrees warmer than the rest of the house on hot days and wants a five-ton to replace her three-ton system.
Inspect and Test
Just like a service tech, Taylor’s next step is to inspect and test the system. He invites Jaime to participate and ask all the questions she wants. Taylor has Jaime set the thermostat to fan “on” and cooling to “off.” Taylor places temperature probes in the supply register and return grille farthest from the equipment. Taylor’s smartphone reads 77º at the return and 84º at the supply.
In the home office, Taylor has Jaime help estimate how much airflow the office needs to be comfortable. They agree on 160 beachballs of air per minute (160 cubic feet per minute). Taylor brings a balancing hood in from the truck and shows Jaime how to use it. Jaime covers the supply register with the hood and finds only 42 beach balls per minute delivered into her office.
Diagnostics
Back at the kitchen table, like a service tech, Taylor begins to teach Jaime about how they can diagnose her system. It’s now 82ºF in the kitchen as temperature increased five degrees in a half-hour. Taylor mentions the air temperature through the ducts increased by seven degrees and calculates that offsets about a third of her air conditioning system’s cooling capacity. His inspection confirmed there is little insulation on Jaime’s duct system.
Jaime cautiously says, “If you can fix my duct insulation, maybe I don’t need a five-ton and can stick with a three-ton for my new air conditioner. Will that save enough money to pay for the duct repair?” “We’ll see, says Taylor.”
Taylor then explains they can increase the number of beachballs coming into the office when they install an additional duct. Jaime agrees the right time to fix the office is when the new equipment is replaced if she’ll be able to afford all this.
Taylor checks the flat rate pricing and tells Jaime the total cost to solve all her problems is $3200, which is more than just replacing the equipment. Then reminds her the equipment cost is less when choosing a three-ton versus a five-ton.
Jaime asks Taylor what date the job can be finished.
Hold on! Where was the selling? There wasn’t any. Just like the service tech, Taylor made selling a natural part of finding the problem, educating the customer, and seeing the solution delivered.
Also, Taylor’s solution will always be different from his competition who only quoted five-ton equipment replacement.
Consider changing your sales culture with your customers as you diagnose, teach, and coach your customers. Lead them to discover solutions they want and need. Just like service technicians do.
Doc Falke serves the industry as president of National Comfort Institute, Inc., an HVAC-based training company and membership organization. If you're an HVAC system salesperson technician or contractor interested in a free copy of a one-page room airflow estimation procedure and report, contact Doc at ncilink.com/ContactMe or call him at 800-633-7058. Go to NCI’s website at nationalcomfortinstitute.com for free information, articles, and downloads.