Running an HVAC business is tough.
In the swelteringly hot summer months, the phone rings constantly. The jobs pile up, and technicians are kept busy.
Customers give their AC or heaters a break in the spring and fall, but this presents other issues. Work slows down, and it’s too quiet. You’ve got employees to pay and a business to sustain. It’s a tale as old as time in HVAC. But it is possible to keep the phone ringing and work coming in all year round without spending a fortune on ads. You just need to be more strategic about it and know how to make the most of every lead that does come in.
Only have a minute? Here are three takeaways
- You have LOTS of leads in your system already – use them!
- Focus on your members and servicing
- Network and work on your website
Reach out to existing and repeat customers
In slow seasons new jobs are harder to come by. But new business doesn’t necessarily mean new leads.
How many customers are in your system already? How many have equipment coming up on the time it needs tuning, updating, or replacing? The probability of selling to an existing customer is on average between 60-70%. And the HVAC industry is no exception. Repeat business is key to running a profitable HVAC business.
If you have data on the age of equipment or properties that you serviced with aging equipment last year, these are where to start.
Off-peak seasons are the perfect time to remind them about the importance of servicing and entering hot or cold seasons with a fully functioning AC or heating system. No one wants it to break at the height of summer or depths of winter.
Chances are you will need to remind customers to get a service, as most won’t have it marked on the calendar. There are lots of ways of getting more service calls on the schedule, including:
- Send customers an email or text reminder
- If they’ve opened it, send a reminder link to schedule their service (or a repeat of the first message with a different subject line, if they didn’t open it)
- Give them a call – get one of your team (or a virtual HVAC receptionist) to get the service scheduled.
Related article: How to make your HVAC business profitable in 2024
Follow up on old leads
Scheduling a service doesn’t just apply to repeat customers. Make contact with customers you haven’t heard from in a while. You can offer service reminders or upgrades.
Now is the time to follow up on old leads sidelined in favor of warmer, high-priority leads. Follow up and see if they still need help. Many will have moved on to another company, but some will still need work done.
This can nurture relationships, build brand loyalty, and gain repeat customers. Why does this matter? Because more than 50% of customers will spend more money with companies that they feel a sense of loyalty towards.
Part of our answering service for HVAC company, allows you to use a lead capture service with our virtual receptionists to make outgoing calls, so they can nurture and convert old leads.
Grow your membership numbers
Want recurring revenue throughout the year you can rely on? Lots of HVAC businesses have updated their old service agreements to offer memberships. The traditional service agreement model is great for increasing the value of a sale, but homeowners paying for an annual service don’t want to be upsold. With memberships, you can adjust the expectations from the standard once-a-year tune-up to an ongoing relationship with priority response times, exclusives on upgrades, and much more.
Sort out your SEO and listings
The off-season is the perfect opportunity to sort out your marketing. Focus on the things that got sidelined during busy months.
Start by updating your Google My Business listing (or claiming it if you haven’t already). Over 80% of homeowners don’t have an HVAC business in mind when they start looking (source: LSA), so being discoverable online is critical. Get new images, more reviews, check your listed services, and update the service area you work in. The same goes for listings on Angi, Thumbtack, and local listing sites. These are what comes up when someone searches online for ‘AC repair near me’, make sure you’re visible.
If your listings don’t need work, it’s likely your website does. You could refresh SEO, update existing content, or draft blogs so that you have fresh content to upload when you’re too busy over the summer. To streamline marketing, repurpose content into social media posts during the peak season and use a scheduling tool to avoid more work later.
Key areas to look at on your website:
- Does it look good on a mobile? Most people searching for repairs will likely start with the device that’s in their hand.
- Is it clear what you offer and where? Having your service area in page titles and headings is key for local search.
- Is there a clear call to action? Once people are on your website, is it clear what they should do next? (eg. call, schedule a job)
Related article: How can I promote my HVAC business?
Offer out-of-season discounts
Discounts exist to drive interest. You don’t want to get your sales team hooked on selling at a discounted rate (it’s not good for your profitability or your brand reputation), but they do work when used effectively.
Here are three things to keep in mind to make your discount work:
- Make it a good deal for everyone. Enough of a discount to make it appealing to customers, but also not too big that you don’t make any money.
- Add in scarcity. Either make it only for a certain amount of time or for a pre-set number of customers. ‘10% off AC servicing in April’ or ‘first 20 jobs booked’ – this makes people take action because they don’t want to miss out.
- Target who gets told about the discount. Don’t make a discount the first thing people see about your business on a Facebook ad, but use it to close ‘cooling’ leads, or make it for an ‘exclusive’ for members or your most loyal customers (people LOVE being part of ‘a select group’).
- Offer deals irregularly. If you do offer a deal, don’t do it too often or regularly. If there is a pattern, your customers will learn this and won’t book work until you have a discount.
Be visible in your community
How visible you are in your community is often an easily overlooked way to generate business. Sure, it’s not as easy to see what’s working as online ads, but the returns compound over time. There are many ways to be visible in your community – and all of them take time – but by picking a couple and being consistent, you’ll be amazed by the return. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
- How visible and memorable is the wrapping on your trucks and vans? Do people see your business AND remember it?
- Are you a member of the community? Do you show up to help out, support local causes, take part in community activities?
- Do you have knowledge that’s valuable to others? Can you simplify topics like how the changes in refrigerants and available tax rebates so people can understand them?
Related article: Local marketing for home service businesses
Make the most of every lead, care for your customers
Generating new leads out of season is always necessary, but also take the time to make sure you’re managing those leads well. Especially if you are doing lots of advertising and investing your hard-earned summer profits. Being the contractor that answers the call, treating people well, and being reliable by doing what you said you would all build trust. You’ve likely spent a lot of time training your office team and manage those calls well. But with lots of leads coming in, your team taking vacations, and calls after-hours, it’s easy to lose the quality and the care that makes your business special.
Take the time to see your business as your customers do. Check how easy it is to get information on your services. What the experience is like when someone who’s doing their research once the kids are in bed and calls with an inquiry at 9pm. You’ll be amazed by what you learn and how many opportunities you’re currently missing out on.
Key takeaways:
Getting HVAC leads out of season can be harder, but it doesn’t mean your business should grind to a halt. The key ways to keep business coming include:
- Encouraging previous customers to get services.
- Advertising the benefits of servicing equipment ready for when it’s needed.
- Look at offering discounts or packages, even if just to loyal customers.
- Follow up on older leads.
- Make sure your marketing is up to date so people searching for HVAC repairs and work can find you.
Find out more: HVAC answering services