I have had many conversations about selling during COVID and I find that some people don’t feel it is appropriate to talk with customers about additional options right now. Why not? Did people stop having respiratory issues since COVID came along? Did people stop using their smart phones? Do homeowners want to spend more money on utility bills and repairs?

The fact is our customers still need help that our professional technicians can provide. Homeowners need the information that we offer, especially now. Understanding how indoor air quality can protect their families is a must. And with so many people concerned about income and spending, we should be helping people save money.

Let’s start with indoor air quality. We have filtration systems that will not only help a family breathe better and help keep homes clean but can reduce viruses as well. When we ask, “Who in your home suffers from respiratory issues?” and they respond with a positive answer, it is our duty to help them understand how filtration and air sanitation products can help their family be healthier. If they say they don’t have issues, that’s okay. Move on. But if they need help, our pros are the best people to offer information that will allow the homeowner to make an informed decision whether or not they want to have healthier air in their home.

More and more of our clients are tech-savvy. Young and old, people want control and they want to control everything through their phone. Our clients are primarily older and many older people spend time away from home. When anyone leaves a home in the winter with freezing temperatures, they have to be a little anxious. If they could check on the temperatures in their home virtually through their phone, most people would want that capability. And, don’t forget the cool factor. People have apps for everything these days.

Where do I start with “saving money”? Let’s start with maintenance agreements. Repair costs just keep going up and up, for lots of reasons. It is just a fact. That discount a homeowner gets by being a maintenance agreement customer is huge. And having an HVAC system that is running as factory fresh as possible not only lowers their utility bills, but it cuts down on repairs. When a maintenance technician informs a homeowner about potential repairs in the future, the homeowner can avoid diagnostic fees that could add up to hundreds of dollars.

With most people spending more time at home working, studying, and social distancing, homeowners are more aware about their comfort than ever. If you asked most people about the comfort in their home in 2019, most would have said it was fine. Now, after spending a whole year in that house trying to find a way to get away from everyone just to have a Zoom meeting for work, most of those same people now know just how uncomfortable their home is. We can help. Our professional technicians know the difference between single-stage, two-stage, and multi-stage equipment and how each will change the comfort levels in a home. But are they sharing that information with homeowners? Are they even asking, “where in your home is it uncomfortable?” Are they ready to talk with a customer about replacement options or setting appointments for your comfort advisors? Or do they believe that homeowners should keep their old stuff until it dies?

We cannot fall down on our responsibility to educate our professional technicians on the importance of talking with customers about the things that will help them. We have the obligation to help homeowners understand how they can be healthy, comfortable, and save money. Technicians don’t like to sell, so tell them to stop selling. If they truly help homeowners understand how they can be healthy, save money and be comfortable, then sometimes that will include products and services you offer. They should be proud that they have the ability to educate homeowners on how they can take great care of their family with just a couple of changes in their HVAC system. Jeffery Gittomer said, “People don’t like to be sold to but they love to buy.” Don’t sell. Offer solutions to issues they have, and people will ask you to sell them what they need.