Author: CJ Todd

Turning a customer’s attention into a quality lead can be competitive in the home services industry, which is why it is important for contractors to differentiate themselves by conveying the value guarantee to homeowners. On this week’s Ask the Experts call, an HVAC contractor from Ohio asks:

In a price comparison to another company with no guarantees, how do you put a price value on all the guarantees we provide? We are at $20k they are at $16k, we guarantee everything, they only verbally promise.

Contractor University faculty member, Gary Elekes (Founder of iMarket Solutions), gives his expert advice on how contractors can differentiate their home services company with guarantees to stand out from others in their marketplace.

Standing out from the competition has always been difficult, especially against larger businesses, which is why it is important for contractors to establish themselves as the local market expert. On this week’s Ask the Experts call, an HVAC contractor from Montana asks:

A large cable carrier in the area is buying up smaller HVAC companies and using their existing customer base and marketing to take market share. What would be your first defense or offense to keep customers when they’re inundated with marketing from the cable company about HVAC?

Contractor University faculty member, Drew Cameron (President of Flow Odyssey), gives his expert advice on the best strategies for competing with cable companies entering the HVAC space.

It can be difficult to stand out against your competitors, which is why it is important that companies use every resource available to them. On this week’s Ask the Experts call, an HVAC contractor from South Dakota asks:

Can you suggest how I should use financing to help me be more competitive?

Contractor University faculty member, Drew Cameron (President of Flow Odyssey), gives his expert advice on the different training resources that can be used to enhance your team’s success.

By tracking the KPIs of your sales, a company is able to prioritize tasks and optimize their sales operations. On this week’s Ask the Experts call, an HVAC contractor from Michigan asks:

I’m trying to find what the target KPIs are for salespeople for closing rates. If possible, can you review those for market leads vs. LTOs?

Contractor University faculty member, Drew Cameron (EGIA faculty member and New York Times Best Selling author), gives his expert advice on the different training resources that can be used to enhance your team’s success.

With so many different resources and programs available for training your employees, determining which one will be the most effective can be difficult to narrow down. On this week’s Ask the Experts call, an HVAC contractor from Louisiana asks:

What is the best training method?

Contractor University faculty member, Weldon Long (EGIA faculty member and New York Times Best Selling author), gives his expert advice on the different training resources that can be used to enhance your team’s success.

When it comes to using a new company, potential customers rely on reviews from previous customers to know what quality of service they should expect. This makes the presence of online reviews vital to your company’s sales succes, brand management, and even search engine optimization (SEO). On this week’s Ask the Experts call, an HVAC contractor from Illinois asks:

Can you suggest a process or system to drive online reviews for my service techs that does not require specific software?

Contractor University faculty member, Gary Elekes (EGIA faculty member and President of EPC Training), gives his expert advice on the importance of online reviews and how to best increase them.

When customers that shop online for parts are confused when a contracting company costs more, it is important that your team can explain what goes into the price. On this week’s Ask the Experts call, an HVAC contractor from New Mexico asks:

How do you compete with the internet on parts prices vs. our cost?

Contractor University faculty member, Weldon Long (EGIA faculty member and New York Times Bestselling Author), gives his expert advice on how to successfully overcome customer comparisons to internet costs.

Your company is the best at what you do in your market. You’re always on time to home appointments, your installation team leaves no screw untightened, and your service agreement program provides the most comprehesive customer service money can buy. Yet, communicating all of this information to a first-time customer runs the risk of confusing them if it isn’t streamlined into an easy-to-understand process. On this week’s Ask the Experts video highlight, an HVAC contractor from Texas asks:

When our technicians visit a customer for the first time, we want them to introduce our company, explain to them what we can do and sign them up for a service agreement. How would you recommend we go through this process smoothly without overwhelming our customers? Should there be a brochure for both or two separate brochures?

Contractor University faculty member Gary Elekes (Founder of EPC Training and iMarket Solutions) gives his expert advice on how to communicate the value of your company and your service agreement club with the “Perfect Service Call” process.

When trying to find a way to motivate your team, communication about their success and goals are key to understanding what drives them. On this week’s Ask the Experts call, an HVAC contractor from Montana asks:

I can’t seem to motivate my team. I offer spiffs for service agreements and no one seems to sell them. Any ideas?

Contractor University faculty member, Drew Cameron (President of Flow Odyssey), gives his expert advice on how motivating your team can be found in open communication.

Change is a reality in business, making it difficult to anticipate how an industry will evolve and how you can achieve success. On this week’s Ask the Experts call, an HVAC contractor from North Carolina asks:

What is the future of the HVAC world?

Contractor University faculty members Mike Treas (HVAC Sales Coach) and James Leichter (Founder of Aptora) give their expert advice on what aspects of the HVAC world they believe will evolve and how to adapt your business to the changes.