The Internet has brought a world of information to our desktops and phones. Covid taught us ways to learn from a distance. It’s still a far cry from in-person meetings.
There are a world of industry meetings and conferences with business training that are open to contractors. These include the AHR Show, ACCA, PHCC, Service World, Business Uncensored, and EGIA. Local trade associations meet monthly. State level conferences meet annually and are a drive away. There are also dealer meetings for the equipment brands you sell.
Attend these meetings. Talk with other contractors. Become a sponge. There is more information picked up informally at in-person events and meetings than gets delivered in presentations. This is why you should not hide behind your computer and attend webinars.
Make the effort to meet people in the real world and engage with them. Build relationships.
Visit the contractors you meet at these events. Almost every HVAC contractor will welcome a visit from someone in a different market. The most successful contractors will sit down with you even if you're in the same market.
Trade magazines, podcasts, and webinars are convenient and merit your time. But they cannot take the place of real conversations with real people, face-to-face. Nothing will do more to inspire you, to motivate you, and to refresh you. Try to attend as many national meetings as you can, supplemented by state and local meetings. It’s what the country’s most successful contractors do on their way up. Become one of them.
Learn more about national meetings from the Service Roundtable at www.ServiceRoundtable.com. Pick up a copy of Matt Michel’s book, “Contractor Stories” at Amazon.