ARLINGTON, Va. - The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) is offering a variety of webinars for HVACR contractors throughout the spring.

ACCA’s webinars offer contractors the opportunity to engage in live, interactive training in the comfort of their own office. The webinars require use of both a telephone line (to listen) and an Internet connection (to watch, participate, and ask questions of the presenter). Since registration is on a per-link basis, a contracting company can use a speakerphone and a computer projector to train its entire team for one fee.

Among the webinars scheduled for the spring are:

Selling Commercial Service Agreements: What Are They Really Worth?(March 13, 2008): By doing some simple exercises, Jerry Hurwitz, founder of J&J Air Conditioning, will reveal what one dollar of a new preventive maintenance agreement is really worth to a business. From this simple calculation you will be able to determine what you can afford to pay a top-flight service salesman. You will also learn who is a “real” service salesperson and how to track their performance.

How Small Contractors Can Implement Employee Training Programs(March 20, 2008): Employee training and education are vital to a company’s success, no matter how big or small. Jack Rise, one of the industry’s top trainers, will show contractors how they can put together a solid education program for employees that produces results.

The Perfect Service Call(March 27, 2008): Eric Knaak of Isaac Heating & Air Conditioning will offer a presentation on how a “perfect service call” should be handled - from the first phone call in to the office, until the technician leaves the customer’s driveway. Learn how to improve communications with the client, resolve conflicts, successfully present options including maintenance agreements, and turn your customer into a "Raving Fan."

How to Create a Powerful Marketing Buzz in Your Area(April 3, 2008): Advertising is one thing. Publicity is another. “Buzz” is something else altogether. How do you get buzz for your contracting business? You get other people to tell your story to their friends and neighbors. Jeff Lee of Goyette Mechanical will share the story of how he raised millions of dollars by generating buzz with free media.

Cashing In or Crashing In: What You Need to Know About Selling Your HVAC Business in Today's World(April 10, 2008): Successfully selling your business for big bucks requires a monumental effort. While there are buyers today willing to purchase HVAC businesses for fair sums of money, these buyers know exactly what they are looking for. Join leading HVAC business valuation expert Brandon Jacob as he shares what it takes to profitably navigate through the minefields of modern HVAC mergers and acquisitions.

IAQ, Revenue, and You(April 17, 2008): In this fast-paced seminar, leading HVAC marketing guru Adams Hudson will show you how to “trigger” IAQ sales, how to generate more leads through your IAQ offering, how to add IAQ services at little or no cost, how to achieve “instant differentiation” from your competitors, how to add $600 to your average replacement ticket, and more.

Selling Air: Marketing HVAC as a Service, Not a Box(April 29, 2008): Quality was the buzzword 20 years ago. Comfort is the buzzword of today. “Quality of Comfort” will make up a new two-word mantra that will guide the HVAC market for years to come. One of America’s leading service contractors, Larry Taylor of Air Rite Air Conditioning, is going to show you how to convince customers that you’re selling “quality of life” - at a premium price.

Get Back Out There: Common Workplace Injuries, How to Avoid Them and How They Heal(May 1, 2008): Workers’ comp is a $4 billion industry and a rising concern for HVACR contractors. Time lost away from work affects your personal bottom line. Mike Ercole of Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Institute will demonstrate the most common areas affected by workplace injury, how those injuries can be avoided, and simple exercises that can be used to avoid those common, nagging aches and pains that keep your employees out of work, or prohibit their 100 percent performance on the job.

Hiring & Firing: From Start to Finish(May 8, 2008): Hiring and firing are two tasks that most managers dread. In this webinar, leading labor attorney Brooke Duncan will show you how to navigate through the legal, and practical, “do’s and don’ts” of hiring and firing and everything in between when it comes to dealing with employees.

All webinars begin at 2 p.m. Eastern time and last about 90 minutes.

For more information on ACCA’s webinars, to register, and to stay up to date with the complete schedule, visit www.acca.org/webinars or contact Kelly Ercole at 703-824-8840 or kelly.ercole@acca.org.

Publication date:03/10/2008