Homeowners are becoming more aware of the benefits of heating and air conditioning systems, which drive sales. As a result, homeowners are replacing old equipment and upgrading their systems to newer, more energy-efficient models.
The average life expectancy of HVAC systems in the U.S. is 15 to 20 years, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. As these systems age, they lose efficiency and become less reliable. This makes homeowners replace old equipment and upgrade their systems to newer, more energy-efficient models.
Companies have taken advantage of this opportunity, which is why the HVAC industry is highly competitive, with many companies vying for the same customers. To stay on top, it’s essential to keep up with trends and know how to sell HVAC systems in a way that will attract new clients.
How to Increase HVAC Sales for HVAC Contractors
HVAC sales are a crucial part of your business. It’s one of the most lucrative industries you can get into, but it also requires a lot of work and time. If you want to be successful in this industry, here are some tips on how to increase HVAC sales:
1. Sign Up for Direct Mail Lists
Direct mail lists are an excellent resource for a better understanding of how to increase HVAC sales. It helps you reach potential customers and build relationships. You can use these lists to send postcards, flyers, or other marketing materials showing your services and products. This will help you build trust and credibility with potential clients before they even meet or call you on the phone.
2. Establish Trust With Reviews & Testimonials
When potential customers see that other people have had success with your company, they’re more likely to trust that they will too.
Research shows 92% of consumers are influenced by online reviews, so make sure yours are positive. If someone has had a terrible experience with your company, pay attention to it. Address any reviews head-on with an apology and try to make things right as quickly as possible. This way, your client will keep their story private (potentially sway other potential buyers).
3. Become a Trusted Advisor
People want someone they can trust when spending their hard-earned money on something as crucial as an HVAC system for their home or office. It would help to show them that you care about their needs and concerns. This would be by providing them with expert advice and excellent service.
It’s not necessary for you to hard sell anything. Just let them know what options are available and what would work best for their needs. By explaining the options available, they can decide what kind of equipment they want in their homes and how much they should spend.
4. Create a Referral Program
A referral program is a powerful tip to increase HVAC sales. It’s also an excellent way to boost customer retention and improve customer service.
The program is a marketing strategy that allows customers to refer their family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to you for your services. In exchange for the referral, you provide incentives that reward your customers for their efforts.
The key to a successful referral program is ensuring that the incentives offered are valuable enough to make people want to participate. You can offer anything from discounts on future work to cash payments or even gift cards. Offer something that will entice your customers but doesn’t cost much extra money for you.
5. Write Content for Search Engines
Search engine optimization (SEO) improves the visibility of a website on SERPs. When customers search for something online, they are likely using Google or another search engine. If you want people to find your HVAC website, it should be easy to type keywords into their browser’s address bar.
You can increase traffic by creating content that ranks well in the SERPs. To do this, write relevant, authoritative, and keyword-rich content. This will help ensure that when someone does a Google search for a topic related to what you sell, they’ll find your site at the top of the list of results.
6. Create a Strong Brand Identity and Message
Your company’s brand should be unique and memorable so that potential clients remember it when they need an HVAC system installed or repaired.
A strong brand identity is essential to help you how to increase HVAC sales. This includes everything from the colors used in your logo and business cards to the type of language used on your website and social media profiles.
A compelling message helps potential clients identify with your business. This makes them more likely to buy from you instead of another company offering similar services at lower prices.
7. Build a Well-Designed Website
Your website is your customers’ first impression and can make or break a sale. If your website needs to be updated, potential customers will not want to use it.
The most effective way to increase HVAC sales is by having a well-designed website that will attract potential customers and convert them into paying customers.
Here are some things to consider when designing your website:
- Make sure that your website is mobile-friendly. Many people access the internet through mobile devices, so if your site is responsive, you can take advantage of potential leads and customers.
- Create an easy-to-navigate layout with easy-to-read text, images, and videos where possible. It should be clear where people need to click to learn more about products or services so they stay aware of a sea of information.
- Use high-quality images relevant to your products or services and ensure they’re optimized so they only take up a minimum of bandwidth when loading the page or site.
- Ensure all links are working correctly — especially those that take visitors to other sections of your site or offsite altogether (such as links to social media pages).
8. Create a Follow-up System
One of the best pieces of advice on how to increase HVAC sales is to have a system that will allow follow-up with leads and customers.
Follow-up systems are a smart way to stay top of mind with customers and prospects, but they also help you make more sales. According to Hubspot, 80% of successful sales require follow-up. The system can help with marketing and selling, and building relationships. And to do this, you must stay in touch with your customers.
You can use a simple database system or even a spreadsheet to keep track of all your client information. You can also organize them into different groups based on their needs and preferences to be targeted with the appropriate notification they need.
Here are some ideas to use a follow-up system:
- Send them an email or text once a week with info on current industry trends and how they might affect their business (think energy efficiency).
- Send them an email or text message once a month with tips and advice for running their business more efficiently.
- Contact them when there’s an event coming up (like a trade show) that might be relevant to their business.
Wrapping Up
The HVAC market is mature, stable, and growing. The HVAC services market in the United States was valued at $25,221.3 million in 2022, with a CAGR of 4.5% expected over the next eight years. Given this, it’s no surprise that many business owners are looking for ways to increase HVAC sales.
HVAC contractors specialize in making people’s lives easier. They improve their customers’ quality of life by providing them with the most effective heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. HVAC contractors must work hard to remain competitive in today’s market.
Robust marketing strategies are required to stand out from the crowd and increase your HVAC sales. This includes developing an effective website, targeting specific leads with marketing campaigns, establishing relationships with contractors, and other activities.
