Running Service Step 3: The Complete Inspection
Charlie Greer is in the midst of a year-long primer designed to teach you what to do when running service calls, and how to maximize each call in an honest and professional manner. “I'll tell you everything I do; from the moment the call is dispatched, to the greeting at the front door, to closing and handling objections, down to what I do to prevent ‘buyer's remorse,’” Charlie says. Here is installment number three. ...
Running Service Step 2: Your First 60 Seconds
Editor's Note: Charlie Greer is in the midst of a year-long primer designed to teach you what to do when running service, and how to maximize each call...
Running Service Step 1: Your Drive Time
the next 13 months, Charlie Greer is going to teach you what to do when running service, and how to maximize each call in an honest and professional manner....
Differentiation Leads To Decisions
Contractors, service technicians, and salespeople call me often for advice on closing replacement sales. The most asked-for advice is how to distinguish yourself enough from the competition to “get your price,” and how to get people to stop putting off making a decision. ...
Coil Cleaning: Sell it, or Systems Die!
Many technicians make the mistake of quoting cleaning customers' coils as an option. That's why they get a lot of turn-downs. But there's more at stake...
Don't Buy Into Customers' Sob Stories
Has this ever happened to you? You show up on a sales or service call, and the customer confronts you at the front door with, We don't want to spend a...
How to QUANTIFY QUALITY to prospective customers
When prospective customers tell me my price is too high, I ask, Is it the price or the cost you're concerned about? They'll usually ask, in so many words,...
Running the Inspection Call
Arrive at the door, clipboard in hand, with the inspection form clearly visible. Say, As a point of clarification, Mr(s). (customer name), for $ (price...
It's All About the Blower
In my last article, I suggested that your spring 2009 promotion be a low-cost air conditioning as opposed...
Air-Conditioning Inspections
This year, instead of promoting "tune-ups," I suggest you promote "pre-season inspections" to all your existing non-service agreement customers. These are people you know have had trouble with their systems in the past, and with whom you've already established a positive relationship....
Replacement Sales in a Tough Economy
Using Service Invoices One of the easiest groups of people to sell to are customer's with ongoing problems with older equipment, and aren't in the market...
Tec Daddy: 15 Minutes to More Replacement Sales, Part 2
Last month I summarized the first half of winner Jamie Gerdsen’s presentation. It covered the winning attitude required of salespeople and pre-call planning. This month, I’ll give you the rest, which is the nuts-and-bolts of a sales call, including following up. ...
Tec Daddy: I'm a Salesperson, Not a Technician!
I received an email from a replacement salesperson with a few questions regarding equipment I’d recommend for testing air distribution systems. Then suddenly he emailed me the single statement, “I am a salesperson, not a technician!” ...
Tec Daddys Corner: 15 Minutes to More Replacement Sales (Part 1)
What did you learn at HVAC Comfortech to start making more sales immediately? A lot, if you attended Comfortech Idol 2008: Tournament of Champions....
The Last Word: It's CO Season Are You Ready?
As the leaves change colors and crisp fall nights descend upon us, the spectre of carbon monoxide (CO) hangs over homes all across the country. The familiar smell of dust burning off heat exchangers is a grim reminder that we’ll soon see more news stories about families severely injured or killed by this silent killer....
Tec Daddys Corner: Breakin da Rules
Jason, a contractor who runs his own replacement sales calls, writes: Following up is not a strong point of mine. My confidence is low after being shut down on sales calls. The customer wants me to give information over the phone and is avoiding meeting me in person. ...
Sales Tips From an HVAC Sales Idol
Jared Corpron is the reigning Comfortech Idol and will compete for the title of “Grande Champion” at “Comfortech Idol: Tournament of Champions,” to be held at HVAC Comfortech 2008 in Atlanta, this September....
Tec Daddy's Corner: On Doing Your Best
I ’ve been sharing the correspondence I’ve been receiving from Jason, a contractor who runs his own replacement sales calls, and whose challenges are the same ones we’re all faced with on a daily basis. To reset the stage, last month he wrote to me about a prospective customer who’d gotten competitive quotes....
Preventing "Buyer's Remorse"
Okay, you showed up, did your complete diagnostic, got the order, completed the repairs and even sold a service agreement. Things are going well. That evening, the customer’s spouse comes home from work, reads your invoice, goes through the overhead and calls the office wanting to cancel the service agreement. Bummer....
THE "I WANT TO THINK IT OVER" OBJECTION
As I mentioned in my previous article, there are good and bad options to use when closing. A good optional close is, "Do you want this air conditioner with this air cleaner?" ...
"I Want To Get Other Bids"
One of the more frustrating things to experience after doing a bang-up presentation is having your prospect say, "I'm 90% certain I'm going to go with you. I just need to get other bids." There are no reliable short responses to this objection. To overcome this objection, you'll have to be a professional salesman....
Muddying the Waters
I received a follow-up from a salesman, to whom we shall refer as Jason. He was featured in the story “Two Sides” in the March and April 2008 issues of Contracting Business. Jason’s problems are shared with HVAC salespeople, so I’ll share them with you and provide my recommendations....
The "Price Complaint"
At this point we've covered the steps to running a successful service call. You've established your own personal credibility, the need, the sense of urgency, explained your pricing, quoted more than the bare minimum, included a service agreement as part of the list of things that need to be done above the first subtotal of your "Paper Towel Close" and gone for your initial close. ...
The "Optional Close"
A sale is a series of small commitments made one at a time. One of the biggest problems salespeople make is providing a lot of information and options, while requiring the prospective customer to provide very little feedback....
Go for Quality, Not Quantity
My observation has been that most contractors want everyone in their market area to call them, and will hire just about anybody they can find who is willing to run those calls. This can — and usually does — result in accepting lower-quality service calls. Too many calls require you to lower your standards, and hire low quality technicians. This lowers the overall quality of your company. ...
