Cracking the Consumer who Prefers his Cooling on Cruise Control
Have you ever woken up and instantly decided that you were going to purchase a new automobile? Despite the fact that your current vehicle runs fine, and your finances won't allow you to drop thousands of dollars on a new vehicle, have you ever just sprung out of bed and headed straight to the dealership?
Odds are, you probably have not. And, if you have, you likely didn’t drive off the lot in a new whip. (And, if you did, I’m entirely jealous…)
The process of purchasing an automobile has grown very tedious, and rarely happens on a whim. Such large-ticket acquisitions are typically prompted by some form of need. Either the existing automobile is reaching its final days; a child is celebrating a 16th birthday; or the desire to own a dream machine is finally being fulfilled. Hey, I’m a man — we consider souped-up hot rods as needs, OK.
Nevertheless, the purchase of a new vehicle will likely require a few hours of research. Some will turn to the local newspaper, others will visit popular websites such as autotrader.com or cars.com, and a few will even bounce from dealership to dealership, test driving cars by the dozens, in hopes of finding the right fit. In every predicament, reviews and cost comparisons are likely to play a major role in the shopping experience.
And, truth be told, cars are not unlike HVACR units.
A homeowner with a perfectly fine air conditioner is not going to wake up with a stinging desire to replace his unit. It simply doesn’t happen.
Thus, as an HVACR contractor, you must create a need for your services. You must convince your customers that a tune-up can make a tremendous difference in their comfort and in the money they are shipping to their local utility company. Show them statistics, cite previous work, and explain the return on investment. Compliment their hair. Do whatever it takes to sway the customer into signing on the dotted line.
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Performing tune-ups offer business owners multiple advantages. These jobs provide a tremendous boost to sales and profits, as it not only keeps technicians and installers busy, but it also offers them entrance into a home, where a savvy tech can identify a shopping list of other issues for the homeowner to address.
With the economy still struggling to keep its head above water, fewer homeowners will be willing to completely replace their equipment. But, following a considerable pitch, many will agree that pumping a few extra dollars into an existing system is a worthwhile investment.
And before you leave, don’t forget to explain the benefits of your service agreement plan (no need to call, regularly scheduled maintenance, lower bills, constant surveillance of the machinery, etc.). Offer them an additional 10 percent off if they refer you to a family member or friend.
The summer has arrived folks, and the money is ripe for the picking. Now’s the time to mail fliers to customer’s homes, email clients, share updates on social media sites, hell, yell it from the rooftops if you must, but get your workers inside those homes.
As Elvis Presley famously proclaimed, it’s now or never. Because, before you know it, autumn will arrive, surely blowing the leaves of the money tree. Put in the time today, and stash that cash while you can.
