Even the busiest HVAC services company could probably use a few more accounts, right? Many people who have home air conditioners in their homes do not have an HVAC company that they work with regularly, leaving their system open to not just normal wear and tear, but the larger problems that come from not having your air conditioner cleaned and maintained regularly.
Finding and convincing those individuals that they need a dependable HVAC company is the goal of every company.
If you’re looking to add 100 new accounts to your roster this year, here’s what you need to do:
Be Transparent About COVID-19 Procedures.
If you spend any time watching the news these days, you would be hard-pressed to believe that there is any economic activity happening. While it’s true that COVID-19 has completely disrupted the economy, there is still business being done.
Fewer people working in offices means that the demand for various commercial services—office coffee, cleaning, fire protection, maintenance, shredding, etc.—has declined. But on the flip side, with more people working from home, there is still some demand for residential services related to home maintenance.
Of our more than 100 home service contractors, we are seeing varied demand. A lot of the variation is, as you might expect, based on the mix of services provided, your geographic service area, and how well you were positioned prior to the outbreak of COVID-19.
What’s important to do is to get out in front of the questions on how your procedures have been updated to ensure safety, social distance, and other COVID-19 related practices. List a letter on your homepage, or send out an email to your customers and prospects alike.
Talk to your existing customers
Not only do you want to make sure that the accounts you already have are happy, you should also be asking them for referrals.
Of course, if they like you, they’ll naturally drop your name when someone else asks for a referral. You can, however, accelerate this process by offering an incentive program for customers who bring in referrals.
The incentive doesn’t have to be crazy—even a small discount on your normal services for customers who bring in three new customers can be enough to convince your existing accounts to get the word out.
2. Give something away
Can giving something away for free really help bring in new customers? It really can! Consumers want to do business with companies that make them feel like they are valued.
Offering something for free, before they’ve even committed to you is a great way to endear yourself to the customers.
For example, you might give every new customer during the month of July a free air duct cleaning when they make an appointment for another of your services.
This kind of incentive can put you ahead of your competition and make your value proposition very clear.
3. Invest in a new marketing tactic
Word of mouth is fine, especially in small towns, but if you’re looking to add 100 new accounts this year, you’re going to need more than just gossip to spread the word about your business.
Investing in a new HVAC marketing tactic is one of the best ways to make sure that your HVAC company is really reaching the people who need you.
If you’re not using Google’s advertising tools, for example, it’s time to start.
4. Leverage social media
Social media can be a great way to not only retain your current customer base, but to also add new accounts. Social media is the best way to publicize and offers or discounts that you might be running, and it’s also the ideal way boost your word of mouth chops.
Social media is the new town hall—if you want your customers to do your marketing for you, you need to be on social media and you need to be posting content that your followers are going to want to like, comment on, and share.
5. Get blogging
You might not think that a blog has any value for an HVAC company, but the point of a blog is to position yourself as the expert that you are.
Posts about the how often you need to clean out your air ducts, why your heater smells when it first turns on in the winter, or solutions to common small issues, etc. can all be extremely useful for readers and can show them that you know what you’re talking about.
You can then post links to your blog posts on your social media accounts. This is one of the best ways to bring in those likes, comments, and shares that you need to spread the word about your business.
6. Deliver better value
Not that you’re not delivering great value now, of course. But if you really want to get and hold on to new customers, you need to be delivering way more than you promise.
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “under-promise and over-deliver.” That’s as true with your business as it is for any other business.
Throwing in a free HVAC unit inspection or another simple and cheap service, along with one that a customer is paying for is the best way to over-deliver. When you become this kind of company, people are going to flock to you.
7. Offer consultations
One of the reasons so few people have an HVAC company maintenance package when they really need one is because they don’t know what they’re missing out on by not having one.
Providing free consultations is a great way to not only show your value as a company, but also to show potential customers why they need you.
Offer something small for free, with no obligation. Some people will just take the free service, sure, but a lot will then turn around and make an appointment for a real service, once they see that they need it.
8. Cross-promote with another business
For example, find a local and trusted realtor and consider approaching them about cross-promoting.
They probably have lots of clients that want to know which HVAC company to do business with and you probably have lots of customers that need to look for a new home from time to time. This type of cross-promotion can be extremely beneficial for both parties!
Conclusion
Now it’s your turn. What tactics have you turned to in order to add new maintenance accounts for your HVAC company? Let us know in the comments below!
Editors Note: This post was originally published in January 2018 and had been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness. Most recent update: June 2020.
Even the busiest HVAC services company could probably use a few more accounts, right? Many people who have home air conditioners in their homes do not have an HVAC company that they work with regularly, leaving their system open to not just normal wear and tear, but the larger problems that come from not having your air conditioner cleaned and maintained regularly.
Finding and convincing those individuals that they need a dependable HVAC company is the goal of every company.
If you’re looking to add 100 new accounts to your roster this year, here’s what you need to do:
Be Transparent About COVID-19 Procedures.
If you spend any time watching the news these days, you would be hard-pressed to believe that there is any economic activity happening. While it’s true that COVID-19 has completely disrupted the economy, there is still business being done.
Fewer people working in offices means that the demand for various commercial services—office coffee, cleaning, fire protection, maintenance, shredding, etc.—has declined. But on the flip side, with more people working from home, there is still some demand for residential services related to home maintenance.
Of our more than 100 home service contractors, we are seeing varied demand. A lot of the variation is, as you might expect, based on the mix of services provided, your geographic service area, and how well you were positioned prior to the outbreak of COVID-19.
What’s important to do is to get out in front of the questions on how your procedures have been updated to ensure safety, social distance, and other COVID-19 related practices. List a letter on your homepage, or send out an email to your customers and prospects alike.
Talk to your existing customers
Not only do you want to make sure that the accounts you already have are happy, you should also be asking them for referrals.
Of course, if they like you, they’ll naturally drop your name when someone else asks for a referral. You can, however, accelerate this process by offering an incentive program for customers who bring in referrals.
The incentive doesn’t have to be crazy—even a small discount on your normal services for customers who bring in three new customers can be enough to convince your existing accounts to get the word out.
2. Give something away
Can giving something away for free really help bring in new customers? It really can! Consumers want to do business with companies that make them feel like they are valued.
Offering something for free, before they’ve even committed to you is a great way to endear yourself to the customers.
For example, you might give every new customer during the month of July a free air duct cleaning when they make an appointment for another of your services.
This kind of incentive can put you ahead of your competition and make your value proposition very clear.
3. Invest in a new marketing tactic
Word of mouth is fine, especially in small towns, but if you’re looking to add 100 new accounts this year, you’re going to need more than just gossip to spread the word about your business.
Investing in a new HVAC marketing tactic is one of the best ways to make sure that your HVAC company is really reaching the people who need you.
If you’re not using Google’s advertising tools, for example, it’s time to start.
4. Leverage social media
Social media can be a great way to not only retain your current customer base, but to also add new accounts. Social media is the best way to publicize and offers or discounts that you might be running, and it’s also the ideal way boost your word of mouth chops.
Social media is the new town hall—if you want your customers to do your marketing for you, you need to be on social media and you need to be posting content that your followers are going to want to like, comment on, and share.
5. Get blogging
You might not think that a blog has any value for an HVAC company, but the point of a blog is to position yourself as the expert that you are.
Posts about the how often you need to clean out your air ducts, why your heater smells when it first turns on in the winter, or solutions to common small issues, etc. can all be extremely useful for readers and can show them that you know what you’re talking about.
You can then post links to your blog posts on your social media accounts. This is one of the best ways to bring in those likes, comments, and shares that you need to spread the word about your business.
6. Deliver better value
Not that you’re not delivering great value now, of course. But if you really want to get and hold on to new customers, you need to be delivering way more than you promise.
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “under-promise and over-deliver.” That’s as true with your business as it is for any other business.
Throwing in a free HVAC unit inspection or another simple and cheap service, along with one that a customer is paying for is the best way to over-deliver. When you become this kind of company, people are going to flock to you.
7. Offer consultations
One of the reasons so few people have an HVAC company maintenance package when they really need one is because they don’t know what they’re missing out on by not having one.
Providing free consultations is a great way to not only show your value as a company, but also to show potential customers why they need you.
Offer something small for free, with no obligation. Some people will just take the free service, sure, but a lot will then turn around and make an appointment for a real service, once they see that they need it.
8. Cross-promote with another business
For example, find a local and trusted realtor and consider approaching them about cross-promoting.
They probably have lots of clients that want to know which HVAC company to do business with and you probably have lots of customers that need to look for a new home from time to time. This type of cross-promotion can be extremely beneficial for both parties!
Conclusion
Now it’s your turn. What tactics have you turned to in order to add new maintenance accounts for your HVAC company? Let us know in the comments below!
Editors Note: This post was originally published in January 2018 and had been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness. Most recent update: June 2020.